Spring into Nature

Today we hear from Gerry Rising about the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge’s annual Spring Into Nature event, which helps connect kids to outdoor recreation and nature. Gerry is a retired University at Buffalo professor, who writes books on math and natural history, and articles for Buffalo Spree. He also is an avid birder, and member of the Friends of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.

“This is a real test!” That was my first thought when I arrived on Saturday, April 28 at the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge’s “Spring into Nature”, the keystone annual activity sponsored by the refuge staff and its supportive Friends group. The encouraging forecasts of the beginning of the week had not delivered. I found myself being drenched by a steady rain and shivering in the 38° temperature and by night it had snowed. Despite those challenges, I was proud of the fact that we and our nearly six hundred visitors had passed that test with flying colors.

Puddles with Job Corps volunteers

This was the 34th of these yearly events and the prior experience showed. But this was my own first visit and I was impressed by how everyone, staff and volunteers, were not only so well organized but unphased by Mother Nature’s challenge.

Fish Biologist and volunteer, James Trometer set up the fish-friendly culvert activity.

Our visitors appeared unphased as well. Their prior experiences must have told them to expect a fun-filled and educational day outdoors at the Refuge no matter the weather.

Indeed, there was much to offer participants, between the 25 nature-related exhibits and many activities that included build-a-feeder or -nesting platform for birds, a migration maze, face painting, making tree cookies, archery and casting.

Fly Fisher International provide fly-fishing demonstrations throughout the day

Volunteer Carl Zenger, teaches new volunteer, the art of making feeding and nesting platforms for birds

Visitors also enjoyed presentations throughout the day on live birds of prey, wildlife rehabilitation, invasive species and pollinator gardening; as well as demonstrations on basic fishing techniques, fly fishing and retriever dogs. Those interested were even bused to the Cayuga Overlook to see the bald eagle nest.

Casey learns to cast with Brent Long Outdoors

As I toured the grounds and visited with friends both old and new, I thought how much our Refuge owes to the cooperative activities of the small staff and sixty plus volunteers who showed up to help, all of whom love this remarkable nature enclave.

Volunteers, Phyllis Zenger and Ann Fourtner, greeted visitors all day at the Friends Flyway Bookstore

The Friends’ mission — to support and advocate for the Refuge — was evident here. But so too was the more general dedication to wildlife conservation of us, and our visitors.

Abbie won the kids backyard refuge kit].

Other examples of our Friends-Refuge collaboration are the reconstruction of the mile-long Swallow Hollow Trail, and the purchase of a trailer that will be used like a mobile visitor center. The trailer will highlight the Great Lakes watershed, migratory fish and birds, and the Refuge’s many attractions. It will help us bring a piece of the Refuge to children living in urban areas of Buffalo who rarely have opportunities to visit the Refuge. We are all proud to see these remarkable grounds maintained and appropriately managed, and we are equally proud of our efforts to share conservation, recreation and science education with children and their families.

All smiles at Spring Into Nature

Of course Friends of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge were well represented and their Flyway Bookstore was open. And there was plenty of food – a hot dog grill, Girl Scout Troop 31055’s chili and walking tacos, and the wonderful baked goods of the Alabama Basom United Methodist Church. Everyone left with big smiles! And a few left with some wonderful door prizes.

Cayuga Overlook

Come join us next year. We can promise without reservation better weather.

Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beetles!

While Ed Sullivan was introducing a group of ‘beetles’ to the United States back in 1964, there is another group of beetles that were already thriving here.  And even though their ‘band’ had begun to break up in the late 1980’s, it seems that they are slowly making their way back into the spotlight with the help of dedicated fans.  The puritan tiger beetle (Cicindela Puritana) has been listed as a ‘threatened’ species since 1990, and since 1993 great efforts came underway to help in the recovery process for this tiny species.  Once thriving throughout its historic habitat in the Connecticut River watershed from Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and areas in Maryland throughout the Chesapeake Bay, this species has been reduced to two primary locations: the Chesapeake Bay and single, isolated populations in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The puritan tiger beetle has been named for their behavior in how they catch their prey, by running it down and capturing it with long, powerful mandibles (jaws). Photo: Sue Wojtowicz/USFWS

Why Such Big Efforts for Such a Small Creature?

