More Bad News

The  emerald ash borer has made its way into Connecticut. 

Environmental Headlines has the story: 

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station (CAES) announced today a series of strong, proactive steps aimed at preventing the spread of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a destructive beetle which has now been detected in Connecticut.

DEEP will also maintain a ban that has been in place against bringing any firewood into state parks and forests.  Wood is made available at these facilities for campers.DEEP and CAES announced earlier today that EAS was detected in Prospect, the first record of this pest in Connecticut.  There is also a second probable detection of EAS in Naugatuck State Forest, with final verification from federal officials in process....
The EAB is a small and destructive beetle, metallic green in color, and approximately 1/2 inch long and 1/8 inch wide.  Adults emerge from the bark of infested trees leaving a small “D”-shaped exit hole roughly 1/8 inch in diameter.  This insect is native to Asia and was first discovered in the Detroit, MI and Windsor, Ontario regions of North America in 2002.  It has since spread through the movement of firewood, solid-wood packing materials, infested ash trees, and by natural flight dispersal.

Climate Change? Yes.

From environment360:

New NASA satellite images show that the surface of virtually the entire ice sheet covering Greenland experienced melting in mid-July, a phenomenon not seen in three decades of satellite observations. Temperatures rose so high that ice on the Greenland’s highest peak, Summit Station, turned to slush, NASA said. Until the severe melting earlier this month, the greatest extent of surface melting observed by satellites over the past three decades covered about 55 percent of the ice sheet; on July 12, 97 percent of the ice sheet experienced surface melting.

These NASA maps show how, within the space of four days earlier this month, Greenland's vast ice sheet faced degree of melting not seen in three decades of satellite observations as temperatures there rose. The image at left shows the ice sheet on July 8, with a large part of it experiencing no melting in summer, as is typical. By July 12, the surface of virtually the entire ice sheet was melting, a phenomenon not seen in three decades of satellite imaging. (NASA)

Balloons Kill

• More than twenty years ago Audubon magazine warned of the hazards of releasing helium balloons.
• In 1990 a Connecticut state law was enacted prohibiting the inten­tional release of ten or more helium balloons within a 24-hour period.
• Today, many people know of the dangers to wildlife that helium balloons cause and they cringe at the sight of even a single balloon, intentionally or accidentally, sailing upward into the sky.

And yet...

• High school graduations routinely distribute helium balloons for outdoor dis­plays to honor the graduating seniors.
• Children are encouraged to let loose helium balloons in celebration of a fundraising event for a worthy cause.
• A recent road race within our chapter area distributed well over 100 bal­loons on ribbons to participants to release simultaneously while town and state dignitaries looked on.

The Menunkatuck Audubon Society believes it is time to refresh the public's memory as to why that little law passed in 1990 is so important and why it needs to be enforced and obeyed.

Balloons kill wildlife. Whether intentionally released as a promotional event, or carelessly let loose from an outdoor celebration, or accidentally escaped from the grasp of a child, a helium balloon can travel very far in a short period of time. (One was documented to have traveled 150 miles in less than four hours after escaping from a realty office.) Eventually the balloon deflates and descends back to earth or sea and begins to wreak its havoc on nature.

Here's a quiz:

1. What does a deflated helium balloon look like in the ocean?

2. What is the favorite food of some species of endangered sea turtle?

If you answered 'jellyfish' to both those questions you now understand the problem.

Sadly, sea turtles, whales, seals, sea birds, and other marine creatures die ev­ery year from ingesting or becoming entangled in discarded plastics, including balloons. Plastics clog or fill the digestive tracts of these animals, causing them to starve to death.

On land a deflated balloon trailing a ribbon becomes a hazard to many species of wildlife, including osprey chicks. Notorious trash collectors, adult ospreys add balloons, fishing line, kite string, plastic bags, and other human garbage to their nest. The nest becomes a death trap for their young, who become hopelessly ensnared in our carelessly discarded trash.

Whether accidental or deliberate, balloon releases are a form of pol­lution that can easily be stopped if more people are made aware of the dangers they pose to wild­life. We ask everyone to help spread the word.

Read more about the threat posed by balloons and download balloon information posters at balloonsblow.org.

DIY Biodiversity

#1 Compost nurtures populations of soil food web organisms. 

#2 Organic Gardens exclude toxic fertilizers, in- crease biodiversity, protect biological communities, and fight climate change. 

#3 Mulch provides food for soil organisms and shelter for predators. 

#4 Plant and Save Heirloom Seeds to pre-serve genetic diversity and promote locally adapted varieties. 

#5 Plant a Chestnut Tree for the future. 

#6 Grow Saprophytic Mushrooms to increase fungal biodiversity. 

#7 Disperse Mycorrhizal Fungi to promote symbiotic relationships that help forest health. 

#8 Seed Bombs distribute seeds with soil food web organisms. 

#9 Plant for Insect Diversity and encourage “beneficial” insects. 

#10 Pledge your yard as a Pesticide Free Zone/Honey Bee Haven to protect pollinators. 

#11 Nesting Places for Insects preserve pollinators and predators. 

#12 Nesting Places help conserve bird populations. 

#13 Encourage Insectivores and bring balance to the garden. 

