A video sent by a friend, Rey Pinder...
6 years ago
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Wolf Hunting Elk - Yellowstone - BBC Worldwide Video
As herds of elk and bison are gradually weakened by the cold, one animal gets stronger - the wolf. Chased down by the pack, Yellowstone's herds have little resistence as the wolves move in for an easy kill.
Monday, April 4, 2011
NATURE | Bears of the Last Frontier | Interview with Bear biologist Chri...
Nature joins adventurer and bear biologist Chris Morgan on a year-long motorcycle odyssey deep into Alaska's bear country to explore the amazing resiliency and adaptability of these majestic animals as they struggle to make a living in five dramatically diverse Alaskan ecosystems: coastal, urban, mountain, tundra, and pack ice.
Friday, April 1, 2011
American Bald Eagles - First Hatch is Imminent in Decorah, Iowa - Watch an Eaglet Being Born on Ustream.TV
Watch original...
Decorah Eagles
Total views: 6,869,495First hatch is imminent. It could occur anytime today.
The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.
Total views: 6,869,495First hatch is imminent. It could occur anytime today.
The Raptor Resource Project brings you the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Ground a Proposal to Fill Parts of Bay to Grow JFK, Foes Say by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News
Click on image to enlarge
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Bald Eagle Making An Impressive Comeback In New York State | wgrz.com
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As an apex predator, the eagle helps maintain an important balance of mammals and birds within natural communities, and may serve as a bellwether to human society as well. Roblee tells us, "We can end up with nuisance problems, with some species becoming too numerous, it can result in over-browsing of certain plant communities, so we need top predators, and the Bald Eagle is an important one."
The history of the Bald Eagle in North America is a mixed one, at best. Despite being revered as the national bird and regarded as a symbol of America's power, this beautiful predator was driven to the brink of extinction.
In New York State, a number of factors led to the near disappearance of the eagle. Hunting, habitat loss, and the deadly insecticide DDT brought the state's population to one single eagle in 1975!
Three decades later, the eagle is enjoying a strong revival. The NY Department of Environmental Conservation reports near record numbers throughout the state, including in Western New York.
Kenneth Roblee is a Senior Wildlife Biologist with the DEC. He says, "This year, we in this region came up with a total of 51, this is a record total for our mid-winter count, and we may also end up with a record total count for the state." Loretta Jones, Founder of Hawk Creek Wildlife Center, adds, "We actually led the country in the re-introduction of Bald Eagles in the Lower 48 states, which is amazing, because we were down to one Bald Eagle...one."
As an apex predator, the eagle helps maintain an important balance of mammals and birds within natural communities, and may serve as a bellwether to human society as well. Roblee tells us, "We can end up with nuisance problems, with some species becoming too numerous, it can result in over-browsing of certain plant communities, so we need top predators, and the Bald Eagle is an important one."
Jones agrees, "The Bald Eagles are on the top of the food chain, and one of the most important things they do, is they're great barometers, they're great markers of the environment, and they let us know what we are doing to poison ourselves and our children, and that's really important!"
Even though news for the Bald Eagle is good for now, the species is not out of the woods yet. Threats such as disease, pollution, and even wind turbines pose a danger to this powerful yet fragile bird, and vigilance needs to be kept to guarantee the Bald Eagle continues to fly free.
"The test of our mettle will be if we can keep them here at these numbers," says Roblee. "We do need to be vigilant, not just for the Bald Eagle, but for many other species that require seclusion and specific habitat set asides."
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Coopers Hawk Causes a Flap on Capitol Hill at Library of Congress - NBC Nightly News
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A story unfolded of a female Copper's Hawk trapped high inside the Library of Congress since Wednesday. NBC Nightly news reported the hawk was captured after it was baited by two Starlings bought in by a Virginia Bird Conservancy
A story unfolded of a female Copper's Hawk trapped high inside the Library of Congress since Wednesday. NBC Nightly news reported the hawk was captured after it was baited by two Starlings bought in by a Virginia Bird Conservancy
Friday, December 31, 2010
Secret Lives of Baby American Beavers Filmed - BBC - Earth News
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Using discreet video cameras, scientists have been able to study the long-term natural behaviour of beavers "at home" in their lodges.
The tiny, waterproof cameras, inserted into beaver dens, show that beavers lead very different private lives when at home than when outside.
At home, the animals are surprisingly co-operative and scientists have even recorded baby beavers growing up.
