Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, September 15, 2018 to Sunday, September 16, 2018:

Bedford Audubon
August 25, 2018 through November 27, 2018, 9am to 4pm
Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch
Arthur Butler Sanctuary, Chestnut Ridge Rd., Bedford Corners, NY
The fall Hawkwatch starts Saturday, August 25! Join us at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch at the Arthur Butler Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Bedford Corners every day from 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting, to experience the miracle of raptor migration. Our data is combined with other Hawkwatch sites to create population and migration analyses that help us better protect raptors and their habitats.
See more details

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Thursday, September 13, 2018 - Sunday, September 16, 2018
Cape May, New Jersey
Leader: Peter Dorosh
Focus: peak of fall migration: shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds
Car Fee: $120.00
Registrar: Peter Dorosh Prosbird@aol.com or text only to 347-622-3559
Registration Period: April 15th 1st – Aug 30th
Note: This is a MEMBERS ONLY weekend trip. This trip leaves Thursday late afternoon/early evening; members who wish to come later can opt for Friday morning departure. Discuss with the registrar.

Saturday, September 15, 2018, 7:15am
Prospect Park Saturday Walk
Leader: Dennis Hrehowsik Meet at Ocean/Parkside Avenues, “The Pergola” at 7:15 am No registration necessary.
Please review our trip guidelines here: http://brooklynbirdclub.org/information-registration

Saturday, September 15, 2018, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Prospect Park: Birdwatching for Beginners
Leader: Cyrus Baty Birdwatching for Beginners meets at the Prospect Park Audubon Center at The Boathouse at 12 noon. Bring binoculars if you have them; otherwise, binoculars are available for loan.

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, September 15, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, September 16, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every Sunday Weekly from 05/20/2018 to 09/30/2018
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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Great South Bay Audubon
Saturday, September 15, 2018, 8:00am
Birding and Breakfast, Connetquot River SPP
Leader(s): Edith and Bob Wilson, Helga Merryman, Ken Thompson, Jack Carlson
Continental breakfast. Reservations required - call Connetquot River State Park Preserve at 581-1072 or fill out the form on our programs page to register. Registration fee $4. plus $8 parking fee per car - unless you have yearly Empire pass.

(Nature walks will be cancelled if it is raining or snowing.)

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Hudson River Audubon
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Lenoir Nature Preserve
7am Walter Chadwick Memorial Bird Walk
Meet at the Nature Center. We will look for birds, butterflies, dragonflies and nature.
10 AM Broad-winged Hawk Migration
We will search the skies for Broad-wing Hawks that will be making their 4,300 mile migration to South America
http://www.hras.org/wtobird/lenoir.html

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Alley Pond Park
Leader: Alan Drogin
Registrar: Anne Lazarus — amlazarus47@gmail.com or 212-673-9059
Registration opens: Monday, September 3rd
Ride: $15

Sunday, September 16, 2018
New Jersey Hotspots
Leader: Robert Machover
Registrar: Anne Lazarus — amlazarus47@gmail.com or 212-673-9059
Registration opens: Monday, September 3rd
Ride: $40

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 11:00 a.m.
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, September 15, 2018, 8:00am – 10:30am
Intro to Birding: Bird Walk in Central Park
Guide: Tod Winston
Are you curious about "birding" but don't have much (or any) experience? Come on a relaxed walk through Strawberry Fields and the Ramble to go over birding basics and see warblers, tanagers, sparrows, waterbirds, and more. Binoculars available. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Saturday, September 15, 2018, 9am – 1pm
Birding Gems of Staten Island: Clove Lakes Park
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Journey to the "forgotten borough" to discover some of the beautiful forests and incredible birding spots of Clove Lakes Park. Look for ducks and seabirds in New York Harbor on our way across on the ferry ride and then catch a bus to the park. Numerous warblers, vireos, tanagers, and other migratory songbirds can be seen here, as well as nesting Eastern Screech-Owls and Great Blue Herons. We'll even see one of the largest and oldest trees in New York City. Limited to 15. Bus fare ($2.75 each way; please bring your MetroCard or exact change) not included in registration price. $43 (30) per walk
Click here to register

Saturday, September 15, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Fall Bird Walks
Guides: NYC Audubon, Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy with the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics. For more information, please call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

Saturday, September 15, 2018, 12pm – 3pm
Raptor Fest at Van Cortlandt Park
Experience the thrill of viewing New York's premier predators live and up close.Join NYC Parks at the annual Raptor Fest hosted by the Urban Park Rangers, Friends of Van Cortlandt Park and NYC Audubon. The event is free to the public and will include live demonstrations and education/activity tables. Activities are provided by the Urban Park Rangers; live flying demonstrations by Skyhunters in Flight, This event is a great way for kids to learn about birds of prey, get up close and personal with them, and watch them perform amazing aerial feats.
Click here to learn more.

Saturday, September 14, 2018, 2pm – 3pm
Governors Island Bird Walk
Saturdays, August 18, September 1, September 8, September 15, September 29 and October 27, 2-3pm
Sundays, August 26 and September 9, 2–3pm
Guide: NYC Audubon
Meet at Nolan Park house #17. Join us for a bird walk around beautiful and historic Governors Island, which boasts over 192 species recorded on ebird.org. Learn about the island’s fascinating history and search for waterbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and more. Binoculars are available. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Sunday, September 16, 2018, 9am – 4pm
Hook Mountain Hawk Watch
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC
Part of the Palisades Interstate Park system, Hook Mountain has commanding views of all nearby mountains ridges and the Hudson River. From this inland hawk-watch spot we expect to see many species of migrating raptors, including Broad-winged and Red-shouldered Hawks, Bald Eagles, accipiters, and falcons. Note: this trip requires a 35-minute hike up and down the mountainside. Bring binoculars, water, and a bag lunch to enjoy atop the mountain watching the hawks fly overhead. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $99 (69)
Click here to register

Sunday, September 16, 2018, 9am – 2pm
Fall Migration on Randall's Island
Guides: Gabriel Willow, Christopher Girgenti of Randall's Island with Randall's Island Park Alliance, Inc.
Make your way over the pedestrian bridge to Randall's Island, an under-explored location in the East River that hosts restored freshwater wetlands and salt marsh. We'll look for fall migrants as we explore the results of recent restoration efforts. Two miles of walking and some modest climbs. Limited to 20. $40 (28)
Click here to register

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North Shore Audubon
Saturday, September 15, 2018, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Alley Pond Park
Leader: Jennifer (516) 767-3454
Please inform walk leader that you are attending.
See "Walk Locations" for directions.
Wear water-resistant footwear, bring binoculars and drinking water. Wear long pants and socks so you do not touch poison ivy.
$10 PARKING FEE per vehicle payable upon entry to Sands Point Preserve.

