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THE NEWSLETTER OF CITY AUDUBON WINTER FALL 2014 2019 / /VOLUME VOLUME XXXV XL NO. NO. 3 4

THE URBAN AUDUBON

Introducing Our Vision for the Future NYC Audubon Adds a New Business Model for Green Roofs Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)

Fall 2019 1 NYC AUDUBON MISSION & STATEMENT Mission: NYC Audubon is a grassroots community that works for the protection of wild President’s Perch Jeffrey Kimball birds and habitat in the five boroughs, improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Vision: NYC Audubon envisions a day when birds s we approach 2020, we at NYC Audubon look forward not only to our 40th and people in the five boroughs enjoy a healthy, livable habitat. Anniversary, but also to the implementation of our new Strategic Plan, 2020-2025: A Vision for the Future. The process of writing a new strategic plan for any orga- THE URBAN AUDUBON A Editors Lauren Klingsberg & Marcia T. Fowle nization is soul-searching. We wrapped ourselves around all that we are currently doing and Managing Editor Andrew Maas simultaneously looked forward to all that we hope to achieve in the near future. After almost Newsletter Committee Seth Ausubel; Lucienne Bloch; Ned Boyajian; Suzanne Charlé; two years of efforts by staff and board members, we are very pleased with the completed Diane Darrow; Catherine Schragis Heller; document, which you can view at www.nycaudubon.org/strategicplan2020-2025. Mary Jane Kaplan; Abby McBride; Hillarie O’Toole; Don Riepe; Carol Peace Robins A strategic plan serves as an internal guide for the organization, a roadmap for all our Printing & Mailing Kase Printing, Inc. efforts in preserving habitats throughout the ive boroughs, making our vast city safer for Design Whitehouse & Company birds, and illuminating the wonders of nature for all New Yorkers. And the plan provides Art Director Andrew Maas a reckoning with how we can be more inclusive of the great diversity in our community. Publisher NYC Audubon We have always held the preservation of birds at the forefront of our mission. In the BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Jeffrey Kimball next ive years, we will continue our decades-long work of monitoring wading bird and Executive Vice President Robert Bate waterbird colonies, as well as other important conservation initiatives. But we will also Vice President Karen Benfield Vice President Richard H. Fried, VMD expand our reach, advocating for local and statewide legislation that promotes bird-safe Vice President Catherine Schragis Heller building practices in the city. For the irst time ever, NYC Audubon now has a full-time Vice President Sarah Jeffords Advocacy and Outreach Manager to ensure that our voice is heard in government ofices, Vice President Lawrence Levine Vice President Rachel Quiñones public hearings, the press, or wherever birds and nature need a voice in . We Treasurer Drianne Benner will expand our inluence as a leader in research and launch a green roof certi - Secretary Alexander Ewing Immediate Past President Harrison D. Maas ication program, encouraging the creation of a patchwork of rooftop oases that provide Directors Seth Ausubel; Marsilia A. Boyle; another layer of habitat for migrating and native birds and contribute to cooling buildings Shawn Cargil; César A. Castillo; Christian Cooper; Tatiana Kaletsch; Deborah Laurel; Jenny Maritz; naturally and regulating stormwater runoff. Alan Steel; Michael Tannen; Richard Veit, PhD; There are of course many other environmental threats to New York City, such as Michael Yuan climate change, the rampant use of rodenticides that inadvertently kill hawks and other ADVISORY COUNCIL raptors, and the danger of outdoor cats to bird populations. We are still a small organiza- Co-Chair Marcia T. Fowle*; Co-Chair James R. Sheffield; tion, and we cannot always be at the forefront of all these issues, but we do stay abreast Richard T. Andrias; Sarah Grimké Aucoin; of what is going on in the city and contribute our support or expertise wherever we can. Claude Bloch, MD; David Burg*; Albert K. Butzel; Cliff Case; Rebekah Creshkoff; Andrew Darrell; As we look to the half decade ahead, we will greatly increase our footprint in areas Joseph H. Ellis; Andrew Farnsworth, PhD; of the city that are traditionally underserved, encouraging all New Yorkers to appreciate Lynne Hertzog; Mary Jane Kaplan; the nature in our midst and to conserve it. We will continue to expand the number of Robert J. Kimtis; Lauren Klingsberg; Kimberly Kriger; Janice Laneve; Pamela Manice; bird walks we offer in all boroughs, adding several in small neighborhood parks. We will Peter Rhoades Mott*; Dorothy Peteet, PhD; carry on our efforts in education, developing curricula for use in schools, as well as ampli- Don Riepe; Lewis Rosenberg; John Shemilt; David Speiser; Tom Stephenson fying our successful training of architects and other building professionals in bird-friendly *Past President design and construction. STAFF Equally as important, we are growing and working to include a greater diversity of Executive Director Kathryn Heintz New Yorkers in our membership, our staff, and our board of directors. The future of bird Director of Conservation & Science Susan Elbin, PhD conservation, and indeed the future health of the planet, will be in the hands of the broad Conservation Biologist Kaitlyn Parkins diversity of the coming generations. Field Biologist Emilio Tobón Programs Manager Danielle Sherman Advocacy & Outreach Manager Molly Adams Director of Development Kellye Rosenheim remember the birds Grants Manager Anne Schwartz Development Associate Leo Wexler-Mann Make sure that New York City remains a haven for the birds and wildlife you love. A bequest is Communications Manager Andrew Maas a generous and straightforward way to safeguard birds and their habitat in New York City’s five Communications Content Manager, Special boroughs. It can be expressed as, “I bequeath [a sum of money or a percentage of my estate] to Projects Tod Winston Society, Inc., a not-for-profit organization with offices at 71 West 23rd Controller David Cavill Street, Suite 1523, New York, NY 10010.” To learn more, contact Director of Development Kellye Rosenheim at [email protected] or 646-502-9611.

RECYCLED 2 www.nycaudubon.org Supporting responsible use of forest resources in this issue Fall 2019 © Patricia A. O’Keefe / Audubon Photography Awards

NYC AUDUBON 71 West 23rd Street Suite 1523 New York, NY 10010 Tel: 212-691-7483 Fax: 646-606-3301 www.nycaudubon.org

Cover Photograph: Connecticut Warbler in © Terence Zahner Small Banner Photographs: Susan Elbin, Steve Nanz, and Don Riepe *This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. 6 © Matt Tillet*

FEATURES

6 Introducing Our Vision for the Future by Tod Winston

7 Meet Our New Board Members 9 by Catherine Schragis Heller

© William Vieth / Audubon Photography Awards 8 NYC Audubon Adds a New Business Model for Green Roofs by Mary Jane Kaplan

9 Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) by Tom Stephenson

15 Kingsland Wildflowers Transitions to New Management 10 by Kathryn Heintz

© Kingsland Wildflowers at Stages 18 Thank You to Our Spring and Summer Staff and Interns

20 The Fall Roost: Celebrating 40 Years

DEPARTMENTS

4 Conservation Notes 17 Fall 2019 Lecture Series 15 5 Volunteer! 18 Acknowledgments

10 Events & Adventures 19 Support NYC Audubon’s Mission 16 Book Reviews 19 News & Notes Fall 2019 3 conservation notes

To help determine our conservation priorities going forward as part of our new strategic plan, the conservation team created an outline spanning our conference room wall that organized all the current projects we are involved in by programmatic area. Each project was represented as a card, with Post-it notes indicating priority ranking as well partner organizations also working on these projects. The outline was critical in helping us understand what projects were in most need of our expertise and efforts over the next ive years.

YC Audubon staff and board members have been laser- led to the sighting of the 29th bird species using the roof as habitat, focused on creating NYC Audubon’s strategic plan, which the Eastern Bluebird. Most of the species are passerines, visiting the Nwill set our conservation priorities for the next ive years. Toroof during their migration. Among breeding birds, Herring Gulls are help frame the discussion, we produced a comprehensive outline of our taking advantage of the green roof for nesting habitat: it was home to work in urban bird ecology and conservation. This outline helped us nearly 150 nesting pairs this season. We banded 101 of these birds in an evaluate all the projects we are involved in and answer these questions effort to see where the chicks go after ledgling and determine if breed- about them: Which projects are most central to our mission? Which proj- ing adults return to the roof in subsequent breeding seasons. So far, we ects happen solely with NYC Audubon leadership? And which projects have documented several banded adults returning to the roof to breed. are led by our partners (with varying degrees of help from us). There are Some of the banded chicks have been sighted as far away as Virginia, many environmental and wildlife issues confronting New York City, so Florida, and Louisiana. it was important to evaluate thoroughly the conservation landscape in the City and determine where our efforts and expertise are most needed WATERBIRDS OF and can be put to best use. Over the next ive years, we will continue to May 2019 marked NYC Audubon’s 35th annual Harbor Herons expand and focus our core programs (Project Safe Flight, Waterbirds of nesting survey on islands in New York Harbor and surrounding water- New York Harbor, and Protecting Urban Bird Habitat), reinforcing our ways. Long-term data sets like these are rare and invaluable for assessing status as the “go-to” leader in urban bird conservation. (See page 6 for population change over time. Although the total number of wading birds information about the strategic plan.) Here are a few highlights from the has decreased from 1,479 in 2018 to 1,185 in 2019, the Black-crowned 2019 ield season. Night-Heron is still the most abundant wading bird species in New York Harbor at 468 nesting pairs. The overall Harbor Heron population trend PROJECT SAFE FLIGHT has been stable, but slowly decreasing. Now more than ever, we need This spring volunteers surveyed the Metropolitan Museum of Art to continue long-term population trend analysis of these climate-threat- as well as two routes that run through ’s Financial District. ened species and proactively protect their nesting habitat. In addition The volunteers found a total of 54 dead or injured birds. The Ovenbird to our monitoring, this season we banded three Glossy Ibis, nine Great was the most common species, with 13 found this season. On one partic- Egrets, and one Snowy Egret. One of the ibis chicks we had banded in ularly deadly day, 27 birds were found at three buildings in the Financial 2014 at Canarsie Pol, , was spotted this June in Grove Beach, District, highlighting the need for changes in policy to require bird- Connecticut. Medha Pandey has been updating our banding data and friendly design in our city and elsewhere. (Keep up to date on current resighting database as part of her Conservation Biology certiicate at bird-safe building legislation that need your support by signing up for . our Avian Advocates emails at www.nycaudubon.org/avian-advocates.) Nearly 150 volunteers participated this year in our community Our continued surveys at the Javits K. Javits Center green roof has science horseshoe crab monitoring program at four beaches 4 www.nycaudubon.org Susan Elbin, PhD

