The Henry L. Ferguson Museum Newsletter Vol. 39, No. 1 • Spring 2024 From the President Elizabeth McCance I heard my first woodpecker this morning, a sure sign that spring is right around the corner. As I think about spring and the summer ahead,
Conservation Science Protecting Fishers Island’s Forests As steward of the Museum’s Land Trust, Jack Schneider is constantly monitoring the health of the Island’s natural habitats. In 2021, Jack noticed signs of Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) in the American beech stand along Island Pond Trail; he reported it to both the
Conservation Science Biocontrol of Swallow-wort Plants Black swallow-wort, Vincetoxicum nigrum, is ubiquitous on Fishers Island. The vine’s entangling tendrils and proliferation of leaves create a green mass that can overgrow and smother adjacent plants The sap of this vine is toxic, which is detrimental to monarch butterflies. According to a
Conserving Seagrass Human activities in the nearshore waters of Fishers Island In anticipation of the Fishers Island Seagrass Management coalition producing a protection plan for the eelgrass found in our nearshore waters, the Museum joined a citizen-science program called Marine Protected Areas Watch (MPA Watch). In this program, volunteers are
The Fishers Island Seagrass Management (FISM) Coalition Update The Fishers Island Seagrass Management (FISM) Coalition has entered an exciting year in its mission to promote community learning about eelgrass meadows. In August 2022, the FISM Coalition passed an outreach, education, and engagement plan with unanimous support. With this plan, the Coalition acknowledges the
Island History by Pierce Rafferty Aerial showing eastern edge of former Fort H.G. Wright parade ground. Photo courtesy of Google Earth. The pond at center left, originally named “Lake Ladd,” was later nicknamed “Movie Pond.” Note the ditch, first cut by the US Quartermaster Corps circa 1908, that utterly failed to drain the
New York Natural Heritage Program Biodiversity Study of Land Trust Properties For the last two years, a team of scientists from the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) has been conducting an inventory of the Museum’s Land Trust properties. Ecologists, zoologists, and botanists have used a variety of survey methodologies
Nature Notes Atlantic Mole Crab by Terry McNamara Perhaps Fishers Island’s most violent, turbulent environment is on our southern beaches, where the waves of Block Island Sound continuously break on shore. Although the coastline is generally rock and pebbles, there are several beaches where the substrate is mostly sand. It is in these areas,
Land Trust Report Spring 2023 by Bob Miller There have been major developments in terms of land preservation and the expansion of our sanctuaries since the Land Trust report in the Spring of 2022. In December 2022, the Land Trust received a donation of a 2.07 acre lot on Brooks
From the President Elizabeth McCance This March, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Cuba with an environmental group. We spent five days aboard a dive boat in the Gardens of the Queen marine protected area, snorkeling and SCUBA diving. The fish, corals, seagrasses, sharks, sea fans, rays, and other wildlife were tremendous.
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F.I. Sketchbook 2005
