Here are some facts about our state:

State Flower: Violet
State Bird: Eastern Goldfinch
State Nickname: the Garden State
State Motto: Liberty and Prosperity
State Bug: Honeybee
State Animal: Horse
State Tree: Red Oak
State Fish: Brook Trout
State shield: Has three plows on it to symbolize the agricultural traditions of the state.

Text and photos courtesy of Tami Harris

There is so much more to New Jersey than what people read about.  We live in what is considered South Jersey.  Minutes from Philadelphia (or "Philly" as the children call it) and Atlantic City; however we are miles from New York City.  We have many farms, museums, and the ocean.

The State of New Jersey is part of the original 13 colonies.  One of the most famous things in our founding history was General George Washington crossing the Delaware.  Another famous thing was the famous duel to the death of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.

In Burlington County, Mount Holly is the county seat.  Mount Holly is rich with history both past and present.  Mount Holly was one of the stops along the Underground Railroad.  The old Mount Holly High school (which is now called RVRHS) had a scene filmed in it from the movie Eddie and the Cruisers.  Mount Holly also is the home of the oldest fire company that is still in service – Relief Fire Station.  We had the first female governor, Christine A. Whitman.

Burlington County was mainly inhabited by Native Americans upon its founding.  One of the main groups was the Lenni Lenape Indians.  Another was the Deleware Indians.  The Indians eventually spread out to other areas in the state but part of their original land is a living and working reservation called the Rancokas Indian Reservation.

Not too far from Mount Holly in Camden County, around the year 1858, a nearly complete dinosaur fossil was found in the town of Haddonfield.  They believe that the dinosaur was a Hadrosaurus.  Upon this founding the Hadrosaurus was to become the state dinosaur.

New Jersey is nicknamed the Garden State.  The nickname came from the fact that our state was rich in farmland.  We are known throughout the country for our Farm Fresh Jersey fruits and vegetables such as our Jersey tomatoes.  Blueberry and strawberry picking are among favorite things to do in the summertime.

Our weather is very mild compared to other states.  We do have snow in the winter and hot summers however the humidity is the main problem in the summer and the dry air is the problem in the winter.  The kids love to sled the big hills in the winter and travel to the shore (Atlantic Ocean) in the summertime.

We like to follow our sport teams – the NJ Nets (Basketball), NJ Devils (Hockey) and well we claim the NY Giants and NY Jets because they play in New Jersey...but South Jersey residents cheer on the Philadelphia Eagles because we are only minutes from Lincoln Financial Field.