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NYCH2O
Saturday, September 15, 2018, 11am
Ridgewood Reservoir Tour
The Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park is a 50+ acre natural oasis that straddles the border of Brooklyn and Queens. Built in 1859 to supply the once independent City of Brooklyn with high quality water, it became obsolete with the addition of new reservoirs in the Catskills in the 1950’s and was decommissioned in the 1980’s. Since then, nature took its course in a perfect case study of ecological succession. A lush and dense forest has grown in its two outside basins while a freshwater pond with waterfowl sits in the middle basin.

Join us to explore this incredible natural resource in the heart of NYC. Please make a reservation.

We will meet in the parking lot at Vermont Place.

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NYC Wild!
Saturday, September 15, 2018, 10am
NYC Wild! Essentials: Queens: Fort Tilden Photography and Nature Walk

Sunday, September 16, 2018, 12:30pm
NYC Wild! Essentials:The Bronx: Woodlawn Cemetery Photography and Nature Walk

For the FULL INFORMATION ABOUT EACH WALK click HERE to take you to the Eventbrite Profile page where you will find all details (scroll down to the thumbnails) for each of the outings and how to SIGN UP !

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Queens County Bird Club
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Alley Pond
Leader: Eric Miller (917) 279-7530
Meet: Aarya park Parking Lot, 76th Ave, Oakland Gardens, NY 11364 (map)

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Massapequa Preserve
From Sunrise Highway, turn north onto Broadway, Massapequa. Travel under the Long Island Rail Road overpass, then make the first right onto Veterans Boulevard (headed east). Go past the Massapequa train station and into the parking lot at the east end of the station. The preserve is directly east of the parking lot.
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.

All walks start at 9:00 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Raptor Fest at Stadium Ball Fields (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Experience the thrill of viewing New York's premier predators live and up close. Activities are provided by the Urban Park Rangers; live flying demonstrations are presented by Skyhunters in Flight.
Free!

Sunday, September 16, 2018
Birding: Fall Migrants at Oakland Lake (in Alley Pond Park), Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see fall migratory birds.
Free! ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website Treehugger.com:

After killing all the wolves in Yellowstone, they finally brought them back – here's what happened next
Melissa Breyer
September 4, 2018

New research finds that the reintroduction of wolves to the National Park is helping to restore the ecosystem to its former glory.

Wolves once roamed the continent freely ... but as more and more humans came along and gobbled up the land, as humans are wont to do, wolf populations began to dwindle. Wolves are not good for livestock – and hence, livestock owners have proven to be not good for wolves. Even in places like National Parks, their numbers suffered. In Yellowstone, because of federal and state efforts to reduce predators, the last of the park's gray wolves (Canis lupus) were killed in 1926.

Decades later – once people woke up, hello – the species became one of the first to be listed as endangered. At that point, Greater Yellowstone was named as one of three recovery areas and from 1995 to 1997, 41 wild wolves were released in the park. As of December 2016, there were at least 108 wolves in the park, according to the National Park Service.

It hasn't been without controversy, but now a new study reveals some wonderful news. The reintroduction of wolves into the park has led to the recovery of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the area – a feat that the National Park Service has been trying to achieve for decades.

“What we’re seeing in Yellowstone is the emergence of an ecosystem that is more normal for the region and one that will support greater biodiversity,” says Luke Painter, a wildlife ecologist at Oregon State University and lead author on the study. “Restoring aspen in northern Yellowstone has been a goal of the National Park Service for decades. Now they’ve begun to achieve that passively, by having the animals do it for them. It’s a restoration success story.”

The large-scale study is the first to show that aspen is recovering inside of the park, and in areas around the park as well.

And importantly, is a striking reminder of this: If you add to or remove something from an ecosystem, the domino effect can take its toll.

In the case of Yellowstone's wolves, once they were gone, the animals they eat began to thrive; namely, elk. In 1995, before wolves were reintroduced, there were nearly 20,000 elk in northern Yellowstone; in January of 2018, there were 7,579.

Which may not be good news for the elk as far as they see it, but with elk numbers unchecked, the consumption of aspen skyrocketed. And aspen plays "an important ecological role in the American West," notes the study's authors. Among other things, aspen trees provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. The USDA Forest Service explains that, "the aspen ecosystem is rich in number and species of animals, especially in comparison to associated coniferous forest types."

The study shows that the return of wolves to Yellowstone indeed could have a cascading effect on ecosystems, Painter says. As you can see in the photo above, which shows young aspen trees in the park which have been growing since the wolves were re-introduced. The older trees in the photo date to the last time there were wolves in the park.

“We show that the recovery of aspen is real and significant, though patchy and in early stages, and occurring throughout the region where elk population densities have been reduced,” he says.

“Our findings represent another piece of the puzzle as we’re trying to understand the role of predation in the ecology of the Rocky Mountain region,” Painter adds. “Much of the research ecologists have done has been in the absence of non-human predators. Before the reintroduction of wolves, most experts didn’t think it was going to make much difference for aspen. Wolves didn’t cause aspen recovery all by themselves, but it is safe to say it would not have happened without them.”

The research was published in Ecosphere. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, September 8, 2018 to Sunday, September 9, 2018:

Bedford Audubon
Saturday, September 8, 2018, 8:00am - 11:00am
North County Trailway at New Croton Reservoir
Join us for a nature walk focused on birds, jointly held with the Hudson River Valley Ramble, near the peak of fall migration. We will be following the Trailway south over the reservoir through woods and shrubland in search of migrants and year-round residents. Meet at the parking lot at the intersection of the Trailway and Route 118 in the Town of Yorktown at 8am - this is just north of where the North County Trailway crosses over New Croton Reservoir. Easy. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.
See more details

August 25, 2018 @ 9:00 am - November 27, 2018, 4:00pm
Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch
Arthur Butler Sanctuary, Chestnut Ridge Rd., Bedford Corners, NY
The fall Hawkwatch starts Saturday, August 25! Join us at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch at the Arthur Butler Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Bedford Corners every day from 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting, to experience the miracle of raptor migration. Our data is combined with other Hawkwatch sites to create population and migration analyses that help us better protect raptors and their habitats.
See more details

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 7:15am - 2:00pm
The Wonders of Fall Migration in Central Park
Join Bedford Audubon Naturalist Tait Johansson to explore Central Park, a truly extraordinary “migrant trap” famous for its impressive concentrations of landbirds in spring and fall. We’ll stop at the boathouse for lunch, or bring your own. Meet at Bylane at 6am, or at 72nd St. and Central Park West at 7:15 am. Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Easy. Please register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.
See more details

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Jamaica Bay Refuge Early Autumn Migration
Leader Peter Dorosh Focus: early fall passerines, ducks, marsh species, late season shorebirds
Car Fee: $10.00
Registrar: Peter Dorosh Prosbird@aol.com or text only cell 347-622-3559
Registration Period: Sept 1st - Sept 6th
Please review our trip guidelines here: http://brooklynbirdclub.org/information-registration

Saturday, September 8, 2018, 7:15am
Prospect Park Saturday Walk
Leader: Dennis Hrehowsik Meet at Ocean/Parkside Avenues, “The Pergola” at 7:15 am No registration necessary.
Please review our trip guidelines here: http://brooklynbirdclub.org/information-registration

Saturday, September 8, 2018, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Prospect Park: Birdwatching for Beginners
Leader: Cyrus Baty Birdwatching for Beginners meets at the Prospect Park Audubon Center at The Boathouse at 12 noon. Bring binoculars if you have them; otherwise, binoculars are available for loan.

