According to a press release issued by DEC, on August 17th, NYS Environmental Conservation Officers Dickson and Pabes responded to the Captree Fishing Pier at Captree State Park in Suffolk County on Long Island after receiving reports of anglers using nets to catch undersized crabs and other species. [Read more…] about Poachers Using Nets Face Charges in Suffolk, Sullivan Counties
Wildlife
Man Faces Charges For Killing Protected Osprey
According to a press release issued by DEC, on August 3rd, Environmental Conservation Officer CO Small responded to a call from Suffolk County Police about a resident in Port Jefferson who had heard gunshots just prior to seeing a large bird fall out of a tree. [Read more…] about Man Faces Charges For Killing Protected Osprey
Spotted Lanternfly: A Primer
In September 2021, one boy’s blue ribbon-winning 4H project at the Kansas State Fair made national news. The exhibit included a colorfully-spotted, inch-long, moth-like insect that immediately attracted the attention of entomologists. The insect, which the boy had found on his front porch, was a spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula).
Native to Asia, this species was discovered in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014 and is considered a harmful invasive in the United States, causing much stress to plants, gardeners, foresters, and farmers. Although it is firmly established in the northeastern United States, the 4H exhibit was the first time entomologists had noted the spotted lanternfly’s existence so far west. [Read more…] about Spotted Lanternfly: A Primer
The Secret Language of Mushrooms
Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland was chock-a-block full of whimsical characters such as a hookah-smoking caterpillar and a bloodthirsty Queen of Hearts playing-card. Although animals and some objects in the story are able to speak, somehow the idea of a talking mushroom was too far-out even for Carroll’s rich imagination.
The book depicts a colorful hallucinogenic Amanita muscaria mushroom on which Alice dines (without so much as a parental warning) to become large or small. But while the Cheshire cat is chatty, the mushroom remains mum. [Read more…] about The Secret Language of Mushrooms
Security Lights Threaten Fireflies
As a kid, many a June twilight was spent trailing the beacons of fireflies in the deepening dusk to try and catch them in my hands. I was endlessly enthralled. Endlessly until Mom called to clean up for bed, at least. It pleases me that my own two children went through this phase, presenting me with Mason jars of flashing green magic before they released “their” fireflies outdoors. [Read more…] about Security Lights Threaten Fireflies
Protecting Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales
North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) are one the most endangered marine animals, with fewer than 400 estimated remaining. These whales are found throughout the U.S. East Coast.
Threats to whales include entanglement in fishing gear, vessel strikes, and impacts from climate change that change the ocean habitat, their migratory patterns, and location and availability of their prey. NOAA Fisheries’ North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery describes efforts to halt the current population decline and recover the species. [Read more…] about Protecting Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales
Dire News In New York’s First-Ever Pollinator Distribution Survey
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a multi-year survey of hundreds of pollinator species in New York State.
It’s hoped the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey 2017-2021 will provide the foundation for future pollinator research and conservation efforts. [Read more…] about Dire News In New York’s First-Ever Pollinator Distribution Survey
State of the Great Lakes Report Released
The United States and Canada, together with their many partners, have released the State of the Great Lakes 2022 Report, which provides an overview of the status and trends of the Great Lakes ecosystem, including Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about State of the Great Lakes Report Released
The Ecology of Adirondack Wildfires
There are several natural disasters that can alter the ecological make-up of an area. Widespread tree disease, severe winds, and intense ice storms can all seriously damage or destroy the dominant members of a forest community.
However, the most catastrophic force of nature is fire, as a major blaze can significantly impact more than just the composition of trees that cover a given location. [Read more…] about The Ecology of Adirondack Wildfires
Microbial Ecology: Mind Control, Fecal Transplants & Zombie Laternflies
If you believe we’re the master of our actions, think again. Better yet, have a fungus, bacterium, or protozoan tell you what to think. Jedi mind tricks are nothing compared to what microbes can do to animals, human and otherwise. [Read more…] about Microbial Ecology: Mind Control, Fecal Transplants & Zombie Laternflies