(Big Egg March, Plumb Beach East & West, and Dead Horse Bay). We American Oystercatchers continue to be spotted in Florida and Georgia are currently compiling results, but the preliminary data indicate there in winter and places like Cape May during migration, and they return to were a large amount of horseshoe crabs spawning in Jamaica Bay. Look New York City to breed in the spring. With the information obtained for our inal tallies and observations from this season on our blog, Syrinx. from banded birds, we can document the productivity of the birds over We can report as of now that volunteers tagged 800 horseshoe crabs, time and the location of the nests, among other details. For example, and found some that had been tagged in Jamaica Bay in 2014 and 2016. two birds we banded as ‘6U’ and ‘7U’ have been a pair since 2013 and This spring we deployed NanoTags on nine Semipalmated have ledged eight chicks. Another pair we banded as ‘YAC’ and ‘YAE’ Sandpipers, bringing the total number of sandpipers tagged in Jamaica have been breeding since 2014, but have ledged no chicks. Bay with these radio transmitters to 44. So far we have received data Last year we attached geolocators to 10 Common Terns breed- from one of the birds tagged this season; it was picked up by radio ing on ’s Lima Pier. This year we had the challenge of towers in Maine at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge on June 2nd catching those same birds to remove the geolocators and retrieve the and Grand Manan Island on June 3rd. Another interesting note on our data. With the help of Governors Island staff and Field Technician Jose shorebirds: while mist netting sandpipers at Big Egg Marsh this year, Ramirez-Garofalo, we were able to obtain geolocators from two of the our team caught a Semipalmated Sandpiper with a blue leg band, which birds. We are looking forward to analyzing the data from them. We also helped us learn it had been banded over ive years ago at its wintering attached NanoTags to 10 Common Terns on the island. The Governors grounds on Coroa dos Ovos, Maranhão, Brazil. Island tern colony has grown to nearly 70 nests this year, up from 18 2019 marks our sixth year studying nesting American Oystercatchers last year. in New York City. Led by Field Biologist Emilio Tobón, we monitored As we celebrate NYC Audubon’s 40th birthday, we are looking productivity in Breezy Point and banded adults and chicks at Breezy forward to another productive year of conservation science, research, Point, , , and Rockaway Beach. Our banded advocacy, community engagement, and success for the birds.

volunteer!

ork in NYC Audubon’s INTERNATIONAL COASTAL BEACH NEW YORK BREEDING Wfriendly office or in the field CLEAN-UP CLEAN-UP BIRD ATLAS III TRAINING and make a difference for New Saturday, September 21, 10am-1pm Saturday, October 5, 9am-noon Tuesday, November 19, York City’s wildlife. There are With American Littoral Society, With Brooklyn Marine STEM 6-8:30pm many ways you can help. , Sadhana: Education Alliance With New York State Department Coalition of Progressive Hindus, Each summer, debris from exces- of Environmental Conservation OFFICE PROJECTS Linnaean Society of New York, sive beach use washes up on our Join Julie Hart, NY Breeding Bird Help with mailings, filing, and Wild Bird Fund city’s shorelines. This waste can Atlas III project coordinator, for general office work. Computer Join us at North Channel Bridge be extremely harmful to urban an introductory training session skills and birding knowledge are to take part in a multi-state effort wildlife like whales, migratory on how to volunteer in the helpful, but not required. Contact to improve coastline habitat. The birds, and more. upcoming breeding bird atlas. [email protected] if North Channel Bridge area, used Creek used to be filled with Whether you are a beginner or interested. by species like the American Oys- oysters, which provided a rich advanced birder, participating tercatcher, is also a stone’s throw habitat for many marine species will strengthen your birdwatching THE URBAN AUDUBON away from the Harbor Heron that have since left the area. The skills while contributing valuable See your name in print by Islands and the Jamaica Bay Billion Oyster Project deployed a data to a statewide conservation joining the newsletter committee Wildlife Refuge. Help us clear the new oyster reef in the creek and project. The training session will and contributing your writing beach and raise awareness of the are closely monitoring its impacts be held at 71 West 23rd Street skills to four seasonal issues. importance of coastal areas to on the ecosystem. We will meet at Suite 903. Contact madams@ Meetings are bi-monthly in the birdlife. RSVP preferred, but not the SW corner of the Calvert Vaux nycaudubon.org for more infor- early evening. Contact comm@ required. Contact dsherman@ Park Parking Lot. RSVP preferred, mation. Learn more and register nycaudubon.org if interested. nycaudubon.org for more infor- but not required. Learn more and at www.nycaudubon.org/bba. mation. Learn more and register RSVP at www.nycaudubon.org/ at www.nycaudubon.org/icc. cvcleanup. Fall 2019 5 introducing our vision For the Future Tod Winston

s New York City Audubon reaches its 40th Anniversary, we present our ive-year Strategic Plan to reafirmwho we are and what we do—and A most critically, to commit to what we must become to achieve our goals. Over the coming ive years, we seek to realize our full potential as an exponentially more effective actor, and inluential voice, on behalf of those that cannot speak for themselves: the birds we love and passionately wish to protect. Over 350 species of birds—almost a third of all the species in North America—can be found along New York City’s 578 miles of waterfront and in its 30,000 acres of wetlands, forests, and grasslands. Our city is a major stopover along the Atlantic Flyway, one of the world’s great bird migration routes. The millions of migrants that pass through each spring and fall, as well as many resident, breeding, and wintering birds, face challenges particular to our large metropolis: they must navigate a bewildering landscape of glass, artiicial light, and degraded, fragmented habitat. Many species are also under threat due to the unpredictable effects of climate change. And yet, our birds are resilient. They survive, and even have the potential to thrive here. We must protect them. NYC Audubon’s new Strategic Plan, 2020-2025: A Drawing upon four decades of dedicated work establishing us among New Vision for the Future, excerpted at right, is the result York City’s conservation leaders, NYC Audubon is uniquely positioned to ight of an intensive, collaborative effort by our board and for the City’s birds and their habitats. We envision a city in which bird-friendly staff—and provides a detailed road map to guide our building practices are required in all new construction, and green roofs dot the organization over the next ive years. Join us in creat - built landscape; a city of engaged community members working together to ing a bright future for both birds and people. Read preserve vulnerable bird habitat, limit the use of polluting chemicals, and advocate our vision for the future at: for sustainable coastal-resilience measures; a city of parks full of people, of all www.nycaudubon.org/strategic-plan2020-2025. ages, ethnicities, and walks of life, delighting in the beauty and wonder of birds.

sustaining our growing organization NYC Audubon needs your help now more than ever to grow our organization to save birds. Contributions and grants provide 80 percent of NYC Audubon’s revenue; we truly cannot do this work without the support of our entire community. Philanthropy of every size matters! Our immediate priorities: Project Safe Flight: Our signature conservation Governors Island Summer Residency: A place People: Personnel consistently accounts for 75% of program, including D-bird.org, collision and of our own where we can engage a wider our annual operating budget and staffing outlined species monitoring, and artificial light studies, public six months of the year with education in this plan will require a further investment of at provides data we need to demonstrate how lethal programs, bird walks, and conservation least $200,000 per year, including funding for a our city is for birds and develop solutions. Cost: interpretation through art and activity. Cost: naturalist educator and sufficient guides to lead $300,000 annually. 1/3 of funding is committed for $40,000 annually. Rent-free, but funds are more free walks all around the city—our greatest the next three years. needed for staffing, displays, and special point of entry to the conservation conversation programming. around birds. Advocacy and Outreach: Raising our voice and growing our ranks are imperatives to passing New Website and Refreshed Brand Identity: THANK YOU to all who have seen us through bird-safe building and green roof legislation, to More than just content, this is NYC Audubon’s our first 40 years. We have so much more to protecting threatened habitat, and to broadening face to the world. Our online tools need critical accomplish. The birds need us to be strong and our reach to all people and every community upgrades to bring visibility to our work and confident in our work. Please consider a special across the five boroughs. Cost: $75,000 annually. facilitate information sharing, memberships, gift during our 40th Anniversary. Help us reach 2/3 of funding is in hand for the current year. advocacy actions, donations, and event our goal of raising an additional $1,040,000 by registrations. In tandem with our 40th December 31, 2020. Green Roof Certification Program Launch: We aim anniversary celebration, we are simultaneously to develop a revenue stream that promotes wildlife refreshing our brand identity. Cost: $50,000. In Make a gift, make a pledge, find out more about habitat. This is a fee-based program informed addition to pro bono support, we have secured the project that is most meaningful to you. Contact by the 2019 Strategy Challenge a challenge pledge of $15,000 that needs to be Executive Director Kathryn Heintz at 646-434-0423 feasibility study (see page 8). Cost: philanthropic matched 2-for-1. or [email protected]. investment of $50,000 annually over three years. 6 www.nycaudubon.org meet our new board members Catherine Schragis Heller