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Eastern Long Island Audubon
Sunday, September 9, 2018, 8:00am
Smith Point
Leader: Eileen Schwinn
The Fall raptor, songbird and shorebird migration should be well under way, as we meet at the far western end of the main parking lot at Smith Point County Park. We will walk to the Ranger Station for a view from the upper deck. We will then hike westward, toward the New Old Inlet area, then back to the Ranger Station. If there are any birds of note reported in the area of the boat ramp, we shall visit the marina area – just before the bridge – as well. Please dress for the weather and conditions. Binoculars are a must, and scopes are very helpful. This is an exciting time to be along the barrier beach, and hopefully, we will be there on favorable winds and mild weather! For more details, contact Eileen Schwinn at beachmed@optonline.net or call 516 662-7751.

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, September 8, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 12:30pm to 2:30pm
Beach Plums and Goldenrod at Plumb Beach
Location: Plumb Beach
Fees: Free
Naturalist program.
View Details

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every Sunday Weekly from 05/20/2018 to 09/30/2018
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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Green-Wood Cemetery
Saturday, September 8, 2018, 11:00am - 1:00pm
Pollinators in Chief
Stroll through Green-Wood and you will certainly see (and hear) wild bees going about their daily routine. Female bees are collecting nectar and pollen, and males are busily looking for mates. Bee biologist Sarah Kornbluth of the American Museum of Natural History leads this walking tour to highlight how bees live, the resources they need, and where they make their homes across the cemetery. Learn about the diversity of wild bee species (including bumble, carpenter, miner, leaf cutter, sweat, and more) and beecome a bee expert in just two hours. Comfortable footwear recommended. Brightly colored clothes are discouraged; you’ll get mistaken for a source of nectar.

$20 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $25 for non-members

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Sunday, September 9, 2018
Birding in Peace
By September, offspring of this year's nesting birds will be on their own. Returning warblers will be in their less flamboyant fall plumage. Large numbers of blackbirds, flycatchers, sparrows, vireos, and swallows will also be passing through. By October, waterfowl are returning, and we’ll look for raptors heading south. November will bring back our overwintering feathered denizens from the north.

Before our gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads these peaceful Saturday/Sunday morning walking tours to discover the many birds that call Green-Wood home. Green-Wood’s official birding checklist is available to pick up from the security guard at the main entrance on 25th Street or to print here. Comfortable footwear is recommended.

$10 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $15 for non-members

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Alive at Green-Wood
There’s a lot more to a cemetery than death. There’s life – a lot of it. In fact, for Green-Wood, the natural environment is a critical part of our future. Join us for this new walking tour to explore the potential of the Cemetery’s 478 acres as a public garden, a distinction that means much more than manicured lawns and azaleas. It means that we work to teach our visitors about Green-Wood’s ecology and environmental diversity. As an accredited arboretum, the Cemetery has over 7,000 trees and a master plan that includes new interpretive panels (signs) across the grounds. You’ll learn so much about the natural beauty and wildlife at Green-Wood that you’ll want to come back and give your own tour to family and friends! Comfortable footwear recommended. Please note, tour route is on grass and uneven terrain.

$15 for members of Green-Wood and BHS/$20 for non-members.

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Fort Tilden 1
Leader: Gordon Lam
Registrar: Lori Lam — glam@nyc.rr.com or 646-673-5418
Registration opens: Monday, August 27
Ride: $15

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 11:00 a.m.
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, September 8, 2018, 8am – 11am
Prospect Park Bird Walk
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Join Gabriel Willow for a leisurely walk to get to know the fall migrants of 'Brooklyn's backyard'. Beautiful Prospect Park has a wide variety of habitats that attract a number of both breeding and passage migrant bird species, with even more recorded than in Central Park. We will explore the Park's meadows, forests, and waterways in search of migratory warblers, vireos, thrushes, tanagers, waterfowl, and more. Limited to 15. $36 (25)
Click here to register

Saturday, September 8, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Fall Bird Walks
Guides: NYC Audubon, Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy with the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics. For more information, please call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

Saturday, September 8, 2018, 9:30am – 10:30am
Queens Botanical Garden Bird Walks
Saturdays September 8 and October 20, and Sundays, September 23, October 7 and 28, 9:30-10:30am
Guide: Corey Finger with Queens Botanical Garden
Explore Queens Botanical Garden in search of migrant songbirds and learn about the valuable resources that the Garden offers birds and other wildlife. Binoculars available. Register for one date or the whole series of five walks (walk-ins welcome). Email info@queensbotanical.org or visit www.queensbotanical.org/calendar to register. Each walk limited to 25. Free (with Garden admission)

Saturday, September 8, 2018, 2pm – 3pm
Governors Island Bird Walk
Saturdays, August 18, September 1, September 8, September 15, September 29 and October 27, 2-3pm
Sundays, August 26 and September 9, 2–3pm
Guide: NYC Audubon
Meet at Nolan Park house #17. Join us for a bird walk around beautiful and historic Governors Island, which boasts over 192 species recorded on ebird.org. Learn about the island’s fascinating history and search for waterbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and more. Binoculars are available. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 8am – 11am
Fall Warblers
Friday, September 7, 6:30-8:30pm (class)
Sunday, September 9, 8-11am (trip)
Instructor: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC
Identifying “confusing fall warblers” can be tricky, even for the experts. Come study some of the most puzzling species that stop through our area during fall migration with expert Joe Giunta, and then enjoy a second session in the “classroom” of Central Park. Limited to 12. $65 (45)
Click here to register

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Birding Brooklyn Bridge Park
Sunday, September 9 and Saturday, October 6, 9-10:30am
Guide: Heather Wolf
Meet at Pier 1 park entrance at the intersection of Old Fulton Street and Furman Street. Join Heather Wolf, author of Birding at the Bridge, for a picturesque bird walk along the Brooklyn waterfront. Target species include Barn Swallow and Gray Catbird (both of which nest in the Park and will be raising young at this time), Laughing Gull, Common Tern, and more. RSVP preferred. Limited to 19. Free
Click here to register

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 9:30am – 11:30am
Birding Along the Hudson: Wave Hill
Guide: Gabriel Willow with Wave Hill
Meet at the Perkins Visitor Center. Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of bird species and their behaviors on these captivating walks. Wave Hill’s garden setting overlooking the Hudson River flyway provides the perfect habitat for resident and migrating birds. Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult. NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission (see www.wavehill.org for more information)

