From Scully

Know a Good Scientist?

Seatuck is teaming up with the Environmental Defense Fund to create a new scientist position to work on coastal fisheries issues on Long Island.  The position will focus on efforts to restore migratory fish habitat (for species such as alewife) and on other issues related to improving our many coastal tributaries and marshes.  The work will follow-up on and, in many ways, continue the work of EDF scientist Jake Kritzer, who recently moved home to Boston to work in EDF's New England office.  While based in New York, Jake did some great work with regard to Long Island issues, especially in spearheading efforts to improve alewife populations and install fish ladder on dams in the Carmens River.  

While we've only secured funding for one year at this point, we're hopeful that we'll be able to continue the work and even make the position permanent.  Long Island's coastal fisheries -- and the rivers and salt marshes on which they rely -- can certainly use the help!  Please pass word of the job on to anyone you know who might be interested.  A full job description can be found here.  The application deadline is September 15th.

Thanks for your help!

Enrico

It's Official!!!!

As those of you who have been following Seatuck's saga know, we have been working for years to secure our involvement in the future of the Scully Sanctuary. Despite the fact that we played a central role in protecting the 70-acre property in 2003 and in making it the future home of the Suffolk County Nature Center (and even despite the name of this blog), our continued involvement in the undertaking has always been somewhat hypothetical and our relationship to the county uncertain.  That is ... until now.

I'm excited and pleased (and very relieved) to report that, after years of negotiation, Seatuck has a final and fully-executed Custodial License Agreement for Scully.  The more-than-60-page document makes official what we have been talking about for years -- that Seatuck will be offering our educational programs and operating the Suffolk County Nature Center at the Scully Sanctuary for many, many years to come.

While it will still be several months until renovations are complete and the nature center is ready for the public, the signing of the contract will finally make it possible for us to get people in to see the place, schedule some on-site nature walks, and get volunteers involved.  We might even throw a celebration party (or two)!  Keep an eye on this blog for updates and opportunities - we welcome your involvement.

Thanks to all for your patience with Seatuck over the past four or five years.  It's been a long wait, but it should be a fun ride from here on out!

Officially "from Scully" for the first time,

Enrico

Dandy Dedication!

Seatuck was excited and honored to be included in the dedication page of Dandelion Wishes, the new book from the young authors and illustrators in Room 201 of Bay Shore's Mary G. Clarkson Elementary School. The wonderful book tells the story of Lulu, a young dandelion lover who is dismayed one day when a truck stops to spray weed-killing chemicals on her neighbor's yard.  After doing some research, she learns the chemicals are not only dangerous, but might be heading her way.  She decides to organize a rally and is eventually successful in convincing her neighbors to stop killing dandelions.  Her efforts result in a beautiful carpet of yellow flowers for the neighborhood and a wish for a nature-loving world.  It's a beautiful book witan inspirational, earth-friendly message.  You can download and read the whole story here ... Download dandelion_wishes.pdf And a few more illustrations from the book are posted below (including my favorite with Lola in her "Nature Rules" T-shirt).

Seatuck's Peter Walsh visited Room 201 every month this past year, taking the students outside most days and teaching them about spiders, leaves and everything in between.  He even helped them set up a worm composting bin!      

Congratulations to the students in 201 on Dandelion Wishes!  And thanks for including us!

Enrico

Fox Scream

Have you even heard a red fox scream? Well if not, let me tell you it's a terrifying sound. At first, it vaguely sounds like a woman screaming the most horrified "ow" you can imagine; like she's trying to escape an attacker or something. If you happen to be stirred from sleep by it (as I was late last night) it can be truly frightening. Apparently it is the call of a young female red fox (or vixen) trying to find a mate to pair up with for the year. This is the second year in a row we've heard it at Scully, both times in late spring or early summer.  We have a healthy population of red fox in the area and had two successful dens within a few hundred yards of the building this spring.  One produced three healthy kits and the other four -- we regularly see them running around and playing together.  They're great fun to have around (I guess that is until they grow up and start screaming in the middle of the night!)!  If you're interested in hearing the fox scream, there's a bunch of people who have captured the sound on video and posted it on Youtube.  Here's a link to one.

Enrico

Lightning Bugs!

Noticed my first fireflies of the year this past weekend.  I usually think of July as firefly season on Long Island, but it's not uncommon to see them a few weeks early.  It's always one of those special sights, filled with memories of childhood and warm summer nights.  The following is a piece on fireflies I wrote for my column in the Great South Bay Magazine a few years ago.  Get out and enjoy them!

Enrico

Lightning Bugs or Fireflies?

Mark Twain once said that the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.  It’s a good point, but it leaves us with the question of what is the right word for the insects that make our summer nights sparkle?  Twain referred to “lightning bugs,” but many of us call them “fireflies.”  So which is the right word?  Well, as it turns out, both are correct and are used interchangeably. 

Firefly is the older name; it comes from England and its roots are centuries old.  Lightning bug is an American moniker, coined sometime during the mid-1700s.  A recent poll concluded that one-third of Americans use the name lightning bug, one-third use firefly and one-third use both names interchangeably.  In Jamaica they’re called “blinkies” – maybe that’s a name on which we could all agree.

