july-august 2002 delaware audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 July-August 2002 Delaware Audubon Society Newsletter

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Vol. XXIV No.6

July-August 2002

Bird Tales ................................8

Books of Interest ......................8

By-Laws Notice ........................2

Financial Summary ..................7IBA Ceremonies ..................4&5

Letter From the President ..........2

Officers & Committees..............2

Site Seeing................................3

What You Can Do ....................3

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERc

DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY, INC.

A State-wide Chapter of National Audubon

D e l a w a r eAu d u b o n Journal

PR E S E R V I N G OU R

N A T U R A L ST A T E

IN T H I S IS S U E

Our Audubon Adventures program was used in 190classrooms involving approximately 5700 students ingrades 3 to 5. This program provi des curri cul umenhancement materials to teach students about wildlife

and their habitats and the importance of conservation.

Auduboners participated in the Christmas Bird Count, Spring Round-up,the White Clay Creek Clean-up, Coast Day, Christina River Clean-up(White Clay Creek), and picked up at our Adopt-a-Highway location.

We presented or participated in a number ofworkshops, press conferences, presentations togroups, and conferences all over the state. Topicsinclude Energy Forum for Sound Energy Policy,Arctic Wildlife Refuge, Livable Delaware, CitizensRight-to-Know legislation, Delaware River dredging,Water -Total Maximum Daily Load, Inland Bays,

Delaware Estuary, Water Resources, EPA Green Communities, St. JonesRiver Watershed Wild and Scenic River Advocacy, federal energylegislation, wetlands, storage tank legislation, biodiversity, nutrientmanagement, land use, birding, horseshoe crab & shorebirds,environmental regulations, environmental advocacy and land acquisition.

We testified and participated in public hearings insupport of the environment on various issues, such asConectiv power line vegetation clearing, NewarkCommunity Action Program, water conservation, open

space funding, DelDOT Capital Improvement Program, Federal CoastalZone Management Program, Gordons Pond, Americana Bayside, coastaldevelopment, and the Delaware River main channel dredging project.

Delaware Audubon was represented on the following regional andstatewide boards and committees:Bi-State Advisory Counci l for White Clay Creek PreserveAtlantic States Marine Fisheries Horseshoe Crab Advisory CouncilChronic Violators Regulatory Development CommitteeRecycling Public Advisory CouncilCoastal Zone Act Regulations Environmental Indicators Committee

HIGHLIGHTS OF ACTIVITIES

2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

continued on page 6

D e l a w a r eA u d u b o nSoci ety i s as t a t e w i d e ,v o l u n t e e r

organization of over 1500members.

The mission of DelawareAudubon Society is topromote an appreciation and

understanding of nature; topreserve and protect ournatural environment; and, toaffirm the necessity for cleanair and water and thestewardship of our naturalresources.

All of our activities depend onthe devotion of our members

to conserving and preservingthe health of our environment.


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DELAWARE AUDUBON SOCIETY

2001-2002

OFFICERS & COMMITTEES

If there are any issuesyou feel strongly about that you thinkAudubon should address, please write Issues, P.O. Box1713, Wilmington, DE19899, or call the office at (302)428-3959. Chairpersons can always be reached through

the office answering machine - (302) 428-3959.

Honorary Chairman of the Board

Russell W. PetersonPresident Matthew DelPizzoVice President Leslie Savage

Secretary Annette GarofaloCorresponding Secretary Ellen Wright

Treasurer Mark Martell

CONSERVATION COMMITTEES:

Environmental Advocate Grace Pierce-BeckRecycling Albert DelPizzoDredging Leslie Savage

Proposal/policy Review Dave ChambersNest Box Projects Peggy JahnArmchair Activists Al DelPizzo

Adopt-a-WetlandPeggy Jahn, Kathy Tidball

White Clay Creek Adopt-a-Highway

Dorothy MillerImportant Bird Area Program Ann Rydgren

Programs Committee Matthew DelPizzoPublicity Committee

Internet-Fred Breukelman

[email protected] Committee Annette GarofaloEducation Committee Kathy Tidball

Social CommitteeAnnual Dinner-Nancy Frampton

Field TripsCommittee Peggy Jahn

Publications Committee Ann Rydgren

FINANCECOMMITTEES

Fundraising-Grants Andrew UrquhartFundraising-Bird Seed Sale

Mark and Susan MartellFundraising Birdathon

Ruth Holden, Maude Dayton

Fundraising-Silent Auction Asha IyengarFundraising-Wildlife Sanctuary OpenFundraising-Piping Plover Suite Ann Rydgren