Beavers make sophisticated homes, either in dens burrowed into river banks, or more complex lodges.
Lodges are essentially dens built from wooden branches that are surrounded by water, the level of which beavers help maintain by also building wooden dams.
Video taken of beavers within 17 lodges and six bank dens revealed some surprising behaviours.
Living in their elaborate shelters, beavers were thought to be cut off from the outside environment.
But the video study shows that they exhibit regular patterns of behaviour, leaving to feed at roughly the same time every day, for example.
"This suggests that they may not be as cut off from the external environment as we think they are," says Professor Mott.
Male and female beavers appear to take equal responsibility for raising their babies, known as kits, perhaps because the young are so "high maintenance".
In the privacy of their own home, beavers also spend 95% of their time feeding, sleeping, and grooming.
"It supports the assumption that the relative security of the den is a place where they can exhibit behaviors that would be potentially dangerous outside of dens," says Professor Mott.
Baby Sleep
Another surprise relates to the private lives of baby beavers, and their sleeping patterns.
Baby beavers, and adults, follow a similar sleep schedule to humans, the researchers report in the journal Mammalian Biology.
Adults beavers tended to sleep at a similar time, though not all the adults fall asleep at once, perhaps to ensure the babies are looked after.
"Kits, on the other hand, exhibited multiple sleep wake cycles throughout the day and night, with each interval lasting only a few hours, much like a human infant waking up every few hours during the night," says Prof Mott.
Finally, "given that beavers are in incredibly close confines within dens, we fully expected to document aggressive behaviours," he explains.
Most social animals that live in close-knit groups tend to use aggression to establish a "pecking order" between individuals.
But "one of the most interesting things we didn't find was aggression within beaver colonies," Prof Mott told the BBC.
The researchers know of only two previous studies that attempt to explain what happens within a den, despite the fact that beavers spent considerable portions of their lives in these structures.
In one study, scientists cut away one side of a lodge to view the beavers directly via a glass panel, which likely disturbed the animals' natural behavior.
The other study consisted of a researcher "listening in" while outside the lodge, in an attempt to describe what was happening inside.
"To our knowledge, our study is the first to use long-term video data to follow behavior for months at a time, over successive years, and even during the period from birth of beaver kits until they disperse to find territories of their own," says Professor Mott.
The secrets lives of beavers have been revealed by a new study.
Using discreet video cameras, scientists have been able to study the long-term natural behaviour of beavers "at home" in their lodges.
The tiny, waterproof cameras, inserted into beaver dens, show that beavers lead very different private lives when at home than when outside.
At home, the animals are surprisingly co-operative and scientists have even recorded baby beavers growing up.
Kits exhibited multiple sleep wake cycles lasting only a few hours, much like a human infant waking up every few hours during the night - Professor Cy Mott
"Much of what we know about beavers and their use of dens is limited to questions like 'what times of day do they go in and out of the den'", says Cy Mott, a biologist at Kentucky Wesleyan College, in Owensboro, US.
"Simply because, until recently, we haven't had the technology to follow their behavior within the den without potentially disturbing natural behaviour."
So Professor Mott and colleagues, Craig Bloomquist and Clayton Nielsen of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, US, decided to study American beavers ( Castor canadensis ) denning on the Mississippi flood plain in south-western Illinois.
Beavers in this region declined drastically in the 19th and 20th Centuries, but have since recovered due to a ban on hunting them for their pelts.
The researchers used special "probe" cameras that do not disturb the beavers to record the animals' behavior in 23 colonies over the course of more than a year.
"Simply because, until recently, we haven't had the technology to follow their behavior within the den without potentially disturbing natural behaviour."
So Professor Mott and colleagues, Craig Bloomquist and Clayton Nielsen of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, US, decided to study American beavers ( Castor canadensis ) denning on the Mississippi flood plain in south-western Illinois.
Beavers in this region declined drastically in the 19th and 20th Centuries, but have since recovered due to a ban on hunting them for their pelts.
The researchers used special "probe" cameras that do not disturb the beavers to record the animals' behavior in 23 colonies over the course of more than a year.
Beavers make sophisticated homes, either in dens burrowed into river banks, or more complex lodges.
Lodges are essentially dens built from wooden branches that are surrounded by water, the level of which beavers help maintain by also building wooden dams.
