Music and Tales of N.J. Pine Barrens Lore Coming to Lavallette Library

Forked River Mountains, in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, purchased with Ocean County Natural Lands Trust funding. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The unique nature of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens are internationally recognized – and not just from a particularly famous episode of The Sopranos.

Centuries of history, stories and even music have related to the Pine Barrens, the largest remaining example of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecosystem. That history will come alive soon during a presentation at the Upper Shores branch of the Ocean County Library in Lavallette.

“Tunes & Tales with Valerie Vaughn” will be presented Wednesday, May 15 at the library. According to an announcement from the library system, the Vaughn’s evocative songs earned the Ocean County Commission’s Special Award and the Pine Barrens Festival Award for preserving the “culture, heritage, and natural beauty” of the Pinelands.

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Vaughn has appeared at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.and in televised specials, shared the stage with the legendary Pete Seeger, and spun musical tales in England. In addition to performances and dialogues on YouTube, she is featured on the Tuckerton Seaport website and teaches at Tuckerton’s Jersey Shore Folklife Center.

Forked River Mountains, purchased with Ocean County Natural Lands Trust funding. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

The performances are part of the Ocean County Library’s Neighbors Connecting Series of Programs and are sponsored by a grant from the OceanFirst Foundation and the Ocean County Library Foundation.

The event will be held Wednesday, May 15, at the library, located at 112 Jersey City Avenue, Lavallette. Library officials have asked those who wish to attend to register online or by calling 732-793-3996.