While the names lightning bug and firefly are both perfectly descriptive, neither is terribly accurate.  Lightning bugs (which is the term I’ll use since that’s what we called them when I was a kid) are neither true bugs nor flies.  They are beetles from the family Lampyridea, which translates to “shining ones” in Greek.  There are almost 200 different species of lightning bugs in North America, most of which are found east of the Mississippi River.  Surprisingly, there are no lightning bugs to be found west of the Rocky Mountains.  Across the world, there are nearly 2,000 species; they’re found on every continent except Antarctica.

The fascinating thing about lightning bugs, of course, is the fact that they produce their own light (actually, only two-thirds of the species produce light as adults; but all lightning bugs do as larvae).  It’s one of those amazing aspects of nature that mesmerizes us as children and puzzles us as adults.  So why do they flash and how do they produce the light?  Let’s take the latter question first.

Despite childhood guesses about tiny lanterns or miniature flashlights, lightning bugs actually produce light through a process called bioluminescence.  It doesn’t involve a spark or flame of any kind, just a straightforward chemical reaction.  The light-producing cells – called photocytes – in the tail end of the bugs’ abdomens contain two unique chemicals:  luciferine and luciferase.  When these chemicals mix with oxygen, magnesium, and a fuel source called ATP, a high-energy reaction takes place that produces light as its byproduct. Lightning bugs control this reaction by regulating the amount of oxygen that reaches the photocytes. 

One of the amazing things about this reaction is that it’s almost 100 percent efficient – almost all of the energy is released in the form of light.  There is no heat produced, which is why bioluminescence is often referred to as “cool light.”  Compare this to the light produced by the light bulb above your head.  If it’s an incandescent bulb, only about 10 percent of the energy produced is in the form of light.  The rest is wasted as heat, which is why these old-fashioned bulbs get so hot (and why you should switch that bulb to a more efficient compact-fluorescent!)

The ability of luciferine and luciferase to create light in the presence of such common substances as oxygen and ATP (which exists in every living cell) has lead to many practical applications.  They are used for a wide variety of medical and biological tests and NASA plans to use them to check for extraterrestrial life in space.  They also have more everyday applications – they’re used to create the glowsticks we’ve all seen at concerts and other nighttime events. 

Until just a few years ago, the practical applications for these chemicals created quite a demand for lightning bugs.  Chemical companies paid harvesters handsomely for the lightning bugs and the rare compounds they contained.   I read about one woman in Ohio, known as the “Lightning Bug Lady,” who collected more than a million each year!  Such predation can put a strain on local lightning bug populations, especially when combined with the constant pressure of habitat loss.  Thankfully, scientists have learned how to create luciferine and luciferase in the lab, so the lightning bug trade has been put out of business.

Okay, so we know how lighting bugs create their wonderful light, but why?  Well, like so many other beautiful displays and rituals in nature, it’s done for mating purposes.  In most species, the insects we see flying around and blinking are males.  They’re trying to locate and attract females, which are usually flightless, but climb to the top of a bush or blade of grass to do their (less frequent) return blinking.  Males usually outnumber females by 50 to 1. 

If a male and female are successful in getting together through their blinking communication, they mate and the female lays her eggs in moist soil.  The eggs (which in some species have their own bioluminescence) will hatch into larvae in a few weeks.  The larvae live in the soil and leaf litter for up to two years before building a mud cocoon and transforming into adults.  All lightning bug larvae have luminescent abilities, usually in the form of a series of light spots on their sides (in fact, the larvae of some species are called glowworms).  It is believed that this characteristic is used to dissuade potential predators (in nature, bright colors or showy displays often indicate toxicity or danger).  The lightning bug larvae are voracious predators themselves, feeding on snails, earthworms and wide variety of other soil inhabitants.  They subdue their often-larger prey by injecting a paralyzing chemical.

For many, lightning bugs are as synonymous with summer – as much a part of the season as vacations, swimming, watermelons and fresh tomatoes.  Many of us are filled with nostalgia and joy at the very sight of their blinking light.  They bring to mind warm summer nights with friends and family, chasing the slow-flying bugs around the yard with empty jars in our hands.  Some of us gathered the insects with plans for bug-powered lanterns; others were just after a few nighttime companions for the bedside table.

While the excitement of chasing lightning bugs may wane as we grow up, I’ve discovered recently that it quickly re-ignites when there are children around.  It’s a special thrill to introduce a child to these magical insects for the first time, to see the wonder in their eyes as they try to comprehend the mysterious blinking lights, and to watch their excitement as they catch their first lightning bug. 

So, if you can tear them away from the TV, computer and video games, take some children outside this summer as the sun is setting to enjoy one of nature’s best light shows.  Find a relatively dark place just after sundown, arm them with empty jars, and introduce them to one of the great joys of childhood.  I promise your efforts will be rewarded.