Video taken of beavers within 17 lodges and six bank dens revealed some surprising behaviours.
Living in their elaborate shelters, beavers were thought to be cut off from the outside environment.
But the video study shows that they exhibit regular patterns of behaviour, leaving to feed at roughly the same time every day, for example.
"This suggests that they may not be as cut off from the external environment as we think they are," says Professor Mott.
Male and female beavers appear to take equal responsibility for raising their babies, known as kits, perhaps because the young are so "high maintenance".
In the privacy of their own home, beavers also spend 95% of their time feeding, sleeping, and grooming.
"It supports the assumption that the relative security of the den is a place where they can exhibit behaviors that would be potentially dangerous outside of dens," says Professor Mott.
Baby Sleep
Another surprise relates to the private lives of baby beavers, and their sleeping patterns.
Baby beavers, and adults, follow a similar sleep schedule to humans, the researchers report in the journal Mammalian Biology.
Adults beavers tended to sleep at a similar time, though not all the adults fall asleep at once, perhaps to ensure the babies are looked after.
"Kits, on the other hand, exhibited multiple sleep wake cycles throughout the day and night, with each interval lasting only a few hours, much like a human infant waking up every few hours during the night," says Prof Mott.
Finally, "given that beavers are in incredibly close confines within dens, we fully expected to document aggressive behaviours," he explains.
Most social animals that live in close-knit groups tend to use aggression to establish a "pecking order" between individuals.
But "one of the most interesting things we didn't find was aggression within beaver colonies," Prof Mott told the BBC.
The researchers know of only two previous studies that attempt to explain what happens within a den, despite the fact that beavers spent considerable portions of their lives in these structures.
In one study, scientists cut away one side of a lodge to view the beavers directly via a glass panel, which likely disturbed the animals' natural behavior.
The other study consisted of a researcher "listening in" while outside the lodge, in an attempt to describe what was happening inside.
"To our knowledge, our study is the first to use long-term video data to follow behavior for months at a time, over successive years, and even during the period from birth of beaver kits until they disperse to find territories of their own," says Professor Mott.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Helping the Wild Birds of New York City - WNYC Radio - Video
New York City is a stopover on an ancient migratory path for birds called the Atlantic flyway. During the spring and fall migration, birds are often injured flying into plate glass windows, or become disoriented and exhausted by the bright lights at night. But unlike L.A., Chicago and Philadelphia, New York doesn't have a wildlife rehabilitation center. Instead, injured wildlife is cared for by an underground network of wildlife rehabilitators like Rita McMahon.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Bird Watchers Compete in Texas by Mark Strassmann - CBS News Video
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Mark Strassmann reports on competitive bird-watching in Texas, where more than 200 "birders" vie to spot and identify the greatest variety of birds.
The Second Fastest Growing Hobby is... Birding?
Bird Watching Can Bring Fierce Competition Among America's 48 Million Amatuer Audubons
We're down to the final week of summer. For birds, the fall migration has begun and that means it's peak season for birdwatching.
This is no casual activity, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann , in fact it's one of the most popular competitions in America.
For every backyard birder out there, the sound of birds is music to the ears.
Greg Mason's one of 48 million American birders - amateur Audubons. They know a scarlet tanager from a rose-breasted grosbeak.
Or in this case, a "little green heron," as Mason points out. He gets jazzed up about birdwatching. "You start doing this, and you go to kookytown."
The annual Great Texas Birding Classic is a spirited competition for more than 200 birders. Teams keep score on the honor system. Spot the greatest variety of birds, you win.
Competitors can identify different species by sight or by sounds. It's called "ear birding." If you're in it to win it, if you "bird" to win, the birder to beat is Bill Baker.
Baker is the five-time defending champion of the Great Texas Birding Classic. His three-man team will cover 2,000 miles in five days.
"It's a quick pace," Baker said. "We don't sit in one spot very long."
Baker scouts out the entire course before the competition begins. "Every team is going to find the bird you would expect to find," he said. "So you have to go beyond what's expected in order to win."
Mention Baker's name and many birders like Susan Knock lose their bravado.
"You're going to have to beat him," Strassmann said.
"I am," Knock replied.
"Is it possible?"
"Yes,"
"This year?"
"No."
Knock was right. Baker won again, spotting 308 different species. Proving once again that with both birds and birders, there is a pecking order.
This is no casual activity, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann , in fact it's one of the most popular competitions in America.