MARSILIA A. BOYLE schools nearby. One of Shawn’s goals has been to have the park play a The NYC Audubon board of directors is more prominent role in each school’s curriculum. Shawn shares NYC pleased to welcome back Marsilia A. Boyle, who Audubon’s goal of educating “the next generation of environmental previously served on the board from 2000 to 2016. stewards.” A native of Brooklyn, Marcy spearheaded NYC has improved from the neglect and poverty it Audubon’s efforts during that period to bring experienced in the 1970s and 1980s, and the borough’s inances are two Greenpoint, Brooklyn, projects to fruition: more sound, but progress must continue. Shawn’s administrative work creation of the Kingsland Wildlowers at Broadway Stages green roofin is making a difference and, under his leadership, there and restoration of McGolrick Park. Marcy plans to continue expanding are plenty of opportunities to both bird and enjoy other activities. NYC Audubon’s reach into the outer boroughs. Shawn, a irm believer that living near nature positively affects one’s Although many birders were inspired as children, Marcy came to quality of life, brings a voice for The Bronx to NYC Audubon’s board appreciate birds later in life. She took a trip to the Amazon in her 40s of directors. and came back a birder. To nurture her new interest, she discovered NYC Audubon and soon became an active member. She served as MICHAEL YUAN chair of its conservation committee and as an oficer of its board of Could a cat’s interest in birds spark a ledging directors. During her three years away from the board, she served on birder? Yes, because that’s how Brooklyn resident NYC Audubon’s advisory council and chaired the Audubon Council and new NYC Audubon Board Member Michael of New York State. Yuan became a birder. Marcy is a senior managing director for LeFrak, one of the world’s During a visit to his parents in suburban leading property irms. Marcy has a strong background in governmental Baltimore, Mike observed his indoor cat Rudy affairs, having been a member of Brooklyn Community Board 1 for 26 mesmerized by watching birds outside the screen door. (Outside and years, two years as chairperson. As a returning NYC Audubon board feral cats are a major threat to wild birds, but indoor cats make good member, she will focus on furthering our efforts to advance bird-safe pets.) Mike was intrigued by the birds as well. He couldn’t identify most glass legislation for buildings in New York City and in New York State. of them, but found the website allaboutbirds.org and learned he and his cat were watching a Common Grackle. Identifying a grackle may SHAWN CARGIL not be exciting to an expert birder, but to a novice it’s empowering. Crotona Park features 134 acres of trees, Mike and his wife Nicky are hikers, and on their treks Mike began ields, a pond, tennis courts, and picnic groundsidentifying in birds. To step up his birding skills, he took Joe Giunta’s a densely developed area in The Bronx. The park is class at the for several seasons, until Joe lovely and sparsely populated on early spring days, proclaimed him to have “graduated.” Ten years after the Common though it can get crowded on weekends and during Grackle, Mike leads his own bird walks for the Brooklyn Bird Club, the summer—especially when the New York usually on the Brooklyn waterfront, Jamaica Bay, or Jones Beach— Junior Tennis League is running a program or families are barbecuing. though on occasion he ventures north to Sullivan County. In December, Despite all this human activity, resident and migrating birds make full he is a co-compiler of the Brooklyn Christmas Bird Count. use of its natural habitat areas. The administrator of this terriic, under- As a senior associate at New York Life Insurance Company, recognized park is Shawn Cargil, a new member of the NYC Audubon Mike has experience in data analysis and database management. This board. background will be extremely helpful to NYC Audubon in analyzing Shawn was born in Jamaica, where a childhood based in nature data involving bird collisions and bird sightings, as well as better and the outdoors was de rigueur. He left the country with his mother managing its database of members, contributors, volunteers, and more. and three brothers when he was 11, and though they relocated to the Besides strong statistical skills, Mike has a literary side. After graduating urban Bronx, his love of the outdoors and nature never left him. from the University of Maryland with a degree in English, his irst His ofice at Crotona Park is brimming with books on birds and jobs were teaching ESL and literature at Hebei University and Beijing birding. Gardening and botany are his long-standing interests, and University in China. are relected in the park’s recent installations of native plant species. Mike believes people would be more inclined to advocate for His birding interest came a little later, inspired by the park’s natural bird species if they understood how many factors—loss of habitat, habitat. Knowing which trees, plants, and shrubs attract which birds collisions with glass, feral cats, to name a few—endanger birdlife. has become a useful birding skill for Shawn. Mike’s know-how and enthusiasm will be invaluable as NYC Audubon Crotona Park, bordered on all sides by apartment buildings, has 19 follows through on its new strategic plan. Fall 2019 7 nYc audubon adds a new business model For green rooFs Mary Jane Kaplan

hould NYC Audubon launch a The team gave its inal presentation fee-based wildlife habitat certiica- to Kathryn Heintz, Board President Jeff Stion program in New York City? Kimball, and Advisory Council Member This question was posed last spring to a Kimberly Kriger on May 10. Their answer Morgan Stanley team that had been assigned to the original question was a qualiied to do a 10-week strategy study for NYC “yes,” recommending that NYC Audubon Audubon. For the past 11 years the mul- invest $150,000 in a three-year test program, tinational investment bank and inancial with a target of having at least 25 new green services company has offered an innovative space projects certiied and achieving at philanthropic program called the “Strategy least $80,000 in annual revenue during that Challenge,” which offers four-person teams period. At the end of the test program, for pro bono consulting to a small group of NYC Audubon would decide whether the nonproit organizations in the greater New program could become inancially sustain- York City area, selected competitively on the able, or at least successful enough to warrant basis of extensive written applications. The continuing at a loss. team assigned to NYC Audubon included The recommendations of Morgan staff from four of the bank’s departments, Stanley’s team were readily approved by all chosen for their superior performance. NYC Audubon’s board. While the details NYC Audubon had been thinking for of the start-up are still being inalized, the some time about establishing a certiica- major components are already known: tion program. In the words of Executive • Target certiication projects will be limited Director Kathryn Heintz, a program of The Morgan Stanley Building at 1585 Broadway to roofs. (Backyard bird habitats, while this sort would “help NYC Audubon meet displayed NYC Audubon’s logo along with those important, would not be cost effective.) its mission of protecting birds in the city from the other eight nonproit organizations • Marketing efforts will focus on the outer by supporting the creation of bird-sustain- participating in the 2019 Strategy Challenge all boroughs, where large potential sites like throughout the day of May 10. ing habitat while broadening awareness of warehouses already exist, physical envi- wildlife in the city.” The organization already Brittany Dodd, Filippo Falorni, and Joe ronments are friendlier to birds, and manages the Green Roof Researchers Holleran, with Managing Director Thomas opportunities for increasing communities’ Alliance, a consortium of over 50 research- Torrisi, had little prior knowledge of the interest in birds are greatest. ers, educators, and policymakers studying the City’s environmental or wildlife issues, but • Marketing partnerships will be formed beneits of green roofs for wildlife, the envi - with the help of NYC Audubon staff, they with well-known organizations that have ronment, and people. It seemed that a certii - learned fast. Their study included inves- non-competing certiication programs, cation program would be a natural extension tigating other U.S. green space certiica- such as the National Wildlife Federation. of that work and would provide funding for tion programs, speaking with green roof • Close relationships with designers and expanding NYC Audubon’s wildlife moni- installers and designers about current constructors of green roofs will be toring on the roofs of the Jacob K. Javits and potential market demand, identify- developed; the Morgan Stanley team’s Convention Center, Kingsland Wildlowers ing and ranking prospective customer interviews showed that many are eager to at Broadway Stages, and elsewhere in the groups, researching possible government collaborate with NYC Audubon. city. NYC Audubon’s staff, however, lacked support for green spaces, and determin- • Dustin Partridge, PhD, NYC Audubon’s the resources to investigate the potential ing the inancial requirements for getting urban ecologist and green roof program costs and beneits of such a program. Thethe program on its feet. Of special impor- manager, will manage the new program. 2019 Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge tance was the team’s evaluation of potential NYC Audubon has included the green was therefore a timely and welcome oppor- partners for NYC Audubon. Throughout roof certiication program in itsStrategic Plan tunity to learn whether this ambitious effort the study, the team was in frequent contact 2020-2025: A Vision for the Future (see page 6 would be feasible. with NYC Audubon staff and became very for an excerpt). The consulting team of Lana Belaya, familiar with its in-house resources. 8 www.nycaudubon.org connecticut warbler (oPorornis agilis) Tom Stephenson © Lloyd Spitalnik The Connecticut Warbler had inally arrived. their habit of walking separates them from It stopped abruptly in the center of the lawn, the similar Mourning Warbler, which usu- feeding in the grass. Walking slowly and with ally hops, often jumping onto low plants a level posture, the bird’s yellow underparts, and branches. Male Mourning Warblers can long primary projection, and contrasting eye- show an eye-ring, but never one as complete ring were distinctly different from those of or contrasting as the Connecticut Warbler’s. its Common Yellowthroat companions. Finally, Mourning Warbler throats have a Connecticut Warblers breed in remote, yellowish tinge; the Connecticut Warbler’s northern Boreal forests, bogs, and wet wood- is grayish or buff. lands, including small portions of Minnesota, Nashville Warblers are also sometimes Wisconsin, and Michigan. Only recently was confused with Connecticut Warblers, as it discovered that they winter in central South they have a gray head and very strong eye- was standing in Manhattan’s Bryant America, in Bolivia and the Amazon basin. ring. However, Nashville Warblers are much Park one autumn day with many other Although described as “secretive,” when smaller birds, with thin bills and bright I birders, hoping to see one of our rare sighted they seem outgoing enough. They yellow throats, a trait never seen in the migrants, the Connecticut Warbler. It had spend most of their time on the ground in Connecticut Warbler. Another distinction: been reported earlier foraging on the lawn, dense habitats without vocalizing, making both Common Yellowthroats and Nashville and we were all watching closely, hoping it them hard to spot. Their migration routes are Warblers have long tails that project far would emerge from the dense shrubbery. so different in the spring and fall that in The beyond their yellow undertail coverts. The There were many Common Yellowthroats Warbler Guide* we had to use two different Connecticut Warbler has a short, broad tail in the park that day, a species whose females maps to accurately show their distribution. that only barely gets past those feathers. and young males are often mistaken for the They stay well west of the eastern seaboard If you have a chance this fall, join the Connecticut Warbler; they share an over- during spring migration, but in fall can be many birders who will again be searching all olive back and yellowish underparts, and found in our area. Although the name was the dense understories of , the female yellowthroats often have a fairly based on where the irst specimen was col- , and elsewhere in the city in prominent eye-ring. Each time a Common lected, Connecticut is one of the least likely hopes of seeing this stately, elusive warbler. Yellowthroat lew out onto the lawn thereplaces to ind this species. were cries of “There it is!” and “Over there!” Identifying Connecticut Warblers is usu- *Tom Stephenson is the author of The Warbler Suddenly, a pale yellow bullet lew by. ally easier than inding them. On the ground Guide with Scott Whittle

the state oF green rooFs in nYc: the second annual green rooF researchers alliance conFerence

