Wanderlust World Wanderlust World When the English took control from the Dutch in 1664, New Jersey was overwhelmingly natural.
Dense, mature stands of oak, hickory, maple, chestnut, pine, cedar covered most uplands. Habitat for deer, black bear, wolf, cougar, turkey, passenger pigeon.
Vast salt marshes (Hackensack, Delaware Bay), freshwater swamps (Great Swamp, Passaic), tidal rivers. Nurseries for fish, shellfish, waterfowl.
Delaware, Hudson, Raritan, Passaic, Hackensack rivers + countless streams—clean, teeming with shad, sturgeon, salmon, mussels. Primary transport arteries.
Temperate, humid continental. Jan avg ~30°F (-1°C), Jul avg ~75°F (24°C). Four distinct seasons.
Lenape (Delaware) managed landscape with fire (open understory, game habitat). Small Dutch/Swedish forts/trading posts. Minimal pollution—localized soil disturbance, hunting pressure.
Post-1664, English land grants accelerated clearing, logging, milling, farming. By 1800, forest cover halved; wetlands drained; rivers dammed/polluted. The 1664 baseline represents near-pre-colonial ecological integrity.