Nominating Committee Matthew DelPizzo,Asha Iyengar, Leslie Savage

DIRECTORSFOR SERVICEUNTIL 2003Dorothy Miller Grace Pierce-BeckAnn Rydgren

DIRECTORSFOR SERVICEUNTIL 2004:

Fred Breukelman David Chambers

DIRECTORSFOR SERVICEUNTIL 2005:

Peggy Jahn Leslie SavageAndrew Urquhart

REPRESENTATIVESSharon Burchenal, Dover; Kay Tebbens Greene,Milford; Till Purnell, Millsboro

LE T T E R FR O M T H E PR E S I D E N T

Hello Members,Well, spring has been here and past; now for thedays of the long hot summer. From time to time Ireflect on what Delaware Audubon does, since this isthe review edition of the journal.

I think of all those school children reading andsoaking up the Audubon Adventures that we providewith helpful information about the outside world ofnature. I think of all those selfless hours Grace

Pierce-Beck has spent down in Dover at legislative hall, bringing voice tothe species that have none. I think of all the years Dorothy Miller has foughtfor open space and her beloved White Clay Creek Valley. I think of AnnRydgren and all the multi tasking she does to keep our chapter together. Ithink of all the board members who have, without any fanfare, sat onvarious state boards and committees doing the laymans work.

I also think of Lynne Frink and those others like her who have passed from

this world, whose great deeds and hearts have given Delawares naturalworld a chance, in an ever-demanding, resource driven world. I want tothank and remember all who stil l care for these things - the board members,the chapter members and everyone who makes the effort, thanks again.

Matt DelPizzo

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VISIT DELAWARE AUDUBON'S WEBSITE

http://www.delawareaudubon.org.

Sample educational, informative articles and features. Order books and othergoodies from the Marketplace! Search the archive of past articles. Visit our photogallery. Survey legislative updates and Action Alerts. Email policy makers.

SP E C I A L ME M B E R S ME E T I N G 7PM, JU L Y 2 5

BY- LAW S NO T I C E

Notice is hereby given that the following amendment to the By-Laws ofthe Delaware Audubon Society, Inc.

ARTICLE XIIThe relationship between this Society and the

National Audubon Society shall be governed by

the Chapter Policy.

which is required in order for the Society to comply with the newChapter Policy of the National Audubon Society (Article XII) will bevoted upon at a Special Members Meeting on July 25 at the home ofPeggy Jahn, 17 Maureen Drive, Middletown, DE.

Directions to Peggy Jahns home: from Rte. 13 turn west at Boyds

Corner onto Rte. 896. Turn right into Grand View Farms and proceed tostreet address. From Rte. 71/896 turn east at Mt. Pleasant intersectiononto Rte. 896 and turn left into Grand View Farms.


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P reserve Our N atural State

W H A T Y O U C A N D O . . .

SI T E SE E I N GThis column will suggest Internetwebsites that may be of interestto readers. If you have a favoritethat you think wil l interestothers, please send the addressto us, m ail@d ela w a r ea ud ub on . o r g or call usat (302) 428-3959.

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/cumulativePesticide Cumulative Risk

EPA has posted a web site to provide background information and status oncumulative risk assessment of pesticides that have a common mechanism of

toxicity (i.e., that act the same way in the body). This web site includesinformation about upcoming meetings related to cumulative risk assessmentand documents that describe how EPA is planning to conduct the cumulativerisk assessment for the organophosphate pesticides. It li sts ways for the publ icto get involved in the process and has a page that will provide information onother groups of pesticides that are proposed for cumulative assessments.

LAW N PE S T I C I D E S:

KI C K T H E HA B I T!

According to the U.S. EPA, mostwildlife pesticide poisonings resultfrom home use. The chemicals weuse to cultivate manicured lawns andexotic flower gardens pose seriousdangers, not only to birds, but also tochildren and pets who play there andto the rest of us as they leach into ourwater systems.

