Treehugger Tuesday

From the website Earther:

Thousands of Scientists Just Declared Trump’s Border Wall a Disaster for Wildlife
Brian Kahn

Expanding The U.S.-Mexico border wall would be a dumb monument to racism and an affront to human dignity. Turns out it would be also terrible for wildlife, too.

A new study chronicles some of the impacts a border wall would have on the plants and animals that regularly move across the border, as well as some recommendations to remediate them (which sadly don’t include just not building the godforsaken monstrosity in the first place). The findings themselves aren’t unique, but the range of voices backing them are.

In an unusual move, the study authors asked other scientists to endorse the findings and recommendations, and endorse they did. At the time of publication, more than 2,500 scientists from around the world, including 616 from Mexico and 1,473 from the U.S., signed onto the research. The list of signatories includes luminaries like E.O. Wilson and Paul Ehrlich, members of the National Academy of Sciences, and rank-and-file researchers, offering a major rebuke the continued construction of the border wall.

“Given that scientists by nature and training are often hesitant about weighing in on public issues, that so many signed is strong validation of how disastrous the wall would be,” Rob Peters, a biologist at Defenders of Wildlife and lead author of the study, told Earther. He said the number of signatories has risen to 2,700 since the study was published in BioScience on Tuesday.

That so many researchers are invested in this issue speaks to what a disaster the wall would be for wildlife. Far from a desolate stretch of lonely desert, the U.S.-Mexico border is teeming with life and is home to some of the most ecologically sensitive areas in North America. Research published last year identified 100 endangered species on the border that would be put at risk by the wall. The new study identifies 1,506 animals and plants that call the borderlands home, 62 of which are are critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable based on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List. It outlines five conservation hot spots, including areas where portions of the wall have already been built.

“One reason the borderlands are so biologically rich is that they are areas where tropical and temperate species overlap,” Peters said. “For example, the Northern Jaguar Reserve in Sonora, 120 miles south of the border, has the northern-most nesting group of military macaws, and the southernmost nesting bald eagles. They have tropical jaguars and ocelots, but also bobcats and mountain lions.”

It’s a similar story on the U.S. side of the border, where jaguars and ocelots are among the tropical creatures prowling the desert. By bisecting the region, it would wreak havoc on their lives and the lives of other wildlife. Mexican gray wolves and Sonoran pronghorn would lose access to huge swaths of their habitat, depending on which side of the wall they get caught on. Bighorn sheep used to crossing the border to find water and birthing sites would also feel the pinch.

Wolves, jaguars, and ocelots were all largely extirpated from their traditional range in the U.S., and a border wall would ensure that the populations still north of the border eventually go extinct. Species fleeing rising temperatures due to climate change would run smack into a barrier, increasing the chances of human-wildlife conflict.

Yet Congress has authorized the Department of Homeland Security to ignore that reality, giving the agency the ability to circumvent environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act that govern most federal projects in order to speed up construction of the wall.

In essence, that means DHS doesn’t have to consider the environmental impact of construction on any of the natural environment. The release of this study coincides with a House Appropriation Committee meeting happening this week to discuss the budget for the DHS, the agency that oversees the wall. That budget includes $5 billion to build 200 miles of wall that I’m sure Mexico will totally pay for someday.

With that backdrop, Peters and the 2,700 signatories on the study argue DHS should consider these laws and foster more scientific research on the impacts of the wall. DHS could, of course, also just not build the wall, which Peters said he supported while noting that it’s “unrealistic not to recognize that a great deal of the wall has already been built and that the budget for 2018 has been signed providing money for 33 miles of wall in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.”
...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, August 4, 2018 to Sunday, August 5, 2018:

Freshkills Park
Sunday, August 5, 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 4, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, August 5, 2018, 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Nature-Birding Hike Series
Location: Great Kills Park - Ranger Station Parking Lot
Join us for a hike along the trails and beach.
View Details

Sunday, August 5, 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 5, 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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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, August 4, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Birding Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturdays, June 30 and August 4, 9-10:30am
Guide: Heather Wolf
Meet at Pier 1 park entrance where Old Fulton Street ends/intersects with Furman Street. Join Heather Wolf, author of Birding at the Bridge, for a picturesque birdwalk 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. Limited to 19. Free. Register on Eventbrite here.

Saturday, August 4, 2018, 11am – 2pm
Shorebird Identification Workshop
Thursday, August 2, 6:30-8:30pm (class)
Saturday, August 4, 11am-2pm (trip)
Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Warblers LLC
Shorebirds are one of the most challenging groups of birds to identify, yet beautiful and fascinating once they can be distinguished. Learn to identify plovers and sandpipers (including "peeps") by learning behavior, field marks, and calls—then take a field trip to Jamaica Bay to practice your new skills. Limited to 12. $65 (45)
Click here to register

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New York City WILD!
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Summer Sunset #5
Manhattan Westside: 125th St to George Washington Bridge (5:30pm)
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 ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website Lifehacker:

How to Fight the Actual Source of Ocean Garbage (Which Isn't Straws)
Beth Skwarecki
Friday 4:45pm

Can we stop being mad at plastic straws for a minute? Some folks are saying plastic straws are stupid and useless while others make the point that I’m disabled and I need these to drink. What if the fate of the ocean doesn’t hinge on plastic straws at all? Because one of the largest sources of garbage plastic in the ocean is fishing waste.

Straws make up a tiny fraction of ocean garbage. If we’re serious about getting plastic out of the ocean, why not focus on things that are bigger contributors to the problem? (Oh yeah, because then we’d have to convince corporations and governments, rather than pretending it’s all about our individual choices.)

