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Jersey City Council approves Brunswick School’s bat house for Enos Jones Park
Summary
The council unanimously approved a resolution permitting the Brunswick School and Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association to install one bat house in Enos Jones Park at the proponents’ expense; first‑ and second‑grade students later described the project to the council as an ecological and educational opportunity.
The Jersey City Municipal Council voted to approve Resolution 26‑157 on Wednesday, authorizing the Department of Recreation and Youth Development to coordinate with the Brunswick School and the Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association to place one bat house in Enos Jones Park.
Council member Tom Zupa read the resolution into the record and members recorded aye votes; the project is subject to a final review by the Division of Forestry and the school and neighborhood association will cover all installation, monitoring and removal costs, with the city bearing no financial obligation.
Proponents said the bat house is intended to provide roosting habitat for local bats and to reduce reliance on chemical pesticides. Speaking after the vote, Zupa described the plan as “a wonderful thing” and invited students to address the council.
First‑ and second‑grade students from the Brunswick School presented to the council, explaining that bats eat large numbers of night‑flying insects and offer pollination and seed‑dispersal benefits. One student described the classroom project and the group explained they built and painted a wooden bat house as part of an educational exercise.
Teacher Allison Scaggs identified herself for the record and thanked council members for approving what she called an important local ecology and learning opportunity.
The resolution requires the Division of Forestry to review the final location and permits the city to request removal of the bat house if necessary.