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 2pm – 3pm
Governors Island Bird Walk
Saturdays, August 18, September 1, September 8, September 15, September 29 and October 27, 2-3pm
Sundays, August 26 and September 9, 2–3pm
Guide: NYC Audubon
Meet at Nolan Park house #17. Join us for a bird walk around beautiful and historic Governors Island, which boasts over 192 species recorded on ebird.org. Learn about the island’s fascinating history and search for waterbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and more. Binoculars are available. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

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North Shore Audubon
Saturday, September 8, 2018, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Sands Point Preserve
Leader: Lindy (516) 628-1315
Please inform walk leader that you are attending.
See "Walk Locations" for directions.
Wear water-resistant footwear, bring binoculars and drinking water. Wear long pants and socks so you do not touch poison ivy.
$10 PARKING FEE per vehicle payable upon entry to Sands Point Preserve.

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NYC Wild!
Saturday, September 8, 2018, 9:30am
Staten Island: Mount Loretto Unique Area Photography and Nature Walk

Sunday, September 9, 2018, 1:00pm
Queens: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Photography and Nature Walk

For the FULL INFORMATION ABOUT EACH WALK click HERE to take you to the Eventbrite Profile page where you will find all details (scroll down to the thumbnails) for each of the outings and how to SIGN UP !

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Hempstead Lake State Park

From the Southern State Parkway, take Exit 18 (Eagle Avenue) south to Field 3 (use second park entrance and make an immediate left turn.)
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.

All walks start at 9:00 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498.

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Urban Park Rangers
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Fall Birding at Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of bird species and their behaviors on these captivating walks. ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From The Guardian:

California v nutria: state seeks to eradicate scourge of giant rodents
Alastair Gee

The call came from a wildlife trapper working in the wetlands of central California.

“I think I caught a nutria,” the man said.

Greg Gerstenberg, a state biologist, was thrown.

“I was like, ‘a what?’”

A year and a half later, Gerstenberg strode up to his waist into the sludgey wetlands, pulling a kayak through mats of green slime and the methane stink of decomposing plant matter. He checked dozens of traps piled with tempting watermelon slices and sweet potatoes. His .22 rifle was on his truck, ready.

The name “nutria” evokes something you’d find in a health food store, but in fact they are dog-sized invasive rodents with curved orange incisors that have decimated marshes and swamps worldwide and have, worryingly and mysteriously, appeared in California, perhaps 500 miles from the nearest known population in Oregon. Gerstenberg’s goal: total extermination.

Although nutria are native to South America, since the 19th and early-20th centuries they have been raised in North America, Europe and Asia by those who wanted to create a market for their glossy brown fur. “It’s just like a mink coat – gorgeous,” the nutria expert Gary Witmer, a biologist at the National Wildlife Research Center, said.

But fur is out of fashion, and escaped or released nutria have proven voracious. A nutria can consume a quarter of its body weight in plant material per day, chowing through the vegetation that holds wetlands together and burrowing through levees meant to prevent flooding. In Louisiana, it has been reported that nutria have converted more than 40 square miles of marshland to open water since 2000. To make matters worse, they are prodigiously fertile. Females can have litters three times a year, producing five or six pups each time.

Gerstenberg said it was hard to fathom why anyone would purposely introduce them to California. Some have hypothesized that a landowner wanted them to keep water hyacinth down, or that they were unwanted pets. “They’re kinda cute when they’re small,” he said. “But they don’t stay small.”

Less than 5% of California’s wetlands remain, and they are managed at great cost, providing one of America’s most important stop-offs for migrating birds. “We’ve spent millions rehabbing these wetlands in California,” said Gerstenberg. “If it gets to where there’s 50 nutria per acre, there won’t be anything green here.”

When the carcass of the first nutria was delivered to Gerstenberg, he found that it was a pregnant female, indicating it was not alone. Six weeks later, wildlife cameras provided proof of this. Gerstenberg was one of those put in charge of heading the response, though he says he is critically underfunded and can only rely on a team of six loaned staffers in the field.

Driving to a pond near the town of Los Banos, 120 miles south-east of San Francisco, he saw distant smoke billowing from the Ferguson fire, near Yosemite national park, on the horizon, and noted that it was being tackled by 3,000 firefighters. “When you compare it, that’s gonna be out in a couple weeks, it’ll be nothing. This is something – if we don’t deal with it now, it’s gonna keep growing.”

Paddling across the unruffled water in a kayak, he checked his traps. He had caught three mallards, a muskrat and a bullfrog, but no nutria. This does not mean his job in the pond was complete – it is a credo in the animal-extermination world that “a 99% successful eradication is a 100% failure”, because the escape of just one pregnant female can nullify the enormous expense and effort of mobilizing to kill them in the first place.

So far, more than 200 have been eliminated. Gerstenberg anticipates bringing in sniffer dogs to hunt the animals. And he wants to deploy “Judas nutria” – sterilized nutria fitted with radio collars that researchers hope will lead them to unlucky stragglers they might have missed.

Successful eradications have been notched in England, where their population was around 200,000 in the 1960s, and in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, where they were removed from over a quarter-million acres. The specter that looms in the background is Louisiana. “I hope we don’t get there,” Gerstenberg said.

An astonishing 1.8 million nutria pelts were produced in the state in 1976. But their wholesale destruction of wetlands has prompted the state to offer private hunters a bounty, currently $5 for at least 7in of severed tail. In the 2016-17 season, they killed 216,000 of them. The state has also tried other methods of stemming their numbers, for instance by promoting them as a culinary delicacy.

“I think they were calling them ‘swamp rabbits’ because they didn’t wanna call them rodents,” said Witmer, the nutria expert. “It just didn’t go over with people and died down pretty quickly.”

(Witmer had some nutria meat in his own freezer for a few years. “Maybe I was afraid to eat it or maybe I overlooked it, who knows,” he said. “They say it tastes like chicken, because that’s what people say about anything.”)

Arthuer Matherne, an airboat tour operator in the south- eastern Louisiana town of Des Allemands, has a message for California: a nutria problem can rapidly spiral.

When he started hunting them for the bounty, 15 years ago, he bagged 6,800 in just 15 days. “Just riding around with a .22 and shooting ’em,” he said. “An easy buck, and fun doing it.” He used to sell the fur to clothing companies and the meat to alligator farms, though now their numbers have fallen in his area.