The famous “garbage patch” in the Pacific ocean is made of 46 percent fishing gear, things like discarded nets. Sometimes fishing gear gets lost, but sometimes it’s just abandoned in the ocean. What do you even do with an old, gigantic, past-its-prime fishing net? In many places, it’s easiest to just dump it. That gear can entangle animals, and it can degrade into microplastics, tiny particles of garbage that are now mixed in with plankton throughout the ocean.

So there are now efforts to give the fishing industry places to properly dispose of nets, either ones they’re retiring, or “ghost gear” they haul in from the sea. Fishing for Energy is one US-based program with take-back stations at 48 ports. Metal parts are recycled and the plastic is burned for energy. The Global Ghost Gear Initiative organizes efforts around the world, including tagging nets so that everybody knows who an abandoned or lost net belongs to. Meanwhile, a project in the Phillipines buys old nets (thus giving fishers a financial incentive to drag the things to a take-back station) and turns them into carpeting. And back in the US, we actually have an agency, NOAA Marine Debris, specifically to study and try to reduce ocean garbage. Here is their page on things you can do to help: for individuals, it’s mostly beach cleanups and not throwing your shit in the water.

But what can we do to stop the garbage that comes from commercial fishing? So far there’s not much in the way of organized campaigns for citizens to target fishing waste, but you can find out whether your local government, or the companies that catch the fish you eat, support the anti-garbage initiatives mentioned above. Adam Minter, writing at Bloomberg, suggests that we put some pressure on companies to pledge that their fish will be harvested with responsible use of fishing gear. Seafood Watch considers “ghost fishing” from lost and abandoned nets in their sustainable fishing criteria, so you can make a (small) impact by choosing seafood that earns green or yellow ratings.

If you live near a coast and you’re itching to do more, mark Saturday, September 15, 2018 on your calendar. That’s the date for the International Coastal Cleanup, and chances are there’s a cleanup effort near you.

The rest of the year, you can do your own cleanups and use the Clean Swell app to log the garbage you find. The app has a grid of buttons for different, common types of coastline garbage. You walk along—or boat, or dive—and tap each thing you find. (Pick it up, please.) Fishing gear is one of the options, alongside cigarette butts, toys, and more. The data goes back to the Ocean Conservancy, and they use it to look for patterns in what kinds of garbage people are finding and where to focus their cleanup and prevention efforts.

Update July 21, 2018: We added information about Seafood Watch. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, July 28, 2018 to Sunday, July 29, 2018:

Bedford Audubon Society
Saturday, July 28, 2018, 8:15am - 1:30pm
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Join Naturalist Tait Johansson for high tide at the bay, which sends shorebirds in impressive numbers to the refuge’s East Pond. We should also see herons, egrets, Glossy Ibis, and many others! Bring binoculars, lunch, sunscreen, plenty of cold drinks, and boots/footwear you don’t mind getting muddy. Depart Bylane at 7 am or meet at Visitors Center at 8:15am.Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Moderate. Register with Susan Fisher at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.
See more details

Sunday, July 29, 2018, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Dragonflies of Muscoot Farm
Join Naturalist Tait Johansson and Friends of Muscoot Farm for an early summer nature walk focused on dragonflies and damselflies on the beautiful grounds of Muscoot Farm. Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Easy. Register with Susan Fisher at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.
See more details

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Feminist Bird Club
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Bilingual Bird Walk at Jamaica Bay
Join the Feminist Bird Club for a Bilingual Bird Walk at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge for birders of all levels. This walk will be led in Spanish by Kellie Quinones, a Board member at NYC Audubon Society, and translated to English by Cally Guasti.

We will leave from the Visitor Center at 9:30 AM, please bring bug spray, a snack, and binoculars if you have them. Limited amount of binoculars will be available from the nature center.

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, July 28, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, July 29, 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

**********

Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, July 22, 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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Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society
Sunday, July 29, 2018 - 4:00pm
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
At Jamaica Bay, birding is excellent year-round. There are approximately 70 species that nest regularly at the Refuge.
Registration: 585-880-0915
Directions: Meet at Visitor Center parking lot.

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Linnaean Society of New York
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Richard ZainEldeen
Registrar: Ellen Hoffman — ellenh33@icloud.com or 917-903-3486
Registration opens: Monday, July 16
Ride: $15 or public transportation

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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
Sunday, July 29, 2018, 8:00am – 11:00am
Prospect Park Birdwalk
Sundays, July 15, July 29, and August 26, 8-11am
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

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Staten Island Museum
Saturday, July 28, 2018, 8:30pm - 10:00pm
Moth Night
Location: Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Building A
$10 per adult/Children under 12 free
Stay up late and celebrate National Moth Week! Revel in the beauty and learn about the life cycles and habitats of moths. Featured activities include looking closely at Museum specimens, face painting, shadow dancing, art activities, and a night hike through Snug Harbor with Science Educators Clay Wollney and Mike Shanley. Guests should bring flashlights for the night hike. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Presented in collaboration with the Staten Island Children’s Museum.

Registration recommended.
To Register Click Here

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Urban Park Rangers
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Animal of the Month: Northern Harrier at Arthur Kill Road and Brookfield Avenue (in Brookfield Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Join the Urban Park Rangers in Brookfield Park as we look for this acrobatic raptor, the Norther Harrier.
Free! ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From Mother Nature Network:

How to help wildlife during a heat wave
Noel Kirkpatrick
July 16, 2018, 10:19 a.m.

You're not the only one who has to figure out how to beat the heat. Wild animals also struggle to cope with heat waves and droughts.

Take, for instance, the tiny hedgehog. During England's recent intense heat wave, the hedgehogs were struggling to stay alive, particularly the babies. They needed water, and there was none to be had.

Luckily, concerned citizens stepped up and made sure hedgehogs had water. It's simple actions that make the difference, and here are some you can take to help wildlife in your area.