© NYC Audubon Friday, September 27, 10am-5pm At the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Join the Green Roof Researchers Alliance for a day of discussions, workshops, and green roof visits. Learn about green roof policy, biodiversity, environmental benefits, and curriculum. Meet leading green roof scientists and educators and find out about cutting-edge research being conducted in New York City. Highlights of the conference include a panel of local scientists discussing green roof wildlife, an analysis of the actual benefits of green roofs, tours of the Javits Center green roof, a workshop on using green roofs for education, a hands-on field sampling workshop, and discussion with policymakers of the recently updated and improved green roof tax abatement. All workshops, food, and refreshments are included in the price of admission. Learn more and register at www.nycaudubon.org. No limit. $30 ($15 for students) Green Roof Ecologist Dustin Partridge Giving The Green Roof Researchers Alliance is supported by The New York Educational Tour on Javits Center Green Roof Community Trust Fall 2019 9 events and adventures

tbcevents.eventbrite.com for more MORNING FALL MIGRATION diverse habitat that attracts a variety NYC Audubon Events • • information. No limit. Free WALK IN PROSPECT PARK of fall migrants. No registration Partnership Events • Saturday, September 7, 8-11am necessary. No limit. Free Overnight Trips • MORNING FALL MIGRATION Guide: Gabriel Willow WALKS IN CENTRAL PARK Join Gabriel Willow for a leisurely • FALL BIRDING AT , • DROP IN AND BIRD: MORNING Wednesdays, September 4- walk to get to know the fall THE BRONX BIRD WALKS IN CENTRAL PARK October 23, migrants of “Brooklyn's backyard”. Sundays, September 8, October 13, Tuesdays, August 20-September 24, Thursdays, September 5-October Beautiful Prospect Park’s wide November 10, and December 8, 7:30-9am 24, 7:30-10:30am variety of habitats attract a number 9:30-11:30am Guide: Harry Maas Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy of both breeding and passage Guide: Gabriel Willow Meet at the park entrance at East Warblers LLC migrant bird species, with even With Wave Hill and 5th Avenue, parkside. Birders of all levels can enjoy this more recorded than in Central Naturalist Gabriel Willow Start your day off right with bird fun and educational series of eight Park. We will explore the Park's contributes his extensive knowledge walks at the height of Fall migration, walks, observing the diverse and meadows, forests, and waterways of bird species and their behaviors in one of the best birding spots ever-changing waves of migrants in search of migratory warblers, on these captivating walks. Wave around. No registration necessary. that stop over Central Park during vireos, thrushes, tanagers, Hill’s garden setting overlooking No limit. Free fall migration. Limited to 15 per waterfowl, and more. Limited to 15. the flyway provides series. $180 (126) per series $36 (25) the perfect habitat for resident and • FALL MIGRATION BIRD WALKS migrating birds. Ages 10 and up AT , SOUTHERN TIP • FALL WARBLERS • VAN CORTLANDT BIRD welcome with an adult. Limited OF MANHATTAN Friday, September 6, WALKS, THE BRONX to 20 per walk. NYC Audubon Tuesdays, September 3-October 8, 6:30-8:30pm (class) Saturdays, September 7- members enjoy two-for-one 8-9am Sunday, September 8, 8-11am (trip) November 23, 9-10:30am admission (see www.wavehill.org Guide: Gabriel Willow Instructor: Joe Giunta, Happy Guides: NYC Audubon, Van for more information). With The Battery Conservancy Warblers LLC Cortlandt Park Conservancy Meet at the Netherlands Memorial Identifying “confusing fall With the • BIRDING TOURS OF Flag Pole located at the entrance to warblers” can be tricky, even for Conservancy BRYANT PARK the park on the corner of Broadway, the experts. Come study some of Meet at the southeast corner of the Mondays, September 9-October 14, Battery Place, and State Street. the most puzzling species that Mosholu Avenue park entrance. 8-9am Join Gabriel Willow to explore stop through our area during fall The history of birding and Van Thursdays, September 12-October the migrating birds that find food migration with expert Joe Giunta, Cortlandt Park are inseparable. 17, 5-6pm and habitat on lower Manhattan's and then enjoy a second session Influential birders such as Roger Guide: Gabriel Willow waterfront. RSVP preferred, visit in the “classroom” of Central Park. Tory Peterson and Allan D. With Bryant Park Corporation Limited to 12. $65 (45) Cruickshank got their starts on Van Meet at the Birding Tour sign at • SEASONAL RESIDENCE ON Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse the and GOVERNORS ISLAND • BIRDING BROOKLYN grounds. These walks celebrate the entrance to the Park. Discover the Visit our seasonal nature center tradition set forth by these great surprising variety of birds that stop on Governors Island for family- Saturdays, September 7 and ornithologists. Participants will look in Bryant Park during migration. friendly activities, information October 19, 9-10:30am for various species of residents and No registration necessary. No limit. on the City’s birds and habitats, Guide: Heather Wolf migrants and discuss a wide range Free binoculars to borrow, and Meet at Pier 1 park entrance at of avian topics. No registration opportunities to meet avian- the intersection of Old Fulton necessary. No limit. Free • EVENING FALL MIGRATION inspired artists at work. Our Street and Furman Street. Join WALKS IN CENTRAL PARK residence at Governors Island's Heather Wolf, author of Birding • BIRD Mondays, September 9-October 14, Nolan Park House 17 will run at the Bridge, for a picturesque WALKS, THE BRONX Tuesdays, September 10-October 15, through October 27th. Hours of bird walk along the Brooklyn Sundays, September 8-December 8, Wednesdays, September 11- operation, bird walk schedule, waterfront at splendid Brooklyn 9-10:30am October 16, 5-6:30pm and other Governors Island Bridge Park. Target species include Guide: NYC Audubon Guide: Gabriel Willow activities are published in our Barn Swallow, Gray Catbird, With Pelham Bay Park Witness the spectacle of autumn email newsletter, The eGret, Laughing Gull, Common Tern, as September 8: Meet at Rodman’s migration as songbirds follow the and online at www.nycaudubon. well as other species of resident Neck Parking Lot Atlantic Flyway to their tropical org/gov-island. Interested in and migratory birds. Visit www. September 15-December 8: Meet at wintering grounds. Look for volunteering with us on Governors nycaudubon.org/birding-bk-bridge Parking Lot tanagers, warblers, and other Island? Email Danielle Sherman at to register. Limited to 19 per walk. Join us to explore some of the neotropical migrants in the wilds [email protected]. Free best birding NYC has to offer. of Central Park. Limited to 15 per Come discover Pelham Bay Park's series. $146 (102) per series 10 www.nycaudubon.org • BIRDING TOURS OF THE tanagers, cuckoos, and more. Limited and incredible birding spots at backdrop. Limited to 15 per walk. $36 NORTH WOODS, CENTRAL PARK to 15 per walk. $36 (25) per walk . Look for ducks (25) per walk Mondays, September 9-23, and seabirds in New York Harbor Wednesdays, September 11-25, • BOTANICAL on our way across on the ferry • HOOK MOUNTAIN HAWK Fridays, September 13-27, 5:30-7pm GARDEN BIRD WALKS ride and then catch a bus to the WATCH, NY Guide: NYC Audubon Saturdays, September 14 and Park. Numerous warblers, vireos, Sunday, September 15, 9am-4pm Meet at the 103rd Street and Central October 26, tanagers, and other migratory Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy Park West entrance to the Park. Sundays, October 6, October 20, and songbirds can be seen here. We'll Warblers LLC Discover birding in the more serene November 3, 9:30-10:30am even see one of the largest and Part of the Palisades Interstate northern part of Central Park during Guide: Corey Finger oldest trees in NYC. Bus fare Park system, Hook Mountain has the height of songbird migration. No With Queens ($2.75 each way; please bring commanding views of all nearby registration necessary. No limit. Free Explore your MetroCard or exact change) mountains ridges and the Hudson in search of migrant songbirds and not included in registration price. River. From this inland hawk watch • FRIDAY MORNING FALL learn about the valuable resources Limited to 15. $36 (25) spot we expect to see many species MIGRATION WALK IN THE NORTH that the Garden offers birds and other of migrating raptors, including END, CENTRAL PARK wildlife. Binoculars available. Register • FALL WALK AT INWOOD HILL Broad-winged and Red-shouldered Fridays, September 13, October 25, for one date or the whole series of PARK, MANHATTAN Hawks, Bald Eagles, accipiters, and and November 1, 8-11am five walks (walk-ins welcome). Email Saturdays, September 14 and falcons. Note: this trip requires a Guide: Gabriel Willow [email protected] or visit October 19, 9am-noon 35-minute hike up and down the Most NYC birders are familiar with www.queensbotanical.org/calendar to Guide: Nadir Souirgi mountainside. Bring binoculars, the Ramble, but fewer visit the north register. Limited to 25 per walk. Free , simply put, is a water, and a bag lunch to enjoy atop end of Central Park, which includes (with Garden admission) jewel. Nestled between the Hudson the mountain while watching the equally productive woodlands, River, Dyckman Street, and Seaman hawks fly overhead. Transport by waterways, and meadows. The Pool, • BIRDING GEMS OF STATEN Avenue, this last tract of largely passenger van included. Limited to Loch, Ravine, and North Woods ISLAND: CLOVE LAKES PARK undeveloped oak and tulip forest 12. $100 (70) are some of the wildest and most Saturday, September 14, 9am-1pm transports you to another world and beautiful areas of Central Park, Guide: Gabriel Willow another time. Glacial "pot holes," and during fall migration are full of Journey to the "forgotten borough" to towering trees, and stunning river warblers, vireos, thrushes, orioles, discover some of the beautiful forests views create an unrivaled birding . . . CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

nYc audubon members-onlY events Join us for a free NYC Audubon member event this fall. Please note: Member events are free for Contributing NYC Audubon members at the Student/ Senior level and up. Except for the KIDS walk, all member walks are limited to 20 people. As these events are popular and fill quickly, please limit your registration to one free member event in Central Park. Contact Kellye Rosenheim at [email protected] or call 212-691-7483 x306 to register.

