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Central Westchester Audubon Society
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Elmsford, Greenburgh, Harrison, Purchase,
Rye, Rye Brook, Port Chester and White Plains
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P.O.
Box 359, White Plains, NY 10602
email: cwas@centralwestchesteraudubon.org |
| CWAS Home Page |
Conservation IssuesImportant Bird Areas in Westchester, January 2005 Conservation - Long Island Sound, September 2004 Invasive Species, May 2004 Conservation - Long Island Sound, May 2004 Good News on the Conservation Front, Nov, 2003 Animals of Long Island Sound, May, 2003 Reduce Oil Consumption, March, 2003 Time Garbage Takes to Decompose, Jan, 2003 Conservation - The Power of One, Jan, 2003 Rye Golf Club Salt Marsh Restoration Project, Nov, 2002 From the Natural Resources Defense Council, Nov, 2002 Some Fine Points of Recycling, Nov, 2002 20/20 Vision: A Culture of Conservation, Sept, 2002 Beetle Alert, Sept, 2002
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Conservation - Important Bird Areas in Westchester CountyOn November 17 at the Greenwich Audubon Center, The Westchester County Bird Area Program Advisory Committee met at the behest of Dr. Jack Robbins, Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester Parks Department. The committee is charged with "developing, overseeing, and monitoring conservation programs to enhance, protect, and promote Important Bird Areas throughout Westchester, with a view towards migration patterns, propagation, habitat protection, and natural resource management for the bird species of interest to Audubon New York." Attending were participants from Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon, Central Westchester Audubon, Wildlife Conservation Society, Audubon New York and the Westchester Parks and Recreation Commission. Dr. Robbins summarized the work that the parks department had done in
preparation for the achievement of the objectives of the meeting, including
the development of a species profile for each of the six named IBA's/
Westchester Parks and a Westchester County endangered species list. Some exciting new information included: the creation of a "Lower Hudson River Eagle Wintering Important Bird Area." This park will run from Croton Point park to Beacon, New York and is to include George's Island Park, a favorite roosting area for Bald Eagles. With respect to David's Island, the county would like to purchase this property and turn it into a park. Cleanup costs are estimated at up to $20 million in addition to the purchase price. Westchester County has identified 1700 acres of additional land to conserve
and protect. Dr. Robbins closed the meeting by stating he was encouraged by the input and participation and called for a follow-up conference. It was agreed to meet at Croton Point in January, possible on a Monday afternoon. Ms. Amie Worley will coordinate. Westchester's IBA's currently include Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Butler Sanctuary, Huckleberry Island, Lower Hudson River, Marshlands Conservancy and Ward Pound Ridge. Nominations for additional IBA's in the county can be sent to Audubon New York for consideration .-- Peter da Silva Conservation - Long Island SoundThe Long Island Stewardship Act of 2004, sponsored by Senator Joseph Lieberman is moving through Congress. If and when it is passed it will provide $40 million a year: 75% federal funds matched by 25% local funds. Its intent is to improve the Sound's coastlines for wildlife and increase public access. Support is promised by all four Senators from both New York and Connecticut, plus the five Connecticut representatives and eight of the 29 representatives for New York. Presently only 40% of the LIS coastline can be reached for fishing, boating and birding; habitat for the 135 bird species that make the Sound their home is being eroded. Audubon for 15 years has been an active advocate for the sound. The Long Island sound Stewardship system, working with the EPA, New York and Connecticut, is working to identify a network of significant ecological sites in and around the Sound. The proposed Cross-Sound Cable is included in the discussions. --Louise Jones Invasive SpeciesIn the April-May magazine of the National Wildlife Federation, there is a warning about the butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) which can grow to 10 ft and is commonly planted to attract butterflies. This is a non-native species that can become invasive. Better choices include asters, phlox, goldenrod, milkweed, coreopsis, dianthus, blazing star and joe-pye weed, all perennials. Annuals include nasturtium, marigolds, cosmos and zinnias. Conservation - Long Island Sound"Long Island Sound, an Owner's Manual" has been released by Wainwright