Keep the water flowing

First and foremost is making sure wild critters have enough water and easy access to it. As the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) explains, "Having convenient supplies of clean water can make a huge difference to the survival of local wild species such as birds, butterflies and small mammals, during times of extreme heat and drought."

This is especially true for small animals that may not have a wide range, or for animals that are more mobile but become dehydrated.

Keeping the water going in your yard won't require you to keep the hose on, either. Instead, make sure there's a birdbath in your yard and that the water is clean and fresh. (If you don't have a birdbath, consider getting one.) The NWF recommends setting up a drip jug near the birdbath, something that will allow water to fall into the birdbath. The watery ploink will attract birds to the water. Once there, they'll drink and cool off.

Of course, not all animals can get to a birdbath, nor do you necessarily want certain animals to be near the birdbath. (Looking at you, cats.) For smaller critters, like those previously mentioned hedgehogs, providing small, shallow bowls of water is the best way to make sure they get the hydration they need. If you don't have any small bowls, then the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) recommends placing a stick or stone in a bigger bowl so that the animal can climb its way out of the bowl after it has quenched its thirst.

The inclination to leave food out for the critters is understandable, but experts discourage it. The NWF says water is more important to the animals' overall survival — they can get by without food for a bit, but not water — and the RSPCA advises against feeding wildlife.

If you have a garden, then maintaining it will help critters and insects alike. An especially lush garden can provide shade that some animals may crave, and covering your beds with mulch will also help the soil stay a bit moist, and that will help worms and other insects. Water, of course, plays a part in this, and keeping your plants watered will attract insects that rely on the plants for food.

Helping wildlife with heat stress

In addition to needing water, animals may require some assistance with heat stress. Animals get overheated and dehydrated, the same as we do, and they manifest some of the same symptoms, including confusion, a loss of balance and collapsing. If you see animals that are normally in the trees on the ground, or if they're normally nocturnal and you see them during the day, chances are something is wrong.

Aiding wild animals suffering from heat stress can be tricky, and if you don't feel comfortable or safe doing so, don't. Contact animal services or veterinarians instead.

If you do feel comfortable, however, the RSPCA recommends wrapping the animal in a towel and containing it in a cardboard box. Provide the animal with water to drink in a cool, safe area. Dampening the towel or spritzing the animal with mist can also help cool down the critter. Seeking the assistance of professionals, however, is still recommended since human interactions can be stressful for animals. Should you need to transport the animal to a clinic, cool down the car first and minimize the noises inside the car.

And if you're harmed while helping an animal, seek medical assistance as soon as possible. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, July 21, 2018 to Sunday, July 22, 2018:

Eastern Long Island Audubon
Saturday, July 21, 2018, 8:00am
Dune Road Exploration
Leader: Eileen Schwinn
Meet at TIANA BEACH BAY SIDE PARKING LOT, in Hampton Bays. Since Super Storm Sandy, the Tiana Beach bay side has been a very welcome stop for resident birds, as well as early southward-bound migrating shore birds. Join us for a long stay at low tide, and perhaps, an exploration along other Hot Spots of Dune Road. Bring sunscreen, water, and a hat (although there is a covered pavilion to view from, if necessary). Town of Southampton Temporary Parking Permits will be available to non-residents. For more information, please contact Eileen Schwinn at beachmed@optonline.net or call: 516-662-7751 the day of the Field Trip. Rain or shine!

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Freshkills Park Alliance
Sunday, July 22, 2018, 3:00pm
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, July 21, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, July 22, 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

**********

Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, July 22, 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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Linnaean Society of New York
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Orienteering in Central Park
Leader and registrar: Sherry Felix — slfelix@hotmail.com or 646-339-0138
Registration opens: Monday, July 9
Public transportation.
Meet at 77th Street and Central Park West at 6:00 pm
When you head into regions unknown in search of a special bird, you may think you can rely on your cell phone’s map and compass apps—but batteries die and GPS signals fade. This is why finding one’s way using an orienteering compass and understanding how to read topographic maps is still vital. Join former urban park ranger and Audubon environmental educator Sherry Felix in the Ramble and and learn how to navigate with a compass—plus a few ways to navigate without any aids at all. See how to get around an obstacle and try the new three-legged compass walk.

Please bring an orienteering compass with a transparent plastic plate, download and print the...

- orienteering exercise map, and the
- Tupelo Meadow triangulation exercise map.

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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, July 21, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: 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 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, call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Saturday, July 21, 2018, 12pm – 3pm
Kingsland Wildflowers Open House Saturdays
Where: Kingsland Wildflowers Green Roof and Community Engagement Center, 520 Kingsland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Tour the native plant garden and visit our community engagement space as we open Kingsland Wildflowers to the general public on Open House Saturdays. Free. Email njackson@nycaudubon.org to learn more.

Sunday, July 22, 2018, 8:45am – 4:00pm
Croton Point Park
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Meet at Grand Central Station and travel in comfort aboard Metro-North to visit Croton Point Park, overlooking the Hudson River about one hour north of the city. This beautiful 500-acre park is a wonderful mix of forest, wetlands, and grasslands that are home to hard-to-find breeding bird species such as Indigo Bunting, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, and Eastern Meadowlark. Great Horned Owls, Willow Flycatchers, and Orchard Orioles breed in nearby woodlands. Bring lunch for a picnic in one of the riverside pavilions. Limited to 20. Round-trip Metro-North fare ($20.50) not included in trip price. $50 (35)
Click here to register

Sunday, July 22, 2018, 11:00am – 1:30pm
Kingsland Wildflowers: Newtown Creek Bike Tour
Where: Kingsland Wildflowers Green Roof and Community Engagement Center, 520 Kingsland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Join Newtown Creek Alliance for a guided bike tour to see and discuss ecological and industrial activity near and along the Newtown Creek shoreline. Once a vast tidal wetland, the Creek quickly became one of the busiest waterways in the county, leaving a significant legacy of environmental destruction and contamination, leading to the ultimate designation as a federal superfund. However, improvements are underway and the past 2 decades have seen improvements to water quality and with it a returning ecology where fish, crabs and a plethora of shorebirds now exist amongst the challenging conditions.

