Keeping Nature Connected: Why Landscape Connectivity Matters for New Jersey’s Future

In a state as densely populated and developed as New Jersey, it can be easy to assume that nature is something we visit, not something we are a part of. But across our fields, forests, wetlands, plus our peri-urban and suburban landscapes, wildlife continue to move, seeking food, shelter, mates, and safe passage for their young. For this to remain possible in the decades ahead, we must address a growing challenge: landscape connectivity.

What Is Landscape Connectivity? 

At its core, landscape connectivity refers to the degree to which viable animal habitats are linked across a region. Just like we rely on roads and bridges to connect communities, wildlife rely on natural corridors, such as forests, grasslands, rivers, and hedgerows, to move across the landscape. These connections are essential for sustaining wildlife populations by facilitating movement, maintaining genetic diversity, and supporting resilience to climate and land use change.  
 
Without connectivity, species become isolated in fragmented habitat patches. Over time, this isolation can lead to population declines, biodiversity loss, and ecological breakdowns. For New Jersey’s wildlife, which already contend with some of the most fragmented habitats in the nation, the stakes couldn’t be higher. 

Why It Matters for Central New Jersey 

Central New Jersey is at a crossroads. With increasing development pressure, transportation infrastructure, and climate change impacts, the region faces a real risk of ecological isolation. Small woodlots, wetlands, and grasslands, once part of large, contiguous ecosystems, are now bordered by roads, subdivisions, warehouses, and solar fields. For species like box turtles, bobcats, amphibians, and migratory birds, these disruptions can place populations at risk of local extinction.

At the same time, Central New Jersey still holds immense potential. It contains critical habitat corridors that connect the Highlands and the Pine Barrens, the Sourlands and the Raritan River, and numerous state and county parks, preserves, and working farms. If we act quickly and strategically, we can protect and enhance these connections, ensuring our landscapes remain functional, resilient, and vibrant for generations to come.

Enter CHANJ: Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey 

Led by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) is a statewide, science-based initiative designed to reconnect the state’s fragmented habitats. It provides municipalities, planners, conservation groups, and landowners with the tools and data they need to identify and protect key “cores” (large, intact habitat areas) and “corridors” (linkages that connect them).

Through mapping tools, policy guides, and technical support, CHANJ helps local decision-makers understand where wildlife move. The tools help identify what blocks species movement and how land-use conversion, from zoning to road crossings, can either help or hinder connectivity.

“The state has invested for decades in landscape connectivity,” said Gretchen Fowles, Research Scientist at New Jersey Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program. “But participating in the recent roundtable made it clear that we need to work together to ensure the right information gets into the hands of the right decision-makers. NJDEP agencies like Green Acres, Fish & Wildlife, and Parks & Forestry can work with conservation groups to drive a coalition involving the counties and municipalities."

Why This Matters to Duke Farms 

Located in the heart of Central New Jersey, Duke Farms sits at a critical ecological junction. Its 2,700 acres of restored habitat and research infrastructure are surrounded by numerous municipalities—each with its own zoning laws, development priorities, and open space goals. While Duke Farms is large, no single property can maintain biodiversity alone. Without connectivity to neighboring lands, the conservation value of even the best-managed site declines.

We are particularly concerned about the creeping isolation of remaining green spaces. Forests are being edged out by highways. Fields are being fragmented by large-scale solar installations and industrial sprawl. Wildlife that once roamed freely are increasingly trapped in shrinking islands of habitat. If we don’t intervene now, we risk turning Central Jersey into a patchwork of ecological dead ends.

“As a landscape ecologist, I’ve spent my career working across jurisdictional boundaries,” said Dr. Hila Shamon, Director of Science and Conservation at Duke Farms. “Conservation success relies on people working together. Duke Farms is a neutral player in this space, and we hope to be of service to our communities by bridging science, practice, and policy to ensure New Jersey’s landscapes remain connected and climate-resilient.”

Convening for Solutions: The Central NJ Roundtable 

In recognition of this urgency, Duke Farms, NJDEP Fish and Wildlife, and the Green Acres Program recently convened over 50 leaders representing federal, state, and local governments, regional NGOs, land trusts, and planning entities for a roundtable discussion on landscape connectivity in Central New Jersey. Held on-site at Duke Farms, the gathering marked the first step toward building a coordinated, multi-stakeholder coalition committed to addressing the connectivity challenge at scale. 

Participants emphasized that while the challenge is complex, the path forward is clear: shared vision, actionable data, and ongoing coordination. Many also recognize Duke Farms as an ideal convener and coordinator, given our unique position as a neutral, science-driven institution with deep community ties.

The Role of the Center for Conservation at Duke Farms 

To scale this work, the Doris Duke Center for Conservation, a new national platform based at Duke Farms, will help facilitate the Central NJ Landscape Connectivity Coalition. The Center’s mission is to advance applied conservation science and bring stakeholders together to co-design solutions that solve the most pressing socio-ecological challenges of our time. 
 
At Duke Farms, we believe connectivity isn’t just a wildlife issue. It’s a community issue, a climate issue, and a legacy issue. And we’re committed to working across both ecological and political boundaries to keep nature connected. 

Get Involved 

If you are a planner, elected official, landowner, or conservation advocate in Central New Jersey, we invite you to join us in this effort. The next roundtable will be scheduled early next year, with working groups forming specific strategies to drive this work forward. Sign up to receive updates about this initiative.