House, located on the Sound in Rye. The fold-out leaflet is loaded with suggestions for us homeowners, and apartment owners too, to help clean up the Sound and keep it clean. First, it suggests safer alternatives to the harsh chemicals in our household cleansers: use boric acid to kill roaches, table salt with baking soda and water to clean ovens, lemon oil with linseed oil as furniture polish. Detergents with phosphorus are to be avoided (read the label again). Paper diapers, sanitary napkins and plastics belong in the garbage, not the toilet. Most important there is a warning against putting acids of any kind, such as oven cleaners, paints and paint cleaners, wood preservatives, pesticides, etc. down the drain or in the garbage; take those, and batteries, to the twice yearly Hazardous Waste collections at WCC or Playland. "Toxics in the House" is available from the Westchester County Health Dept. at 914-285-3072. To feed our gardens the suggestions include using composted vegetables, grass clipping and leaves, which also reduces landfill garbage. Biodynamic gardening information can be had by calling the Cooperative Extension or Biodynamic Gardening Association at 215-3227-2420. For more information about the Sound check out tne Long Island Sound Study's web site at http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net . The site highlights new Sound projects and other programs of interest to the environmental community. ---Louise Jones Good News on the Conservation FrontIn August, the Open Space Institute bought ten thousand acres of forest, mountains and lakes in northeast New York's Essex County to protect the headwaters of the Hudson River. The $8.5 million purchase was made fromTexas Chemical Company and NNL Industries that had been mining titanium in the area. It caps a 10-year effort by Moe Martens, president of Open Space Institute, which over the years has bought and protected 500 thousand acres of forest and open space in the state. Six thousand acres of the parcel will be kept "forever wild" guaranteed by the New York State Constitution; 400 acres, containing the abandoned village of Adirondac, will be designated an Historic District within Adirondack Park and 3,000 acres will be sold as protected working forest to a timber company. -- Louise Jones Animals of Long Island SoundA Conference Sponsored byThe Long Island Sound Watershed Alliance The most dramatic and disturbing news is the recent lobster die-off which has been occurring mainly in the western section of the Sound, near the Narrows, and has put lobster fishermen out of work. The number of native crabs countrywide is dramatically down, due to predation by introduced species, and shellfish, such as quahogs studied off Staten Island, are showing alarming signs of parasitic attack. Diamond back terrapins, once plentiful in Oyster Bay harbor, have been producing fewer young in recent years. There are three theories for the plight of these species: pesticides, parasites and environmental change. The changing environment - global warming- is believed to be the major culprit. Increasing temperatures have caused unusually warm water, well above the lobsters' tolerance. Introduced species, many brought here in the water ballast of foreign ships, were noted as an increasing problem. One speaker estimated that 10 thousand types arrive in U.S. harbors every day. Studies in San Francisco Bay have shown that these new creatures such as toads, shipworm, zebra mussels, and plants such as purple loosestrife in wetlands, alter the environment, bring pathogens, and compete with and prey on native species. The bad news about the animals was encouragingly countered by a video trip through underwater landscapes of the Sound showing good numbers of fin fish such as striped bass, scup and flounder. A recent trawler survey of the Sound proposed that, with proper management in rebuilding, there is hope for a positive response. There was a warning, however, that "chemical cleaning" is not the same as biological cleaning. We were also treated to LI Sound history lesson by Tom Anderson author of the book, This Fine Piece of Water. ---Louise N. Jones Reduce Oil ConsumptionVehicle fuel efficiency standards have not been changed in 15 years. (27.5 MPG for cars and 20.7 for SUV's and light trucks). Today half of the vehicles sold are SUV's and others classified as light
trucks so gas usage per mile traveled has, on average, increased rather