The bike tour will stop at key locations that highlight the industrial history, pollution issues and ecological activity along the Creek. The tour will take place almost exclusively within a heavy industrial zone. To minimize conflicts with traffic and noise, the tour will take place on a Sunday when most businesses are closed. Nevertheless, the route runs along industrial roads and is recommended for experienced bicyclists.

The tour will begin at Manhattan Avenue Street End Park in Greenpoint and end at Kingsland Wildflowers Green Roof (also in Greenpoint). Along the way, we will visit Long Island City, Blissville, Maspeth and East Williamsburg. Total route is approximately 10 miles. Participants are encouraged to bring water, sun protection and a small snack. There will be ample opportunity for photography and bird watching along the route as well. Space is limited. $5. Learn more and register on Eventbrite.

These events are run in conjunction with the Kingsland Wildflowers project and are made possible with generous support from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund and the Office of the New York State Attorney General and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, July 21, 2018
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Join NYC Audubon on a walk through the park to observe the many species of birds in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free!

Animal of the Month Club: Northern Harrier at Arthur Kill Road and Brookfield Avenue (in Brookfield Park), Staten Island
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
The Northern Harrier is considered one of the most agile and acrobatic raptor in North America. Join the Urban Park Rangers in Brookfield Park as we look for the Northern Harrier.
Free!

Sunday, July 22, 2018
Orchard Beach Lagoon Birding Excursion (Intermediate) at Pelham Bay Park, Bronx
9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Few experiences compare with being on the open water in New York City. Prior canoe experience preferred; for ages 8 and older. Registration is required.
Free!

The New York City Naturalist Club: Raptors of Inwood Hill Park at Isham Street and Seaman Avenue (in Inwood Hill Park), Manhattan
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
The New York City Naturalist Club hosts a birding expedition, during which guests of all skill levels can watch for eagles under the guidance of the Urban Park Rangers. Binoculars are encouraged.
Free!

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Young Birders Club
Saturday July 21, 2018 (Rain date 7/22/18)
Nickerson Beach (Nassau County, Long Island)
Trip Leader: Josh Cantor
Member Josh Cantor will lead this trip. Josh, a junior at SUNY ESF, is halfway through his 2018 "Young Birder Odyssey" - aka Big Year (he had 372 species for the year as of June 16th!). A longtime resident Long Island birder, Josh is very familiar with Nickerson Beach and its wonderfully accessible nesting colonies.

This promises to be a very exciting trip! We'll be looking for breeding Common and Least Terns, American Oystercatchers, Piping Plovers, and Black Skimmers, along with other shorebirds on the beach. If you enjoy taking pictures of birds, you'll have some really fantastic opportunities on this trip!

Watch your Inbox for directions and details on meeting time and location.

Plan to bring binoculars and a camera!

Trip Registration Form due by 7/13/18 ...Read more

Nonplussed Red-tailed Hawk

Remember the immature Red-tailed Hawk with the two short adult, red tail feathers growing in? Look at how long they are now! You can also see some of the banded feathers of its youth beneath those two. Apparently, this individual has also gotten quite used to the regular mockingbird attacks in Green-Wood Cemetery. This year's three cemetery offspring still cry when mobbed by jays and mockingbirds. Big babies...

Thanks to Jim Demers for letting me use his footage shot during my walk this past Sunday.

Treehugger Tuesday

From Earther.com:

One of the World's Biggest Insurers Is Ditching Coal
Brian Kahn

Earlier this week, one of the biggest re-insurance companies in the world started implementing a policy reflecting the growing risk around new coal projects. Swiss Re announced on Monday it would no longer insure companies that get 30 percent of their revenue or generate 30 percent of their power from coal burned for energy (known in energy parlance as ‘thermal coal’).

It’s yet another sign that economics are turning against coal. The re-insurance giant, which underwrote $35.6 billion in non-life insurance contracts in 2016, is the latest in a string of re-insurers pulling back from one of the dirtiest sources of power generation on the planet. These companies aren’t doing it from the bottom of their hearts, though. This is about cold, hard cash and actuarial tables.

Swiss Re’s policy, which was announced in 2017, went into effect on Monday. The company said in its announcement that it “supports a progressive and structured shift away from fossil fuels.”

It follows on a 2016 policy that limits other forms of investments in coal mining and companies that generate at least 30 percent of their electricity from coal. Other insurance companies that stopped funding coal projects in various forms include Allianz, Dai-ichi Life Insurance, and Scor. Another giant in the business, Munich Re, has decided to keep funding coal projects despite being pressured by investors not to.

“This decision comes now after Swiss Re signed in December 2015 the Paris Pledge for Action to affirm our support for the Paris Climate Agreement,” a company representative told Earther. “With the decision to limit our exposure to thermal coal and develop a carbon risk model, Swiss Re established a consistent approach also on the liability side.”

Coal powered the Industrial Revolution, but its role in causing climate change has indeed turned it into a liability in two ways.

The first is that coal is a huge source of carbon pollution, with nearly double the emissions of natural gas (and infinitely more than zero-emissions renewables). As that pollution piles up in the atmosphere, it raises the risk of more extreme weather that can cost insurers a pretty penny.

Longer term climate impacts, like sea level rise, will only make insuring coastal areas a more costly endeavor. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists report showed that by 2045, upwards of 300,000 coastal homes worth roughly $117.5 billion will be at risk of chronic flooding. That’s a lot of potential losses insurers will have to pay out, and it’s only one type of catastrophe in one country. Why would insurers pay to prop up one of the industries that’s most responsible at the risk of turning their balance sheet upside down?

