Ontario Bays Initiative - News & Events

Jim LaPlante was re-elected chairman of the Ontario Bays Initiative, Inc. Board of Directors for 2012 during OBI’s recent annual general meeting.

The board considered nominations for officers and directors during the meeting, which was held November 21 at the Copley House in Chaumont.

This will be Jim’s third year leading the land trust’s 11-member board of directors. Bob Wardwell and Joan Treadwell Woods were re-elected as vice-chairman and treasurer, respectively. Tracy Valentine was re-elected as secretary. Lee Russell will serve another year as OBI’s Land Steward.

Others on the board are Sally Hirschey, Ruth Uhlig, Joel Block, Kevin Smith, Jacquie Keating and Carol Simpson. All officers are elected for a one-year term; directors are elected for two-year terms.

Kevin Smith, a resident of Sackets Harbor, and Watertown resident Jacqueline D. Keating have joined our land trust as members of the Board of Directors of Ontario Bays Initiative, Inc.

Both became board members during the April 4, 2011 monthly Board of Directors meeting. They received unanimous approval for membership. With the addition of Jacquie and Kevin, the OBI Board of Directors has 12 members.

Kevin recently retired as a planner for the New York State Tug Hill Commission. In his post of some 28 years, he was instrumental in developing the commission’s technical assistance program. The program worked with towns and villages of the region on issues related to infrastructure development. While working with the commission, Kevin was instrumental in the formation of the Jefferson County Local Development Corporation, the Center for Community Studies at JCC and the Black River Housing Council, among others. Kevin, a father of three girls, lives with his wife, Maryellen in Sackets Harbor. He looks forward to strengthening the relationship between OBI and the Great Lakes Initiative.

Jacquie spent 33 years as a French teacher at General Brown High School in Dexter. She is a private tutor for AP French and an interpreter for the U.S. District Court, Syracuse and the U.S. Border Patrol. Jacquie hold a Master’s Degree from Middlebury College, a Bachelor’s Degree from SUNY Potsdam, as well as a Diplome d’Estudes Francaises, from l’Universite de Poitiers, France.

Jacquie is a member of the Honorary Educational Sorority, the American Association of Teachers of French, the Jefferson County Historical Society, the Officers’ Spouses’ Club of Fort Drum and the Fort Drum Chapter of the AUSA.

She and her husband, Tony, live at 234 Flower Ave. West. They have a daughter, Katherine Dionne Keating and a son, John Michael Keating

Congratulations Kevin and Jacquie!

The Cedar Waxwing is a species whose breeding season more closely matches cottager schedules than many nesting birds of our region. These handsome songbirds are late migrants, with our local breeders generally appearing in late May and early June; a time when the human snowbird migration to cottages is often nearing its peak. This is a nomadic species with its number varying greatly by season and year in any given location. In some years, they are very common, and in others very uncommon. Numbers present are closely tied to wild berry and fruit crops produced by trees and shrubs in a given area.

This species is one of three members of the familyBombycillidae found in the world. Waxwings are named for wax like feather tips found on the secondary wing feathers in adult birds. These are generally red in the Cedar Waxwing. This species is widely distributed in North America, breeding across the continent from the northern edge of the Boreal Forest south to Virginia and Oregon. The winter range extends from southern Canada to northern Panama. Since this species is primarily a fruit eater, abundant crops of sugary fruits in any given area greatly impact local number and distribution.

Winter numbers in northern New York vary with the year, with this species being abundant in some winters and absent in others. In some significant winter’s invasions by their northern relative, the larger Bohemian Waxwing, result in Cedars being outnumbered between November and March. During such winters, year round human residents enjoy the treat of having the Bohemian and Cedar Waxwings present. Both waxwings rarely come to feeders, even in mid-winter, but observers willing to provide expensive fare such as soaked raisins may bring them in. A better strategy to enjoy both species of waxwings is to plant copious amounts of native fruit bearing shrubs and trees in your yard. Species such as mountain ash will bring these visitors to an abundant food source where you can enjoy their presence.

