Northern New York Audubon Serving the Adirondack, Champlain, St.Lawrence Region of New York State Mission: To conserve and restore natural ecosystems in the Adirondacks, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's biological diversity. Volume 42 Number 3 September-November 2014 Important Notice (Really!) At its July meeting the NNYA Board of Directors voted to transition to electronic- only newsletters for the members of National Audubon Society who do not contrib- ute directly to NNYA. This means the following: • National Audubon Society members at large who do not contribute directly to Northern New York Audubon will no longer receive the Northern New York 1 Important Notice (REALLY!) Audubon Newsletter unless they provide us with an email address 21 President’s Message • Members of Northern New York Audubon have the option of receiving a pa- 2 NNYA Educator Grant Report: per or electronic copy —simply indicate which version of the newsletter you want 2 when you respond to the Annual Appeal Letter, or by emailing Pat Thaxton, NNYA A week on Audubon’s Hog Island Membership Chair, at: [email protected] Summer Camp This transition will begin with the March-May 2015 Northern New York Audu- 2 Bicknelll’s Thrush Events: bon Newsletter. In other words, this change will not take effect until March, 2015. 3 Heaven Hill Farm What you Need to Do Intervale Lowlands Preserve • If you are a member of Northern New York Audubon you do not need to do 2 Field Trip: Low’s Ridge—Upper anything; you will continue to receive your paper or electronic copy of the newslet- 3 Dam Trail ter as usual. You can, at any point, switch from a paper to an electronic newsletter, or vice versa, if you want. If you are a member of National Audubon Society who has not joined Northern 43 Crown Point Banding Station New York Audubon you need to supply us with an email address if you want to 3 Cullman/NNYA Boreal Bird Stud- continue to receive the Northern New York Audubon Newsletter. 5 ies Report 3 Shingle Shanty Visit How to Supply Your Email 6 73 2nd Annual Adirondack Loon Celebration Address By Mail: Send your email address to: 84 Editor’s Note Pat Thaxton 7 NNYA Membership Chair PO Box 488 Keene Valley, NY 12943-0488 By Email: Send your email address to: [email protected] Northern New York Audubon Does Not Share Member Email Addresses With Anyone! 2 President’s Message The board of Northern New York Audubon is made up of a diverse group of hard NNYA working and passionate individuals. I consider myself very lucky to be able to Northern New York Audubon, Inc. work with and learn from each of them. It is my pleasure to introduce you to sev- eral new board members this year. Board of Directors Stacy McNulty is an ecologist with research interests in forest ecology, landscape ecology, and the impacts of land use on wildlife habitat. Her research Leah Valerio includes songbirds, amphibians, mammals and other wildlife populations in north- President eastern forests. She has degrees in Biology from SUNY-Geneseo and Environ- Tupper Lake (518) 359-7800 mental Science and Forestry Biology from SUNY-ESF. She aspires to be a better Kendra Ormerod birder and enjoys hiking, canoeing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and any- Vice-President thing else “that gets me outdoors.” Saranac Lake (518) 359-7800 x112 Leslie Karasin Kendra Ormerod received a Master’s degree in Environmental Interpre- Treasurer tation from SUNY-ESF in Syracuse, New York, and began working as a Natural- Saranac Lake (518) 891-2193 ist for The Wild Center shortly thereafter. Her specialty is birding and she par- Kathleen Wiley ticularly enjoys leading bird trips for The Wild Center at various locations Secretary throughout the Adirondack Park. She is also a dog trainer for the Adirondack Keene Valley (518) 576-6405 High Peak Dog Training Club, a NYS Licensed Guide and a Wilderness First Responder. Originally from Binghampton, NY, Liz DeFonce moved to the Adiron- Alan Belford Saranac Lake dacks in March of 2003 to begin work as a librarian at Paul Smiths College, a Michael Burgesss, PhD Ausable Fks Thomas Cullen Childwold position she held for nearly a decade. In that time her love of nature deepened as Liz DeFonce Gabriels she found a community of like-minded people that she could share it with. She Lisa Godfrey Norristown, PA currently lives in the Saranac Lake area and owns and operates Moose Maple Lewis Lolya Paul Smiths Books & More on Olive Street in Saranac Lake. Brian McAllister Saranac Lake Susan Willson is a tropical avian ecologist and conservation biologist. Stacy McNulty Newcomb She received a BA from Skidmore College and a PhD from the University of Mis- Jacob Straub, PhD Plattsburgh souri-Columbia. Before coming to St Lawrence University, she taught with the John Thaxton Keene Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) in Costa Rica and