There’s also the issue of how the world’s energy mix will have to change in order to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius. As of now, there’s simply no room for coal to exist in that world. And to keep our climate habitable, the transition away from coal will have to happen very soon. Economics are already causing the necessary shift in some countries, including the U.S. (despite efforts by the Trump administration to turn the coal industry around). The trend is likely to continue here and elsewhere and accelerate in the coming years.

That means coal companies could just walk away from mines and power plants, making them stranded assets and creating losses for insurance companies. In May, California’s Department of Insurance conducted a climate stress test of all insurers with $100 million in annual premiums doing business in the state (h/t GreenTech Media).

“The results of the scenario analysis by 2°Investing is consistent with Commissioner Jones’ Climate Risk Carbon Initiative determination that thermal coal presents long-term financial risks for investors,” the agency wrote in a release announcing the report. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, July 14, 2018 to Sunday, July 15, 2018:

Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, July 14, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Saturday, July 14, 2018, 10:00am to 5:00pm
Jamaica Bay Festival
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Join guides from Gateway NRA, Littoral Society, NYC Audubon, and Jamaica Bay/Rockaway Parks Conservancy for tours and programs celebrating the wildlife and diversity of Jamaica Bay.
View Details

Sunday, July 15, 2018, 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Nature- Birding Hiking Series
Location: Great Kills Park - Ranger Station Parking Lot
Join us for a hike along the trails and beach.
View Details

Sunday, July 15, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
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, July 15, 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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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, July 14, 2018
City of Water Day Ecocruise
Guide: Gabriel Willow with the Waterfront Alliance
Boat launches TBA. As part of City of Water Day, a celebration of the waterways and harbors of New York City, NYC Audubon is offering a special ecocruise past Hoffman and Swinburne Islands exploring the natural history of the area. The tour leaves from Governors Island. Find more info about City of Water Day and ferries to Governors Island at www.nycaudubon.org. Registration required. Limited to 150. Free

Saturday, July 14, 2018, 6:30am – 1:00pm
Breeding Birds of Nickerson Beach and Marine Study Area
Guide: Tod Winston
Explore two popular birding spots with Tod Winston that are a little hard to get to for car-less New Yorkers. Departing early to beat the heat, we’ll first seek out breeding Common and Least Terns, American Oystercatchers, Piping Plovers, and Black Skimmers at Nickerson Beach. Then we’ll walk the boardwalks of the nearby Marine Nature Study Area in search of nesting Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows, as well as Osprey, herons, egrets, and shorebirds. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $98 (69)
Click here to register

Saturday, July 14, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: 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 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, call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Saturday, July 14, 2018, 10am – 4pm
Jamaica Bay Festival
With Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, American Littoral Society
As part of City of Water Day, join us at Beach 108th Street in Rockaway Park, NY, for a fun family day celebrating Jamaica Bay with activities for all ages including nature walks, an art show, a fishing clinic, arts and crafts, games, and more. Explore the wild side of New York City with walking tours of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Dead Horse Bay. Transportation from Beach 108th Street to activities will be provided. For more information, contact Elizabeth Stoehr at 347-690-0931 or elizabeth@jbrpc.org. No registration required. No Limit. Free

Saturday, July 14, 2018, 12pm – 3pm
It's Your Tern Festival
In case of rain, the festival will move indoors to Nolan Park House 17
With Trust for Governors Island, Friends of Governors Island, National Park Service, New York Harbor School, Earth Matter NY
Come celebrate Governors Island’s treasures: Common Terns and oysters! Common Terns, listed as a threatened species in New York State, have nested for several years on decommissioned piers on Governors Island’s waterfront. The colony has expanded over time and benefited recently from the introduction of oyster shells as a nesting material. Free activities at this year’s festival will include bird walks and talks, and hands-on activities for the whole family. Get to the festival by taking a ferry to Governors Island. For more information and directions to the Tern Festival, visit www.nycaudubon.org/tern-festival. No limit. Free

Sunday, July 15, 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


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NYCH2O
Saturday, July 14, 2018, 10am
Ridgewood Reservoir ​​​Community 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.

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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Saturday, July 14, 2018, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Bloomingdale Park
Fifty years ago the area now known as the Bloomingdale Woods was a sandy, pine-oak woodland littered with everything imaginable; burnt cars, discarded housewares and un-recycled cans and bottles. A hike through the woodlands of Bloomingdale Park will reveal the effects of a half century of time and human intervention. Protectors of Pine Oak Woods fought a protracted fight to keep the woods a natural area. Participants will meet at the corner of McGuire Avenue and Ramona Avenue. For more information call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327.
Read More

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Join NYC Audubon on a walk through the park to observe the many species of birds in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free!

Ridgewood Reservoir Community Tour at Ridgewood Reservoir, Queens
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Join us to explore this incredible natural resource in the heart of NYC.
Free!

Birding: Osprey Watch at Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park), Brooklyn
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free!

