Newsletter, May
- June, 2005
Programs
Conserve
Our Clean Ocean Legacy
Thursday, May 19, 2005
7:15 PM in the Cafeteria
Church
Street School
295 Church St., White Plains
Speaker: Robert Cowin
Most of us have read about the sad truth that our oceans, as well as
the wildlife that inhabit them, are in serious trouble. Fish populations
have been depleted from overfishing, tens of thousands of sea birds,
including 23 endangered species, have been killed by longline fishing
and some species of turtles are threatened with extinction.
Our speaker, Robert Cowin, is the northeast representative
for the National Environmental Trust and runs their Marine Conservation
Campaign in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He will present a
power-point slide show which will illustrate the important issues involved
and the ways in which we can help to ensure that future generations
will enjoy healthy oceans and ocean wildlife.
Please join us for a timely and stimulating program.
Birdathon
2005 - Saturday, May 14th
(Rain
Date, May 21)
We invite all to join us in the most exciting field trip
of the year. To witness the spring migration of song birds is to participate
in one of the most rewarding activities of birding. Experts, beginners
and everyone in between are welcome to join in the fun. Just bring your
binoculars and spotting scope (if you have one) and a picnic lunch.
Dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes, and bring water and insect
repellent. Early risers can join the advance team at Read Sanctuary
at 5:30 a.m. The rest of us will meet up with the early birders at Education
House at 7a.m. for car pooling, first to Forest Park in Queens for the
warbler extravaganza, and then to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, where
we have lunch and then bird the ponds and gardens. We will end the day
around 4 p.m. when we tally the number of the species seen - it should
be more than 100.
As a reminder, in addition to having fun, the purpose
of this day is to raise funds for our scholarship program and other
educational activities that benefit our community. So, if you haven't
already done so, please use this coupon
to make a generous pledge.
If you have questions, please call 946-1780.
Field Trips
Unless otherwise indicated, all trips
will start at Education House, 5 Homeside Lane in White Plains.
Car pooling will be available. If you have questions call Jeanne
Alpert at 914-946-1780 or Victor Ramos at 1-646-644-6025. Although
appreciation of nature transcends all languages, if requested, our trip
leader, Victor, can provide Spanish translations. We
strongly encourage beginning birders to take advantage of our field
trips which are free and open to all. A few loaner
binoculars will be available.
On all of our field trips, which are
bilingual in English and Spanish, you should bring a snack, even for
a half day trip. It is most important to bring water, especially in
the warm weather. Always wear sturdy shoes and dress in layers. If you
need loaner binoculars, please call us before the trip to reserve one
of the few pairs we have. We encourage beginners to join in the fun
of birding..
Directions to Education
House. Homeside Lane is located off
North St. in White Plains. Going south on Mamaroneck Avenue from downtown
White Plains, make a left turn on Ridgeway. Go down Ridgeway to the
traffic light (firehouse on the left) and turn right on to North Street.
Homeside Lane is the third right and Education House is the first building
on the left. Parking is available in the circular driveway.
Saturday, April 30, 8AM, Nicole Kelisky/John
Ferone Memorial Walk. Meet at Ed House to carpool to the
Ferone farm in Millwood. The Ferone family has graciously offered their
home for this outing. Since space is limited, advance reservations for
this walk are required. Please call Lois Steirhout at 948-1026 prior
to April 30 if you wish to attend.
Saturday, May 14th, Birdathon 2005,
(Rain Date, May 21). We
invite all to join us in the most exciting field trip of the year. To
witness the spring migration of song birds is to participate in one
of the most rewarding activities of birding. Experts, beginners and
everyone in between are welcome to join in the fun. Just bring your
binoculars and spotting scope (if you have one) and a picnic lunch.
Dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes, and bring water and insect
repellent. Early risers can join the advance team at Read Sanctuary
at 5:30 a.m. The rest of us will meet up with the early birders at Education
House at 7a.m. for car pooling, first to Forest Park in Queens for the
warbler extravaganza, and then to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, where
we have lunch and then bird the ponds and gardens. We will end the day
around 4 p.m. when we tally the number of the species seen - it should
be more than 100. If you have questions, please call 946-1780.
Sunday, May 22nd, 7:30 AM, Doodletown
Rd., Bear Mountain State Park. Meet at Ed House for carpooling.
This is another hotspot for migrating songbirds. We should see a variety
of warblers, flycatchers, indigo buntings, orioles, and perhaps cuckoos.
The trail is a bit steep and rocky at the beginning, so sturdy shoes
are a good idea. Be sure to bring water, a snack, and insect repellent.
We expect the walk to end between 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 4th, 8AM, Butterflies
at Ward Pound Ridge. Meet at Ed House for carpooling or at
9AM at the entrance booth (there is a park entrance fee) to Ward Pound
Ridge. (Route 35 and 121 South Cross River, NY - 914-864-7317). The
largest of our county parks provides a variety of settings with wildflowers
attractive to many species of butterflies. This park also provides great
nesting habitat for bluebirds. Leader: Mike Bochnik (237-9331). Hudson
River Audubon, CWAS, and Bronx River/Sound Shore Audubon are co-sponsors
of this walk.
New York
State Beach Cleanup
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Plan to be at an ocean beach or near a river, stream,
wetland, or lake on the third Saturday in September to join a cleanup
team and participate in the International Coastal Cleanup, co-ordinated
annually in NY by the American Littoral society.
Cleanup sites for 2005 "at a beach near you"
will be listed in mid-August on the American Littoral Society's website:
www.alsync. You can also call the
Beach Cleanup Hotline: 800-449-0790.