Experts estimate that 672 millionbirds are exposed to pesticides everyyear; 67 mill ion die. The mostdangerous chemicals commonly usedare diazinon, chlorpyrifos andbrodifacoum.

What can you do?

4 Go organic.Organic rack fertilizers and limestonerelease their nutrients slowly. Or,better yet, go natural and use

compost, mushroom manure or grassclippings instead of fertilizer.4 Mow right.Mow high (3-4 inches ofgrowth is best);

Mow often (dontremove more

than 1/3 ofthe blade atone time);

and mowwi th sharp blades.4 Water deeply and not too often.4 Weed by hand.4 Diversify your lawn.

Consider reducing the size of yourlawn. Replace it with native grasses,trees, bushes and flowers. Dontplant exotics.

National Audubon has a chart: 10 Commandments for a Healthy

Yard that you can request bye-mailing [email protected].

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VO L U N T E E R

O P P O RT U N I T I E S

Join the fun! Meet new people!Do a great thing!

We need help in the following areas.WE NEED YOU!

V BLUEBIRDSBluebird Trail Captain needed for Buena Vista and other areas. Niceoutdoor activity once a week from April through August. Trainingavailable.

V BIRDSEEDMarketing Manager for our fundraising birdseed sale in October. Weneed more customers. One month a year.

V NEWSLETTERAssistant Editor to do standard features. Approximately one week amonth.

If you are interested in helping, please call 428-3959 and leave amessage.

Volunt eers

Make It

Happen!


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IBA

CeremoniesImportant Bird Areas

1. Ceremony presenting certifi cation of Delawares

Coastal Zone as an Important Bird Area of international

significance.

Left to right: Robert Chipley, IBA Program Director,American Bird Conservancy; Governor Ruth Ann Minner;Matthew DelPizzo, President, Delaware Audubon Society

2. Ceremony for designation of Whi te Clay Creek State

Park and Preserve as an IBA of national significance.

Left to right: Howard Brokaw, Chairman of the Board,American Bird Conservancy; Matthew DelPizzo,President, Delaware Audubon Society; Daniel Niven, IBAProgram Director, National Audubon Society

3. Ceremony for designation of Pea Patch Island as anIBA of continental significance.

Left to right: Dee Bennett, Mayor, Delaware City;Matthew DelPizzo, Presi dent, Delaware AudubonSociety; John McDerby, Asst. Supervi sor, Fort D elawareState Park; Clyde Shipman, DNREC, Park OperationsManager; Rob Line, DNREC, Natural Areas ProgramManager; Susan Love, Delaware Coastal ManagementProgram

4. Ceremony for designation of Pea Patch Island as an

IBA of continental significance.

Left to right: Matthew DelPizzo, President, Delaware

Audubon Society; Clyde Shipman, DNREC, ParkOperations Manager; John M cDerby, Asst. Supervi sor,Fort Delaware State Park

5. Ceremony for designation of Pea Patch Island as an

IBA of continental significance.

Ann Rydgren, Delaware Chairman, IBA Program.

6. Ceremony White Clay Creek

Left to right: Bill Morton, Supervisor WCC Preserve, PA;Matthew DelPizzo, President of Delaware AudubonSociety ; Nick McFadden, Supervisor WCC State Park, DE;

Howard Brokaw, Chairman of the Board of American BirdConservancy, National Audubon Board member

7. Cake courtesy of Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research,

Inc. and Coastal Management Program.

continued on page 5


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6IBA

Ceremoniescontinued

Important Bird Areas


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Coalition Opposed to Deepening the Delaware RiverDelaware Wastewater Facilities Advisory CouncilUniversity of Delaware Sea Grant College Advisory CommitteeWater Resources Agency Citizens CommitteeGovernors Water Supply Coordinating CouncilDelaware Water Resources Center Advisory CommitteeCoalition for Natural Stream ValleysDelaware Inland Bays Citizens Advisory CommitteeResearch monitoring for the Inland BaysSave Our Wetlands and BaysDelaware Partners in FlightDelaware Important Bird Area Nomination CommitteePreservation Coalition for Open Space, Parks, and FarmlandChristina ConservancyChristina River Clean-up CommitteeRussell W. Peterson Urban Wi ldl ife Refuge Advisory CommitteeWhi te Clay Creek Watershed Wi ld and Scenic River Management CommitteePea Patch Island Special Area Management PlanSt. Jones River Greenway Commission

