My Lifelong Osprey Studies: Scientific Adventures on Our Coast by Paul R. Spitzer In the spring of 1968, I began a lifelong journey of scientific understanding based on Osprey field study. My Osprey mentors, ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson and his wife Barbara, had moved to Old Lyme, CT, in 1954,
Nature Notes: Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) by Terry McNamara Butterflies, flitting about during the summer and spring, are pollinating flowers while feeding themselves. Their bright colors and intricate patterns catch the eye, evoking a sense of beauty in the observer. Members of Odonata—dragonflies and damselflies—also elicit a favorable reaction when viewed by humans.
Early History of the Catholic Church on Fishers Island by Pierce Rafferty While researching within online newspaper archives, I recently stumbled upon a July 1893 article whose headline caught my eye: “A Hundred Years Since Mass Was Celebrated on Fishers Island.” The article recounted that Father Daniel Sheehy of St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Brooklyn,
The Museum’s Evolving Mission by Mike McNamara As a small, single-room organization grows into a multifloor museum dedicated to the social and natural history of Fishers Island, a shift in identity and purpose is natural. This shift becomes even more significant when considering the Museum is also Fishers Island’s largest natural land conservator, stewarding
Introduction to the HLFM’s Strategic Plan Vision, Mission, and Values The Museum is at a unique point in its history. In the last few years, it has expanded its programming, its projects, and its level of professionalism. Simultaneously with these system-level changes, there was a clear need to prepare for the future transitions of
The Janet Harvey Sanctuary & the Silver Eel–Race Point Coastal Trail by Kate Stevens, Special Projects Coordinator Janet Harvey Sanctuary In December 2023, the Fishers Island Waste Management District granted a license to the Henry L. Ferguson Museum to manage, restore, and protect approximately five acres of natural coastline habitat
Along the Trails by Jack Schneider, Land Trust Manager Clay Pit Trail Redirect. A section of Clay Pit Trail has been rerouted. The path now slopes downhill from the Block Island Sound overlook and continues beneath an elevated canopy dominated by mature maples and an uncluttered understory, bypassing the corridors
New Museum Land Trust Publications The Museum is pleased to announce the 2025 publication of two updated guides: the HLFM Land Trust Trail Guide and the Betty Matthiessen Wildlife Sanctuary Trail Guide. The guides will be available at the Museum’s store and at the Beach Plum. HLFM Land Trust Trail
HLFM Land Trust Working on New Land Management Plan by Jessica NeJame, Land Trust Stewardship Coordinator With increasing pressure from ecological threats such as invasive plants, rising tides, and development near and far, it is more important than ever that the HLFM Land Trust maximizes the conservation potential of protected lands on Fishers Island.
Land Trust Report by Bob Miller, Vice-President Land Trust For a number of years, we maintained the native grassland at Middle Farms by burning or mowing roughly one-third of the area annually, but that schedule could not be maintained recently due to Covid issues, wet weather, and other factors. This resulted in saplings and
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F.I. Sketchbook 2005