2005 Scholarship Awards
This year CWAS has awarded scholarships to 17 students
from 5 area schools to attend the Westchester County Ecology camps and
the program at the Audubon Center in Greenwich. The scholarship committee
was impressed by the students' well-written applications and their interest
in conservation and the environment. Congratulations to all the winners
- we know you will have a great week at camp. Be sure to send us your
camp reports so that we can publish them in the September newsletter.
Pecans for Sale
We still have a supply of delicious Mammoth Georgia Pecans
for sale at $9 a pound. To order please call Beth da Silva at 949-5249
or Jeanne Alpert at 946-1780.
A Short Primer on Butterflies
Last month we had an exciting program on Butterflies,
complete with some beautiful slides, presented by Dr. Jeffrey Glassberg.
Dr. Glassberg founded the North American Butterfly Association which
has a very informative web site (www.naba.org) from which the following
information is excerpted.
Both butterflies and moths belong to a group of insects
called lepidoptera which means scaly (lepido) winged (ptera). When we
speak of "butterflies" we are referring to 2 related super-
families: the true butterflies (Papilionoidea) and the skippers (Hesperoidea).
Butterflies are frequently very colorful and most are
active exclusively during the day. Moths, on the other hand, are usually
drab and are active at night. However, some butterflies are dull and
some moths are brilliantly colored and fly during the day. Therefore,
a more accurate way of distinguishing between these two groups is to
look at the antennas. Butterfly antennas look somewhat like golf clubs,
with a long shaft that has a "club" at its end. Most moths
have antennas that are either simple filaments, tapering to a point
at their ends, or are complicated structures with many cross filaments,
looking somewhat like radar antennas.
A butterfly's life is short with an average life-span
of about 1 month, more or less, depending on its exposure to predators,
diseases, and man-made objects such as automobiles. However, some butterflies,
like the monarchs we see in our area, can live up to 9 months.
Most adult butterflies drink nectar from flowers through
their tongues, which function like straws. There are some butterflies
who derive their food from tree sap, rotting animal matter and other
organic material. Almost all butterfly caterpillars eat plant matter,
mainly the leaves, but some species eat seeds and seed pods and some,
flowers. Very few butterfly caterpillars are agricultural pests so if
you find caterpillars destroying your garden plants, it is unlikely
that they are butterflies - that is unless you have planted species
specifically to attract these caterpillars.
If you want to attract butterflies and butterfly caterpillars to your
garden, here are some suggestions from a local landscaper. Native wildflowers
such as Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Coreopsis, Joe Pye Weed and shrubs
such as Rhododendron, Buttonbush and Summersweet provide good butterfly
food. Milkweed and Violets, Spicebush and Serviceberry, and Birch, Hawthorn,
Ash, Oaks, Wild Cherry and Willow trees provide food for caterpillars.
West Nile
Virus
The advent of spring with its delightful warm weather
also brings the unwelcome arrival of mosquitoes, some of which carry
the West Nile Virus. Here are some suggestions of what you can do to
reduce the presence of this virus in your neighborhood.
Decrease mosquito breeding opportunities.
Get rid of unwanted containers such as old tires and aluminum
cans, and drill drainage holes in the bottoms of things that collect
water in play areas, gardens and construction sites.
Empty water from flower pots, barrels, swimming pool and
boat covers, etc., and change the water in birdbaths and pet dishes,
at least every 3-4 days.
Clean roof gutters and keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated,
and turn over wheelbarrows and plastic wading pools when not in use.
Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with mosquito-eating
fish, and alter landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects
on your property. Fill tree cavities that hold water with soil or sand.
-------------------------------------
Avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes:
Try to stay inside during peak biting times (dawn, dusk
and at night). If you are out at these times, wear light colored long
sleeved shirts and long pants. Use mosquito netting over baby carriers.
Use repellant during peak biting times. The most effective
products contain DEET, which has been deemed safe when used responsibly.
Follow exactly the directions on the label.
Replace outdoor lights with yellow bug lights. Do not
use mosquito traps, which may increase the density of these insects,
or bug zappers, which kill few female mosquitoes, but do kill billions
of non-target, beneficial insects each year in the US.
Discuss these preventive measures with your neighbors.
A concerted effort by all your neighbors will go a long way toward reducing
the numbers of mosquitoes in your neighborhood.
For more information see: www.audubon.org/bird/wnv
Household
Chemical Cleanup Days
Friday, June 10th, 1-3pm
Saturday, June 11th, 9am to 3pm
at
Westchester Community College
Valhalla
For more information call 813-5425
An Invitation to Prospective Volunteers To Attend Our
Annual Potluck Supper
If you are interested in joining our Board, please call
Jeanne Alpert at 914-946-1780 for the date, place and time of our annual
Potluck Supper. You will get a chance to meet and talk with the Board
members who will be working with you if you should decide to take on
the responsibilities of a board position. Our Board works as a team
with lots of help available to new members.
CWAS has Board openings for the following positions
and committees:
Recording Secretary, Scholarship,
Conservation, Newsletter, Fund Raising,
Publicity, and Bird Seed.
Did You Know That --
The White Oak is a symbol of Westchester County. White
Oaks can be distinguished from Red Oaks by their leaves, which have
rounded lobes and by their acorns which mature in 1 year and are sweet.
Red Oaks have points at the tips of their leaves, and take 2 years to
form acorns which are bitter.
Historically, White Oak acorns were an important food
for Native Americans and were used as fodder for pigs by the colonists,
and its high-grade wood built most of the ships in the New World and
is still prized for furniture.
The acorn crop of the White Oak is ecologically important
for providing much of the fall nourishment for Westchester's deer, squirrels,
wild turkey, pheasants and white-footed mice.