Throughout the winter and early spring Cedar Waxwings are nomadic, drifting through their wintering areas seeking pockets of sporadic but temporality abundant fruiting food sources. Usually it only takes a matter of days/weeks to empty the larder and drift on. The nomadic nature of this species makes it very difficult to assess the timing and nature of their migration. When does a given bird/flock stop wandering for food and begin purposeful migration to a breeding area? I suspect only the birds know for sure. The evidence we do have from migration concentration areas, such as Onondaga Audubon’s Derby Hill Bird Observatory at the southeastern corner of Lake Ontario, suggests spring migration occurs very late and is intense for about a month. Very few migrants pass Derby Hill prior to mid-May and the majority of the migration occurs from Memorial Day to mid-June with some migrants still northbound in late June - early July. It is likely that pairs breeding here are on their breeding grounds by early June.

Breeding birds may arrive paired or pairing occurs shortly thereafter. Often we humans first note their presence when we hear their high-pitched tseeeee call in our yards and gardens Courtship is a low key affair from an observer’s standpoint with feeding of the female by the male and the two birds sitting on branch hopping toward each other are indicators of courting waxwings. The female selects the nest site in a small tree or shrub and primarily constructs the nest. Once the open cup nest of various plant materials is finished she usually lays 4-5 eggs. Clutches occurring late in the season usually result from renesting and may involve fewer eggs. At our latitude it is likely that the Cedar Waxwing raises only one brood per year, however, since nesting continues to late August second broods are possible. If all goes well, young begin to hatch about 12 days after the last egg is laid and young fledge about 16 days later. During incubation and brooding the female attends the nest and young with the male providing food. As the young grow, the female makes forays for food. Once fledging occurs, parents feed and provide care for young for a couple of weeks. This is the best opportunity to attract family groups to feeders by putting out moistened or fresh small fruits. At that point the young are on their own before joining flocks that may or may not include their parents.

As with many songbird species, successful reproduction is affected by many factors including predation, weather and brood parasitism by the Brown-headed Cowbird. Such parasitism affects many of our eastern woodland and shrub land birds very adversely. The larger fast growing young of the cowbird often survive at the expense of the legitimate offspring of their smaller hosts. Cedar Waxwings “get even” however as young cowbirds do not do well on the high fruit content diet of their hosts and most fail to survive.

By mid-September in our region flocks of adults and young of the year Cedar Waxwings are forming feeding flocks that may remain together to the following spring or individuals may change flocks. These groups begin to drift about in search of food with something that may be called migration usually beginning by October. Fall migration is even harder to study than spring migration, as flocks may remain for several weeks near abundant food sources before moving on. While numbers may vary greatly from year to year in any given region, there appears to be no substantial reason for conservation concern for this species in the near term. The Cedar Waxwing is an adaptable little bird that does well in human modified landscapes and appears to have increased in the last century and the current one. Thus these handsome little birds should entertain future generations of human residents far into the future.

When Helen C. and Mary E. Eldrett moved to the Town of Brownville in 1971, they knew they had found some place special. Today that place is known as Downybrook, a 182-acre wildlife sanctuary that the twin sisters have spent more than three decades creating and maintaining. Now they’ve made sure the land they’ve always cared for will remain a natural haven by conserving the land with Ontario Bays Initiative, Inc.

The conservation easement agreement was officially signed on Friday, June 24, 2011 following approval by the 12-member OBI board of directors. It is the secondlargest easement donation received by OBI since the land trust was founded in 1993. The easement will prohibit development on Downybrook, located off Perch Lake Road near the Eldrett’s home.

It also furthers the long-term vision that the sisters have for Downybrook and their wish for it to remain a wildlife haven that future generations of North Country residents may enjoy. The deal allows for expanding public access on the privately-owned preserve, as well as provides wildlife education and thoughtful preservation of a place that is not only scenic but also a home for an impressive variety of plant and animal species.