FALL MIGRATION IN ASTORIA FALL WALK IN PROSPECT PARK KIDS MEMBER WALK IN for a sparrowful stroll through PARK, QUEENS Saturday, September 14, 8-10am CENTRAL PARK the Ramble. Meet at Central Saturday, September 7, Meet at the entrance to Saturday, September 21, 3-4:30 pm Park West and 72nd Street. 9-10:30am Prospect Park across from Meet at 72nd Street and Central Meet NYC Audubon Board Grand Army Plaza and join Park West to explore the park's DECEMBER WALK IN Member Kellie Quiñones at the NYC Audubon Advisory Council best birding hotspots. Open to CENTRAL PARK entrance to at 19th member Tom Stephenson, registered KIDS members ages Wednesday, December 4, Street and Hoyt Avenue North author of The Warbler Guide 8-12, accompanied by a parent 8-11am to look for migrating birds. and creator of the BirdGenie or guardian. To register, parents Meet at Central Park West and smartphone app, for a fall should email KIDS@nycaudubon. 72nd Street for a walk with SEPTEMBER WALK IN THE meander. org. Visit www.nycaudubon.org for NYC Audubon Trip Leader and CENTRAL PARK RAMBLE more information about the KIDS Harbor Herons Nesting Survey Monday, September 9, FALL MIGRATION membership program. Coordinator Tod Winston. 7:30-9:30am Tuesday, September 17, 7:30-9am Brave the chilly weather as we Meet at Central Park West Enjoy a fall ramble with Jeff A FALL MIGRATORY SONGBIRD search for some of Central and 72nd Street. Explore the Kimball, filmmaker of Birders: The RAMBLE IN CENTRAL PARK Park’s best wintering birds. Ramble with NYC Audubon Central Park Effect and president Wednesday, October 2, 4:30-6pm Past President Harry Maas and of NYC Audubon. Meet at Central Join NYC Audubon Director of revel in fall migration. Park West and 72nd Street. Development Kellye Rosenheim Fall 2019 11 events and adventures (continued)

• DISCOVERY DAY AT • BIRD WALK IN CENTRAL PARK'S , NORTH WOODS overnight triPs Tuesday, September 17, 8-11am Sunday, September 15, 11am-4pm Guide: Tod Winston • CAPE MAY FALL the hawkwatch is legendary as Guide: NYC Audubon Explore the peaceful North Woods MIGRATION, NJ well. We'll visit Cape May Point, With Freshkills Park Alliance, NYC and Loch at the height of fall Saturday, September 21, 9am- Higbee Beach, Cape May Meadows, Department of Parks & Recreation songbird migration. We'll seek Sunday, September 22, 7pm and more in search of songbirds, At 2,200 acres, Freshkills Park out warblers, vireos, tanagers, Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy raptors, wading birds, ducks, and is almost three times the size of grosbeaks, and more. Limited to 15. Warblers LLC terns. Transport by passenger van Central Park, and the largest park $36 (25) Cape May, NJ, is one of the best included. Limited to 10. $475 ($175 to be developed in New York City birding venues in the United single supplement) in over 100 years. It also has a • AN AFTERNOON BIRD WALK IN States, especially during fall significant history as the site of CENTRAL PARK migration. Visit the Cape May • CHINCOTEAGUE REFUGE/ the former Landfill. The Saturdays, September 21 and 28, hawk watch on two days, once late ASSATEAGUE ISLAND: landfill has been covered with layers October 5 and 12, 2-3:30pm in the day and then early to get a BIRDS AND PONIES of soil and infrastructure, and the Guide: Jeff Ward good variety of hawks. Also visit Thursday, November 7, 9am-Sunday, site has become a place for wildlife, Search for fall migrants on a leisurely birding hotspots such as Higbee November 10, 6pm recreation, science, education, afternoon walk through Central Beach, Jake's Landing, Cape May Guide: Don Riepe and art. Trails and paths normally Park's best birding spots. Limited to Meadows, and Nummy Island. With American Littoral Society off-limits to the public will be open 15 per walk. $36 (25) per walk Transport by passenger van A great natural history weekend on on this day and offer views of the included. Limited to 10. $350 ($50 the Virginia coast. See Bald Eagles, Park’s hills, creeks, and wildlife. • BIRDS (AND APPLES) OF single supplement) migrating raptors, waterfowl, Activities include guided bird SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY herons, and more. Includes three walks, hiking, running, bike riding, Saturday, October 5, 8am-4pm • CAPE MAY FALL nights lodging, breakfast, safari bus kayaking, free shuttle buses into the Guide: Tod Winston MIGRATION, NJ tour of the back dunes area, boat Park and to the top of a hill offering Explore the autumnal bounty Friday, September 27, 9am- tour, two evening programs, a star panoramic views of New York, and available just an hour’s drive from Sunday, September 29, 7pm watch, plus an "all-you-can eat" educational tours and displays. the City. We’ll bird Rockefeller State Guide: Gabriel Willow oyster and seafood dinner. Contact Visit www.freshkillspark.org for Park Preserve and then adjourn to a Cape May, NJ, is the East's capital Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or don@ more information. No registration local orchard for afternoon apple- of birding, and is particularly littoralsociety.org for information necessary. No Limit. Free picking. Bring lunch. Additional bird-rich in the fall. On good fall regarding transportation, itinerary, farm-fresh goodies may be available migration days, the area's forests and reservations. $425 ($150 • AUDUBON MURAL at the orchard. Transport by and marshes are swarming with single room supplement, $95 PROJECT TOURS, NORTHERN passenger van included. Limited to warblers, vireos, thrushes, and transportation from Manhattan) MANHATTAN 12. $122 (85) other songbirds, and of course Sundays, September 15, October 13, November 10, and December 8, • INTRO TO BIRDING: BIRD Park, in transition from what was butterflies and dragonflies. Transport 10am-12:15pm WALK IN CENTRAL PARK once the world’s largest landfill by passenger van from Staten Island Guide: Leigh Hallingby Sunday, October 6, 8:30-11am into an expansive park. Currently St. George Terminal included. The Audubon Mural Project is an Guide: Tod Winston closed to the general public, the Limited to 12 per walk. $57 (40) per exciting effort to create murals Are you curious about "birding" Park is home to rolling grasslands, walk of over 300 birds in the northern but don't have much (or any) tidal marshes, successional Manhattan neighborhoods of experience? Come on a relaxed walk woodlands and a freshwater • RAPTOR ID WORKSHOP Hamilton Heights and Washington through Strawberry Fields and the pond system that host an array Thursday, October 10, 7-8:30pm Heights. As all the birds painted Ramble to go over birding basics and of breeding birds, butterflies, Instructor: Gabriel Willow are threatened by climate change, see warblers, tanagers, sparrows, mammals, frogs, and turtles. If you've ever been to a hawk watch, the project is designed not only to waterbirds, and more. Binoculars Each autumn, migrant species you've probably been amazed at help us appreciate the beauty of the available. Limited to 15. $36 (25) abound as they travel along the the ability of the hawk-watchers to birds, but also make us aware of the Atlantic Flyway. Sparrows, Osprey, call out IDs of soaring raptors so challenges they face. In addition to • BIRDING GEMS OF STATEN a collection of waterfowl, and distant that they look like specks seeing about 30 murals, we will visit ISLAND: FRESHKILLS PARK lingering warblers seek refuge in on the horizon. This class will help 's impressive Sundays, October 6 and the park. Overhead, raptors soar you distinguish between accipiters, gravesite in the Trinity Church December 8, 8am-3pm along the terminal moraine as buteos, vultures, eagles, and more. cemetery. Binoculars will be an Guide: Cliff Hagen they make their way south for the Learn how their shapes reflect their asset on this walk. Limited to 20 per Come with NYC Audubon for a impending winter. Late-blooming behavior and ecology, and how subtle tour. $30 (20) per tour special opportunity to see Freshkills flowers attract an assortment of differences in form and pattern will 12 www.nycaudubon.org allow you to identify raptors with a Golden Eagles, buteos, and falcons. by passenger van included. Limited • DUCKS, RAPTORS, AND newfound confidence. Limited to 12. The path to the hawk watch site is a to 12. $122 (86) MORE AT PELHAM BAY PARK, $33 (23) .75-mile hike through mountainous THE BRONX woodland. Bring lunch. Group • FALL MIGRANTS OF Saturday, November 2, 9am-3pm • FALL MIGRANTS OF INWOOD program, trail admission, and WOODLAWN CEMETERY, Guide: Gabriel Willow HILL PARK, MANHATTAN transportation by van included. THE BRONX Come explore the lovely coves and Saturday, October 12, 9-11:30am Limited to 12. $139 (97) Sunday, October 20, 8:30-11am rocky outcroppings of Pelham Bay Guide: Annie Barry Guides: Tod Winston, Joseph Park as we look for wintering ducks, Join Annie Barry for a hike through a • FALL HAWK MIGRATION AT McManus, Susan Olsen migrating raptors, and more. Pelham mature forest in search of kinglets, FORT TILDEN, QUEENS With Woodlawn Conservancy Bay Park's combination of open water, warblers, flycatchers, sparrows, Saturday, October 12, 10am-1pm Join us for a morning bird walk saltmarsh, rocky shore, both young- thrushes, and more, then search Guide: Don Riepe and tour of beautiful Woodlawn and old-growth forest, rare coastal the shore of the Inwood Hill Park With American Littoral Society, Cemetery: Tod Winston and Joseph tall grass meadows, and patches of saltmarshes for herons and ducks. Gateway National Recreation Area McManus will help look for fall dry and wet oak savanna are not just Some hilly walking required. Limited Meet at Building 1 at Fort Tilden. migrants and year-round residents unique within the city, but also on to 15. $36 (25) Hike along the beach, dunes, and on the expansive, wooded cemetery this continent. Bring lunch and water. woodlands to look for migrating grounds, while the Woodlawn Transport by passenger van included. • MIGRATION ALONG THE hawks, falcons, and other raptors. Conservancy's Susan Olsen will Limited to 12. $97 (68) BARRIER ISLANDS, LONG ISLAND Visit the hawk watch platform for a share fascinating stories about Saturday, October 12, 8am-4pm good view of beach and bay. Contact Woodlawn’s history and the • BRUCE BEEHLER IN Guide: Tod Winston Don Riepe at 718-474-0896 or interesting mixture of individuals CENTRAL PARK Look for migrating raptors and [email protected] to learn more interred there. Visit www. Tuesday, November 5, 9-11am songbirds as they stop and rest and register. Limited to 30. Free thewoodlawncemetery.org/events to Guide: Bruce Beehler along Long Island's barrier islands. register. Limited to 20. $35 (25) Take advantage of an uncommon We'll venture to some of the best • BEGINNING BIRDING opportunity to bird and converse with spots in the vicinity of Jones Beach Classes: Wednesdays, October 16- • SPARROW ID WORKSHOP a top international ornithologist and to find what surprises the north 30, 6:30-8:30pm Thursday, October 24, 7-8:30pm see the beautiful Ramble of Central winds have brought us. Bring lunch, Trips: Saturdays, October 26, (class); Sunday, October 27 (trip) Park through the eyes of Bruce water, and binoculars. Transport by 8-11am, and November 2, 8am-3pm Instructor: Gabriel Willow Beehler (North on the Wing; Birds of passenger van included. Limited to Instructor: Tod Winston Sparrows are one of the most Maryland, Delaware, and the District 12. $122 (85) Learn the keys to identifying the challenging groups of birds to of Columbia; The Birds of New spectacular variety of birds that identify, yet beautiful and fascinating Guinea). Presented in conjunction • NYC AUDUBON DAY AT HAWK migrate southwards through New once they can be distinguished. with Dr. Beehler's lecture the night MOUNTAIN, PA York City every fall. Even if you've Learn to identify those LBJs (little before. (See page 17 for more Saturday, October 12, 8am-8pm never picked up a pair of binoculars, brown jobs) by studying behavior, information.) Limited to 15. $36 (25) Guides: Gabriel Willow, Hawk you’ll soon be identifying warblers, field marks, and songs. Sparrow Mountain Education Specialist thrushes, waterbirds, and more— species seen in prior years include • HAWK MOUNTAIN, PA Mid-October is the perfect time to both by sight and by ear. Three fun Field, Swamp, Savannah, White- Saturday, November 9, 7am-7pm visit Hawk Mountain, one of the and educational in-class sessions crowned, and Lincoln's. Limited to Guides: Tod Winston, Hawk premier hawk-watching spots in the and two field trips to Central Park 12. $65 (45) Mountain Education Specialist East. Gabriel Willow and a Hawk and Jamaica Bay (transport to Visit Hawk Mountain at the peak Mountain education specialist Jamaica Bay included). Limited to 12. • FALL MIGRATION ON migration time for raptors such will introduce us to the variety of $179 (125) RANDALL'S ISLAND as Golden Eagles, Rough-legged raptors that may be seen, including Saturday, October 26, 9am-2pm Hawks, and Northern Goshawks.

