Historic West Cape May Remembers…

Historic West Cape May Remembers…. Our Agricultural Heritage Through Preservation…, also, Nature through Conservation…. , Our Agricultural Heritage Through Preservation… , The Rea farm, an area of 82 plus acres remains preserved farmland in perpetuity because of the foresight of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Rea. The borough will always be indebted to the Rea's for not selling to developers. The land, farmed or fallow provides a home for field animals and birds; a portion of the land is now leased to the Audubon Society. Birders, environmentalists and artists are welcome all seasons of the year., The Whilldin-Eldridge House located on the Rea Farm at Stevens Street and Bayshore Road, one of the oldest in the country, was built prior to 1730., The Stevens Canning Factory processed and packed locally grown vegetables and fruits during the growing season. The factory, now gone, was located off North Broadway at the borough line. A "Canning House Lane" sign still remains., Beans were shelled in this tipple-like structure and sent out to be processed., Ford Hood Limas, the principal cash crop in the area supplied limas to major canning and frozen food corporations until 1995 when those companies contracted for their supplies from growers in Central America. A Lima Bean Festival is held each year in early October to honor the humble legume. All kinds of lima bean "food-stuffs" are sold--yes--even desserts--as well as lima decoracted clothing, pottery, jewelry and "junque.", Nature through Conservation… , West Cape May, although a small borough, has a large percentage of its land protected. The entire Cape May peninsula is globally recognized for its exceptional value to migrating birds, butterflies, dragonflies and bats. Many private landowners here have voluntarily ceded their development rights to support wildlife with protected habitat., Southern Gray Tree Frog: Habitats in West Cape May include extensive freshwater wetlands, unusual so close to the sea. Frogs abound, including the Southern Gray Tree Frog, rare or completely absent from most of New Jersey ut common here., Lenni Lenape: Land preservation is not a new concept in West Cape May. The native Lenni Lenape lived on Cape Island and throughout the Delaware Bay region harvesting the bounty of land and sea in a sustainable manner., Conservation Organizations: The Nature Conservancy and the New Jersey Audubon Society have been actively involved with land preservation efforts, teaming with state and local governments and landowners to protect diverse habitats., Monarch Butterflies: Millions of Monarchs migrate through the area in early autumn every year. They're heading for the mountains of Mexico, and West Cape May biologists have been carefully studying this spectacular migration since 1991., Bird Migration: West Cape May lies in the middle of Cape Island, one of North America's premier sites for observing huge numbers of migrating hawks, falcons, warblers, and many others. The tapering shape of the Cape May peninsula literally funnels migrants from a broad front of the Cape May peninsula literally funnels migrants from a broad front onto the narrow Cape. Avid birders visit Cape May from all over the world.