"Helen and Mary have devoted a lifetime –actually two lifetimes – to create Downybrook, and their vision has allowed this to happen. I am so glad this project has finally come to fruition," said Jim La Plante, Chairpersonof the OBI Board of Directors.

Mr. LaPlante acknowledged the efforts of OBI Land Steward Leland K. Russell and Gerry Smith, a local ecologist and special consultant to OBI, for their work spent over the last several years on the easement.

Earlier this year, OBI was awarded grants totaling $8,250 from the Land Trust Alliance and $2,100 from the Northern New York Community Foundation that will be used to create a management and stewardship plan for the property. The plan will be done in cooperation with the Eldretts and it will identify both long-term and shortterm management needs, as well as define the land’s many ecological and environmental assets.

Grassy fields, marshlands, forests, ponds and a unique alvar community are all found at the private preserve. Natural wetlands created by underground springs have made it a vital habitiat for migrating and nesting waterfowl.

The Eldretts moved to Brownville from Saranac Lake and bought the land off of Perch Lake Road in 1971. The sisters originally started purchasing land to develop it as a wildlife habitat in 1976. They began devoting even more time to their wildlife refuge in 1995, when they both retired from the General Brown Central School District after 33 years of teaching.

Digging ponds, building footbridges, planting trees, erecting birdhouses and creating walking trails sounds like plain old hard work to most, but for the Eldrett sisters it has been a labor of love. Over the years, their many walks on the trails and countless hours spent working their land has deepened their connection.

They call their refuge a "safety zone" for all wildlife. As they considered how dependent the waterfowl, birds and other animals are on the habitat their land provides, theyworried about the future when they were no longer able to look after it.

"We are at the point in our lives where we must make provisions for the future of Downybrook," said Helen. She added that the easement with OBI will ""maintain our vision of a wildlife sanctuary that will endure in perpetuity. Downybrook will always provide protected habitats for the wildlife that live and grow there."

The Eldretts will have lifelong ownership of the property. After that, OBI will take over ownership. The Eldretts have also bequeathed a substantial contribution to OBI’s endowment fund to help care for and maintain the property. OBI will manage the land in a way that is consistent with the sisters’ vision of wildlife conservation.Downybrook is officially recognized as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, in addition to being an official Wildlife Refuge by the National Campers and Hikers Association. The bluebird boxes on the land are part of the New York State Nest Box Network.

Locally, residents and community leaders recognize Downybrook as an important resource. The easement with OBI is being hailed as important step toward ensuring the wildlife sanctuary’s place in the community

"Conserving this important property both for its inherent natural values and for its inherent natural values and for its recreational values is good for our town, since we see long-term conservation, wise management and the presence of recreational opportunities to be in our best interest," said Brownville town supervisor Leo K. Thompson.

With the help of the Soil and Water Conservation Department, five ponds have been built at Downybrook. A conservation grant allowed for 7,000 trees to be planted. There are 1.5 miles of walking trails and several bridges. It is home to numerous woodland, field, and marsh plant and animal populations.

The total amount of land protected by OBI in Jefferson County now exceeds 600 acres. Land conserved by OBI includes a 400-acre parcel in Lyme and Clayton that is located in the Three Mile Creek Alvar Barrens region of Jefferson County, and 16 acres of woodland in the town of LeRay that is a habitat for the endangered Indiana bat.

News and How Your Support Can Help OBI Now.

Out summer resident birds have returned, including the Osprey at Hardscrabble who found a new home constructed by National Grid. There is also a new additional nest close by atop a pole on County Route 57. The Cape Vincent Ospreys are back as well, building a nest in THEIR new platform on the Valley Road. You may recall that we told the story of these two Osprey “families” in last year’s spring-summer newsletter. Thanks to National Grid and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for making sure that they will have a safe habitat!

The arrival of these great birds, along with all of the other birds and wildlife species (including US!) who call this home, once again brings to mind the importance of preserving as much of our natural habitat as possible

OBI is releasing this special-edition newsletter as we have much news! You will read in this issue about our newlyacquired easement at the Eldrett property, “Downybrook,” which is, as you can see from the photos, a GREAT piece of property which NEEDS to be protected… and will be!

