Wildlife, Fish, and Marine Life Newsletter

View DEC’s Latest “On the Front Lines” Video: Peregrine Falcon Banding

Each spring and summer, DEC staff monitor peregrine falcons across New York State. Peregrines are endangered in New York State, although thanks to conservation efforts, their populations are growing. They nest on bridges and tall buildings in many New York cities. Join DEC biologist Connie Adams as she bands two nestling peregrine falcons at an urban nest in Buffalo—watch a four-minute video to learn more about peregrines in New York. 

For more information on peregrine falcons, visit the DEC website.

Photo by Barbara Loucks.

Help Monitor Seedlings with the AVID Method

If you like to spend time in the woods in the fall and are interested in keeping those woods healthy, consider monitoring tree seedling growth to find out whether deer grazing is threatening the ability of the forest to sustain itself. Deer populations in parts of the state are high enough to harm the forest ecosystem. Plants can be eliminated by high deer densities, and the future of the forest can be at risk if tree seedlings are eaten before they can grow up to replace trees that fall. Heavy grazing of shrubs and ground cover also destroys habitat for birds and other wildlife.
                                            
DEC has partnered with Cornell University to provide a way for forest owners and people concerned about forest health to monitor the impacts of deer. It involves marking some plants and measuring their height at the same time each year. Seedlings can be monitored in the fall. The method is called AVID, which stands for Assessing Vegetation Impacts from Deer. The AVID website provides all the information you need to start monitoring. For people who would like some hands-on training in using AVID, Cornell Cooperative Extension offers occasional half-day workshops that will be listed on its website when they’re scheduled.

State Lands to Visit: Bear Spring Mountain Wildlife Management Area

Located in the Catskills in Delaware County, Bear Spring Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) provides a full outdoor experience, with beautiful views, mountain streams, ponds, trails, and open fields. Visitors can hunt, fish, trap, watch wildlife, or hike on miles of trails.

Hunters can find white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, grouse, and pheasants. Anglers can fish for brook and brown trout in the property’s two streams and largemouth bass, sunfish, and bullheads at Russ Grey Pond. Hikers will see multiple bird species, interesting plants, and woodland wildflowers along the trails. There is also an area to ride horses. Winter activities include snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. A unique feature of the area is a state-operated campground within the WMA boundary. There is a swimming beach and easy access to the WMA’s trail system. Read more about Bear Spring Mountain WMA in the August issue of the Conservationist (PDF).

National Days Celebrate Outdoor Activities on September 28

National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort for America's public lands. For those who enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, and exploring America's public lands, it's a great opportunity to give back by helping to build trails, clean campgrounds, restore riparian areas, and otherwise serve as stewards at thousands of sites across the country.

In May 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the first proclamation for National Hunting and Fishing Day, urging “…all citizens to join with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in insuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations.”
State and local organizations subsequently held free hunting and fishing-related events, introducing millions of Americans to traditional outdoor sports. National Hunting and Fishing Day remains the most effective grassroots effort to promote outdoor sports and conservation.