For every backyard birder out there, the sound of birds is music to the ears.
Greg Mason's one of 48 million American birders - amateur Audubons. They know a scarlet tanager from a rose-breasted grosbeak.
Or in this case, a "little green heron," as Mason points out. He gets jazzed up about birdwatching. "You start doing this, and you go to kookytown."
The annual Great Texas Birding Classic is a spirited competition for more than 200 birders. Teams keep score on the honor system. Spot the greatest variety of birds, you win.
Competitors can identify different species by sight or by sounds. It's called "ear birding." If you're in it to win it, if you "bird" to win, the birder to beat is Bill Baker.
Baker is the five-time defending champion of the Great Texas Birding Classic. His three-man team will cover 2,000 miles in five days.
"It's a quick pace," Baker said. "We don't sit in one spot very long."
Baker scouts out the entire course before the competition begins. "Every team is going to find the bird you would expect to find," he said. "So you have to go beyond what's expected in order to win."
Mention Baker's name and many birders like Susan Knock lose their bravado.
"You're going to have to beat him," Strassmann said.
"I am," Knock replied.
"Is it possible?"
"Yes,"
"This year?"
"No."
Knock was right. Baker won again, spotting 308 different species. Proving once again that with both birds and birders, there is a pecking order.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
New Bill Would Require City to Trap Raccoons Anywhere in Five Boroughs by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News
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A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request.
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| A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request. |
A new bill has been introduced that would require the city to trap and remove raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs at the public's request.
New Yorkers fed up with the antics of the city's furry masked bandits could get some relief under a bill that makes it easier to capture and release raccoons.
The bill, being unveiled today by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, requires the city to trap raccoons anywhere in the five boroughs simply at the request of the public.
And in a conciliatory nod to the raccoons, the city Health Department would be encouraged to humanely release the critters. Under current guidelines, most trapped raccoons are euthanized because they can carry rabies.
"People have been calling my office complaining that they are seeing a lot of raccoons," Crowley said. "But the Health Department will only come if the raccoon is injured or sick. People are told to hire someone to trap them."
Dozens of raccoons in Central Park have tested positive for rabies, prompting the city to conduct an aggressive trapping and vaccination program.
"I have made reports and no one will listen to me," said a Queens woman, upset that a family of raccoons moved in behind her Ridgewood home. "I have two young daughters and I'm afraid. I was told if I called about a coyote, the city would come right away."
Health Department officials were mute on Crowley's bill, saying they don't comment on pending legislation.
But they encouraged any New Yorker who sees an aggressive or sick raccoon to call 911.
Wildlife experts encouraged New Yorkers to seal up their trash and leave healthy raccoons alone.
"You can't pick up and relocate every animal you see," said Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. "They are in the city, and you have to learn to live with them. They will have less contact with us if we don't invite them."
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Field Chronicles: Abrolhos on Vimeo by Conservation International...
Watch on Vimeo...
Field Chronicles: Abrolhos from Conservation International on Vimeo.
In Brazil, 1,000 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro, is the most divese concentration of marine life in the South Atlantic. Here, people have lived in harmony with the sea for centuries. But as in so much of the world, the balance is under pressure: from oil exploration, dredging, industrial fishing ... Despite these powerful interests, a small team of Conservation International staff have not only helped protect this area, but extend its boundaries. This is the story of their success.
Field Chronicles: Abrolhos from Conservation International on Vimeo.
In Brazil, 1,000 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro, is the most divese concentration of marine life in the South Atlantic. Here, people have lived in harmony with the sea for centuries. But as in so much of the world, the balance is under pressure: from oil exploration, dredging, industrial fishing ... Despite these powerful interests, a small team of Conservation International staff have not only helped protect this area, but extend its boundaries. This is the story of their success.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Visits Gateway NPS at Jamaica Bay Visitors Center with Rep Weiner and Rep Meeks...
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar visits Jamaica Bay Visitor Center and walks West Pond Path with Congressman Anthony Weiner and Congressman Greg Meeks on Monday, July 26th...
View full screen slideshow...
Saturday, July 24, 2010
What Edward Norton Should Know for the UN's Biodiversity Summit by Marielle Anzelone - The Huffington Post
Read an excellent article from my friend, Marielle Anzelone in The Huffington Post...She's Co-founder and Executive Director of NYC Wildflower Week...
Read original...
