On rising tides in May and June, horseshoe crabs visit our beaches to lay eggs. Shorebirds, traveling north toCanada, time their arrival to take advantage of this rich food source. Researchers trying to understand and protect these living fossils need your help! Delve into the incredible world of the horseshoe crab, while  helping to tag and release these amazing creatures. Bring water shoes, a water bottle, and a towel. Sign up early.

CAS Members: Children: $7 members; Non-members $10; Adult: $8 members; $12 Non-members:  $7 Senior

Sacred Heart students Jenny Gazerro, left, and Caitlin Timoney deliver soil to be planted. Photo copyright Twan Leenders/Connecticut Audubon Society

May 2012 – Connecticut Audubon Society, in collaboration with Sacred Heart University, has completed the next important phase of the one-of-a-kind coastal habitat restoration project at Stratford Point, planting 96 native trees and shrubs to increase foraging, roosting and nesting opportunities for migratory and breeding birds and other wildlife.

Using a tractor and an array of hand tools, CAS staff along with faculty and graduate and undergraduate students from Sacred Heart planted the trees and shrubs on on a muggy Monday, May 14, and then surrounded the plantings with deer fencing.

The work followed two earlier phases that together are the heart of a longer-term project to transform Stratford Point from a hazardous waste site to a vibrant preserve that complements the mosaic of diverse habitats at the mouth of the Housatonic River. We believe it is the most comprehensive habitat restoration project currently underway in Connecticut or on the Sound.

Late last year, workers and volunteers built 900 linear feet of man-made dune, complete with 38,000 individual dune grass plants, along the point’s north cove. And then in February, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection pitched in by conducting a controlled burn on 20 acres of the point, reducing the build-up of dead vegetation and preparing the way for a resurgence of native grasses and wildflowers.

A Rich Ecological Area
With its position on the lower Housatonic, Stratford Point is in one of the richest areas, ecologically, in Connecticut and on Long Island Sound. The Housatonic estuary itself teems with fish and shellfish. Flanking the river are the 699-acre Great Meadows salt marsh in Stratford, the 840-acre Charles B. Wheeler Salt Marsh in Milford, and Milford Point (Great Meadows and Milford Point are part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge; Wheeler Marsh is state-owned). Connecticut Audubon’s Society’s Coastal Center at Milford Point provides access to an extensive network of beach, dunes, marsh and mudflats.

CAS sanctuary manager John Laiacone plants one of the larger trees, a hackberry. Photo copyright Twan Leenders/Connecticut Audubon Society

The hope is that Stratford Point, which comprises 28 acres of upland habitat and 12 acres of tidal area, will become as biologically diverse as Milford Point, which will significantly increase the amount of first-rate coastal habitat on the Sound.

Even now, with the work still fresh and long-term monitoring just starting, the change at Stratford Point is remarkable.

For most of the 20th century Stratford Point was the home of the Remington Arms Gun Club. Decade after decade of skeet and trap shooting left it and the surrounding marshes contaminated with lead shotgun pellets. The DuPont Corp., which now owns the land, funded a cleanup and preserved the point forever with a conservation easement held by the state DEEP. It also contracted with Connecticut Audubon Society to oversee, manage and restore the property.

This week’s planting was coordinated by Twan Leenders, Connecticut Audubon Society’s conservation biologist, and by Professors Jennifer Mattei and Mark Beekey of Sacred Heart.

Eight Kinds of Shrubs and Trees
They chose eight species: Red bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Serviceberry/shadbush (Amelanchier canadensis), Southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum), Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), Northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), Beach plum (Prunus maritima) and Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). Most of the specimens were small and relatively easy to plant but seven weighed as much as 600 pounds and required a tractor to get into the ground. The trees and shrubs are all native to the area, are likely to thrive on the site because they are tolerant of the salt spray and other harsh conditions of the area, and will provide food and cover for a variety of wildlife.

