Recently added articles from New York State Conservationist:
Dear reader.(landfills and bottled water policies )
Apr 01, 2009; ... Dear Reader, In the months ahead, we hope you will notice a marked decrease in water bottles littering the roadside, beach, or your local park. That's because after years of intense advocacy by concerned New Yorkers, this year with Governor David Paterson leading the way, the ...
Earth's changing climate.
Apr 01, 2009 ... Earth's climate changes naturally. It was very warm in the days of the dinosaurs and the last ice age was only 15,000 years ago. But today, our climate is changing faster than ever before in human history. Scientists believe that people are responsible. Weather ...
Eagle aid: sometimes DEC wildlife technician Mike Allen looks out his window at the spacious cages that have, over the years, housed at least eight recuperating bald eagles, and thinks, "Gosh, I've got bald eagles in my backyard, for crying out loud!".
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The idea still astounds him because, 33 years ago when Mike began his professional career, there wasn't much need to house sick and injured bald eagles. Why? Because there were few eagles left in New York State. But thanks to a ban on DDT, habitat ...
Lured in: a trout fisherman is born.(Essay)
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a young child in the Bronx during the early 1930s, outdoor recreation was often limited to playing in the streets. Though trout fishing in the Catskills was becoming all the rage among well-to-do sportsmen from New York City, fishing was not something I ...
Intruders! New York's battle to stop the spread of invasive species.(Cover story)
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It was late afternoon last May when the phone in DEC's fisheries office in New Paltz began to ring again. It had already been a busy day full of calls from anglers looking for good spots to fish, but this call was different. The caller, a pond owner from ...
A new prescription: do not flush your unused drugs. Awareness campaign focuses on keeping pharmaceuticals out of New York's waters.
Apr 01, 2009; ... Pharmaceutical contamination is now emerging as a potentially significant environmental problem. Pharmaceuticals can reach our waters from a variety of sources, including the flushing of unused drugs by households and institutions, discharge from drug-manufacturing facilities, and via ...
Red trillium.(protection of native plants)
Apr 01, 2009; ... It's hard to believe that a beautiful, dainty, maroon flower of the forest under-story could have a nickname like "stinking Benjamin," but it does. In fact, this native plant, officially known as the red trillium, has a number of different common names, all of which reveal valuable ...
Working out the bugs: how schools are using green pest management alternatives.
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many school systems across the state are emphasizing alternative management methods for keeping bugs, weeds, mice and other pest problems out of cafeterias and off playing fields. In Nassau County, under the watchful eye of their teacher, first graders at ...
Stalking sturgeon.
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "We have a sturgeon!" the biologist yelled as he continued to yank on the net. It was a warm, sunny morning in June and we were working on the Hudson River, hoping to catch Atlantic sturgeon. We had only hauled in about 15 feet of the 300-foot net when we ...
Spiny water flea found.(BRIEFLY)(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last year, the spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus), was found in Great Sacandaga Lake in the southern Adirondacks--the first confirmation of this invasive species in a New York water body other than the Great Lakes. The tiny crustacean pictured ...
Environmental excellence.(BRIEFLY)(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2009; ... The NYS Environmental Excellence Awards program honors businesses, not-for-profit organizations, governments (local, state and federal), educational institutions and/or individuals achieving environmental excellence through innovative and environmentally sustainable practices or ...
Birders of the future.(BRIEFLY)(New York State Young Birders Club )(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2009; ... Imagine traveling all across the state, trekking through dense woods and thick marshes, watching and documenting New York's birds, and all with people who appreciate and enjoy it as much as you do. The New York State Young Birders Club does just that, and much more. The club provides a ...
Mercury of concern in bald eagles.(BRIEFLY)(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2009; ... Supported by a grant from The Nature Conservancy, the BioDiversity Research Institute from Maine and DEC's Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources teamed up to check mercury levels in adult and nestling bald eagles throughout New York State. Biologists collected hundreds of blood ...
Discover green.(BRIEFLY)(Brief article)
Apr 01, 2009; ... To find ways to explore and learn about the environment, be sure to read DEC's Outdoor Discovery newsletter on our website. You can subscribe for flee; just go to our website at ...
Ask the biologist.(BRIEFLY)(Brief article)(Column)
Apr 01, 2009; ... Q: During the past few springs, I've had a cardinal repeatedly fly into my windows. The bird sits in a tree or bush next to the house, and then periodically flies at the window. It does this three to four times a day. Is this part of its mating habits? Or is there another reason for this ...
Changing homes.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2009; ... I took this picture on the northern shore of Chaumont Bay off Lake Ontario. Could you confirm that it is a mink? She was moving five kits, I think due to the fact that higher water was invading her home. Daniel Neave Chaumont Bay, Jefferson County ...
Have you seen this pin?(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Can any of your readers shed some light on identifying the enclosed Fire Patrol badge? It measures 1 3/4 inches in diameter and I think it is of nickel and silver. On the back is the maker's name: C.G. Braxmar Co., 10 Maiden Lane, New York, NY. Any help ...
Behemoth beaver.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2009; ... We received this photo of Greg Bree of Newark, NY, who recently caught this 70-pound beaver near Phelps, in the Finger Lakes Region. We wondered if it was common to find such a large beaver, so we asked one of our biologists, who said: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That's a ...
Bear in mind.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2009; ... We received this photo from a reader. The photo was captured last June by a trail camera located near Howard in Steuben County. The sow had four cubs with her--one was blonde. Clearly, the oddity in the photograph is the blonde-colored cub. While more than 99% of New York black ...
Holey fish.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Apr 01, 2009; ... While fishing the East Branch of Owego Creek, I caught a brown trout with a large, red hole in its back. I wasn't sure I wanted to touch it, but the fish put up quite a fight and didn't seem bothered by it. Can you tell me what might have caused the hole? Could it have been a heron? ...