“Everybody been after them and they knocked the population off pretty good,” Matherne said. “But it won’t take long for them to come back.”
...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Labor Day Weekend, Saturday, September 1, 2018 to Monday, September 3, 2018:

Bedford Audubon Society
Saturday, September 1, 2018, 9:00am
Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch
The fall Hawkwatch starts Saturday, August 25! Join us at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch at the Arthur Butler Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Bedford Corners every day from 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting, to experience the miracle of raptor migration. Our data is combined with other Hawkwatch sites to create population and migration analyses that help us better protect raptors and their habitats.
See more details

Suday, September 2, 2018, 9:00am
Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch
The fall Hawkwatch starts Saturday, August 25! Join us at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch at the Arthur Butler Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Bedford Corners every day from 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting, to experience the miracle of raptor migration. Our data is combined with other Hawkwatch sites to create population and migration analyses that help us better protect raptors and their habitats.
See more details

Monday, September 3, 2018, 9:00am
Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch
The fall Hawkwatch starts Saturday, August 25! Join us at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch at the Arthur Butler Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Bedford Corners every day from 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting, to experience the miracle of raptor migration. Our data is combined with other Hawkwatch sites to create population and migration analyses that help us better protect raptors and their habitats.
See more details

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Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, September 2, 2018, 8:00am - 11:00am
Prospect Park First Sunday Walk
Meets at the Prospect Park Audubon Center at The Boathouse, the first Sunday of every month except July and August. Leaders are members of the Brooklyn Bird Club. Bring binoculars.

No registration is required for Prospect Park or Green-Wood Cemetery trips. For most other trips, advance registration is required; exact location and time of meeting will be provided at time of registration. Car pool fees are required for some trips and should be paid directly to your driver.

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, September 1, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, September 2, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every Sunday Weekly from 05/20/2018 to 09/30/2018
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, September 1, 2018 (rescheduled from 15th)
Central Park Horticultural Walk
Leader: Regina Alvarez
No registration.
Public transportation: Meet at 103rd Street and Central Park West at 10:00am

Join botanist Regina Alvarez for a walk in the North Woods and the Wildflower Meadow for a late summer look at the flowering plants and shrubs of Central Park’s north end. Along with fellow botanist Daniel Atha, Regina has been collecting herbarium specimens of every species growing wild in the Park. Already they have discovered new botanical records and have rediscovered plants not seen since the 1850s. Regina is a former director of horticulture and a woodland manager for the Central Park Conservancy. Currently she is an adjunct professor of botany at the City University of New York.

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 11:00 a.m.
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, September 1, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Fall Bird Walks
Saturdays, September 1 - November 24, 9-10:30am
Guides: NYC Audubon with the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics. For more information, please call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free.

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North Shore Audubon
Saturday, September 1, 2018, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Garvies Point Museum-Preserve, Glen Cove
See "Walk locations" for directions (map).
Wear water-resistant footwear, bring binoculars and drinking water. Wear long pants and socks so you do not touch poison ivy. "Leaderless" walk. May be cancelled in case of inclement weather.

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NYC WILD!
Sundays, 9:00am - June 3, 2018 through September 30, 2018
Hudson River Park Nature Walk
Meet: Christopher Street Fountain, north of Pier 40. Cross at Christopher Street.
Cost: Free
Duration: Approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours
Distance: 1 1/2 to 2 miles
Subway and Bus lines: #1 Train to Christopher Street; M8 Bus

HUDSON RIVER PARK brings attention to its vital role in creating one of the scarcest resources in all of Manhattan - wildlife habitat! Learn about Hudson River Park's wildlife by joingin experienced naturalists on guided nature walks along the Park's esplanade.

Enjoy a meandering waterfront walk while viewing and learning about the park's flora and fauna, including some of the more than 100 different species of birds identified within Park boundaries. Peek into some of our gardens to discover butterflies, dragonflies and other interesting insects. Get to know the native plants that thrive in unexpected places in and around the river's edge. Each nature walk is unique and offers a one-of-a-kind treasure hunt-like experience.

Nature guides will meet participants at the Christopher Street Fountain (dry during Summer 2013), just north of Pier 40 (cross at Christopher Street) at 9AM sharp. Please wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. Loud noises and barking tend to startle wildlife and reduce viewing opportunites - please be considerate and leave your dog at home.

Hudson River Park WILD! is a project of Hudson River Park. Visit www.hudsonriverpark.org for full Hudson River Park Events and Information
Click HERE to make your FREE reservation on Eventbrite NOW.

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South Shore Audubon Society
September 2, 2018
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

From the Southern State Parkway, travel west to the Belt Parkway. Exit at Cross Bay Boulevard (Exit 17) south. Continue south on Cross Bay Blvd. through Howard Beach and over the North Channel Bridge (also known as the Congressman Joseph P. Addabbo Bridge). The entrance to the refuge parking lot is on the right side of the road, at a traffic light approximately one and a half miles past the bridge.
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.

All walks start at 9:00 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498. ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From Mother Nature Network:

Nature reserve in Bolivia offers hope for wild macaws on the brink
Jaymi Heimbuch

A 2017 expedition in Bolivia revealed a wonderful surprise for the future of the rare Blue-throated Macaw: a newly discovered nesting area. And now, a little over a year later, Asociación Armonía (with support from American Bird Conservancy, the International Conservation Fund of Canada, IUCN Netherlands, and World Land Trust) has purchased 1,680 acres and turned that breeding grounds into a protected nature reserve.

As with many macaw species, the illegal pet trade has devastated wild populations. Only an estimated 300 individuals remain in the wild. Where they breed and nest had been a mystery for many years.

The expedition team discovered a handful of nests with breeding pairs, including two nests near a populated farm where the secretive birds seemed unbothered by proximity to humans. The expedition team hoped that the discovery will also help reveal information about the blue-throated macaw's breeding behavior and life cycle.

The hope is that the birds' population will increase on the protected land through the organization's artificial nest box program. Since the nest boxes were installed, 51 birds have fledged from the area and a pair of macaws returned last year to breed.

This new reserve combined with the organization's Barba Azul Nature Reserve creates a total protected land area of 28,862 acres for the blue-throated macaws.

"Increasing the Blue-throated Macaw population is more likely now that Armonía has secured this important site as a reserve," said Rodrigo Soria, executive director of Asociación Armonía. "This acquisition means that we can continue the successful nest box program without worry of changing land ownership and management."