Mike Stocker, David Mandeville and Michael McCain, all from Sacred Heart, plant one of the 96 trees and shrubs.

The next step, to be taken in early summer, is to create several small hills and dips in the otherwise flat terrain at the point, and add a small, seasonal freshwater pond, to diversify the habitat. In conjunction with Sacred Heart University, we will embark on a long-term monitoring process, to assess the restoration work and see how it compares to the established habitat at Milford Point.

The work was funded by grants from the Connecticut Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership and the Connecticut Ornithological Society. Other parts of the Stratford Point work have been funded by DuPont, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Long Island Sound Futures Fund, and The Nature Conservancy.

Connecticut Audubon Society is seeking talented, enthusiastic and energetic individuals for our Seasonal Teacher‐Naturalist positions.

Teacher‐Naturalists at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Center at Fairfield are responsible for teaching outdoor and classroom natural science programs to a variety of audiences from early learners to adults.

This Position Provides:
• Experience in teaching natural science programs to K‐12 schoolchildren, family, adult, scout and community groups  
• Opportunity to hone skills in environmental education techniques and integrating school science curriculum into informal settings
• Expanded knowledge of our local flora and fauna
• Expertise in effective communicating with diverse audiences

Please Apply If You…
• Are a junior, senior or a BA/BS in natural sciences, environmental science, environmental education, biology or related field
• Have a minimum of 1 year teaching experience with proven skills teaching in formal and/or informal settings
• Possess prior outdoor science education experience working with children
• Have excellent interpersonal skills for working with teachers, administrators, children, staff and professional colleagues

If you are interested and would like more information, or if you would like to apply, please email Michelle Eckman, Director of Education, at meckman@ctaudubon.org. Applicants should send a cover letter and résumé.

Tom is responsible for planning and carrying out Connecticut Audubon Society’s communications, including website, email, traditional media, and social media. He joined the organization in 2011.

Tom is the author of This Fine Piece of Water: An Environmental History of Long Island Sound (Yale University Press). For more than five years he wrote and edited an influential blog about environmental issues in the Sound region, and he spent almost two decades as a newspaper reporter in New York, covering the environment, politics and other local issues.

He was the director of communications and special projects for Westchester Land Trust, in Bedford Hills, N.Y., from 2000 through 2010, a period during which the organization achieved its greatest success, preserving more than 6,000 acres.

Milan Bull
Senior Director of Science and Conservation

Miley oversees all of the organization’s conservation work, including our public advocacy program in Hartford. He is a member of the Long Island Sound Study’s Citizens Advisory Committee, the Conservation Advisory Council to Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and many other local and statewide boards and committees. Miley was a founding director of the Connecticut Ornithological Association, and has published numerous articles and speaks statewide on topics relating to ornithology and the environment.

He is a long-time expedition leader for Connecticut Audubon Society’s EcoTravel program, and has led trips throughout the Americas, Australia, Antarctica, and Africa. Miley has a BS degree in Wildlife Management from the University of Connecticut and a MS degree in biology from the University of Bridgeport. He and his wife, Cathy, reside in Fairfield.

Michelle Eckman
Director of Education

Michelle collaborates with CAS staff, local schools and school systems to develop and promote our new, innovative, outdoor science education program for K-12 students called Science in Nature. Her goal is for our Science in Nature program to reach the majority of K-12 students, particularly from Title I schools, in each of our center’s geographical areas. She joined the organization in early 2012.
 
Michelle was an avian field biologist for 15 years before dedicating her career to environmental education eight years ago. Since that time, she has taught middle school science in New Mexico and spent five years as the education manager and director of education for the National Audubon Society’s Mitchell Lake Audubon Center in San Antonio, TX. Michelle was awarded the Tamar Chotzen Educator of the Year award from the National Audubon Society in 2010.  She earned her B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. and her M.S. in Biology from New Mexico State University where she was a National Science Foundation GK12 Fellow. She lives in Bridgeport.