than decreased in the last fifteen years. If this were done over the next decade, we would ultimately save more oil each year than we imported from the Persian Gulf in 2001. This begins to give us the independence from Middle East oil that is so desirable, especially when combined with other conservation measures. Unfortunately the administration has proposed legislation that would improve efficiency by only 1.5 MPG over the next five years! Clearly this must be raised. Express your viewpoint. Write to Senators Clinton and Schumer and Congresswoman Lowey to press for higher fuel efficiency standards. -- Peter da Silva Time Garbage Takes to DecomposeGlass bottle - 1 million years Conservation - The Power of OneMany of us think that individually we can do relatively
little to protect our environment yet all the while knowing that conservation
is the single most important thing we can do for ourselves and all living
things. We underestimate the power of One. Each of us can do a lot to
protect our environment by doing a few simple things. --Peter da Silva Rye Golf Club Salt Marsh Restoration ProjectWe have been following a proposal to restore a portion of the salt marsh at the golf club which has been reduced by the spread of the common reed (Phragmites Australia). The proposed restoration would have a number of environmental impacts while the change proposed would not be permanent. In the meantime, at least four uncommon bird species, including
the King Rail, have been seen breeding in this area. If the Phragmites
is removed, they will not return to the affect area. --- Peter da Silva From the Natural Resources Defense CouncilWe are being made increasingly aware of a number of proposals to dismantle several environmental safeguards to clean water which have taken decades to put in place. Proposals have been made to weaken requirements to treat raw sewage, clean up polluted waters and keep solid waste out of our waters and wetlands. You can help by: Sending a message to the Chair, White House council on Environmental Quality through the NRDC's Earth Action Center at http://www.mrdc.org/action/ or: Send a letter explaining your own reasons why the administration should stop attempting to weaken the clean water act to: James L. Connaugton, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality, 722 Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20503. Fax: 202-456-6546. One of the most disturbing alerts received is that the administration has given approval for the Navy to begin deploying the new low frequency active (LFA) sonar system across 75% of the world's oceans. The unbelievably strong (235 decibels) sonar uses underwater loud speakers to blast the oceans, then waits for a response. At close range these intense shock waves destroy whales eardrums, cause their lungs to hemorrhage and even kill. At further distances, the noise can result in permanent hearing loss to marine mammals after a single transmission and causes whales to swerve from their migration routes. Tests made 2 years ago in the Bahamas caused a mass stranding and deaths of individuals from 3 species. Please help by making a contribution online to defray legal action to stop the Navy at: http://www.NRDC.org/joingive/join/LFA2.asp . -- Peter da Silva Some Fine Points of RecyclingHere are some recycling requirements that you may not be
aware of: 20/20 Vision: A Culture of ConservationIn 1995, the Audubon Society called for its membership to embrace a culture of conservation. The 20/20 vision is the implementation strategy which is focused on two major elements: the establishment of Audubon Centers and the focus on education. It is a lofty vision grounded in basic logic: "To restore the natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity." Since the environment is shared by all of our lives and that of all the earth's inhabitants are are interconnected in countless ways, it is to our benefit to understand our environment in order to protect it. What better place to begin that process that at an Audubon
Center. Audubon Centers are places in their communities that include natural
open space, permanent facilities and people. They are places where families
can watch wildlife, explore and play outdoors together or on their own
engage in conservation action, restore a wetland, learn how to landscape
to attract birds and butterflies or address local conservation issues.
The network of Audubon centers is growing and it is hoped that they will
provide the understanding that will motivate us to care for the world
around us. -- Peter da Silva Beetle AlertHave you seen the Asian Longhorned Beetle. This destructive insect is a serious threat to trees in New England. It has been found in NYC and Chicago. This insect kills trees. Maple trees are its favorite host. Almost 7,000 trees have been cut down in the infested areas to eradicate it. It is easy to recognize. It is a large (3/4 to 1 1/2 in. long), shiny black beetle with white spots and long black and white banded antennae. We must limit its spread. If you see this beetle, call 1-800-554-4501. For more information visit: www.uvm.edu/albeetle.
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