Natural Lands Trust Fund buys 22 acres of habitat in most urban state to protect endangered tree frog; Ocean Township, NJ

Ocean County to preserve habitat for Pine Barrens tree frogs - pressofAtlanticCity.com : Breaking News
OCEAN TOWNSHIP - With a few slivers of sunlight piercing the clouds and the canopy above, Mark Villinger hiked through thick brush toward an oasis hidden between the hills off Brookville Road.
He stopped at the banks of a small pond, obscured by trees and filled with vegetation. Birds chirped overhead, while a chorus of croaks came from the understory.
'I think that's it,' he said, turning his ear toward the water, listening for the Pine Barrens tree frog.
The unseen pool is a sanctuary for these endangered amphibians, which is partly why on Wednesday afternoon the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved the acquisition of the 22.3-acre parcel that encompasses it.