Pledge forms are available by clicking here. As many of you know, the Connecticut Audubon team (the Raven Luna-ticks: Nick Bonomo, Patrick Dugan, Dave Tripp, Frank Zygmont, and me, Frank Gallo) broke the New England Big Day record of 191 species last year, besting Connecticut’s record by six, with 192 species.

Our hard-won victory lasted an entire week, when friends from Massachusetts topped our record by one. We should never have told them. Now we’re rallying for another run, with the certainty that all that stands in the way of the mystical 200 species is the right route on the right day.

Our success is in large part due to the generous sharing of sightings by Connecticut birders. We’re making the attempt this year minus Nick, who is birding in Florida, so now, more than ever, we need your help – your eyes and ears – so we can take back the title, and continue to support the important conservation and education work done at Connecticut Audubon Society’s Coastal Center at Milford Point.

Big Day 2012 is on May 21. We need information on the specific whereabouts of lingering waterfowl such as loons, grebes, coots, moorhens, any sea/diving duck, and uncommon nesting ducks such as Common and Hooded Mergansers, Gadwall, and Blue- and Green-winged Teal. Both the bitterns, Pied-billed Grebe, and rail locations, especially for Sora and King, are greatly appreciated. Sites for less-common nesting birds, such as Belted Kingfisher, Cliff Swallow, Hairy Woodpecker, Winter Wren, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, White-eyed Vireo, Golden-winged, Kentucky, Yellow-throated, Magnolia, Nashville and Cerulean warblers, and Yellow-breasted Chat (especially west of the Connecticut River) are needed.

Nest locations for Barn, Saw-whet, and Long-eared owls, Mississippi Kite, harrier, Bald Eagle, kestrel, Red-shouldered, Broad-winged, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, and Goshawk are ALWAYS needed. Obviously, there are many other less-common migrants and nesting species that would be of value to us such as Rusty Blackbird, Lincoln’s and White-crowned Sparrows, Common Nighthawk, Red-headed Woodpecker, Grasshopper Sparrow, Upland Sandpiper, Horned Lark, or even Blue Grosbeak or Clay-colored Sparrow. Updates on the Harris’s Sparrow and a dependable location for Black Skimmer would be great, as well.

Sites should be near a road, as time does not allow long treks into the woods. Email me at Peeplo@aol.com. Let me know if there are nests that are best left unpublicized. We are very careful not to disturb nesting raptors or any other species.

This event is an important  fundraiser for the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point. You can find a pledge form here.

We thank you for your continued generosity and support. 
Frank Gallo
Director, Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center
1 Milford Point Road, Milford 06460
203-878-7440

 On Saturday, June 2, 2012, Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield will host a nature walk in celebration of American Hiking Society’s 19^th annual National Trails Day.^®  This leisurely guided 1.5 mile hike through the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Larsen Sanctuary will pass through the sanctuary’s temperate deciduous forest as well as ponds, a garden marsh, meadow and swamp.  There will be time to explore an old foundation and visit Deer Meadow Hawk Observation Platform. The varied terrain is of easy-to-moderate difficulty.  Meet in the Nature Store and end with a complementary cup of Birds & Beans Shade Grown Organic Certified coffee.  Roasted inNew England, it is USDA-approved, 100 percent organic, and certified Bird Friendly by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC).  In addition, walking sticks, binoculars and field guides will be available at 15% discount in the Nature Store.  Store hours are 10:00am-3:00pm.

Pre-registration is recommended.  203-259-6305 ext.109. Rain or shine but heavy rain cancels.  Sturdy footwear required for variable terrain. 

 Since 1993, National Trails Day has inspired thousands of people to enjoy trails on the same day nationwide, taking part in hikes, bike and horse rides, trail maintenance, paddle trips and other activities.

