Waterfowl such as these mallard ducks rely on the ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes in the Pinelands for breeding, foraging, and nesting. Photo – Paul Leakan

Bog beacon (Mitrula, sp.) is a yellow-orange, matchstick-like fungus that grows in Pinelands bogs and supports the bog’s ecosystem by decomposing decaying vegetation and recycling nutrients. Photo – Paul Leakan

Native red-bellied turtles rely on water for foraging and feeding, brumation, protection from predators, and regulating body temperature. The turtles above are basking in a lake in the Pinelands. Photo – Paul Leakan

Capable of staying underwater for up to eight minutes, the North American river otter is a semi-aquatic mammal that is found throughout the Pinelands. These carnivores have a voracious appetite. Photo – Paul Leakan

Beaver lodges are dome-shaped homes that are built with branches and mud and have an underwater entrance to protect beavers from predators.

Beavers are known for their dam-building abilities, which create wetlands used by other wildlife species, such as waterfowl, fish, and amphibians.

The American beaver is a large, semi-aquatic rodent with webbed feet for swimming. Beavers live in family groups and are monogamous, often mating for life.

The Pinelands provides refuge for thousands of animal species, including more than 40 species that are listed as threatened or endangered and receive special protection under the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan, as administered by the NJ Pinelands Commission.

The chain pickerel is one of 12 native fish species found in the acidic waters of the Pinelands. The New Jersey state record chain pickerel is a 9-pound, 3-ounce fish caught in Lower Aetna Lake in the Pinelands in 1957.

This is the tenth edition of the Pinelands National Reserve wall calendar, and it was funded by the National Park Service. All 38 photos in the calendar were taken by members of the Pinelands Commission’s staff. Tap here for info: www.nj.gov/pinelands/ho...