The acquisition and protection of property, whether in fee or by conservation easement, are an expensive proposition for a land trust. There are attorney’s fees, surveying fees, and requirements to complete a baseline analysis (inventory) of property as well as planning for protection and the future. To fund these requirements for the Downybrook project, we applied for a grant from The New York State Conservation Partnership Program (administered by the DEC and Land Trust Alliance), which was fully funded. We also applied for matching funds from the Northern New York Community Foundation, which were awarded in part. However, our grant from DEC-LTA required that a portion of the matching funds go into our stewardship fund, a type of endowment. Since the Community Foundation does not fund endowments, we have a shortfall in the $$$ needed for this project. So we are unabashedly asking our friends and supporters to consider a donation to help us meet this shortfall! This wonderful 180-acre property, with diverse wildlife habitats including wetlands, ponds, grasslands, transitional areas, woodland, and rare alvar communities, deserves your generous support, especially since future plans for Downybrook include free public use.

If you are not already, please consider becoming a friend of OBI. You will receive complimentary invitations to our fundraising and “thank you” outing, held in August, among other premiums. And, you will have the satisfaction of being a part of helping to conserve, manage, and protect this beautiful and important property for generations to come.

OBI will soon be completing our Conservation Option Assessment of Point Peninsula, which has been an 18 month project. We undertook this project to determine what options were available to us to preserve this valuable section of Eastern Lake Ontario. We will also be completing, in 2011, a consultant-assisted board assessment to evaluate our strengths, weaknesses, and board member needs - a first step on the road to national accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance (LTA). We are required to provide some matching funds to the additional grant we received from the New York State Partnership Fund to conduct this evaluation. Please consider a tax-free donation

As you can see, we have an ambitious agenda, and we need your help to complete it.We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in the near future, and counting you amongst our growing number of Friends of OBI! You can become a Friend or make an additional gift by either returning the form included with this newsletter, along with your contribution, or by visiting our website www.obilandtrust.org and downloading the form found there.

Have a great summer, if it ever arrives!

THANKS and sincerely,

Jim La Plante

Signs at Wilson’s Bay Marsh aimed at limiting toll on threatened turtles.

Caution: Turtle Crossing!

Yellow diamond-shaped signs featuring a large turtle were posted on Cape Vincent roads near Wilson’s Bay Marsh during the month of June, as part of a collaborative effort among Ontario Bays Initiative, the Town of Cape Vincent and SUNY Potsdam’s Biology Department.

The goal: To protect Blanding’s turtles as they ventured across roadways on their way to nesting sites.

The turtle-crossing project was a great community outreach project for OBI and local newspapers and television stations covered it. The purpose was to help educate area residents about the plight of the Blanding’s turtle and help give the medium-sized turtles a fighting chance during the nesting season that is so crucial to their survival.

The Blanding’s turtle is officially listed as a threatened species in New York and in several other states.Some of the slowmovers are killed each spring near Wilson’s Bay Marsh as they attempt the treacherous trip across two lanes of traffic in search for a place to lay their eggs. With the species already struggling, each dead turtle can have a significant impact on the marsh’s Blanding’s population. Several dead turtles were discovered before the signs were erected.

Initiative’s Board of Directors is made up of people who live along Lake Ontario shoreline communities, including severalboard members from Cape Vincent. OBI teamed up with the Town and the expertise of Professor Glenn Johnson, who has working to reduce Blanding’s turtle road mortality in Jefferson and St. Lawrence since 1998.

”What we’ve learned is that the most significant mortality factor is likely to be roadkill,’’ for female turtles, said Professor Johnson, chairman of the biology department at SUNY Potsdam.

Signs are an inexpensive way to go about increasing awareness, he said. The signs were provided by the town and Mr. Johnson for use by OBI, which initiated the sign postings.