The new nature reserve is called the Laney Rickman Blue-throated Macaw Reserve in tribute to Laney Rickman, founder of the Texas-based nonprofit Bird Endowment. Rickman expanded and supported the macaw nest box program in partnership with Asociación Armonía. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, August 25, 2018 to Sunday, August 26, 2018:

Bedford Audubon Society
Saturday, August 25, 2018, 9:00am
Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch
The fall Hawkwatch starts Saturday, August 25! Join us at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch at the Arthur Butler Sanctuary on Chestnut Ridge Road in Bedford Corners every day from 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting, to experience the miracle of raptor migration. Our data is combined with other Hawkwatch sites to create population and migration analyses that help us better protect raptors and their habitats.
See more details

Sunday, August 26, 2018, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Butterflies With Naturalist Tait Johansson
Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Rd., Katonah
Learn the natural history and identification of our local butterflies with indoor instruction and an outdoor butterfly walk. Bring binoculars, close-focusing ones if possible, and lunch. Cost includes book and is $35 for members, $55 for non-members (and we’ll credit you with a $35 membership for the year). Level of difficulty: Easy. Limited to 8 people. Please register by August 21 with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914.302.9713.
See more details

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, August 25, 2018, 7:30am to 5:00pm
13th Annual Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Learn about shorebird identification, behavior and biology during the peak shorebird migration time in NYC.
View Details

Saturday, August 25, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, August 26, 2018, 8:00pm to 9:30pm
Full Sturgeon Moon Hike
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Experience the park after dark and learn more about the nocturnal residents of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
View Details

Sunday, August 26, 2018, 10:00am to 12:30pm
Hike the Trails of the North Forty Natural Area
Location: Floyd Bennett Field- Ryan Visitor Center
Join American Littoral Society naturalist Mickey Maxwell Cohen and discover the birds, wildflowers, and unique foliage in this developing maritime woodland.
View Details

Sunday, August 26, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every Sunday Weekly from 05/20/2018 to 09/30/2018
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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Great South Bay Audubon Society
Saturday, August 25, 2018, 8:00am
Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Leader(s): John Gluth (631-827-0120), Bob Grover (516-318-8536)

Southern State Pkwy. to Belt Pkwy. to Exit 17, Cross Bay Blvd. South. Continue south for about 2 miles. Look for entrance of refuge on the right (west) side. There are signs for park entrance.

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Hudson River Audubon Society
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Marshlands Conservancy
7:00am – Meet at Marshlands Nature Center
We will walk to Parson’s Point looking for the first fall migrants, then shorebirds on the incoming tide.
http://www.hras.org/wtobird/marshlands.html

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 11:00 a.m.
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, August 25, 2018, 7:30am – 4:30pm
13th Annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay
During the past 40 years, over 40 species of shorebirds (including rare and accidental vagrants) have been recorded at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge’s East and West Ponds from mid-July through October, with the greatest diversity and abundance usually occurring in August. We invite you to attend our 13th annual celebration at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, August 25. Activities include guided shorebird walks, family programming, and talks from experts on shorebird conservation, shorebird identification, and Jamaica Bay.

Free bus transportation from Manhattan to Jamaica Bay is available for NYC Audubon members at the Student/Senior level and up. Meet at 71 West 23rd Street at 6:30am. Contact NYC Audubon at 212-691-7483 to reserve a seat. For more information, contact NYC Audubon at 212-691-7483, American Littoral Society at 718-474-0896, or Don Riepe at donriepe@gmail.com. The program is free, but suggested donations of $20 for adults (children are free) to NYC Audubon are most welcome to offset the festival cost.

The Shorebird Festival is a NYC Audubon partnership program with American Littoral Society and Gateway National Recreation Area.

Sunday, August 26, 2018, 8am – 11am
Prospect Park Birdwalk
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Join Gabriel Willow for a leisurely walk to see late arriving migrants and breeding bird residents of “Brooklyn's backyard.” Beautiful Prospect Park has a wide variety of habitats that attract a large number of migrants and breeding bird species—significantly more than Central Park, in fact. We will explore the park's meadows, forests, and waterways in search of waterfowl, warblers, tanagers, and some of the other species that call the park home. Limited to 15. $36 (25) per walk
Click here to register

Sunday, August 26, 2018, 2pm – 3pm
Governors Island Bird Walk
Guide: NYC Audubon
Meet at Nolan Park house #17. Join us for a bird walk around beautiful and historic Governors Island, which boasts over 192 species recorded on ebird.org. Learn about the island’s fascinating history and search for waterbirds, raptors, waterfowl, and more. Binoculars are available. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Sunday, August 26, 2018, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Arden Heights Woods
Participants will meet at the north end of Carlton Boulevard (off Woodrow Road), and then wander through Arden Heights Woods to get some idea of the changes the Department of Parks will be soon making. (It may be buggy in the low areas, so you might want to bring spray.) We’ll look at the woods to see what’s happening before the trees begin to wind down for the season.
Call Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 for more information.
Read More

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Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Eric Miller 917-279-7530
Meet: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 175-10 Cross Bay Blvd, Broad Channel, NY 11693 (map)

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Mill Pond Park

Use street parking on the westbound side of Merrick Road. The park is four blocks west of the Wantagh State Parkway.
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.

All walks start at 9:00 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, August 25, 2018
White Island Sunset Canoe Trip (Advanced) at Marine Park, Brooklyn
5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Explore the waters of Gerritsen Creek and paddle by this special island where only wildflowers and wild birds reside. Prior canoe experience required. Registration is required.
Free!

Sunday, August 26, 2018
Birding at Arthur Kill Road and Brookfield Avenue (in Brookfield Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free! ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From Treehugger.com:

Asbestos, the magic mineral, is back!
Lloyd Alter
August 9, 2018

The EPA is making it easier to get asbestos products approved, but it’s unlikely anyone will bite.

Asbestos really is a miracle material. In buildings, siding made from it lasted forever; Vinyl-asbestos floor tiles never wore out; Transite pipe was non-combustible; Asbestos fireproofing worked really well in steel buildings and all the ships at sea during the World Wars.

As Henry Grabar of Slate notes, the president is a former real estate developer of a certain age. I am too, and we both loved the stuff, although I am younger by enough years that it was already falling out of use.

He still thinks it’s great and blames the mob for pushing for its removal, and tweeted in 2012 that “If we didn't remove incredibly powerful fire retardant asbestos & replace it with junk that doesn't work, the World Trade Center would never have burned down.”

In some ways, he is not wrong; removing it can cause more harm and danger than just leaving it in place- if it is encapsulated in a Transite pipe or a floor tile, it’s not hurting anyone. Saw it up and create asbestos dust and you have a issues- as noted in an earlier post, "the problems come when you are the poor schlepper who is making something with it, renovating or demolishing; a single asbestos fiber in the lungs can cause “irreversible damage - leading to asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma.”

Asbestos was never banned in the USA.

Bans didn’t make asbestos go away; lawsuits did. Manufacturer Johns-Manville Corporation became the biggest corporate bankruptcy in history in 1982; payouts to victims run into the billions. Since then, use has fallen by 99.9 percent. Mines all over the world have closed; just about the only place you can still get it is from Russia, which some suspect might have something to do with this President’s change in the regulations.

In the USA, certain uses were restricted, but it was never banned; as Henry Grabar explains:

In 1989, the EPA tried to ban asbestos outright, under a 1976 law called the Toxic Substances Control Act. The phased prohibition was overturned by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1991, and the agency succeeded in halting only six then-obsolete uses of asbestos, including corrugated paper and flooring felt.