also led a semester Pat Thaxton Keene program in Tanzania for Earlham College while teaching there. Susan Willson, PhD Canton —Leah Valerio NNYA Educator Grant Report Northern New York Audubon, Inc. Amy Sholtis, a science and, for the first time this semester, environmental science teacher A chapter of National Audubon Society at Plattsburgh High School received this year’s Educator’s Grant to spend a week at Na- serving the Adirondack, Champlain and tional Audubon’s Hog Island Camp during Educator’s Week. Here’s her letter of thanks St. Lawrence regions of northern New for the experience. York, including Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Do you remember what it was like to be nine years old? Do you remem- Hamilton and St. Lawrence counties. ber what it was like to be filled with wonder and awe as you entered the sacred Correspondence and Membership shrine of the forest? Do you remember the sounds, the taste, and the feel of the Information forest? In those moments, you felt like anything was possible! The world was Northern New York Audubon yours to explore and define. Maybe you even had a special, secret place to call PO Box 488 your own, under the canopy of green. Keene Valley, New York 12943-0488 Well, I have just spent a week reconnecting with my inner-nine-year-old in the wilds of Maine. It was a complete joy to attend Educator’s Week at Audu- John Thaxton, Newsletter Editor bon’s camp on Hog Island. My days were spent on guided nature hikes, exploring PO Box 488 tidal pools, and connecting with 60 other kindred spirits. I lived under the watch- Keene Valley, NY 12943-0488 ful eye of the Osprey that have their nest right in the camp. We took boats out to NNYA Web Site: www.nnya.org Easter Egg Rock Island to get a first-hand look at Puffin Project . Dr. Stephen Charlotte Demers, Web Master Kress, the director of the project gave us an inspiring presentation on his work with the puffins. As I met educators from all over the country, we began to create Northern New York Audubon Newsletter is the utopia of learning and sharing. I did not want to leave the island. published by Northern New York This experience has rejuvenated my spirit and passion for the environ- Audubon, Inc. mental education. I am excited to get back to my classroom this September and share all that I have learned with my fellow teachers and my students. This was the best professional development experience I have ever had. Vol. 42 No. 3 This experience will continue to have a profound effect on my teaching for years to come. I thank all of you again for this amazing opportunity —Amy Sholtis 3 Bicknell’s Thrush Events Bicknell’s Thrush photo by Joan Collins Bicknell’s Thrush was the focus of two summer events held in the Adirondacks. On June 25, 2014, the Adirondack Foundation hosted “Bicknell’s Thrush One Bird – Two Countries” at Heaven Hill Farm in Lake Placid. The event brought together people and organizations actively protecting the homes of this species. Representatives were in attendance from the Adiron- dack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, Adirondack Coun- cil, Audubon New York, Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Wildlife Conservation Society, Olympic Regional Develop- ment Authority (ORDA), Adirondack Park Agency, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Northern New York Audubon, the Wild Center, and a group of people from Fundación Loma Quita Espuela and Consorcio Ambiental Dominicano, who work to protect the species in its winter habitat. In 2007, several conservation organizations estab- lished a dedicated fund for protecting habitat for Bicknell’s Low’s Ridge – Upper Dam Trail Thrush. The fund focuses on the bird’s wintering grounds on the Island of Hispaniola. Leaf Peeping and Birding! The event was an opportunity to learn more about Saturday, September 27, 2014 recent conservation efforts, meet the representatives from the Piercefield/Colton, NY Dominican Republic, recognize ORDA for raising public awareness about Bicknell’s Thrush on Whiteface Mountain, and thank Centerplate for supporting the fund. Joan Collins, Larry Master, and Pat & John Thaxton were in attendance on behalf of Northern NY Audubon. Mike Burger, of Audubon New York, gave the opening remarks. On August 7, 2014, Larry and Nancy Master hosted Photo by John Thaxton an event at Intervale Lowlands in Lake Placid to highlight the Time : 8:00 a.m. work of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies on behalf of Bick- Meet: Geiger Arena nell’s Thrush. Special guest Chris Rimmer, Executive Direc- Leader : Joan Collins tor of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, presented, Bring: Lunch, water, rain jacket, sturdy hiking boots “Conservation on the Wings of a Tiny Songbird – from the Registration : Call Long Lake Parks and Recreation Depart- Adirondacks to the Caribbean”.