THE NEXT EMC MEETING WILL BE at 6:30PM ON JANUARY 25, 2012.
Location is the Howard St John Conference Room (Clinton Hall) at SUNY Ulster.
REGIONAL EVENTS OF INTEREST
Saturday, January 28 – SNOWSHOE DEMO AND GUIDED TOUR – 10AM-1PM
Black Creek Preserve, Esopus. Try out Tubbs Snowshoes while taking a guided, 2.5-mile trek around magnificent Black Creek Preserve. Along the way you’ll pass woodland pools, cross Black Creek on a one-of-a-kind suspension bridge, witness exceptional views of the Hudson River — and maybe spot a bald eagle. Contact Anthony Coneski, 845 473 4440 Ext. 273, www.scenichudson.org
February 16 – How’s the Water? A Presentation and Call for Volunteers – 7-9PM
Join representatives from Riverkeeper’s Patrol Boat Program for a presentation about water quality in the Hudson River and its tributaries, including the Rondout Creek. Riverkeeper will also recruit volunteers to expand its water-quality testing program above the Eddyville Dam into the non-tidal portions of the Rondout Creek and Wallkill River.
For six years, Riverkeeper’s Patrol Boat and its scientific partners have been testing the water for sewage contamination and reporting the findings to the public. Riverkeeper will present data from its Water Quality Testing Program, and discuss opportunities to improve public notification of sewage discharges and to continue making the Hudson safer for swimming, fishing and boating.
Questions and discussion will follow the presentation. Location: Town of Esopus Library, 128 Canal St Port Ewen, N.Y. 12401. For more information about the event, or volunteering, please contact Dan Shapley, Riverkeeper Membership & Events Manager, at dshapley@riverkeeper.org or 914-478-4501 x226.
February 17 – 20 – Great Backyard Bird Count
Bird watchers coast to coast are invited to take part in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Participants in the free event will join tens of thousands of volunteers counting birds in their own backyards, local parks or wildlife refuges.
Each checklist submitted by these “citizen scientists” helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how the birds are doing—and how to protect them. “Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help birds—all at the same time,” said Audubon Education Vice President, Judy Braus. “Even if you can only identify a few species you can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities.”
Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from novice bird watchers to experts. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.
“The GBBC is a perfect first step towards the sort of intensive monitoring needed to discover how birds are responding to environmental change,” said Janis Dickinson, the director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab. “Winter is such a vulnerable period for birds, so winter bird distributions are likely to be very sensitive to change. There is only one way—citizen science—to gather data on private lands where people live and GBBC has been doing this across the continent for many years. GBBC has enormous potential both as an early warning system and in capturing and engaging people in more intensive sampling of birds across the landscape.”
On the www.birdcount.org website, participants can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during the count. The site has tips to help identify birds and special materials for educators. Participants may also enter the GBBC photo contest by uploading images taken during the count. Many images will be featured in the GBBC website’s photo gallery. All participants are entered in a drawing for prizes that include bird feeders, binoculars, books, CDs, and many other great birding products.
For more information about the GBBC, visit the website at www.birdcount.org. Or contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473 or (outside the U.S., call (607) 254-2473) or gbbc@cornell.edu, or Audubon at citizenscience@audubon.org or 202-861-2242 ext 3050.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible, in part, by generous support from Wild Birds Unlimited.
Thursday, March 19 – ‘GIVE A HOOT’ OWL HIKE – 7-8:30PM
Shaupeneak Ridge, Esopus. While sitting around a warm fire, enjoy an introduction to owls and learn how to mimic their distinct calls. Then hike in the moonlight along the shore of beautiful Louisa Pond in search of these majestic birds. Contact Anthony Coneski, 845 473 4440 Ext. 273, www.scenichudson.org