Delaware Audubon attained Important Bird Area designation of internationalsignificance for Delawares Coastal Zone. Including the White Clay Creek StatePark and Preserve, an IBA of national significance and Pea Patch Island, an IBAof continental significance, this brings the total acreage in IBA sites in Delawareto over 275,000 acres.

We offered field trips and environmental education formembers, elected officials and the general public. Incooperation with the Division of Parks and Recreation,Delaware Audubon sponsored five performances of a two-act play, A Sense of Wonder, an interpretation of thelater life of the world-renowned ecologist, Rachel Carson.

Delaware Audubon continues to operate two nest box projects to re-establishthe historical range of the purple martin and the bluebird in New Castle County.

The Delaware Audubon Journal was awarded first place incategory 14D-Newsletters of the 2002 Delaware PressAssociation Statewide Communications Contest andsecond place in the National Audubon Society 2002newsletter contest for large chapters.

Delaware Audubon maintains a web page at delawareaudubon.org.

Highlights of Activitiescontinued from page 1

Local speciesLearn the butterfly species in yourarea and provide for them. Plant diversity

The more species of adult and larvalfood plants, the more species ofbutterfl ies will use the habitat.Provide trees, shrubs andherbaceous plant species. DesignLow plants in front; shrubs and treesto the sides and rear to avoid too

much shade and obstruction of theview. Sun, water & wind

Sunny places are good for butterflies;windy ones are not. Provide a pool,puddle or wet soil. Large rocks insunny places are used for basking. PoisonsAvoid using pesticides or other toxiccompounds anywhere near thegarden.

BU T T E R F L I E S

I N YO U R BA C K YA R D

D e v e l o p i n gb a c k y a r d

h a b i t a t ssuitable forbutterfl ies isb e c o m i n gmore popular.Not only doesit provide a

beautiful landscape, but it can alsobe an extension of butterflyphotography, collecting andbutterfly watching.

Unlike the collector or naturalist

who seeks butterflies and caterpillarsin natural habitats, the butterflygardener attracts them into thebackyard through knowledge andapplication of habitats, host plants,life cycles and the seasons.

Understanding the lives of numerousbutterfly species will also allowgardeners to provide as many life-sustaining requirements as possible.

Some of the most important garden

components are the flowers that willattract adults and the specific plantsused as food by caterpillars.

Often, several species of butterflieswill gorge on the blossoms of oneplant species in the garden, whileeach of those species may requiredifferent caterpillar host plants -none of which supply nectar toadults. Although butterflies findmany domesticated garden flowerssuitable for sources of nectar, most

caterpillars require native plants tosuccessfully mature.

Some of the basic concepts of

butterfly gardening include:

SizeGardens can occupy a few squaremeters or a five-acre meadow. CaterpillarsA complete garden includes the hostplants upon which females will layeggs and caterpillars can grow. continued on page 7


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N ews & Views

THANK YOU!

The Silent Auction this year offered agreat variety of items and lots of fun.We appreciate the generosity of thefollowing donors:

CORPORATE DONORS:Cameras, Etc.Ensured Mail, Inc.GalluciosHorizon Helicopters, Inc.

M.R. DocsSprint Quali ty Printing, Inc.Wild Birds, Unlimited.

INDIVIDUAL DONORS:Ned MayneOlaine BeckerAl Del Pizzo

F I N A N C I A L SU M M A RY, 2001

Cash & Savings 12/31/00 ......................................$50,707+/- Change to the General Fund................................8,959+/- Change to Restrictive Funds: ............................ -7,829Cash & Savings 12/31/01 ......................................$51,837

General Fund Activity for 2001:Contributions: ......................................................$31,052Expenses: ................................................................22,093Net Contributions ..................................................$ 8,959

Restricted Fund Changes for 2001:Fund Change:Audubon Adventures Net Grants: ..........................$-7,779Coastal Wetlands Reserve: ......................................$- 50

Contributions: ...................................................... $25,951Expenses: ................................................................21,630Net Contributions ..................................................$ 4,321

Restricted Fund Changes for 2000:Fund Change:Audubon Adventures Net Grants:..........................$22,197

Moths

Keep in mind that moths and other insects will use thegarden, too. Check flowers at night; be on the lookoutfor moth caterpillars. Nectar plantsAsters, black-eyed susan, butterfly weed, dames rocket,grass-leaved goldenrod, green-headed coneflower andhoneysuckles.