It is still being imported for limited uses; as noted in our recent post on PVC production, 480 tons are brought in every year for diaphragms needed to make chlorine.

What has happened now under the Trump administration is that the EPA has issued a “significant new use rule” or SNUR, which allows companies to apply to make products on a case by case basis. They list the products open for consideration:

Adhesives, sealants, and roof and non-roof coatings; arc chutes; beater-add gaskets; extruded sealant tape and other tape; filler for acetylene cylinders; high-grade electrical paper; millboard; missile liner; pipeline wrap; reinforced plastics; roofing felt; separators in fuel cells and batteries; vinyl-asbestos floor tile; and any other building material (other than cement).

I don’t know why they excluded cement, it made terrific, durable, fireproof siding. But none of this matters; it is unlikely that any company is going to use the stuff. Lawsuits continue to be filed; lawyers are so into asbestos litigation that they are making youtube videos about it. Removal of anything involving asbestos is expensive. If it is in a building, it seriously hits the value of the property. In this case, the market is the new EPA. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, August 18, 2018 to Sunday, August 19, 2018:

Freshkills Park
Sunday, August 19, 2018, 1:30pm
Kayak Tour
Kayak through Freshkills Park and enjoy a two-mile excursion along the tidal waterways.
Read More
Sign Up

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, August 18, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, August 19, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every Sunday Weekly from 05/20/2018 to 09/30/2018
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Birding in Peace
Summer Birding Sundays
Except for some lingering individuals, by the end of the first week in June nearly all the northbound migrants will have disappeared from the city. Locally nesting birds will be incubating eggs or busily raising their first broods. In July we should see the offspring of our resident Red-tailed Hawks bravely preparing to leave the nest. Warbler songs will be replaced by chirring Cicadas and the tweets of fledgling birds. Butterflies and dragonflies are abundant. By late-July, expect the arrival of the first southbound migrants.

Before our gates open to the general public, birding expert Rob Jett leads these peaceful Saturday/Sunday morning walking tours to discover the many birds that call Green-Wood home. Green-Wood’s official birding checklist is available to pick up from the security guard at the main entrance on 25th Street or to print here. Comfortable footwear is recommended.

$10 for members of Green-Wood and BHS / $15 for non-members

Click here for our inclement weather policy.

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 11:00 a.m.
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Jamaica Bay 25th Annual Tom Davis Memorial Shorebird Walk
Leader and registrar: Sean Sime — seansime@seansime.com or 917-324-2735
Registration opens: August 6
Public transportation

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, August 18, 2018, 8:00am – 9:30am
Birdwalk in North Brooklyn: McGolrick Park
Join Heather Wolf, author of Birding at the Bridge and web developer for Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird.org, for a leisurely walk to see spring migrants and breeding bird residents in North Brooklyn. Each walk requires separate registration.
No limit. Free.
Email njackson@nycaudubon.org for more information.

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Queens County Bird Club
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Cresli Whale Watch and Pelagics
Where: 440 W Lake Dr, Montauk, NY 11954

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South Shore Audubon Society
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve

From the Meadowbrook Parkway, use the Merrick Road M9 east exit. Enter the Department of Sanitation entrance immediately on right (if you’re driving west on Merrick Road, make a U-turn after Central Boulevard and before the Meadowbrook Parkway). Look for signs to Levy Park and Preserve parking lot.
Directions via Google Maps

Bird walks led by a member of SSAS are conducted nearly every Sunday morning from late August through early June. Walks are open to the public and are free of charge. We especially encourage youngsters to attend.

All walks start at 9:00 A.M.
There is no walk if it rains or snows or temperature is below 25°F.
For more information or in case of questionable weather conditions, please phone Joe at 516 467-9498. ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From Mother Nature Network:

China's forest city will soon gobble up carbon
Josh Lew
August 6, 2018, 8:21 a.m.

Liuzhou Forest City's foliage-covered buildings will be open in 2 years.

A seemingly far-fetched idea for dealing with one of the world's worst pollution situations will soon become a reality in China. Could the combination of architecture and plant life be the answer to the world's carbon problems?

Liuzhou Forest City might sound like fantasy, but if all goes according to plan, residents and businesses will be moving into the development's 70 foliage-covered buildings in about two years.

A dire problem

A 2015 study by scientists in Berkeley, California, found that 1.6 million people in China had died the year before as a result of pollution. That's the second-highest number of annual pollution-related fatalities in the world; only India suffered more.

The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, meanwhile, found that as many as 9 million people worldwide die annually from pollution-related illnesses such as cancer and pulmonary diseases. That's 15 times more than the number of people killed by war and all other types of violence.

China has taken steps to curb pollution, including building the controversial Three Gorges Dam hydroelectric project and the banning of hundreds of cars that don't meet emissions standards. Beijing also plans to create a large carbon market that will financially reward companies that make their operations greener.

One of the most attention-arresting CO2 reduction ideas seems like it belongs in a Hayao Miyazaki animated film: forest cities with vine and tree-covered skyscrapers. It may seem far-fetched, but this idea is about to become reality.

Living, carbon-eating buildings

Examples of living skyscrapers already exist, and Beijing is moving ahead with plans to build at least one urban district filled with such buildings. It could be habitable by 2020, and, if successful, could spawn similar projects around the Middle Kingdom.

There are two forest buildings, known as Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest), in Milan, Italy. The structures, one 350 feet and the other 250 feet, are covered with plants and trees that are meant to absorb carbon dioxide from the surrounding air.

A firm called Boeri Studio, headed by architect Stefano Boeri, built Bosco Verticale. The same group has an office in Shanghai and is in charge of the effort to create the much larger collection of forest buildings in Liuzhou, China. Liuzhou Forest City will have 70 buildings over 342 acres. These will include homes, hotels, schools and health care facilities.

Based on the planned plant life for the project (40,000 trees and a million shrubs and flowers), Liuzhou's vertical forest should absorb 10,000 tons of CO2 and 57 tons of other pollutants while creating 900 tons of oxygen annually. The design calls for solar panels and geothermal energy to reduce carbon emissions created by the buildings, therefore increasing the benefits of their air filtering. The design also calls for an electric rail line, which would be supplemented with electric cars and other vehicles.

Boeri's website says the forest city will be able to house 30,000 people. The site also discusses the potential for other foliage-covered projects in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Shijiazhuang and Nanjing.

Other benefits

The forest city will have quality-of-life benefits that go beyond cleaner air. It will combat the heat-island effect that makes cities hotter than rural areas. The foliage will help dampen sound and reduce noise pollution.

Then of course, there's the visual appeal of having plants and trees that flower and change color during the different seasons, and natural growth, though controlled, changing the appearance of the buildings as time progresses.

Testing forest cities on one of China's most polluted places

The biggest test could come after Liuzhou comes online sometime in 2020. Boeri has studied the idea of forest cities in different climate zones. One of the targets after Liuzhou could be Shijiazhuang, an industrial city in northern China. Shijiazhuang consistently ranks as one of China's most polluted cities.