Actor Edward Norton is unhappy. He is miffed because although he had starred as The Hulk in an earlier movie, he was not cast as the great green hero in a follow-up film. Cheer up, Ed! You've landed an even greener role: United Nations' Biodiversity Ambassador. As the former botanist for New York City, I know first-hand the importance of biodiversity. In fact, I'll be hosting international diplomats on a tour of New York's nature this fall for the UN's Biodiversity Summit. Since we're going to be colleagues, I'd like to help you prepare for your new role. Here are some things you should know.Urban nature exists. Most people embrace Kurt Vonnegut's description of the Big Apple as a "Skyscraper National Park". While accurate at 51st Street and 7th Avenue, it obscures the fact that there is bona fide nature in the five boroughs, even in Manhattan. New York City has more open space than Los Angeles and Chicago combined. These 53,000 acres include towering forests, vibrant marshes and grassland meadows. The world looks increasingly like New York, with more people now living in urban settings than rural areas. The city's 8 million residents are drafting a blueprint for biodiversity from which global lessons can be learned.
Clean air isn't free. Local biodiversity provides us with fresh air to breathe and pure water to drink. Humans benefit from abated floodwaters and the pollination of food crops. Nature provides these ecosystem services for free, but there is clearly a price to be paid for their loss. Purifying contaminated water costs money. Recently a study commissioned by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection determined that natural ecosystems provided benefits worth $18 billion per year, equal to the state's construction industry.
Charismatic megafauna are attention-grabbers. A few years ago, New Yorkers went cuckoo over Pale Male, a red-tailed hawk in Manhattan. His mate Lola had a nest on a tony apartment building across from Central Park. The management of the building found it messy and wanted to take the nest down. The public was having none of this. There was a giant outcry, with plenty of media coverage and dozens of protesters carrying placards. The birds won. This outcome is wonderful for the flashier elements of nature, but what about organisms incapable of garnering any attention for themselves?
Plant blindness is real. People barely notice plants or even realize they are alive! Most see native vegetation as the green backdrop to their outdoor forays. At the same time as the Pale Male controversy, scientists rediscovered Torrey's mountainmint on Staten Island. This globally-rare plant was inconveniently located on land threatened with development. Despite being only one of 20 known populations in the world, there was no public outcry. Bulldozers rolled in and the strip mall was built. Today the mountainmint lives in a sad, garbage-filled strip along a roadside. Its future is precarious. Without a large fan base, our native plants may survive only as photographs.
Extinction is quiet. Dramatic events such as fires, hurricanes and even oil spills have gross negative consequences, but extinction usually is not one of them. Most native plants and animals are lost to quiet, everyday events. The destruction of red maple swamp forests cut down for ball fields and the introduction of invasive garlic mustard seeds from mountain bikes destroy and degrade the places where biodiversity lives. Even parkland is not safe when parking lots, public works, and active recreational pursuits trump preservation of wild spaces.
Nature is good for you. More intangibly but no less important, biodiversity enhances the quality of our lives, providing scenic vistas and shady spots for picnics. Research shows that being in nature lowers stress, boosts immunity, and heightens creativity. The "tonic of wilderness" was well documented before Henry David Thoreau wrote about it. Yet it is difficult for people to understand the benefit of open space conservation - how their individual well-being is fundamentally intertwined with the vast richness of the nature that is around them.
This is why we need you. Most folks think my line of work is interesting, but irrelevant to their everyday lives. People used to know the nature in their backyards, back when basic biology classes were taught regularly in schools. Now more children can identify the McDonald's logo than a white oak leaf.
What nature really needs, then, is your star power to help garner better publicity. Human beings grossly undervalue and ignore the importance of this biodiversity, their life support system. Your voice will amplify the work that we conservation biologists do, and help mitigate our struggles with popular perceptions. I wish you much success but would encourage you to not quit your day job.
Marielle Anzelone is an urban conservation biologist and Co-Founder and Executive Director of NYC Wildflower Week.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Jamaica Bay Landfill to Become Nature Park - Channel 12
Read original and watch video...
The Jamaica Bay landfill is slowly being turned into a nature preserve with many family activities.
The park will feature fishing, a sail boating school, bicycle paths, an amphitheater area and ample parking for visitors.
The project is costing approximately $200 million. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has transformed the landfills over the past 10 years in to a lush habitat covered with more than 30,000 shrubs and trees.