"This effort fits OBI’s overall mission to protect scenic areas and the wildlife habitats in the shoreline communities of Jefferson County," said Jim LaPlante, a resident of Cape Vincent’s Fuller Bay and OBI Chairperson. "OBI is happy to be involved and we hope that the Cape Vincent community will join us in our effort to protect the Blanding’s."

Wilson’s Bay Marsh in Cape Vincent is home to an estimated 50 to 100 Blanding’s, which are also known as box turtles because of their domed upper shell. They have a distinctive bright yellow chin and throat, with dark head and legs that are speckled yellow.

Blanding’s can live upwards of 50 years, yet the risk of becoming roadkill and the raiding of nests has resulted in evidence of fewer young turtles in roadside populations.

Professor Johnson and the town of Cape Vincent provided the signs.

OBI hopes to make the turtle-crossing project an annual event in Cape Vincent.

Jim La Plante was re-elected chairman of the OntarioBays Initiative, Inc. Board of Directors for 2011 duringOBI's recent annual general meeting.

The board considered nominations for officers anddirectors during the meeting, which was held onNovember 1, 2010 at the Copley House in Chaumont.

This will be Jim's second year leading the land trust's10-member board of directors. Bob Wardwell was reelectedas vice-chairman and Joan Treadwell Woodswas re-elected as treasurer. Lee Russell was re-electedto serve as OBI's land steward.

Tracy Valentine was elected secretary. She replacesVerna Docteur, who is stepping down after eight yearsas secretary. Verna continues to serve on the board.Others on the board are Joel Block, Ruth Uhlig andCarol Simpson and Sally Hirschey.

All officers are elected for a one-year term; directorsare elected for two-year terms.

It turns out they are traps for a tree-boring beetle called the Emerald Ash Borer. The insect is from eastern Asia and is a real threat to local forests because it infests and eventually kills North American ash trees.

The invasive species was discovered in Cattaraugus County this spring and there are worries that the insect will make its way to other parts of the state. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the beetle was first confirmed to be in the state last year.

The DEC Region 6 office monitors the traps in our area in hopes of reacting in time to save the many ash trees in our area. The state has more than 900 million ash trees, according to the DEC, and all are at risk.

The Emerald Ash Borer has metallic green wing covers and a coppery red or purple abdomen, according to the DEC. It is small enough to fit easily on a penny. The main reason this small but destructive beetle spreads is through the movement of firewood and wood products from one place to another. Therefore, the DEC asks that you leave firewood at home instead of bringing it to campgrounds and parks. Buy firewood at the campground from a local vendor and ask for a receipt or label that lists the firewood's source.

This beautiful American Black duck decoy willbe available through the 2011 "'Friends of OBIProgram."

The decoy is a special OBI edition carving being createdby Ferguson Decoys, located in Woodville, New York.Top-level donors of the "Friends'' program ($1500Steward of the Land) will receive the special collectibleedition decoy. This is the second year that FergusonDecoys has created a special carving for OBI.

Tom and Linda Ferguson started Ferguson Decoys in1980. Tom died in 2007 and Linda has carried on thesuccessful business. Linda enjoys the whole process,especially the finishing work on the "nude' carvingsand the detailed painting. Linda wood-burns the wings,tail and feathers to give the body of the duck texture.The painting is done using the best acrylics.

With the use of live birds, mounts and photos, she triesto achieve a truly authentic appearance of a real duck.

Ferguson Decoys is located at 5719 NYS Route 3 inWoodville, NY 13650. Their phone number is 315-846-5116.

This past year marked the passing of some loyal supporters of Ontario Bays Initiative, Inc. We were saddened by the deaths of Executive Director of the Northern New York Community Foundation Alex C. Velto, Chaumont resident Virginia A.Wisner, and Winifred J. Dushkind in 2010.

Through his leadership at the NNY CommunityFoundation, Mr. Velto showed his support for ourland trust and aided in the growth of our grassroots organization. OBI received several important grantsfrom the foundation during the years he served asexecutive director. He died December 17, 2009 at age68.

