News and Views from the Empire State
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that DEC will begin enforcement of the State’s ban on single-use plastic carryout bags on October 19th, 2020.
The plastic bag ban, which went into effect on March 1st, was not enforced per an agreement between the parties in a lawsuit brought by Poly-Pak Industries, Inc., et al, in New York State Supreme Court. [Read more…] about Enforcement of NY Plastic Bag Ban Starting Oct 19th
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The Lake Champlain Basin Program has announced they are seeking proposals for projects that improve water quality and ecosystems in the Lake Champlain watershed. The Program anticipates awarding more than $400,000 to local organizations, municipalities, and educational institutions. [Read more…] about Grants Available for Lake Champlain Basin Projects
Adequate nitrogen, plenty of organic matter, a dependable rototiller and other attributes coveted by gardeners are the same things that oil-spill remediation engineers need as well. This should not come as a surprise, given that three-fourths of “soil” is “oil.”
Although bulk-storage facilities, tanker semi-trucks and train cars are occasionally the source of oil or gasoline spills, it’s surprising how often faulty home-heating oil tanks or even a leaky auto gas tank lead to significant soil and water contamination. [Read more…] about Gardening With Gas
Whirlwinds of feathered bodies, iridescent beetle-blue on top and snowy below, are touching down all along the eastern seaboard. Flocks move in a loose collection of tumbles and dives, sweeping across fields and swamps. They pepper the sky, often collecting over bodies of water to skim for insects and catch a drink. As the sun sets, the scattered birds pull together, gathering like a slow-building storm. [Read more…] about Swallows’ South Migration
According to a press release issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, on August 24th, ECO Davey received a report of an injured Great Egret on Ooms Pond in the town of Chatham. The egret reportedly had a severely broken leg tangled in discarded fishing line. [Read more…] about Great Egret Rescued In Columbia County
Where I live, autumn typically starts in late August, when pockets of red maples start to turn scarlet around the marshes and lakes. Uh oh. As they say in Westeros, “winter is coming.”
But not before we get to enjoy fall. Yes, a Northeastern autumn is a postcard cliché. Yes, the tour buses and land yachts full of leaf peepers clog the roads. But, really, who can blame them? No matter how many you’ve seen, fall in the Northeast is still one of nature’s most awesome spectacles. [Read more…] about The Science of Fall Foliage
New York residents can fish for free on Saturday, September 26th. The date is National Hunting and Fishing Day, celebrated each year to promote traditional outdoor activities.
On free fishing days, New York residents and non-residents may fish for free without a fishing license. The final free fishing day for 2020 will take place on Veterans Day, November 11. [Read more…] about Free Fishing Day in New York State on Saturday
We like to think that everything in nature has its own particular time and place. But nature is fond of throwing us curves. As a naturalist, a common question I’m asked during foliage season is, “why are spring peepers calling in my woods at this time of year?” [Read more…] about What’s That Sound? Fall Peepers
Every year, DEC’s Bureaus of Pesticide Management and Law Enforcement receive dozens of complaints regarding the use of mothballs to repel domestic animals and wildlife in urban settings.
Label directions state mothballs are to be used in tightly closed containers to kill clothes moths and other fabric pests. Mothballs are not effective in keeping “unwanted visitors” out of vegetable and flower gardens, interior walls of buildings and/or drop ceilings. [Read more…] about Are You Using Mothballs Correctly?