Name and title:
Sam Skinner, Senior Naturalist
Background in your field:
Education: Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Texas
A&M University
Employment: Employed by the Monmouth County Park
System for 11 years.
Hobbies: I spend my spare time fishing, birding, camping, hiking, and kayaking. I'm also a member of the New Jersey Audubon and am a supporter
of various nature and wildlife conservation efforts.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
I have always enjoyed investigating
nature and interacting with people that share the same interests. As a Naturalist
with the Monmouth County Park System, I do this on a daily basis. I often find myself wondering if I am on the
clock or just out having good time.
As a Naturalist, what has been your favorite nature
spotting?
I have experienced so many
encounters with such a variety of critters that it is difficult to say which one
is my favorite.
Here are a few examples:
Sitting at my desk in Huber Woods
in the spring of 2005, I saw bird gliding in the distance out of my window and
at first I thought it was an osprey which is a fairly common bird in our area.
I went back to my computer and then noticed the bird was quite a bit closer and
it was not an osprey but a swallow-tailed kite. This kite is only seen in New Jersey a
few times a year and by only a few birders.
The kite decided to circle a meadow catching insects for about 15
minutes. I was fortunate to be able snap
a few quick pictures to preserve the moment. It then flew off and I imagine
back south toward Florida, where they breed, and ultimately back to South
America where they can be seen year round.
In the spring of 1971 I was
walking along the bank of the Brazos River, outside of College Station, Texas, and heard
a slight rustling alongside the trail. I
stopped and searched for the source. At first I could not see a thing and the
rustling would start and stop without any apparent cause. I was patient and kept watching. Then I noticed a small herbaceous plant, about
2 or 3 inches tall, start to shake and vibrate and then it zipped below the
surface of the ground and disappeared. I
watched and waited, and then another plant went under and then another and another. I never saw the critter performing this magic
trick but I suspect it was most likely a pocket gopher. They are native to the area and very
seldom leave their underground burrow and tunnel system to venture to the
surface. This was a simple encounter but
one that most people have never seen, and it remains with me just as vivid
today.
What is your favorite park to visit for nature sightings
and why?
Picking a favorite park would
seem like an easy thing to do, but I have been to them all on several occasions
and find each of them just as interesting. Birding is my favorite pastime
and birds are in all of the parks, so I never find one lacking.
I would have to choose
Huber Woods Park, Middletown as my
favorite as I frequent it the most.
It
is the hidden gem of the Park System with miles of trails through open meadows, stands of hickory, tulip trees, mountain laurel and evergreens. Scenic views of the Navesink River are a
short walk from the
Environmental Center. There are several small lakes that
hold birds and fish (fishing is my other favorite past time). The park has a
completely different look and feel throughout year with the seasonal changes. I
have been here for 11 years and hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear from
a first time visitor; “I have lived here all my life and I never knew this park
was here. I love it!”
What is your favorite nature program in the Park System?
The seasonal Birding Expeditions
are daylong birding trips. These trips were started by retired Park System Naturalist Bob Henschel
back in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Bob has been retired for as long as I have
been working for the Park System, but he continued to lead these trips after retiring and took me under his wing
showing me the New Jersey hot spots and introducing me to his birding patrons. Several
of the birders that frequent this program have been loyal customers for over 25
years. They are some of the friendliest
folks I have ever met and, as you would guess, many are excellent birders both by
sight and sound. We also get many new
and less experienced birders along for the ride. Everyone is greeted warmly and
the experienced birders are more than happy to help the beginners or less
experienced. Everyone has a great time and new friendships are formed.
Outside of the Park System, where is your favorite place
to visit in your off time?
When I am not in one of our parks
during my off time, I will go birding or fishing at Sandy Hook, after Labor Day
and before Memorial Day when the crowds have grown smaller, or to Assunpink
Wildlife Management Area for fishing or birding.
If you could give one tip to our visitors about nature in
the parks, what would it be?
In my opinion the best way to
enjoy nature in our Park System, and anywhere else for that matter, would be to
take your time, be patient and bring a pair of binoculars. Sitting still or
standing quietly for about 15 minutes will tremendously increase enjoyable nature
encounters as the wildlife returns to their normal routines once your movement
has ceased.
Binoculars will open a
completely new realm of vision from butterflies a few feet away, to snakes a
few yards away, to birds a half mile away.
I am off the clock in few minutes and I will head over to
BayshoreWaterfront Park, Port Monmouth for some birding in the adjacent wetlands; I will probably see
marsh wrens, night-herons, glossy ibis’, egrets, seaside sparrows and, if I get
lucky, maybe a saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow or even a Nelson’s sharp-tailed
sparrow.
Thank you to Park System Naturalist Sam Skinner for taking the time to tell us more about himself. Be sure to check out Sam's
Roving Park System Naturalist drop-in program offered a few times each month at various parks around the county!
