Citizens United To Protect The Maurice River - reTURN The Favor Training / 4-12-25

Each spring, the Delaware Bay beaches welcome the arrival of countless horseshoe crabs during their spawning season, when they come ashore to reproduce. Unfortunately, many of these fascinating creatures are overturned by waves or become trapped in natural and manmade obstacles. Hundreds of thousands are stranded on the beaches every year. When overturned, with their soft undersides exposed to the sun, horseshoe crabs are left vulnerable to predators and desiccation.

ReTURN the Favor volunteer community science and wildlife management program works to reduce strandings and support the species' numbers to counter the negative impacts that historic overharvesting has had on the population. This vital program not only aids horseshoe crabs but also benefits shorebirds that rely on their eggs for food.
 
In 2024, the reTURN the Favor program successfully returned 135,897 horseshoe crabs on New Jersey beaches to the safety of the Bay's waters. At that time, the total number of rescued crabs exceeded one million since the beginning of the program in 2013.

You can help this effort by attending this year's in-person reTURN the Favor training on April 12. To participate independently and obtain the necessary NJDEP permit, new volunteers must attend this training session, which will include a workshop hosted by the Wetlands Institute, followed by a demonstration walk along the beaches led by CU Maurice River.
 
For the previously trained reTURN the Favor Volunteer: Returning volunteers can renew their permits through an online overview training session offered by the Wetlands Institute.