Who We Are
The Natural Resources Education Foundation of New Jersey is an environmental education non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation. Founded in 1976, we are dedicated to fostering environmental stewardship through immersive learning experiences. Our goal is to engage with people of all ages to learn and interact with the natural environment thus encouraging the protection, enhancement and resilience of these natural resources long into the future for generations to come.
NREF has spent the past 25 years building a collaborative network of environmental professionals, educators, students, volunteers, local and state officials and community members who engage in a wide variety of programs and projects at the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education (LHC) in Waretown, NJ. We host a wide variety of student, professional and community-based organizations who utilize the LHC as a space to experience Barnegat Bay and the wide variety of habitats that make up the 194-acre property of mostly undeveloped natural landscapes.
Proud Stewards of the Lighthouse Center
NREF operates the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education, located in Waretown, New Jersey, under a lease agreement with New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.
The Lighthouse Center is instrumental in fulfilling NREF’s mission of educating the public about Barnegat Bay’s ecosystems and implementing programs that protect our most valuable natural resources.