   

Spring Bird Survey

After dealing with driving rain and cold temperatures for our winter bird survey of Scully in December, we were disappointed to have been unlucky in picking another rainy day for our spring survey in May.  But we forged ahead and counted what we could through the rain.  The weather kept the bird numbers down, but not the spirits of volunteers who came out to help.  Thanks to Steve Terr, Bill Mattimore and Larry & Helga Merryman for joining Seatuck staff for the survey.  The complete list of birds from the spring survey is below.  We'll be conducting our summer breeding bird survey in the coming weeks.  Please let us know if you'd like to join us; all are welcome.

Spring Survey Results (May 2008):

American Crow

American Robin

Black-and-white Warbler

Black-capped Chickadee

Black-throated Green Warbler

Blue Jay

Brown Thrasher

Canada Goose

Carolina Wren

Catbird

Common Grackle

Comorant

Crested Flycatcher

Downy Woodpecker

European Starling

Fish Crow

Glossy Ibis

Green Heron

Herring Gull

House Wren

Mallard

Mourning Dove

Mute Swan

Northern Cardinal

Northern Flicker

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Oriole

Northern Parula

Osprey

Pine Warbler

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-eyed Vireo

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-winged Blackbird

Snowy Egret

Song Sparrow

Tree Swallow

Tufted Titmouse

White-throated Sparrow

Yellow-throated Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Where have we been?

Wondering what happened to us?  Well, over the past few months we got bogged down in the latest (and hopefully last!) round of contract negotiations with the County regarding our role at Scully.  But it looks like we have a deal and should have a signed contract soon.  We'll be sure to let everyone know when it's official, but in the meantime we'll get back to blogging and fill you in on what we've been up to.

Stay tuned,

Enrico

Peepers Peeping

Is there any more welcome sound this time of year then the nighttime chorus of spring peepers? This tiny tree frog, pseudacris crucifer, is one of our most common, but given it's size (less than two inches) and nocturnal habits, it is rarely seen. But they are thankfully easy to hear. Starting now and building for the next few months, the night air near any wooded wetlands will be filled with their mating calls. For many, the sound of spring peepers is one of the true harbingers of spring.

I heard my first "peep" at Scully a few nights ago on Easter. It was solitary and somewhat lonely, but still exciting. Within a few days the single peep was joined by many others in a chorus of peeping frogs. For the rest of the spring and into the summer it will become such a familiar sound that it will be hard to remember the quiet winter nights.

If you can't hear them where you are, take a walk or ride down South Bay Avenue towards where the woods meet the marsh. Or you can visit just about any other woodland on the South Shore and you're sure to hear them. Enjoy!

Enrico

Giving Fish Room to Run

Years ago, many of Long Island's coastal tributaries would be shimmering with excited activity this time of year as the annual alewife runs returned. The small, silver-sided river herring would herald the arrival of spring as they raced in from the open sea to spawn in the cool, clean freshwater of our rivers and creeks. Alewife, like salmon, are diadromous, which means they hatch and spend the early part of their lives in freshwater before moving out to live the majority of their lives in the ocean. When they reach maturity they return to the freshwater systems of their birth to spawn and start the cycle over again. Along the way, alewife play a vital ecological role -- they are one of the most important forage fish in the sea, feeding larger predators such as striped bass, bluefish, ospreys and seals.

Unfortunately, alewife, like all diadromous species, have suffered greatly from impacts to coastal freshwater habitats, including blockage of migratory pathways, habitat degradation and declining water quality. While some alewife runs remain on Long Island, they are only a trickle of what they once were.

Seatuck recently joined a coalition of organizations working to restore alewife runs on Long Island. The first step is to learn more about existing alewife populations, which is why the coalition will be running the 3rd Annual Alewife Monitoring Survey this spring. Seatuck is coordinating this year's survey.

Volunteers are being sought to watch for alewives during the peak of spawning season, from April 1 to May 31. Individuals from observer teams will take turns looking for fish for fifteen minutes a day (ideally everyday, but at least once each week) in a river or creek near them. No experience or fish expertise is necessary; a training will be provided for all volunteers. If you're interested in getting involved please contact Seatuck at (631) 581-6908. More information about the survey is available here at the South Shore Estuary Reserve Office website.

Scully Update: When Harry (& Jamie) Met Scully

Now I'm sure -- the ball's definitely rolling! Electricians Harry Gavers and Jamie McCarthy, from All Service Electric, showed up at Scully a few days ago to start installing the new fire alarm system. This is the first work done on the building since the "phase one" renovations wrapped-up in late December 2006.

Harry and Jamie certainly have their hands full. They're tasked with installing smoke detectors, alarms and strobe lights in each of the more than 30 rooms and alarm "pull stations" at just about all of the building's many exits. And these aren't the battery operated units we might screw to the ceiling in our own homes. These units are part of a high-tech, integrated system that is completely inter-connected. That means these guys have to run wires to every single unit! Not such a big deal in new construction perhaps, but in a 90-year old steel and wood framed stone building with historic protection, it's a huge job. In an effort to avoid cutting too many holes or running unsightly molding, they'll be exploring every crawl space, nook and cranny in the building to find places to hide wires. They expect the job to take several months. When they're done, they'll know the place better than just about anybody! Good luck, guys.

- Enrico