It’s that time of year when our feathered friends are making their journeys back north towards their breeding grounds. Fortunately for us, many of them find our Larsen Sanctuary to be a wonderful stopover site for rest, food and water. Some may even decide to call the sanctuary home for the summer.

 Join long-time birder and CAS Director of Education, Michelle Eckman, who will lead you on a beautiful walk through our sanctuary while helping everyone observe birds by sight and sound.  Our Chiboucas Trail is stroller-accessible and birders of all levels and ages are welcome.

The program is on Saturday, May 19 from 9-11 a.m. Meet at the covered trailhead at the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Center at Fairfield’s Larsen Sanctuary. Bring your binoculars, note pad and field guides. Identification books are also available in the Nature Store.

 Program fee: $5/person for CAS members; $8/person for non-members. All proceeds support Connecticut Audubon Society environmental education programs. Register in advance by calling 203-259-6305 ext. 109.

Saturday May 12   10-11 a.m.

Spring is here and the birds are flitting around, making their way north or just getting ready to establish territories for the summer. All that flitting around sure can make them tricky to identify – we have just the remedy!

 Join long-time birder and naturalist Richard Worth who will teach you how to identify Connecticut’s migratory birds by sight and sound. Backyard birding begins at the feeder, so you’ll also learn who is at the feeder at this time of year, their feeding habits, and their characteristics. Worth will discuss ways to attract birds to your feeder, what birdseed (or nectar) to use, and where to place feeders. The program will end with a delightful, short walk in our Larsen Sanctuary (weather permitting).

 The program is on Saturday, May 12 from 10-11 a.m. Program is for adults and children ages 10 and up. Meet in the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Center at Fairfield’s Nature Store. Bring your binoculars, note pad and field guides. Identification books are also available in the Nature Store. This program is free but donations are appreciated. Register in advance by calling 203-259-6305 ext. 109.

Hemlock gorge at the our Center at Pomfret. Photo copyright Twan Leenders/Connecticut Audubon Society

May 2012 – The session of the Connecticut General Assembly that ended in Hartford this week resulted in a number of achievements that we think are good for conservation and for the state’s environment in general.

The Senate and the House passed one bill with big implications for land conservation, and another with smaller but perhaps more immediate consequences for wildlife sanctuaries such as the 19 we own and operate.

Two other bills that would have had a detrimental effect on conservation went nowhere, which is also good news. Here’s a summary:

Bills that Passed Both Houses
An Act Concerning the State’s Open Space Plan (SB 347) will make it easier for Connecticut to reach its goal of protecting 21 percent of the land in the state.

The bill requires the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to prepare a strategy for achieving the 21 percent goal, in consultation with the state Department of Agriculture, the state Council on Environmental Quality, municipalities, regional planning agencies, and private land conservation organizations such as Connecticut Audubon Society. The deadline is December 15, and it has to be updated at least every five years.

The strategy must include an estimate of the number of acres preserved statewide, as well as timetables for land acquisition by the state, plans for managing the state’s preserved lands, and an assessment of the resources the state will need to acquire and manage open space.

It has to identify the highest priorities for land acquisition, including wildlife habitat and ecological resources that are in greatest need of immediate preservation, and the general location of each priority.

The bill also requires the DEEP to work with other state agencies to identify lands they own that might have conservation value, and to devise a plan for preserving the tracts with the highest conservation value. This provision is particularly important because it could lead to the preservation of important tracts without having to spend state funds.

Many of the bill’s specific provisions started as recommendations in Connecticut Audubon Society’s annual Connecticut State of the Birds reports. Connecticut’s conservation community supported the bill and worked collaboratively to help get it passed, in particular the state Council on Environmental Quality and Audubon Connecticut, the state office of National Audubon Society.

An Act Increasing the Penalty for Poaching (HB 5263) did exactly what its name suggests – increase the fine for hunting illegally on private land, to a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $1,000.