© Rick Derevan/Audubon Photography Awards • RAPTOR TRUST AND Guides: Gabriel Willow, We'll also enjoy an orientation from GREAT SWAMP, NJ Christopher Girgenti a Hawk Mountain docent and seek Saturday, October 19, 7:30am-4:30pm With Randall's Island Park Alliance out wintering finches and other Guide: Tod Winston Join us for a trip to Randall's Island, songbirds at the Visitor Center's Enjoy a private tour of the Raptor an under-explored location in the feeder station. The path to the hawk Trust rehabilitation center and see that hosts restored watch site is a .75-mile hike through many owls and hawks up close. freshwater wetlands and saltmarsh. mountainous woodland. Bring lunch. Afterwards, we’ll hike the boardwalk We'll look for fall migrants as Group program, trail admission, trails of the beautiful Great Swamp we explore the results of recent and transportation by van included. National Wildlife Refuge to look restoration efforts. Two miles of Limited to 12. $139 (97) for raptors, waterfowl, reptiles, and walking and some modest climbs. . . . CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 Red-tailed Hawk amphibians. Bring lunch. Transport Limited to 20. $36 (25) Fall 2019 13 events and adventures (continued)

• SNOW GEESE AND TUNDRA presentation and walk along TO REGISTER FOR ALL NYC location will disclosed in your trip SWANS OF BRIGANTINE, NJ the trails and ponds to look for AUDUBON EVENTS and for registration confirmation email. Sunday, November 10, 9:30am-7pm waterfowl and other birds. Learn more information, visit www. • For all coach and van trips, the meeting Guide: Joe Giunta, Happy about the many species of ducks nycaudubon.org or call Danielle location is in front of 71 West 23rd Street Warblers LLC and geese that spend the winter in Sherman at 212-691-7483 x304 in Manhattan unless otherwise specified. Brigantine, part of the National New York City and how to identify unless otherwise specified. • We depart promptly at the stated start Wildlife Refuge System, is one of them. Contact Don Riepe at 718- time. the East Coast's premier sites for 474-0896 or donriepe@gmail. IMPORTANT INFORMATION • For all overnight trips, membership in waterbirds, offering a diversity com for more information and to • Contributing Members NYC Audubon at the Student/ Senior of species and panoramic views. register. Limited to 25. Free (Student/Senior level and up) level and up is required. Bring lunch and water. Transport by receive a 30% discount on passenger van included. Limited to • VAN TRIP TO THE WINTER most local trips and classes EARLY MEMBER REGISTRATION 12. $125 (87) WATERFOWL WORKSHOP AT (on discounted events, the FOR UPCOMING EVENTS JAMAICA BAY discounted price appears Winter and early spring events will • WINTER WATERFOWL Saturday, November 16, 9am-3pm in parentheses after the be posted at www.nycaudubon.org WORKSHOP AT JAMAICA BAY Register for our van trip to the nonmember price). See and will available for registration for Saturday, November 16, 10am-1pm Winter Waterfowl Workshop (see membership form on page 19. contributing NYC Audubon members Instructors: Don Riepe, Tod Winston description above) and get to • Classes meet at 71 West 23rd starting on Monday, November 18, at With American Littoral Society Jamaica bay the easy way—by Street, Suite 1523. 9am. (Registration will open to all on Meet at the Jamaica Bay passenger van! Bring lunch and • For paid trips requiring advance Monday, December 2.) Refuge Visitor Center for a slide water. Limited to 12. $53 (37) registration, the meeting

Partner Festivals and events MONARCH/POLLINATOR FESTIVAL Q&A’s with American Bird Conservancy, NYC scribes the rich ecology of southern Sweden, a Saturday, September 28, 10am-3pm Audubon, and National Audubon’s Plants for landscape internationally recognized as crucial to With American Littoral Society, Jamaica Bay- Birds program, moderated by urban birder, writer, bird migration. Lauded as one of Sweden’s finest Rockaway Parks Conservancy, Gateway and activist Annie Novak. Enjoy a solo cello and documentarians, Kristersson’s award-winning National Recreation Area electronics piece, For the Birds, composed by films are rarely seen in the . Visit Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Judith Shatin and performed by Amanda Gookin, the Museum of the Moving Image for a weekend Center for a hike around the ponds and gar- co-founder of PubliQuartet. For tickets and detailed presentation of Kristersson’s three captivating dens to look for migrating monarchs and other program schedule, visit www.nybg.org. NYC films—Pica Pica, Kestrel’s Eye, and Light Year— pollinators. Afterwards, enjoy a presentation on Audubon members save 20% on All-Garden Pass along with conversations on the challenges Monarchs or enjoy a children’s program on in- tickets with code plantlove online at www.nybg.org. facing the coastal environments of New York City sects. After lunch, visit Fort Tilden with naturalist and Sweden with NYC Audubon, environmen- Don Riepe for a hike along the dunes to see mi- RAPTORAMA! talists, and filmmakers including Kristersson grating monarchs and other butterflies. For more Sunday, October 20, 10am-3pm himself. Visit www.movingimage.us for informa- information, contact American Littoral Society at With American Littoral Society, Jamaica Bay- tion and schedule of screenings. General admis- 718-474-0896 or [email protected]. No regis- Rockaway Parks Conservancy, Gateway sion to the museum is $15. tration necessary. Free (donation suggested) National Recreation Area Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor WINGS OVER WAVE HILL WEEKEND FALL FOR BIRDS Center for a program on hawks and owls, plus a Saturday, November 9-Monday, November 11 Sunday, October 6, 10am-6pm live demonstration where one can get up-close With Wave Hill With The New York Botanical Garden views of local hawks, owls, and eagles. After This Veterans Day weekend, spend a day or The New York Botanical Garden hosts a day of lunch, we’ll go to Fort Tilden to see the many two (or three) enjoying a wide array of activities informative conversations, musical performances, hawk species flying south for the winter. For more devoted to birds both big and small. With plenty bird walks, and more. The day begins with several information, contact American Littoral Society at to engage both adults and families, enjoy hands- bird walks: Birding & Photography, Birding for 718-474-0896 or [email protected]. No regis- on workshops, art-making, bird walks, and the Families, and Birding for Beginners, led by expert tration necessary. Free (donation suggested) popular fall falconry demonstration with free- guides Gabriel Willow, Debbie Becker, Jeff Ward, flying birds of prey. No registration necessary. and others. Visitors of all ages can learn how to MIKAEL KRISTERSSON FILM SCREENINGS NYC Audubon members enjoy two-for-one make their own window decals to prevent bird Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26 admission to Wave Hill for the weekend (see collisions with artists from Materials for the Arts. With Museum of the Moving Image www.wavehill.org/events for more information). Learn about urban bird conservation issues and Over a 60-year career, filmmaker Mikael ways you can help through conversations and Kristersson’s work patiently and luminously tran- 14 www.nycaudubon.org Kingsland wildFlowers transitions to new management Kathryn Heintz © James Park/Broadway Stages ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank everyone involved in making 2019 a fantastic year for education, programming, tours, and research on the green roof. We thank Niki Jackson for coordinating Kingsland Wildflowers at Broadway Stages and wish her the best in future endeavors. Andrew Abbott Andrew James Elizabeth Adams Christopher Jowers Leslie Adatto Raven Keller Alive Structures Kings County Brewers All in One Rentals Collective Atlas Obscura Kit Kennedy, NRDC Randy Austin, NYS DEC Last Frontier NYC Tiera Bartley Joseph R. Lentol, NYS Bloomberg Assembly Member Kingsland Wildlowers at Broadway Stages has become a popular destination for local school ield trips, provid- Philanthropies Stephen T. Levin, NYC ing school children with hands-on workshops facilitating learning about wildlife, ecology, sustainability, and more. Broadway Stages Council Member Three years ago, NYC Audubon part- through NYC Audubon and its partners. Hillary Brown, PhD Konstancja nered with Broadway Stages, Alive Structures, On July 1, management of Kingsland Rob Buchanan, Maleszyńska NYC Water Trail National Fish and and Alliance to create the Wildlowers at Broadway Stages transferred to Association Wildlife Foundation Kingsland Wildlowers at Broadway Stages Newtown Creek Alliance, a local environmen- Marta Canida Franco Newtown Creek green roof and community space in Green- tal nonproit dedicated to restoring, revealing, Matias Canida Franco Alliance point, Brooklyn. The project was conceived and revitalizing Newtown Creek, a three-mile Costa Constantinides, NOoSPHERE Arts to expand native habitat and green corridors tributary of the East River that runs along the NYC Council Member NYC Department for birds and other wildlife populations and site of Kingsland Wildlowers. Now housed at Alonso Córdoba, CUNY of Environmental Brooklyn College Protection provide the local community with programs the Kingsland Wildlowers at Broadway Stages Kelsey Cotton NYC Department of focused on sustainable conservation practices building, the alliance will work with all project Meredith Craig de Sanitation and wildlife protection. The partnership grew partners to ensure that Kingsland Wildlowers Pietro Open House New York to include NOoSPHERE Arts, an organiza- continues to be a vibrant green infrastructure Maja Cule Cosimo Pori tion that connects international artists with asset, environmental educational tool, and Alison Dell, PhD, St. Holly Porter-Morgan, New York City’s art community. community resource. Francis College PhD, CUNY LaGuardia Katie Dunn, Radical Alika Potts Made possible by a three-year legacy grant NYC Audubon’s wildlife monitoring and Media Elyssa Rothe, through the Greenpoint Community Environ- engagement will continue at Kingsland Wild- Melissa Enoch, NYC DEP Greenworks Lending mental Fund, the project exceeded all expec- lowers as part of our green roof research Rafael L. Espinal Jr., Kenneth J. Sanchez, tations, providing over 23,000 square feet of efforts, and we will continue to collaborate on NYC Council Member Jacob K. Javits living and growing infrastructure to support educational initiatives and co-produce envi- Bradley Fleming Convention Center Andrew Garn Eric Sanderson, PhD wildlife in a heavily industrialized and his- ronmental programming for the public. We are Yelena Greenberg Renee Sandoval, torically polluted section of North Brooklyn. proud to have been the lead partner in estab- Greenpoint Eco-Schools Second Half Studio Just as important, Kingsland Wildlowers has lishing and incubating this successful project. Program Sustainability Semillas Collective proven to be a tremendous tool to engage the We look forward to seeing Kingsland Wild- Coaches, National Benjamin Solotaire public in conservation issues, environmental lowers at Broadway Stages thrive in the years Wildlife Federation Naz Sotoudeh stewardship, and sustainability practices. Last ahead. Please continue to check the Kingsland Greenpointers.com Korin Tangtrakul, Open Katy Gunn Sewer Atlas NYC year, more than 2,800 people visited Kingsland Wildlowers at Broadway Stages website, Elise Heffernan, Shino Tanikawa, Wildlowers for more than 60 tours, open www.kingslandwildlowers.com, for upcoming Hudsonia Ltd. NYC Soil & Water houses, school ield trips, lectures, ilm screen - events and other ways you can engage with the Michael Heimbinder, Conservation District ings, performances, and workshops offered green roof and its partners. HabitatMap Ernesto Villalobos HeraldPR Marzena Wolert Funding for Kingsland Wildflowers at Broadway Stages provided by the Office of the Hummingbird Heather Wolf New York State Attorney General and the New York State Department of Environmental Communications Jamie Woods Conservation through the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund. Fall 2019 15 booK reviews