Since the enactment of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, many wildlife species have been placed on a list that categorizes them as either threatened or endangered.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is dedicated to protecting all species on that list, which includes the puritan tiger beetle; and the Service has established recovery efforts that will bring some hope for this small species.  To do this, a team of scientists, students, and volunteers alike have come together to help maintain remaining populations from disappearing forever. This summer, students and volunteers will be surveying the two isolated populations along the Connecticut River in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and one new site in Vermont in hopes of releasing more Puritan Tiger Beetles back to the wild.

The male (with the red marking) is smaller in size compared to the female. Photo: Rodger Gwiazdowski

The larve (right) is much smaller in contrast to the adult. About the size of a small wad of sand, the larva will spend more than a month under water during flood season. Photo: Rodger Gwiazdowski

The puritan tiger beetle is no different than any other species that are important to their habitat.  They, too, are part of the same ecosystem that we as humans should strive more to coexist with.  But to coexist with a species less than 1 inch in length can be challenging if people do not know they even exist.  That is where the dedicated conservation team comes in – as they establish baseline ecological research, they’re also spreading the word about the beetle, which is increasing curiosity among the public.  By showing people some of the hands on work being done in the field, and gaining the knowledge of where the beetles live, what they eat, and how they populate new habitat the conservation team will play a big part in understanding how beetles and humans can coexist together. Watching students and volunteers talk about the puritan tiger beetle recovery project to the public brings out the wildlife enthusiast in anyone, and to observe them in action together with the beetles in their habitat is to observe a conservation milestone in the making.

Please stay tuned to our next puritan tiger beetle blog post – where we focus on the members of the conservation team.

A Tale of 10 Friends

Our “Friends” share their stories about why they volunteer…

With friends like these, its no wonder why we couldn’t get by without them! What is a national wildlife refuge or national fish hatchery “Friend”?

Friends groups are volunteer organizations that support national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries, and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs. They are made up of volunteers who advocate for the Service, fund-raise, and support educational programming on the public lands we manage.

We rely on these groups of enthusiastic, hard-working, and determined people, all focused on furthering the mission of the Service. In 2016, there were 15,000 Friends across the nation, and all together the Friends raised 5 million in conservation funds!

 

Thirty-one leading Friends representing 23 different Friends groups in the region came together last month in Alexandria, Virginia, for a training workshop hosted by the Service. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of them about why they’ve chosen to spend their precious time and energy on being one of our very best “Friends.”  Here are some of their stories:

I asked the Friends this one question: If you could tell the world why you chose to spend your free time being a Friend and how (being a friend) has impacted you/your life, what would you say?

Answer: Corey Smith, Friends of Outer Island, Connecticut

It was a lifelong dream of mine growing up as a kid to become a park ranger. I grew up to travel along a different career path, but I was looking for some kind of way to volunteer at my local wildlife refuge, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. When presented with the opportunity, I jumped on the offer. Once I discovered McKinney, I fell in love with Outer Island. I would like for visitors to fall in love with this refuge, too.

Answer: Cathy Beise: Friends of Blackwater NWR, Maryland 

When I retired from being an IT professor, I was looking for something meaningful to do with my time that had to do with the outdoors. I wanted to be apart of an organization that was partaking in activities that I could personally identify with. I joined the Friends of Blackwater at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge about five years ago. I’ve spent two years on the organization’s board so far and spent the other three years volunteering. A lot of international travelers visit the refuge and it’s neat when they tell us the refuge is a cool place to be. The current refuge manager, Marcia Pradines, and the friends members have a regular volunteer update meeting together, and the refuge manager was truly inspiring and articulate, inviting every one of us to come partake in this one common cause. These are my people.