The Jamaica Bay landfill is slowly being turned into a nature preserve with many family activities. The park will feature fishing, a sail boating school, bicycle paths, an amphitheater area and ample parking for visitors.
The project is costing approximately $200 million. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has transformed the landfills over the past 10 years in to a lush habitat covered with more than 30,000 shrubs and trees.
Pennsylvania Avenue/Fountain Avenue Restoration Annual Tour – July 20, 2010
This year's tour was entitled “Rolling Hills Tour 2010” and it provided sweeping vistas and panoramic views of Jamaica Bay from the soon to be parks which have been remediated from the former landfill sites.
In my estimation when completed these parks will provide the communities and people of New York City with beautiful new natural areas for relaxation and outdoor activities.
Click here for full screen slide-show and view photo captions...
The tour participants met at the Brooklyn Sports Club and attended a pre-tour power-point presentations of the history and present state of the cleanup and restoration by the Citizens Advisory Committee and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The tour participants met at the Brooklyn Sports Club and attended a pre-tour power-point presentations of the history and present state of the cleanup and restoration by the Citizens Advisory Committee and the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
After the presentation, the participants broke up into groups and boarded vans for the trip to the facilities at the parks on Pennsylvania Avenue and Fountain Avenue.
Penn Park is scheduled to open for public use by 2012 and Fountain Park will follow in 2014.
The parks are the highest spots on Jamaica Bay within New York City, with the Penn Park elevation at 87 feet above sea level and Fountain Park reaching a height of 128 feet above sea level. The parks encompass a total area of 440 acres.
There have been over 40,000 plants, shrubs and grasses planted at the site by DEP, including eight varieties of trees which had been extinct to the area by the mid 19th century. The plant species have been specially selected to be indigenous to the area's climate and seasonal conditions.
During the restoration process DEP has trucked in over 4 million cubic yards of gravel, grading material, sub-soil and top soil. The top-soil is a special mixture of sandy loam produced in the site to complete pre-planting. There are over 25 miles of roadways and trails throughout the sites.
The parks will have many public amenities including an amphitheater at the Fountain Park site for community events such as concerts, a bay fishing pier, a boat launch for non-motorized boating (kayaks, canoes, etc.), sail boating classes, rest areas for open air observatories, gazebos for shade and bicycles paths extended into the parks from the present bike paths along the Belt Parkway .
There will be areas set aside for overnight camping for nature study.
Parking lots will be able to accommodate between 350-500 vehicles. There will be refreshment courts and ample restrooms throughout the parks. Both parks will be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Media attending the tour included Agnes Green of the Spring Creek Sun, WNYC Radio reporter Matthew Schuerman, Channel 12 News and a photographer from the Wall Street Journal.
Media attending the tour included Agnes Green of the Spring Creek Sun, WNYC Radio reporter Matthew Schuerman, Channel 12 News and a photographer from the Wall Street Journal.
The major contributors to the tour were the Brooklyn Sports Club and Tacfield Associates, LLC.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Soundtrack of Mating Calls Helps Put Flock of Endangered Waldrapp Ibis at Bronx Zoo in the Mood by Barry Paddock - NY Daily News
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Six endangered Waldrapp Ibis chicks like the one above (l.) were born at the Bronx Zoo several weeks ago. The birds mated after a soundtrack of mating calls was piped into their enclosure. Watts for News
A low-libido colony of endangered birds in the Bronx got their groove back - thanks to love songs piped into its home.
The flock of 21 Waldrapp ibis living at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo had produced no chicks for seven years.
After zookeepers piped in a sexy soundtrack of mating calls recorded halfway around the world, they turned frisky and have hatched six offspring from three sets of parents.
It's a coup because the birds are extremely endangered - there are just 400 left in the wild - and rarely reproduce in captivity.
"The whole species is at risk," said Mark Hofling, a zoo ornithologist who oversees the species survival plan for ibis in North America.
"They had pretty much stopped courtship behavior," Hofling said of the Bronx birds. "They were just going through the motions."
Two years ago, Dr. Alan Clark of Fordham University recorded the flock's own mating calls, hoping to create aural Viagra by playing them on an endless loop.
There was too much outdoor ambient noise on the tape, so Clark tried again last year at the Philadelphia Zoo's indoor display.
The recordings, played back in the Bronx last spring, did seem to get them in the mood, but they still produced no chicks.