Illegal hunting has been an occasional problem on our sanctuaries, in particular the 700-acre sanctuary at our Grassland Bird Conservation Center in Pomfret. Andy Rzeznikiewicz, the Land Manager at the center, said this:

“I have personally caught and reported many people poaching on our sanctuary in Pomfret.  In the end, these people get a little slap on the hand, and face virtually no consequences for their actions.

“In late December of 2010, after deer season was finished, I found where an abutter to the sanctuary had been baiting deer on our sanctuary and shooting them from his house. He had shot and killed three deer and injured a fourth that particular day. Judging by what I saw there this wasn’t his first time that year.

“When the conservation officer approached him at his house he readily admitted guilt. He was only fined $100 and he got his gun back! Just beyond where he was shooting the deer, we have a public hiking trail. Someone could have been hurt! The poacher asked the conservation officer if it was the women walking her dog five minutes after he shot the deer who reported him. That’s how close we were to a potential injury.”

Bills That Did Not Pass
An Act Modernizing the State’s Telecommunications Laws (SB 447) contained sections that would have declared the construction of cell towers in state parks and forests to be compatible with other traditional parks and forests activities. Cell towers can be built in parks and forests only after a specific review by the DEEP but this bill would have made it much easier to build towers in those areas.

Because cell towers can damage and fragment habitat, we opposed that provision. The sections of the bill that would have made cell towers compatible with state parks and forests were deleted; the revised bill did not pass.

An Act Modifying the Ban on Pesticide Applications on School Grounds (SB 5155) would have rolled back a law that prevented the use of cosmetic pesticides on school lawns and playing fields.

In addition to exposing school children to unnecessary risks, it also would have posed a threat to many of the state’s most common birds, which glean insects from lawns and fields. The bill did not make it out of the Environment Committee.

Connecticut Audubon Society thanks the General Assembly for taking these common sense actions and sends its congratulations to the state’s conservation community for working hard to achieve these results.

A meadow with our new Center at Pomfret in the distance. Photo copyright Twan Leenders/Connecticut Audubon Society

May 2012 – With migration and breeding season here, you might be looking for a place to combine a hike through spectacular scenery with the chance to see birds that you’ll rarely encounter in Connecticut’s wooded and suburban areas.

Our Grassland Bird Conservation Center and Bafflin Preserve in Pomfret has 700 acres of hillside meadows with views across the countryside of northeastern Connecticut. There are marshes, ponds, a hemlock gorge bisected by a swift brook. It is home to flocks of Bobolinks, to Eastern Meadowlarks, to half-a-dozen pairs of nesting American Kestrels, to American Woodcock and to other birds of field and shrubby areas that are hard to find elsewhere in the state.

Twenty-eight warblers, Northern Harrier and American Bittern have been recorded among the sanctuary’s 206 species. You can find a species list here.

Pomfret is in the northeast corner of the state, near both the Massachusetts and Rhode Island borders. You can get there by taking Interstates 91 and 84, or 95 and 395, and then following local roads, one of which – Route 169 through Lisbon, Canterbury and Brooklyn – is a designated scenic road and is part of the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor.

The Grassland Bird Conservation Center had its grand opening in October 2011. Center Director Sarah Heminway and her staff and volunteers present monthly art exhibits (and recently unveiled a spectacular permanent mural by Amy Bartlett Wright), frequent educational programs, and more. Sanctuary manager Andy Rzeznikiewicz leads regular bird walks, including the seventh annual 90-Bird Day on Saturday, May 19.

The Center at Pomfret is at 218 Day Road, Pomfret Center, Ct. Our Pomfret page has more information about hours and admission, or call 860-928-4948.

Not far from Pomfret is our 168-acre Trail Wood sanctuary. Trail Wood is the former home of writer and naturalist Edwin Way Teale, who lived there with his wife, Nellie, from 1959 until his death in 1980.

Trail Wood is at 93 Kenyon Road, Hampton, Ct. There’s more information on our Trail Wood page, or call 860-928-4948.