Answer: Stephen Atzert, Friends of Cape May NWR, New Jersey

After retiring for awhile from being refuge manager at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge , I decided to volunteer and join the Friends of Cape May NWR.  Look around. Everything in this room here comes from the environment. We as humans, like the animals and wildlife, depend on natural resources as much as they do. We need to realize that, and that’s what I’d like for other people to notice too. We need to conserve and protect our natural areas.

Answer: Kahille Dorsinvil, Friends of Wertheim NWR, Long Island, New York

I really really enjoy being outside. I started a new job recently that had less outdoor education than my one prior, and I missed it. A coworker encouraged me to join, suggesting it’s not just participating, but a chance to learn a lot more as well.  I truly wish more people could get to Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge because it’s gorgeous. There’s also an accessible trail for folks with disabilities. Everyone can benefit from being outside.

Answer: Suzanne Beaudet, Friends of Aroostook, Maine

When the opportunity arose to volunteer, it was an obvious choice for me. I didn’t think more about it. In the past, I’ve worked with kids, girl scouts, and the outdoors. I was previously a professor of exercise physiology. My experiences while being a Friend have been a collage of great times. I want to let our youth know that we need wild space like Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge.

Answer: John Wilmot, Friends of Supawna Meadows NWR, New Jersey

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was actually down the street from my house when I was growing up. I was outdoors all day long as a kid, and I was fortunately involved in the refuge early on because it was so close to home.  One day, I saw an ad that Great Swamp NWR volunteers had put out looking for new ideas. I went to that meeting and I’ve been a Friend for three years now. If you can get kids outside, that’s the important piece. Contact and exposure to the outdoors limits fears. I recently relocated to a different town an hour and a half away from Great Swamp NWR after accepting a new job. Once settled, I reached out and joined a new Friends group at Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge because I was sad to have moved to a new place and really missed volunteering. I thought to myself, what better way to spend my free time than at a refuge.

Answer: Kim Lutz, Friends of Silvio O. Conte, CT, MA, NH and VT

We formed a Friends group for Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge because we wanted to form one group, which would be more effective in reaching Congress than a bunch of individual entities. Our focus is to garner support for conserving resources refuge-wide, from Vermont and New Hampshire, south to Massachusetts and Connecticut. The whole watershed is important. It doesn’t make sense to everyone, but we aim to educate and share a larger story. The watershed is Conte. Conte is the watershed. Think of everything as one whole.

Answer: Jean Carrigan, Friends of NCTC, West Virginia

I am a firm believer in education and conservation, which is the National Conservation Training Center’s (NCTC) mission. That is why I am a friend there. There is a lecture series held four times a year with different guest speakers and a book signing.  These lectures are free and open to the public, although NCTC is typically a closed campus, and the friends group receives part of the book sale funds.  One of the lectures was especially powerful to me. It was about women in the 19th and early 20th centuries who were involved in conservation, making the world they live in a better place. A lot were home-schooled, and did incredible things. This inspired me and I’m proud to have come from a long line of strong women.

Answer: Jim Lockhart, Friends of Outer Island, Connecticut

I was already spending much of my free time in nature, so it was a transparent decision to become a Friend. I enjoy telling folks about the geology and history of the land. I especially love when students come in to learn more. One of my fondest memories was building an education pavilion on Outer Island. There was a strong sense of teamwork and camaraderie between the Friends group, refuge staff, and the building crew. We were lifting heavy timbers and locking them into place. We installed the roof in a couple weeks, which provided us with an incredible and satisfying view of the ocean after a day’s hard work.  This structure on outer island has great significance to me.

Answer: Karen Dever, Friends of Bombay Hook, Delaware

I joined the Friends of Bombay Hook NWR because I saw cruelty to pets and wildlife, and I wanted to help the cause of protecting animals and to make difference in my community.  I also spend time at the refuge to be with my father – the birds chirping, the wind blowing through the trees, and the natural fresh air brings me closer to two things I dearly love. I miss my father and he is with me spiritually, and when I am at the refuge, I feel so much closer to him.  I would have joined a Friends group when I was your age (pointing at me) had I known this kind of thing existed.

If you are interested in becoming a Friend, look for a national wildlife refuge or national fish hatchery closest to you!