So this spring, Clark upped the ante and visited a semiwild flock in Austria, returning with the perfect recordings of the birds' three distinct mating calls: a chirrup, a whoop whoop and a shrum shrum.
When they found the right sounds, they were played mornings and afternoons from an iPod hooked to speakers on the ibis' wire mesh enclosure near JungleWorld.
And the birds got busy.
They built nests, preened and necked. Several couples laid eggs, and the six chicks hatched in May. The birds grew to adult size, about 2 pounds, in six weeks.
Now zoo officials are trying the same technique on Caribbean and Chilean flamingos, also experiencing a dry spell.
"If it works with this one species, there's the possibility we can apply it to a wide range," said Dr. Nancy Clum, chief ornithologist at the zoo.
It took some experimenting to isolate the right flamingo calls.
"It can sound like a lot of noise," Clum said of the recordings. "You don't want to be playing a vocalization to them that's actually an alarm call."
Meanwhile, the zoo is installing a professional sound system for the ibis for next spring's mating season.
The adult fowl have pink featherless heads splotched with black spots. They can live into their 30s.
"They have beautiful glossy plumage," Hofling said. "People come and say, 'Oh, that's an ugly bird.' I tend to disagree. They're unique."
The mating success doesn't mean the ibis are on the road to repopulation.
"The reasons that made them endangered - human encroachment, pesticide use - are still with us," Hofling said.
No Lions and Tigers, but Plenty of Bears as Population of Coyotes, Deer and Raccoons Boom by Barry Paddock - NY Daily News
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Wild coyote Hal ran amok in Central Park in 2006 before getting caught.
The urban jungle's getting wilder every day.
Booming populations of coyotes, deer, bears and raccoons are causing chaos in close suburbs and encroaching more and more on the five boroughs.
A coyote led cops on a three-day chase through Tribeca in March. Three black bears were spotted just a few miles from the George Washington Bridge in May. And Thursday, two deer tore around the parking lot of a Target in the Bronx.
Experts say numerous factors are leading to the city's growing wild kingdom, from more greenways and bike paths to over-development in the burbs.
"You see them in city limits more than you have in the past," said Dr. Pat Thomas, head animal curator at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo. "Animals can become desensitized to our presence and more emboldened."
After only three coyote sightings in Manhattan over the last decade, the cunning canines have been popping up all over Manhattan. One roamed Harlem in January, three were spotted at Columbia University in February and another was seen crossing a frozen lake in Central Park.
"We're going to see them continue to infiltrate New York City," said Kevin Clarke, a wildlife biologist with New York's Department of Environmental Conservation.
In Rye, just 12 miles from the Bronx, police are hunting for coyotes that attacked a 3-year-old girl Tuesday and a 6-year-old girl four days earlier.
And on Friday, a cop in Yonkers fired at a coyote but the animal escaped.
"This is new to a lot of the experts," said Rye Mayor Doug French. "There's no explanation at this point."
Parents aren't letting their children outside, said Kelly Hodulik, whose daughter, Emily, 6, suffered minor injuries after being bitten on her shoulder and thigh by a pair of coyotes. "Everybody's being really cautious," Hodulik, 42, said. "It's really scary."
Coyotes also are striking out into the city, following power line corridors, parkways and greenways - perfect paths for critters.
"One thing I've learned in the past 10 years," said Dr. Stanley Gehrt, a coyote expert at Ohio State University, "is to never bet against coyotes."
Biologists believe deer in New Jersey have been swimming across the Hudson River to Staten Island since 2000, replenishing the dwindling native population.
Frank Masseria, 53, videotaped the migration of two deer swimming from Perth Amboy, N.J., to Tottenville in May.
"You always wonder how they got here," Masseria said. "I understand they are good swimmers, but to actually see it, I was pretty shocked."
The city is increasingly going to the birds. New York has the highest density of peregrine falcons in the world, said Glenn Phillips, executive director of New York City Audubon. And while Pale Male and Lola used to be about the only red-tailed hawks, now there are more than 30 in the city, he said.
While bears have yet to be spotted in Manhattan, they have gotten close. West Milford, N.J., postponed fireworks after a bear charged a hiker, injuring his dog.
A bear could make the swim across the Hudson River, biologists say, but would likely be discouraged by the urban landscape on either side of the river.
"You're seeing them in places you didn't see them before," said Larry Ragonese of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. "They're moving toward New York."
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