The New York City Naturalist Club: Evening Hawk Watch at Saint Marks Place and Avenue A (in Tompkins Square Park), Manhattan
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free! ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, July 7, 2018 to Sunday, July 8, 2018:

Bedford Audubon Society
Sunday, July 8, 2018, 10:00am - 12:00pm
The Butterflies of Muscoot Farm
Join Naturalist Tait Johansson for an early summer butterfly walk on the beautiful grounds of Muscoot Farm. Cost: Free. Level of difficulty: Easy.Register with Susan at info@bedfordaudubon.org or 914-302-9713.
See more details

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Freshkills Park Alliance
Sunday, July 08, 2018, 3:00pm
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, July 7, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Saturday, July 7, 2018, 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Plover Day
Location: Rockaway Beach near 86th Street
Join Urban Park Rangers and NPS to celebrate the piping plover, a state-listed threatened species that nests on New York City’s beaches.
View Details

Sunday, July 8, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
View Details

Sunday, July 8, 2018, 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Salt Marsh Detectives
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Children and their families are invited to find out what makes a salt marsh and why they are important.
View Details

Sunday, July 8, 2018, 10:00am to 12:30pm
Seaweeds, Seashells and More
Location: Fort Tilden, Building 1
Hike the seashore during an outgoing tide with American Littoral Society naturalist, Mickey Maxwell Cohen, author of Adventures at the Beach, to look for marine life, coastal birds, and seaside plants.
View Details

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Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, July 8, 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, July 7, 2018
Staten Island Nesting Birds – Purple Martins Plus
Leader: Richard Veit
Registrar: Karen Asakawa — avocet501@gmail.com or 347-306-0690
Registration opens: Monday, June 25
Ride: $20

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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, July 7, 2018, 8am – 5pm
Breeding Birds of the Hudson Highlands, NY
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Join Gabriel Willow on a day-long trip to some of the most exciting and beautiful birding locations in the Hudson Valley: Doodletown Road, Constitution Marsh, and Indian Brook Farm. We'll look for uncommon breeding warbler specialties at Doodletown, such as Cerulean, Hooded, Blue-winged, Golden-winged, and Worm-eating Warblers. We will then head to the Constitution Marsh Audubon Sanctuary, home to breeding Wood Ducks, Bald Eagles, Least Bitterns, Marsh Wrens, and more. After a picnic lunch, we will drive to Indian Brook Farm in search of breeding Field and Savannah Sparrows, Bobolinks, and Indigo Buntings. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $129 (90) per trip
Click here to register

Saturday, July 7, 2018, 12pm – 3pm
NYC Plover Day Festival at the Rockaways
With NYC Parks, American Littoral Society, Gateway National Recreation Area
Join us at Beach 86th and Rockaway Beach Boardwalk, Queens to celebrate nesting shorebirds. Discover one of New York City's endangered species, the Piping Plover, and ways you can help protect it by sharing the beach. Enjoy educational activities and crafts at this family-friendly event that raises awareness of this amazing shorebird. No Registration required. No Limit. Free

Saturday, July 7, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: 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 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, call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Sunday, July 8, 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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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Join NYC Audubon on a walk through the park to observe the many species of birds in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free!

Plover Day Festival at Beach 86th Street and Shorefront Parkway (in Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk), Queens
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Join us to celebrate nesting shorebirds! Enjoy educational activities and crafts at this family friendly event that raises awareness about the piping plover.
Free!

Sunday, July 8, 2018
Summer 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 diverse bird species and their behavior on these walks through the gardens and woodlands. ...Read more

Three Generations of Hawks

I've been observing Brooklyn's resident Red-tailed Hawks for over twenty years. In recent years my notes have been mostly limited to the pair that calls Green-Wood Cemetery home. There has been a nesting pair within their 478-acres continuously for at least 25 years. That's not to say that the same pair has been nesting in the same tree over that period, just that it is a highly prized territory for this very urbanized predator. If for whatever reason there becomes a vacancy in the cemetery it is quickly occupied by another pair of hawks.

Back in 2005 Big Mama and her mate, Junior, moved from Prospect Park to Green-Wood Cemetery. It was around the same time that the cemetery's previous resident pair were found deceased. Many years and lots of offspring later Big Mama injured her leg, then disappeared. I assumed that a dead red-tailed found by rangers in a nearby neighborhood was her. A raptor can't survive without the use of both sets of talons. A few years ago another pair began nesting in the pine trees along Cypress Avenue. This season Green-Wood's resident pair successfully hatched three offspring. I believe that this is only the second time I've observed triplets in Brooklyn (the first was in 2009 in Prospect Park). A couple of weeks ago all three left the nest, but are still hanging around the general vicinity of the nest tree. Which brings me to the point of this posting.

Last year our unnamed pair raised two offspring. Of those two, one can still be found hunting around the cemetery. Its favorite spot is around the three ridges that border the Sylvan Water. It usually takes Red-tailed Hawks around two years to acquire their namesake red tail feathers. Until that point it is easy to differentiate an adult from an immature bird as their tail is a banded light-brown and dark-brown pattern. Normally Red-tailed parents aren't very tolerant of their previous kids presence once they have a new brood to raise. Our cemetery parents, however, don't seem to mind at all and can sometimes be seen soaring together. Perhaps it is because of the abundance of food in the area. Once this year's trio become more independent and start hunting on their own there might be some conflicts that will result in someone being forced to leave ... or worse. In the meantime, it's nice seeing three generations of one family of Red-tailed Hawks in Green-Wood Cemetery.

One of our resident adults soaring above the cemetery.

Last year's offspring. Notice the red tail feathers beginning to emerge.

One of this year's triplets in a tulip tree a short flight from the nest tree.

A big thanks to Jim Demers and Evan Rabeck for the use of their Green-Wood Cemetery photos.

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website Earther:

China's Plastic Waste Ban Will Create a Huge Issue For the World
Brian Kahn

For years, China has been the world’s plastic waste dump. Single use water bottles, yogurt cups, hummus containers, and countless other sundries we take for granted were shipped from developed countries to China for recycling.

But a 2017 ban on the import of non-industrial waste is changing all that. Now, plastic once bound for Chinese recycling plants is being sent to landfills as the country cracks down on plastic waste streaming into its borders. This is becoming a huge issue.