vidual choice inluence the development of the general public in the early 90s when of species: virtually “evolution sped up” by he became one of the irst known Red- domestic breeding practices. Historical anec- tailed Hawks to nest on a building (927 Fifth dotes, such as one about birds that were Avenue) rather than a tree. But ’s tried and executed for “crimes against God,” story is far from unique these days. Around provide entertainment as well as illustrations the world, increasing numbers of eagles, of just how much our thinking has evolved hawks, falcons, and owls hunt, breed, live, in such short time compared to the majestic and die in human-built environments. pace of natural evolution. In Urban Raptors: Ecology and Conservation Certain case studies may give the reader of Birds of Prey in Cities, editors Clint W. pause about choices we have made for our Boal, a research wildlife biologist and pro- unnatural selection own amusement or beneit (as in her descrip- fessor at Texas Tech University, and Cheryl By Katrina van Grouw tions of bulldog or chicken breeding), but R. Dykstra, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Princeton University Press, 2018 van Grouw does not preach any moral posi- Raptor Research, synthesize more than two tion on the breeding industry or human decades of research to provide “an overview atrina van Grouw, author of the intervention in how species have evolved. of urban ecosystems in the context of raptor acclaimed book The Unfeathered Her perspective is very much one of respect ecology and conservation.” Meeting this goal K Bird, created the large-format, il- for, and awe of, the process itself. Even the requires covering a lot of ground. Composed lustrated Unnatural Selection to celebrate the inal chapter provides a respectful nod to the of 19 essays by 25 urban raptor research- 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s The species that adapt best to living around ever- ers, the book provides snapshots of various Variation of Animals and Plants under Domesti- growing human populations and cities. species in urban ecosystems such as Powerful cation. With her newest work, van Grouw has This book is for you if you have more Owls in Sydney, Australia; Cooper’s Hawks beautifully combined her loves of ine art than a passing interest in the principles of in Stevens Point, Wisconsin; and Peregrine and science, often calling on the expertise of natural selection and an appreciation for Falcons on skyscrapers across the world. her husband, ornithologist and bird breeder natural history illustration.—HO (20 pairs of peregrines nested in New York Hein van Grouw, for a refreshing per- City’s ive boroughs last year.) The book also spective on Darwin’s principles of natural presents explorations of broader topics like selection and domestication. She methodi- “Urban Raptor Communities: Why Some cally paints a panorama of evolution’s irre- Raptors and Not Others Occupy Urban pressible, ever-changing nature, intentional- Environments” and “Raptors as Victims ly blurring the line between what we deine and Ambassadors: Raptor Rehabilitation, as “wild” and as “domestic.” Education, and Outreach.” With a tone that oscillates between The editors point to sprawl as one scholarly and casual, this dense text is reason cities are home to more raptors. In designed to appeal to both the layperson an interview published by Mongabay, Dykstra and scientist. Van Grouw traces not only the said “Urban areas can provide great conser- evolution of domesticated animals, but the vation opportunities for some raptors, but path that human thought and science have urban raPtors: ecologY and their abundance in cities can disguise the fact taken since Darwin’s time. The text explores conservation oF birds oF that their natural habitats may be decreas- origin, inheritance, variation, and selection PreY in cities ing or disappearing.” The editors speculate through examples of animals bred as fancy Edited by Clint W. Boal and another reason for their abundance in cities pets or in isolation due to human interven- Cheryl R. Dykstra may be due to decreased persecution of tion. The text and drawings illustrate the Island Press, 2018 these birds by humans. In the inal chapter, constantly changing nature of life, as inlu- “Perspectives and Future Directions,” Boal enced by social customs, aesthetics, and ention “urban raptor” to a New and co-author Stephen DeStefano express environmental factors. Yorker, and the beloved Pale both hope and concern for how urbanization Examining dog breeds, race horses, M Male often swoops into mind. and other demographic changes will affect cattle, and fancy pigeons, van Grouw shows He may be the most famous urban bird of the conservation of these magniicent crea- how genetic traits, environment, and indi- prey, having captured the hearts and minds tures.—NB

16 www.nycaudubon.org Hillarie O’Toole, Ned Boyajian, and Kellye Rosenheim

by Tim Dee, which provide insights into authors pick apart the differences. these complex creatures’ natural histories But I regretted the authors’ recommen- and inspire appreciation of a much-maligned dations, particularly in the front sections, to bird. To this growing gull library, add Gulls dismiss deep inquiry, advising you to only learn Simpliied: A Comparative Approach to Identiication the familiar birds in your area and forget about by two well-known birding group leaders and looking for rarities. Why would I buy this book writers, Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson. if I wasn’t hoping to learn to recognize a rare Dunne describes the identiication method as gull I might encounter in the ield? This highly holistic, derived from his experience of hawk- personal approach is also at cross-purposes to watching. Their methodology avoids a plum- the mission of conservation organizations like gulls simPliFied: a comParative age-based approach and takes into account all NYC Audubon. We welcome as many people aPProach to identiFication the following factors: “size, shape, behavior, as possible into our efforts by demonstrating By Pete Dunne and Kevin T. Karlson structural features, habitat, distribution, range, that there are ininite ways to enjoy birds. Princeton University Press, 2019 and direct comparative assessment.” The “Species Accounts” section is refresh- The book is beautifully designed and sat- ingly straightforward, with a pleasantly over- hat’s going on with gulls these isfyingly thorough: for instance, 12 pages and whelming throng of ID points for each bird. days? A recent surge of inter- 47 crisp, clear photographs are devoted to the The quizzes are fun and helpful additions, and W est has already brought us two Herring Gull alone. I especially appreciated the photos of gulls ighting, mating, and inter- wonderful and very different books, The the comparative discussions, in which several acting with other animals are superb.—KR Seabird’s Cry by Adam Nicholson and Landill gulls are shown together in one photo and the

Fall 2019 nYc audubon lecture series All lectures are free and open to the public. This series has been made possible by the support of Claude and Lucienne Bloch.

NORTH ON THE WING: TRAVELS WITH THE BIRDS IN WINTER: SURVIVING SONGBIRD MIGRATION OF SPRING THE MOST CHALLENGING SEASON Presentation by Bruce Beehler Presentation by Roger F. Pasquier Monday, November 4, 7-8pm Monday, December 16, 7-8pm In this illustrated lecture, naturalist and ornithologist Bruce Beehler Join us for an in-depth exploration of the ecology and behavior of will recount his hundred-day-long 2015 field trip following the spring birds during their most challenging season: winter. Ornithologist migration of songbirds from the coast of southeastern Texas up the and conservationist Roger Pasquier will examine how winter affects Mississippi and into the boreal forests of northern Ontario. Along the birds’ lives all through the year, starting in late summer, and will show way, Beehler visited various migratory bird field projects as well as how the birds’ resulting behaviors can be visible to any interested scores of local, state, and national parks and refuges critical for the observer. He will also delve into the unique conservation challenges preservation of the migration phenomenon. He also spent time in many posed by winter and how global warming is altering the nature of the eclectic and beautiful rural communities, from southern Louisiana and season itself. Pasquier is currently an associate in the Department Mississippi to the northern limit of roads in Ontario—land of the Cree of Ornithology at the American Museum of Natural History. He has and Ojibwe First Nations peoples. His presentation touches on wildlife, worked for the Smithsonian Institution, the World Wildlife Fund, the nature conservation, migration research, American history, and rural Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Audubon Society. He culture. Copies of North on the Wing (Smithsonian Books, 2018) and has authored several books on birds and art history, which, along with his soon-to-be-released Birds of Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Birds in Winter (Princeton University Press, 2019), will be available for Columbia (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2019) will be available for purchase and signing by Pasquier after the lecture. purchase and signing by the author after the lecture.

NOTE: Our lecture series has migrated to a new location! Our new venue is the Parish House of Presbyterian Church, 921 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021 (between 73rd Street and ).

Fall 2019 17 acKnowledgments

NYC Audubon’s conservation work and public programs are made possible by philanthropic contributions from members, friends, corporations, foundations, and government agencies. We are grateful to all those who have sustained our work this past season, including the 843 members and donors whose individual gifts in amounts up to $2,499 collectively provided $60,262 in support of our mission from January 1 to June 1, 2019.