#14 Water is necessary for life. 

#15 Feed animals through lean times.

#16 Brush Piles provide shelter and habitat.

Pesticides and You, Beyond Pesticides, Spring 2012


(From the July Newsletter)

A Home Energy Solutions Assessment Will Help You Save and Also Benefit Menunkatuck

Menunkatuck Audubon Society has partnered with Wesson Energy for Home Energy Solutions Assessments. The partnership provides Menunkatuck with a $25 referral check for each $75.00 HES that is completed.

When you sign up for a HES two highly-qualified technicians will spend 2½ -4½ hours, depending upon the characteristics of your home, assessing your home’s energy efficiency.

• Air leaks are identified and sealed using door seals, door sweeps, caulking, and foam.
• Insulation is checked in your attic and basement and the technicians can tell you about options and available rebates.
• Duct testing and duct sealing are done if your home has air conditioning.
• Lighting is surveyed and made more efficient with up to 25 compact fluorescent bulb being installed. This can be worth as much as $75.00.
• Water efficiency is improved. The technicians will offer to install aerators and low-flow showerheads and hot water pipe insulation.
• Rebates are offered for the purchase of new Energy Star appliances.

The cost to the homeowner for the HES is $75.00. When you sign up for the HES with Wesson Energy, state that you were referred by Menunkatuck Audubon Society and that you want Menunkatuck to receive the referral check. When the HES is completed, Menunkatuck will receive $25.00.

The HES program does a fantastic job in analyzing and repairing the energy leaks in your home. A HES audit is valued at $700-$800 yet the service costs the customer $75.00.

Every home can benefit from this program. It will save you energy, make your home more comfortable, and save you money every year. The average home saves about $200.00 a year in energy savings by having HES audit.

Call Wesson Energy at 203-759-3800 to book an audit today. Be sure to mention that you were referred by Menunkatuck Audubon Society.

(From the July Newsletter)

The Nuthatch’s Vertical World

The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is one of four species of nuthatch found in North America and is a year-round resident of our local mature hardwood and mixed forests. This compact, amusing little bird with absurdly short legs hitches headfirst down tree trunks as it searches for food, headed in the opposite direction of the brown creeper and our various woodpecker species. Its sharp, pointed bill probes among the crevices in the bark for insects and spiders, teasing out these tasty morsels that the other birds may have missed on their way up the trunk. (The nuthatch also enjoys acorns, as well as sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet offered at feeders.) But once a meal is secured, how will the nuthatch eat it? Its bill is not equipped to crack open seeds, acorns, or crunchy insects, nor are its legs able to grasp the morsel while the bird hammers it open. Therefore, the nuthatch must rely on its vertical habitat to provide the means to prepare its meal. It flies to a furrowed tree trunk and wedges the tidbit into a crevice in the bark and proceeds to pound it open with its bill.

Wikimedia

The nuthatch nesting season is in full swing; you may have noticed vocal sparring as a pair of territorial nuthatches give their nasal “ank-ank” call in rapid succession as they oust another pair from their territory. Their visual displays may include brief chases or a spread of their very short tail feathers into a fan. 

Rick Cameron

Observe the pair for a while and you may find their nest cavity – usually a natural knot hole in a tree or an old woodpecker excavation, though sometimes nuthatches will use a nest box. The female has created a cup nest within made with bark strips, fine grasses, and animal fur. A fascinating aspect of nuthatch nesting is the bird’s ritual of grabbing an insect in its bill and, using a sweeping motion, rubbing the insect back and forth around the nest’s entrance hole. It is believed that the insects, usually beetles or ants, are specially chosen because they emit a noxious smell that persuades predators to look elsewhere for a meal. If food is plentiful and the odorous predator guard works, the nuthatch pair may fledge from five to ten youngsters in two weeks time. The fledglings will continue to be fed by their parents for another two weeks or so as they move through the forest - their vertical world.

Submitted by Cindi Kobak

(From the July Newsletter)

Citizen Science: Yard Map

YardMap is a citizen science project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology designed to cultivate a richer understanding of bird habitat, for both professional scientists and people concerned with their local environments.

The YardMap Network is an NSF-funded project that builds online communities to investigate the impacts of bird-friendly and carbon-neutral practices in backyards, community gardens, and parks. Participants will locate their yards or parks on a Google maps interface, then document their sustainable practices, such as adding native plants, putting up bird feeders, installing a solar panel, or biking to work. 

YardMap will serve as a detailed site description for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s citizen-science bird observations. By providing access to rich media resources for learning about sustainable practices and enabling people to share their maps and practices with each other, YardMap strives to create online conservation communities engaged in real life sustainable practices.

The YardMap Network is a partnership with the National Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Empire State College’s online alumni program, and the American Community Gardening Association.

YardMap is designed to help answer questions such as:

• What practices improve the wildlife value of residential landscapes?
•  Which of these practices have the greatest impact?
•  Over how large an area do we have to implement these practices to really make a difference?
•  What impact do urban and suburban wildlife corridors and stopover habitats have on birds?
•  Which measures (bird counts? nesting success?) show the greatest impacts of our practices?

The YardMap web site is at yardmap.org.

(From the July Newsletter)