A new paper quantifies just how much plastic waste China has taken in over the past 28 years and how much excess plastic the rest of the world will be left to deal with if the ban stays in place. The answer isn’t pretty: 14.1 million metric tons of plastic were exported for recycling globally in 2016, according to the findings published on Wednesday in Science Advances.

That represents an 817 percent increase in the amount of plastic exported in 1988, the first year of data. Nearly three-quarters of that plastic ended up being sent directly to China or through Hong Kong.



The vast majority of that plastic comes from developed countries, and the study expects plastic exports will continue to rise into the future. Without China to recycle it, 111 million cumulative metric tons of plastic waste—the equivalent of about 20.4 million African elephants—will be “displaced” by 2030. Displaced is a nice way of say we have no idea where it’s going to go.

Other eastern Asian countries handle most of the plastic recycling that China doesn’t, but they’re nowhere near equipped to handle an influx of that size. And while some cities and states in developed countries are moving to curb the use of plastic bags and straws, those moves are a drop in the plastic supply bucket.

Right now, more and more of that plastic is being diverted to landfills. And let’s not forget the plastic streaming into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or even the hinterlands of the high Arctic. It’s even in our beer.

All this illustrates the peril of relying on one market to handle recycling, as well as the hubris that the convenience of single-use items outweighs the consequences. The research suggests that countries could take more responsibility for recycling their own plastic or that countries doing the importing levy a tax to help improve their own waste management and infrastructure.

The growing problem has been on others’ minds as well. Last year, researchers called for a global agreement governing how we deal with plastic, which they dubbed a “global threat.” The new findings show that threat is only likely to become more dire. ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, June 30, 2018 to Sunday, July 1, 2018:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, June 30, 2018, 12pm – 1pm
Introduction to Birdwatching
Join Prospect Park Alliance every Saturday for a birdwatching tour to learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!

Sunday, July 1, 2018, 8am – 9am
Early Morning Bird Walk: Taking Wing
This is the time of year when young birds out number adult birds. Join Prospect Park Alliance in search of fledglings as they test their wings! Tour leaves promptly at 8 am. Led by the Brooklyn Bird Club.

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, June 30, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Sunday, July 1, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
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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New York City Audubon Society
Saturday, June 30, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Birding Brooklyn Bridge Park
Guide: Heather Wolf
Meet at Pier 1 park entrance where Old Fulton Street ends/intersects with Furman Street. Join Heather Wolf, author of Birding at the Bridge, for a picturesque birdwalk 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. Limited to 19. Free. Register on Eventbrite here.

Saturday, June 30, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: 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 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, call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Saturday, June 30, 2018, 2pm – 3pm
Governors Island Bird Walk
Saturdays May 26, June 2, June 23 and June 30 2-3pm
Sundays, May 20, June 10 and June 17 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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New York City WILD!
Saturday, June 30, 2018
American Princess Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise (1:00 pm)

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, June 30, 2018, 8:00am – 6:00pm
Fourth of July Butterfly Count
Once a year butterfly enthusiasts and concerned environmentalists gather to survey our island’s population of butterflies. For more than 20 years we have been collecting data on these keystone species. Their numbers can evidence the health of an eco-system or the destruction of habitat. As such, we visit locations across the island to form a snapshot of the breadth and strength of our butterfly populations. Anyone interested in joining the survey should contact Cliff Hagen at 718-313-8591 or email him at chagen72@gmail.com for more information.
Read more

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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Join NYC Audubon on a walk through the park to observe the many species of birds in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free! ...Read more

Treehugger Tuesday

From the website "Treehugger":

Rare animals emerge after 20 years of reforestation in NW China
Melissa Breyer
June 18, 2018

37 species under national protection have been observed in the Ziwuling area, thanks to massive reforestation efforts.

A few months ago I wrote about how China is planting 16.3 million acres of forest this year alone, with plans to increase forest coverage to 23 percent of its total landmass by the end of the decade.

And you know what happens when you coax a forest back into being? Creatures great and small find a place to call home ... and begin to thrive again.

If anyone was looking for proof of this simple equation, they may need look no further than the Ziwuling Forest Area in Yan'an, Shannxi province. After two decades of "massive reforestation projects" in the area, the payoff is becoming evident.

Researchers from Beijing Normal University have been using infrared cameras to check in on Ziwuling's wildlife, and they have photographed all kinds of rare species. From golden pheasants and red foxes to roe deer, the menagerie of threatened animals adds to an earlier discovery of the largest-ever population of North-Chinese leopards in the area.

“At least 28 North-Chinese #leopards, the largest wild population, have been recorded in the past year in the forest area of Ziwuling Mountains in N China’s #Shaanxi, according to State Forestry Administration's Monitoring and Research Center for the Amur Tiger and Amur Leopard pic.twitter.com/LO89ui84s5”
— People's Daily,China (@PDChina) June 6, 2018

"The nature reserve has a large population of wild boars and roe deer, as well as small and medium-sized carnivorous animals such as ocelots and red foxes. If it was not for environmental protection we've undertaken, it's likely none of these animals would have survived," said Limin Feng, associate professor from Beijing Normal University.

The researchers say that so far they have catalogued a whopping 263 different species in Ziwuling, including eight endangered species under critically endangered first-class national protection, and another 29 under second-class national protection.

It's really not rocket science. Animals the world over are being threatened with extinction because of habitat destruction. Stop that destruction, put some effort in refurbishing the natural landscape, and give the animals a fighting chance at survival. And if we're all lucky, they may even thrive.

via China Plus ...Read more

Upcoming Birding and Nature Trips

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for Saturday, June 23, 2018 to Sunday, June 24, 2018:

Audubon Center in Prospect Park
Saturday, June 23, 2018, 12pm – 1pm
Introduction to Birdwatching
Join Prospect Park Alliance every Saturday for a birdwatching tour to learn about Prospect Park’s magnificent array of birds and how to identify them!