AMERICAN KESTREL CIRCLE Lauren & Ethan Klingsberg CORPORATIONS, National Audubon Society Materials for the Arts Gina Argento Jennifer Lee FOUNDATIONS, AND National Fish and Wildlife Tony Argento Pete Lengyel GOVERNMENT AGENCIES Foundation Quemere International Rob Bate & Tracy Meade Renee Lucier The Achelis & Bodman National Park Service Samuel & Sons Karen Benfield & John Zucker Adrienne Lynch Foundation New York City Department of Laura Sillerman Claude & Lucienne Bloch Laure & Stephen Manheimer AmazonSmile Foundation Environmental Protection David Speiser MaryJane Boland & Daniel Jenny & Flip Maritz American Littoral Society The New York Community Picard Patrick Markee & Lizzy Ratner Anova Trust TRIBUTE GIFTS Ronald Bourque Andre Meade Atlas Obscura New York State Office of Claude Bloch Marsilia A. Boyle Joyce Menschel Broadway Stages Parks, Recreation, and Philip Fried Chris Cooper Tom & Louise Middleton Catbird Historic Preservation Richard Fried Jonathan Cuneo Clark Mitchell Con Edison New York University Andrew Gershon Art Sills & Sarah DeBlois Malcolm & Mary Morris Custom Ink Parsons School Of Design Theresa Kirwin Helena Durst Mindy Papp Dobson Foundation Patagonia The Maas Family Joe & Barbara Ellis Will Papp FXCollaborative Peak View Foundation Michele McCue Aline Euler & Henry Euler Cheryl Reich & David Harry & Rose Zaifert Robert and Joyce Menschel Jim Sheker Alexander Ewing & Wynn Dewhurst Foundation Family Foundation Ellen West Senning Lew & Sheila Rosenberg Hudson River Foundation Robert F. Schumann Marcia & Bruce Fowle Jeff & Kellye Rosenheim Innisfree M&A Incorporated Foundation MEMORIAL GIFTS Philip Fried & Bruce Michael Scheer Investors Bank Foundation The Walt Disney Company Oakes Ames Patterson Jennifer Shotwell Jacob K. Javits Convention Foundation Anna Lee Culp Rich Fried & Stella Kim Winnie Spar Center William C. Bullitt Foundation Kathleen Tobin Giardina Gallya Gordon Antonia Stolper & Bob Fertik Jewish Federation of Wood Thrush Fund Jessica Karp Ronnie & Richard Grosbard Gini Stowe Metropolitan Chicago Gerhard Kiefer Nancy Hager Mary & Michael Tannen Kimball Foundation IN-KIND DONATIONS Carol Kramer Scott & Ellen Hand Elizabeth Weinshel & Joel Kings County Brewers Bloomberg LP Lillian L. Langsan Gail Hashimoto Goldfarb Collective Brewer-Cantelmo LLC Leo Kathryn & Vincent G. Heintz Sam Wertheimer & Pamela Leaves of Grass Fund Centric Brands Barbara Maas Cathy & Lloyd Heller Rosenthal LeFrak Organization Henri Bendel Stefan A. Mayer Sally Jeffords Shelby White Leon Levy Foundation JM Kaplan Fund Fred Spar Tatiana Kaletsch Elizabeth Woods & Charles The Ludlow Hotel Kikkerland M. Scott Sullivan Jeff Kimball & Pamela Hogan Denholm The Marta Heflin Foundation Kings County Brewers Collective Joseph Tobin

thanK You to our sPring and summer staFF and interns

This spring and summer, NYC Audubon’s field, office, MEDHA PANDEY, pursuing Fordham University MSc and outreach work was accomplished with the help of in biology sciences, worked on analyzing waterbird a talented and enthusiastic team: banding data and updating our waterbird banding and resighting database. CHANTAL HERNANDEZ, recently graduated from the New York Harbor School, educated Governors Island JOSÉ RAMIREZ-GAROFALO, recent graduate of the visitors about birds and conservation as an intern for College of Staten Island, conducted migratory and our Governors Island residency program. This was beach-nesting shorebird surveys and assisted with her second year interning at our Nolan Park house. bird banding. He also worked on the Governors Island Chantal is attending SUNY New Paltz this fall. Common Tern project (see “Conservation Notes” on page 5 for more information). CHRISTINE NEALY, ANN SELIGMAN, CHINA MOORE and DOTTIE WERKMEISTER worked as horseshoe SOHEL SHAH, a Tufts University undergraduate, crab site coordinators, managing our volunteers in helped with Project Safe Flight collision monitoring Jamaica Bay in collecting crab spawning data. data and learned how to create a monitoring program for Tufts University’s campus. DUSTIN PARTRIDGE, PhD candidate at Fordham University, designed and conducted arthropod and TOD WINSTON coordinated and led the 35th annual bird surveys on the green roofs of the Jacob K. Javits Staff and Interns Posing with Artist-in-Residence Harbor Herons Nesting Survey on selected islands in Convention Center and Kingsland Wildflowers at Autumn Kioti and “Sergio” at New York City New York Harbor. (See “Conservation Notes” on page Broadway Stages, coordinated seasonal interns, and Audubon’s Governors Island Nolan Park House 17 4 for more information about this year’s surveys.) analyzed data. He also coordinates the Green Roof Researchers Alliance. (See page 9 for information about the upcoming second annual BEN WOOD, a current undergraduate student at Boston University’s Questrom State of Green Roofs in NYC conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.) School of Business, joined NYC Audubon as a summer intern in their finance department. He assisted with the yearly audit and reorganizing financial D’ANGELO PEÑA PERALTA, ETHAN FOX, LUCA CALOMARDE, and ISAIAH CRUZ, documents. Ben also cataloged New York City Audubon’s historical media high school students, were shorebird outreach interns based at the Rockaway Waterfront assets and digitized the organization’s entire collection of Urban Audubon Alliance. They educated beach-goers about sharing the beach with nesting birds. newsletters dating back to 1979.

18 www.nycaudubon.org suPPort nYc audubon’s mission news & notes

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO PROTECT NEW YORK CITY’S WILD BIRDS SHIRLEY CHISHOLM STATE PARK OPENS IN BROOKLYN n addition to becoming a member or GIVE A MATCHING GIFT Shirley Chisholm State Park opened its first making a one-time donation, there Supporters can double or triple the value of section to the public in July. The largest Iare several ways to play a larger role donations through their employers’ matching state park yet developed in New York City, in supporting NYC Audubon’s mission to gift programs. Contact your company’s per- the site borders Jamaica Bay in East New protect wild birds and their habitat in the sonnel ofice to learn how. Be sure to specify York between Howard Beach and Canarsie ive boroughs of New York City: New York City Audubon as the designee. atop the capped Pennsylvania and Fountain Avenue landfills. Much like Freshkills Park in GIVE MONTHLY LEAVE A LEGACY Staten Island, the park establishes grassland Provide ongoing monthly support to en- When you designate New York City Audubon for species suffering greatly from habitat loss. sure our birds are protected throughout as a beneiciary in your will, IRA, life insurance We look forward to offering free guided bird the year. You can make a huge difference policy, or investment/bank account, your gift walks and other community programming at the 407-acre facility as it blossoms. for as little as $5 per month. See the mem- will support the conservation of the birds bership form below or donate online at you love for many years to come. Visit www. STATE PASSES COMPREHENSIVE www.nycaudubon.org/donate. nycaudubon.org/leave-a-legacy, or contact us to CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION learn more. For more information on a bequest, We were pleased to be in attendance at BECOME A MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN see the remember the birds box on page 2. Fordham University on June 19 as Governor KESTREL CIRCLE Andrew Cuomo signed the Climate Soar above the rest by making a dona- To learn more about any of the above, contact Leadership and Community Protection Act. tion of $2,500 or more. American Kestrel Director of Development Kellye Rosenheim The bill addresses the effects of climate Circle Patrons enjoy special access and at [email protected] or 646-502- change by drastically cutting greenhouse exclusive tours. See the membership form 9611. Save paper, time, and money by making gases, diverting the state’s energy reliance to below or donate online at www.nycaudu- your contribution online 24/7 at renewable sources, and creating green jobs bon.org/donate. Contact us to learn more. www.nycaudubon.org/support-us. to promote environmental justice across New York.

STATE TRIPLES TAX INCENTIVES FOR GREEN ROOFS MAKE A DIFFERENCE Contributing members are essential to our conservation and outreach work. State legislation signed by Governor Cuomo As a member of NYC Audubon, you will receive The Urban Audubon newsletter and The eGret email on July 3rd increases the tax break for building newsletter; enjoy discounts on field trips and classes; and make a difference in helping to protect the owners who implement green roofs from City’s wildlife and natural areas. [ ] I would like become a member by making a recurring donation in the amount of $______$5.23 to $15 per square foot in districts prone each month. to sewer overflows and lacking green space. I would like to become a member by making a one-time donation: Thank you to New York State Senator John [ ] American Kestrel Circle $2,500 [ ] Conservationist $250 [ ] Supporter $100 Liu and Assembly members Rozic, Lentol, [ ] Family $75 [ ] Dual $50 [ ] Friend $25 De La Rosa, Gottfried, Simon, and Barron [ ] Student/Senior(65+)$15 [ ] Dual Senior (65+) $30 [ ] New [ ] Renewal for co-sponsoring these bills to incentivize [ ] Additionally, I would like to make a donation to NYC Audubon in the amount of $ ______. green roof creation with emphasis on [ ] I’m already a member but would like to make a gift in the amount of $ ______. communities most in need of greening.

Name: ______NY STATE BILL TO CREATE A BIRD- FRIENDLY BUILDING COUNCIL Address: ______State legislators also voted to establish a council to study the problem of bird mortality Phone: H: ______C: ______Email: ______from collisions with glass. Special thanks are due to New York State Assemblyman [ ] Enclosed is my check payable to NYC Audubon Steven Englebright for introducing the bill, [ ] Charge my credit card: [ ] VISA [ ] MC [ ] AMEX [ ] DSC to New York State Senator Brad Hoylman for CARD #: ______Exp. Date: ______Security Code: _____ introducing it in the Senate, and our colleagues Mail this form with your payment to: at Four Harbors Audubon and Audubon New NYC Audubon • 71 West 23rd Street, Suite 1523 • New York, NY 10010 York for helping to push this bill through. At Membership in NYC Audubon does not include National Audubon membership or subscription to Audubon Magazine. Donations to NYC Audubon are tax-deductible press time, the bill passed both houses and is to the extent allowed by law. NYC Audubon is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. awaiting the governor’s signature.

Fall 2019 19 New York City Audubon 71 West 23rd Street NONPROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE Suite 1523 PAID New York, NY 10010 HUDSON NH Permit No. 821

DATED MATERIAL: Fall 2019 Newsletter

20 www.nycaudubon.org