Mrs. Dushkind, a resident of Jericho Road, diedNovember 11, 2010. She was a supporter of the environment and an advocate of animal rights. OBI'sfirst property was acquired from Mrs. Dushkind in2000. The 25-acre Dushkind property in the town ofHounsfield is designated by deed to be "forever wild."Mrs. Dushkind was 84.

Mrs. Wisner, a longtime resident of Three Mile Point,saw the importance of OBI's mission. She was asupporter of OBI for many years. Her daughter, Anne "Boo" Harris of Chaumont is a former member ofOBI's Board of Directors. Mrs. Wisner died July 7,2010.

OBI wishes to acknowledge and thank the following people who made donations to our land trust in memoryof Mrs. Wisner:

Dave Berman, Harper's Ferry, West Virginia

Ed & Patti Hughes, Chaumont

Michael W. & Jacquelyn A Schell, Chaumont

Joel Block & Judy McGaughey, Chaumont

William W. and Nancy R. Conde, Watertown

Maureen A. Barros, Toronto, Ontario Canada

The "Friends of OBI" Program was launched in 2010 as a way to recognize and encourage financial support of our non-profit and trust organization. The Ontario Bays Initiative, Inc. Board of Directors greatly appreciates all of those who have joined our honor roll of donors to support the work of OBI, which is an all-volunteer land trust. Thank you for making a commitment to the conservation efforts of OBI.

We rely upon contributions from the public and grants from foundations to continue our mission to preserve scenic vistas, wildlife habitats, farms and woodlands in and around the Lake Ontario shoreline communities of Jefferson County.

Contributors to the "Friends of OBI' Program are listed below. Join them by filling out the form on this page and mailing it in. An updated "Friends" list will also appear in our newsletter. Donors appear on the list for the calendar year. Please notify us of any omissions or errors and they will be corrected.

As always, donations of any amount are always appreciated.

Friends of OBI 2011

$500 Guardian of the Land

Nancy Duncan, Washington, D.C.
Keith Walker Cape Vincent, New York
Ed & Tracy Valentine Chaumont, New York
Mr. & Mrs. T. Urling Walker Watertown, New York

$250 Patron of the Land

Robert E. Aliasso, Jr. Henderson, New York
Joel Block & Judith McGaughey, Chaumont, New York
Verna Docteur, Chaumont, New York
Urban & Sally Hirschey, Cape Vincent, New York
Nancy Lambert, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Jim & Rosanne LaPlante, Watertown, New York
Ted & Mary Mascott, Naples, Florida
Roxanne R. Pratt, Redwood, New York
Leland K. Russell, Evans Mills, New York
William P. Shuman, Redmond, Washington
Carol Simpson, Cape Vincent, New York
Robert & Ruth Uhlig, Cape Vincent , New York
Joan Treadwell Woods, Henderson, New York
Anonymous

$100 Protector of the Land

All Pest, Inc., Adams Center, New York
Maureen A. Barros, Toronto, Ontario Canada
Paul G. Carr, Islamorada, Florida
Don & Sharon Clark, Cape Vincent, New York
Dr. & Mrs. David Crossley, Chaumont, New York
Matthew Doheny, Watertown, New York
Linda M. Dietsche & Mildred E. Litsche, Canandaigua, New York
Paul & Julie Du Flo, Jamesville, New York
Mr. & Mrs. H. Pim Goodbody, Jr., Williamstown, Massachusetts
Romayne Hartshorn, Richville, New York
Richard S. Hill, Utica, New York
Bea & Lou Johnstone, Staten Island, New York
Ronald F. & Patricia J. Murray, Henderson, New York
Robert E. & Lorraine E. Parker, Watertown, New York
H. Alexander and Janet E. Porter, Sudbury, Massachusetts
Robert & Janet Quinn, Sackets Harbor, New York
Bruce & Sancy Rippeteau, Cape Vincent, New York
Michael & Jacquelyn Schell, Chaumont, New York
Jim & Katherine Shaw, Naples, Florida