Host plants for specific butterfly larvae: Violets: fritillary butterflies Milkweeds: monarchs Alfalfa, white sweetclover, clovers: orange sulphur

Nettle family: red admiral

Wi ld cherry, choke cherry, poplars and oaks: red-spotted purple

Locust, wisterias: silver-spotted skipper Tulip tree, wi ld cherry, spicebush:

tiger swallowtail Dwarf cinquefoil: grizzled skipper Pipevine: pipevine swallowtail Cranberry: bog copper Flat-topped white aster: Harris checkerspot

Keystone Wild Notes

Wild Resource Conservation Fund

Butterflies in Your Backyardcontinued from page 6


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BO O K S

O F IN T E R E S T

TheAudubon Journal is published bi-monthly

by the Delaware Audubon Society. Original

articles may be reprinted without permission.

Please give credit to the Delaware Audubon

Journal and the author.

Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ann Rydgren

Assistant Editor: . . . . . . . . . . .Barbara Roewe

Design & Layout : . . . . . . . . .Maryellen F. Birk

Printing: . . . . . . . .Sprint Quali ty Printing, Inc.

Delaware Audubon Society, incorporated in

1977, is a statewide chapter of the

National Audubon Society.

t WEB SITEhttp://www.delawareaudubon.org

t MAILING ADD RESS:Delaware Audubon Society

P.O. Box 1713Wilmington, DE 19899

t TELEPHONE:(302) 428-3959

t DELAWAREAUDUBON SOCIETY E-MAIL:[email protected]

We can receive contributions through

your United Way payroll deduction

designation. Our United Way

designation number is 9017.

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Redesigning the American Lawn: A

Search for Environmental Harmony:

Second Edition by Bormann, Balmori& Geballe. Yale Univ. Press, 2001,178 p., $16.95.

Every year one million acres of theUnited States are suburbanized andmuch of this land is converted into thequintessential lawn. However,peoples obsession with the perfectlawn often comes at the expense ofecological systems. This completelyrevised and updated volumedocuments the progress of analternative environmentally friendlylandscape design known as the

freedom lawn. Profiles of individuals,businesses and highway departmentsillustrate the successfulimplementation of the freedom lawnwhich is free of pesticides andferti l izers, seldom mowed, andsustainable. The book also offers alesson in the history of the industriallawn and how we came to covet it.

Science News

B i rdT a l e s . . .

According to the Knight-Ridder News Service, the inscription on the

metal bands used by the U.S. Department of the Interior to tagmigratory birds has been changed. The bands used to bear the addressof the Washington Biological Survey, abbreviated: Wash. Biol. Surv.Then the agency received the following letter from an Arkansascamper:

Dear Sirs: While camping last week I shot one of your birds. It hink it was a crow. I followed t he cooking inst ruct ions on t heleg t ag and I want t o t ell you it was horrible.

The bands are now marked Fish and Wi ldl ife Service.

NAT I O N A L AU D U B O N

RE C O G N I Z E S T H E JO U R N A L

The Delaware Audubon Journal won second place inthe National Audubon Society 2002 newsletter contestfor large chapters.

BI R D S E E D SA L E

OC T O B E R 1 9

Tell your friends about Audubons

annual birdseed sale. Watch for

Birdseed order forms in the

September-October newsletter;

copy them and give them to your

friends. Mark October 19 to pick

up your order at Delcastle County

Park.

Bird Seed Day is Audubons main

fund-raiser. Proceeds from the sale

enable us to continue vital

programs and initiatives such as

establishing an Audubon Wildlife

Sanctuary.

july-august 2002 delaware audubon society newsletter

Documents