Those who only pass through New Jersey may wonder why we residents would ever call it The Garden State. Our daughter learned this while introducing herself at a gathering of fellow freshmen at college; when she said she was from New Jersey, a snide questioner replied, “New Jersey, eh? What exit?”

Little do they know of the magnificent farmlands and woodlands and wetlands that lie beyond the toll booths. Little do they know of the parks both rural and urban, of the pinelands, of lakes large and small, of the bucolic shaded towpaths that line our sixty-six miles of Delaware and Raritan Canal, or the sometimes serene, sometimes tumultuous Delaware River the graces our entire western boundary. (And you are already thinking of your own cherished spots, wondering why I haven’t named them.)

We have a lot to be proud of. Pride not just in the amazing state we call home, but also pride in our own steadfast funding over the years for protecting and conserving what makes New Jersey so special. Those just passing through can’t possibly comprehend how serious we are about preserving what is lovely, and restoring what has been defiled.

Click here to read the rest from the Huffington Post.