Cattus Island Park in Toms River, New Jersey, is a 530-acre coastal park that combines preserved natural habitats along Barnegat Bay with environmental education at the Cooper Environmental Center. Its recorded history stretches from Captain Cornelius Hendrickson’s 1615 exploration to colonial settlement by the Page family, Revolutionary War use in moving British cargoes, 19th-century lumber development, and later ownership by John V. A. Cattus. Ocean County acquired most of the land in 1973, and the park opened in 1980 with the county’s first environmental center. Today it protects maritime forest, wetlands, and salt marshes while serving as a public teaching site.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Toms River, New Jersey · USA