In a country with more than a billion inhabitants, how much difference can one 30,000-person district (in a city of 1.5 million) make?

It will certainly make a difference for the 30,000 people working and living there, and if the concept is successful, it could spawn a wider movement. Boeri told the Guardian that he has "no problem if there are people who are copying or replicating. I hope that what we have done can be useful for other kinds of experiments."

This project will be completed in the near future, so people will be able to see a living example for a forest city. There's another reason why China is moving ahead with these sci-fi-like projects. With only one political party in Beijing making decisions, the country has the ability to move relatively quickly on such initiatives because there's no one to oppose them. Because of this dynamic, it's realistic to think that a successful first forest city could quickly lead to similar districts in cities all around China. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, August 11, 2018 to Sunday, August 12, 2018:

Brooklyn Bird Club
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge shorebirds
Leader: Tom Stephenson
Focus: peak shorebird season; other waterbirds
Car Fee: $10.00
Registrar: Bobbi Manian email roberta.manian@gmail.com
Registration Period: Aug 4th – Aug 9th
Note: High tide is 9:57am
Please review our trip guidelines here: http://brooklynbirdclub.org/information-registration

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Feminist Bird Club
Saturday, August 8, 2018
Marine Park Salt Marsh

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, August 11, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, August 12, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Every Sunday Weekly from 05/20/2018 to 09/30/2018
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

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New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Saturdays -- 11:00 a.m.
Debbie Becker leads a free bird walk at the Garden every Saturday from 11am to 12:30pm beginning at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Included in All-Garden Pass
Get Tickets

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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon
Sunday, August 12, 2018 - 8:00am
Makamah Preserve, Fort Salonga, NY
We don’t need to go far to find great birding. This spot in Huntington is a prime habitat for owls, woodpeckers, waterfowl and many other species.
Registration: 585-880-0915
Directions: Meet at parking lot along Fort Salonga Rd/25 just West of Makamah Rd.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Central Park Horticultural Walk
Leader: Regina Alvarez
No registration. Public transportation: Meet at 103rd Street and Central Park West at 10:00am
Join botanist Regina Alvarez for a walk in the North Woods and the Wildflower Meadow for a late summer look at the flowering plants and shrubs of Central Park’s north end. Along with fellow botanist Daniel Atha, Regina has been collecting herbarium specimens of every species growing wild in the Park. Already they have discovered new botanical records and have rediscovered plants not seen since the 1850s. Regina is a former director of horticulture and a woodland manager for the Central Park Conservancy. Currently she is an adjunct professor of botany at the City University of New York.

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, August 11, 2018, 9:00am – 1:30pm
Shorebird Walk in Jamaica Bay
Guide: Gabriel Willow
We'll search Jamaica Bay’s mudflats and ponds for breeding herons and egrets, Forster's and Common Terns, Clapper Rails, and American Oystercatchers, as well as migratory plovers and sandpipers that will already be headed south. Limited to 15. $40 (28)
Click here to register

Sunday, August 12, 2018, 8am – 3pm
Birding Gems of Staten Island: Freshkills Park
Guide: Cliff Hagen with NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry for a special opportunity to see Freshkills Park, currently in transition from what was once the world’s largest landfill into an expansive park. Currently closed to the general public, the park is home to rolling grasslands, tidal marshes, successional woodlands, and a freshwater pond system, which host an array of breeding birds, butterflies, mammals, frogs, and turtles. Grasshopper Sparrows, Osprey, Yellow Warblers, and Blue Grosbeaks nest alongside wrens, blackbirds, orioles, and shorebirds. Wading birds feed on the mudflats at low tide while hawks and vultures soar above. Transport by passenger van from the Staten Island St. George Terminal included. Limited to 12. $64 (45)
Click here to register

Sunday, August 12, 2018, 9:30am – 11:30am
Summer Birding Along the Hudson: Wave Hill
Guide: Gabriel Willow with Wave Hill
Meet at the Perkins Visitor Center. Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of bird species and their behaviors on these captivating walks. Wave Hill’s garden setting overlooking the Hudson River flyway provides the perfect habitat for resident and migrating birds. Ages 10 and up welcome with an adult. NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one admission (see www.wavehill.org for more information)

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NYC H2O
​Saturday, August 11, 2018, 10:00am
Ridgewood Reservoir Community Tours

NYC H2O is offering free tours of the Ridgewood Reservoir to community members and the public.

The Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park is a 50+ acre natural oasis that straddles the border of Brooklyn and Queens. Built in 1859 to supply the once independent City of Brooklyn with high quality water, it became obsolete with the addition of new reservoirs in the Catskills in the 1950’s and was decommissioned in the 1980’s. Since then, nature took its course in a perfect case study of ecological succession. A lush and dense forest has grown in its two outside basins while a freshwater pond with waterfowl sits in the middle basin.

Join us to explore this incredible natural resource in the heart of NYC. Please make a reservation.

We will meet in the parking lot at Vermont Place.

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New York City WILD!
Saturday, August 11, 2018, 12:00 noon
Central Park North End, Manhattan Photography and Nature Walk including John Luther Adams World Premiere "In the Name of the Earth" at Harlem Meer (FREE)

Sunday, August 12, 2018, 5:00pm
Summer Sunset #6: Manhattan Westside: Fort Tryon Park to Inwood Hill Park

For the FULL INFORMATION ABOUT EACH WALK click HERE to take you to the Eventbrite Profile page where you will find all details (scroll down to the thumbnails) for each of the outings and how to SIGN UP

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Saturday, August 11, 2018, 9:15am – 3:15pm
The Richard Buegler 10-mile Summer Walk @ Greenbelt
Join with like-minded hikers interested in crossing through Staten Island’s amazingly beautiful Greenbelt. Explore the back woods and wetlands at the heart of Staten Island’s park system. Search the hillsides and kettle ponds for summer flowers, nesting birds and signs of our diverse population of mammals. Participants will meet at the entrance to Deere Park located at the end of Staten Island Boulevard beside the Michael J. Petrides Education Complex. Dress for the season and carry water for rehydrating. If there is rain, it will be “fun in the mud.” Call Dominick Durso at 917-478-7607 or Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 for more information.
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Saturday, August 11, 2018, 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Long Pond Park
We will look for evidence of animal life in the wetlands and woods of Long Pond Park. We’ll also look for the bird life, examine the geology of the area and observe evidence of past human use of the area. Meet at Public School 6, on Page Avenue and Academy Avenue about 3 blocks northwest of Hylan Boulevard. For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.
Read More

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Urban Park Rangers
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Summer Birding with Gabriel Willow at Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill), Bronx
9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Naturalist Gabriel Willow contributes his extensive knowledge of diverse bird species and their behavior on these walks through the gardens and woodlands. ...Read more