Another summer has come and gone, filled with days of laughter, sunshine and relaxation at the beach. While the parties have gone, the reminders of them -- caps from water bottles and soda, straws from drinks, and hundreds of other bits of debris -- remain behind. This Saturday, hundreds of volunteers will be hitting the state's beaches from Sandy Hook to Cape May to pick up plastics, Styrofoam, cans and much more, left behind by humans and the tides, as part of Clean Ocean Action's fall Beach Sweeps event. Since the first sweeps in 1985, more than 90,000 volunteers have participated in the …

In a brief video, a visitor to Island Beach State Park earlier this month claims to have captured images of a possible hammerhead shark among the waves near Seaside Heighs and Island Beach State Park. Posted Aug. 13, the user says the sighting was actually made several days before. In the beginning of the video, a fin of a possible shark is seen among the waves. As a wave crashes, the hammerhead can be spotted under the water of the Atlantic Ocean.

There's plenty of state parks in New Jersey, but only one is Island Beach State Park, which the state Department of Environmental Protection recently said was one of the most popular. A million people visit the park each year, according to the state agency. Of course, with all that beach, it's the summer and tourism that drives visitors to Island Beach. Located on the southernmost portion of the barrier island, south of South Seaside Park, Island Beach State Park was also named a "hidden gem" by the DEP. In a series of articles that highlight the unique offerings in the state park system, the…

It's a literal bird's eye view. An osprey nest at Island Beach State Park has a camera pointed at it from nearby, thanks to the Friends of Island Beach State Park. It's streaming live on the Friends' website, here, in hopes of monitoring the nest and getting a glimpse of the birds as they make it their home. The nest and camera are near the Johnny Allens Cove portion of the 10-mile long park. For more information on the Friends, visit their website, here.

As an avid birder, nature lover, and amateur photographer, Island Beach State Park is my destination of choice. Its beaches, wildlife, and unique fauna offer limitless subjects. Hiking trails with quaint names like Johnny Allen's Cove, Reed's Maritime Forest Trail, and Spizzle Creek Bird Blind wind through the unique landscape, allowing access deep within the park. Living among the beautiful terrain and more noticeable wildlife is the red fox, one of the more humble and elusive denizens of the park. Officially know as "Vulpes vulpes," the park has a secluded and fascinating red fox population…