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Gateway National Recreation Area
Saturday, June 23, 2018, 10:00am to 11:00am
Birding by the Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: Free
View Details

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 10:00am to 1:00pm
Butterflies and Pollinators of Jamaica Bay
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: free
Join naturalist Don Riepe during National Pollinator Week for a slide presentation and hike around the refuge to look for butter-flies, moths, bees, wasps, and other pollinators.
View Details

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 3:00pm to 4:00pm
Diamond Terrapin Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: free
Join staff in search of nesting Diamondback Terrapins
View Details

Sunday, June 24, 2018, 10:00am to 12:30pm
Dead Horse Bay, New York's Best Kept Natural Secret
Location: Floyd Bennett Field - Main Ranger station
Fees: free
Hike the trails and shoreline at Dead Horse Bay with Mickey Maxwell Cohen, American Littoral Society naturalist.
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Sunday, June 24, 2018, 10:00am to 11:30am
Osprey Watch Guided Walk
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fees: free
Learn all about the amazing osprey on this guided walk of the West Pond Trail.
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Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunday, June 24, 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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Hudson River Audubon Society
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge
Meet at the refuge at 8:00am
Grasslands birds such as Bobolink, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows are expected with the possibility of rarer birds such as Henslow’s Sparrow and Dickcissel.
http://www.hras.org/wtobird/shawangunk.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, June 23, 2018, 8am – 5pm
Breeding Birds of the Hudson Highlands
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Join Gabriel Willow on a day-long trip to some of the most exciting and beautiful birding locations in the Hudson Valley: Doodletown Road, Constitution Marsh, and Indian Brook Farm. We'll look for uncommon breeding warbler specialties at Doodletown, such as Cerulean, Hooded, Blue-winged, Golden-winged, and Worm-eating Warblers. We will then head to the Constitution Marsh Audubon Sanctuary, home to breeding Wood Ducks, Bald Eagles, Least Bitterns, Marsh Wrens, and more. After a picnic lunch, we will drive to Indian Brook Farm in search of breeding Field and Savannah Sparrows, Bobolinks, and Indigo Buntings. Transport by passenger van included. Limited to 12. $129 (90) per trip
Click here to register

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 9:00am – 10:30am
Van Cortlandt Bird Walks
Guide: 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 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, call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Let's Go Birding Together! Walk in Central Park
Help us celebrate Pride Month with birds! Let's Go Birding Together walks are for everyone who loves birds and the outdoors. We welcome those who identify as LGBTQ+, allies, families, and anyone who wants to enjoy an outdoor experience that is inclusive. This Central Park bird walk is co-presented by NYC Audubon and National Audubon Society.

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 2pm – 3pm
Governors Island Bird Walk
Saturdays May 26, June 2, June 23, 2-3pm
Sundays, May 20, June 10, June 17 and June 24 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, June 24, 2018, 10am – 1pm
The Parakeets of Green-Wood Cemetery
Guide: Gabriel Willow with Green-Wood Cemetery
Explore Green-Wood Cemetery, rich in both history and wildlife, in search of spring migrants and its unique avian residents: the huge flocks of brilliant green Monk Parakeets that nest there. Native to South America, these charming immigrants flourish even in our harsh winters. Limited to 15. $46 (32)
Click here to register

Sunday, June 24, 2018, 11:00am – 1:30pm
Kingsland Wildflowers: Newtown Creek Bike Tour
Join Newtown Creek Alliance for a guided bike tour to see and discuss ecological and industrial activity near and along the Newtown Creek shoreline. Once a vast tidal wetland, the Creek quickly became one of the busiest waterways in the county, leaving a significant legacy of environmental destruction and contamination, leading to the ultimate designation as a federal superfund. However, improvements are underway and the past 2 decades have seen improvements to water quality and with it a returning ecology where fish, crabs and a plethora of shorebirds now exist amongst the challenging conditions.

The bike tour will stop at key locations that highlight the industrial history, pollution issues and ecological activity along the Creek. The tour will take place almost exclusively within a heavy industrial zone. To minimize conflicts with traffic and noise, the tour will take place on a Sunday when most businesses are closed. Nevertheless, the route runs along industrial roads and is recommended for experienced bicyclists.

The tour will begin at Manhattan Avenue Street End Park in Greenpoint and end at Kingsland Wildflowers Green Roof (also in Greenpoint). Along the way, we will visit Long Island City, Blissville, Maspeth and East Williamsburg. Total route is approximately 10 miles. Participants are encouraged to bring water, sun protection and a small snack. There will be ample opportunity for photography and bird watching along the route as well. Space is limited. $5. Learn more and register on Eventbrite.

These events are run in conjunction with the Kingsland Wildflowers project and are made possible with generous support from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund and the Office of the New York State Attorney General and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

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New York City WILD!
Sunday, June 24, 2018, 1:00pm
Queens/Brooklyn: Newtown Creek 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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Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
Saturday, June 23, 2018, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Kingfisher Pond - Lizard Hunt
Italian wall Lizards released a decade or so ago have adapted well to living in the area between Richmond Town and Great Kills. Before winding our way around and through Kingfisher Park we will look for these swift little reptiles and observe their behavior as they coexist with people by taking advantage of the environment we have created for them. Following the lizard hunt we will explore the wetlands in Kingfisher Pond with the hopes of seeing turtles sunning on logs in the pond as well as herons and other birds feeding in the shallows. Participants will meet at the corner of Greaves Avenue and Fairfield Street behind Public School 37. Call Clay Wollney at 718-869-6327 for more information.
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Urban Park Rangers
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Bird Walks at Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park), Bronx
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Join NYC Audubon on a walk through the park to observe the many species of birds in Van Cortlandt Park.
Free! ...Read more