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RIDGE VIEW ECHO WRITER

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist

48 ARTICLES
Jennifer has a Masters in Parks and Resource Management from Slippery Rock University. She worked as a Park Naturalist for Hunterdon County Park System from 2003-2006 and then at the NJSOC full-time from 2006 - 2020, starting as the Program Coordinator and evolving to an Environmental Educator. Jen is a New Jersey native and has lived in Warren County with her family since 2004. She is excited to be offering programs to this community she has grown to love.
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Beech Blight Aphids: The Bugs That “Boogie Woogie”

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Beech blight aphids are a type of woolly aphid species found on beech trees throughout the east coast of the United States. Although beech blight...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Your Japanese Barberry Shrub Harbors These Two Scary Secrets

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
One of the scariest things lurking in our forests—and most likely in our very own yards—is not the animals we might encounter, but, rather,...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

This Haunting Flower Is Perfect for Spooky Season

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Ghost pipe may look like a plant or fungus that is dead and sucked dry of its color, but it actually never had any...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Eats Roots and Logs: The Eastern Eyed Click Beetle

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
The most interesting aspect of all click beetles is right there in the name: They have a hinged apparatus on the underside of their...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Common St. Johnswort’s Annual Season in the Sun

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Common St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum) is an invasive perennial that was introduced from Europe. This plant seems to follow the calendar for summer bloom...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

The Tale of the Turtlehead Plant

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Let’s talk about my favorite animal: turtles. I have been privileged to find many different types of them in my travels and on various job...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Evening Primrose: Neither a Rose or a Primrose but a (Wild) Flower All Its Own

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Evening primrose, a native plant that has adapted to fields and roadsides, is a lovely night-blooming biennial. June through September, the common evening primrose (or...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Why Wild Bergamot Is a Good Idea for Your Garden 

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a native and unusually showy mint plant that can reach heights of up to five feet tall. Most members of...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

The Whirlwind Life of a Luna Moth

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Most people don't get a warm, cuddly feeling when they think of a dusty, powdery moth. Especially when compared to beautiful frolicking butterflies. Moths...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

The North American Starflower: Guiding Us in the Right Direction for Environmental Health  

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
North American Starflower (Trientalis borealis) is a subtle, lovely native spring bloom. Subtle because the Latin translation “Trientalis” means “one third of a foot”...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

The Secret Lives of Bog Turtles

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Did you know NJ has an official state reptile? It is the state endangered bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii), and it was designated as our...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

What the Canada Mayflower Has in Common With a Bamboo Plant

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
The Canada mayflower (Mainanthemum canadense) is a small flower that is native to the northeast of North America.You may spot it in upland woods...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Why You Should Leave Carpenter Bees Be

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Eastern carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica) are an important native pollinator species found throughout the eastern United States. According to PennState Extension, “Fifteen percent of our agricultural crops are pollinated by native...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

This Flower Is Aptly Named After a Greek Goddess

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Although there are 21 genera in eastern North America, Lady’s Slippers (or Cypripedium) are not a common find in New Jersey forests—so it can indeed...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

The Spongy Moth’s Storied Origin

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Explore any wooded area in north Jersey in early springtime and you’ll likely see the egg masses of the spongy moth (formally known as the Lymantria dispar dispar). The spongy moth, which is so called for the texture of its eggs, was rebranded with its...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

The Mourning Cloak Butterfly Has a Message for You

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
The mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is one of the earliest-appearing and most recognizable butterflies in northwest New Jersey in the spring. After a long,...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Getting to Know the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Yellow-bellied sapsuckers (aka Sphyrapicus varius) look similar to downy and hairy woodpeckers, which also make their home in northwest New Jersey. The resemblance is...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Coltsfoot: More Than Just a Roadside Weed

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Coltsfoot’s origin story begins in western Europe, northern Asia, and North Africa before it was brought to the United States as an herb. It...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Hepatica: The Little Flower That Announces Spring

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
Round-lobed hepatica is a distinctive perennial flowering plant that is classed in the buttercup family. Scientifically named Anemone Americana, hepatica blooms from late winter...
Notes From the Fallen Tree

Forest Surf: The Shagbark Hickory Tree’s Beachy Waves 

Jennifer Correa-Kruegel, Warren County Naturalist -
The shagbark hickory tree—also known by its scientific name of Cary ovata—gets its moniker from its distinct, signature bark. The unusual bark is loose,...
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