2023 Marine Debris Report

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2023 Island Sentinels

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President’s Message 2023

President’s Message: 2023

Thank you for your ongoing support of Fishers Island Conservancy!

Tom Sargent

Dear FIConservancy Community,

With the persistent winds flowing from the north, we on the island are saying a reluctant goodbye to the busy season. As the year winds down, it’s gratifying to think about what the Fishers Island Conservancy has accomplished, thanks to your generous support. Please see highlights from this year below.

With your help, we’re looking forward to an exciting and productive 2024! Please consider giving today at ficonservancy.org/donate.

I want to give a special shout-out to our partners at the Fishers Island Ferry District, who make the Parade grounds and Ferry Park possible, and to the Fishers Island Fire Department, which oversees the annual burn that keeps the Parade grounds environmentally healthy.

My sincerest thanks to our team, board and each one of you, who is making a difference by giving, volunteering, collecting marine debris, attending our events, planting native species and more to help conserve and protect Fishers Island.

A gift to the Fishers Island Conservancy is a gift to Fishers Island. Please donate today. Your ongoing support is essential to our work. Thank you.

Cheers,

Tom Sargent

President, Fishers Island Conservancy

P.S. Got Phragmites? Give us a call. FIConservancy has partnered with a New York State licensed contractor to assist with the removal of highly invasive phragmites. We are helping private land owners coordinate with this contractor to address infestations on their own properties. Contact us today.

Thanks to your support, in 2023:

  • The ongoing work on our restored grasslands at the Fort Wright Parade Grounds never looked better and attracted many visitors. The paths were well maintained and offered a wonderful respite from an increasingly hectic world. Please come down and explore the 175 acres of meadowlands. If you’re lucky, you might witness our resident northern harriers hunting over the grasslands.
  • The new Ferry Park at the entrance to Silver Eel Cove was a true beneficiary of the rainy summer. The wildflower knoll was ablaze with color all season long. The 12,000 Virginia beach grass plugs planted there thrived, and quickly became a nesting ground for the saltmarsh sparrow. To protect the new habitat, FIConservancy worked with the Ferry District to install several hundred feet of natural material guardrail along the entire berm.
  • Our Sentinel Program had its most successful year to date. Under the leadership of program director, Stephanie Hall, eleven student environmentalists, ranging in age from 14 to 21, in addition to our stellar University of New Mexico intern, Anna White, monitored 14 distinct island sites, took measurements and observations. This collected data will help us further understand our fragile environment.
  • Our Marine Debris program, run by Michele Klimczak, continues to make headlines both on and off the Island. Michele’s work was the subject of artist Duke Riley’s film MICHELE in his exhibition DEATH TO THE LIVING, Long Live Trash at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Approximately half the plastic used in the exhibition was collected by Michele on Fishers Island.
  • We continue to work with the Ferguson Museum on the Fishers Island Seagrass Coalition to educate our community about the critical importance of protecting our marine environment from upland and water-borne threats. Seagrasses have declined in Long Island Sound by up to 97%. These ecosystems serve as a marine nursery for many species. The remaining 3% is mostly found around Fishers Island. We are committed to keeping this population healthy and growing.
  • We honored Joe Henderson, a leader in habitat restoration, at our annual Sunset on the Beach event in July. It was Joe’s vision which prompted our work on the Parade Grounds and he continues to be a valuable asset to our community.
  • Nature Days, chaired by our Executive Director, Kristen Peterson, was held in early August. Several stations in the Parade Grounds featured native plants and animals. This event is always a hit with children and adults alike.
  • Plus much more!

Make a tax-deductible contribution today.

Donate

Fall 2023 Migratory Bird Count Results

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Announcing the results of the Fall 2023 Migratory Bird Count

We are excited to share the official tally of bird species encountered during our annual bird count, along with the “running count” that includes birds observed over the past two days. This fall’s birding event was remarkable, with a grand total of 50 species recorded during the count. Adding the additional 7 species spotted in the running count, we reached an impressive total of 57 species! (See list of bird species below.)

This year brought us some extraordinary birding moments, which we attribute to the recent major storms that grounded much of the bird activity in the days leading up to the count.

With a decade now behind us, we’ve successfully completed our 10th year of the migratory bird count. The data collected during these ten years will serve as a valuable resource for analyzing trends in bird activity on our island.

Here’s the list of species we encountered in our Fall 2023 Migratory Bird Count.

Thank you to all who participated.

Fall 2023 Bird Count
American crow
American goldfinch
American kestrel
American redstart
American robin
Belted kingfisher (running)
Black-capped chickadee
Blue jay
Brown thrasher
Black & white warbler
Bobolink (running and confirmed; congrats Tom!)
Carolina wren
Cedar waxwing
Chimney swift
Chipping sparrow (running)
Common eider
Common grackle
Common loon (running)
Common yellowthroat
Cooper's hawk
Double crested cormorant
Downy woodpecker
Eastern phoebe
Eastern towhee
European starling
Greater black-backed gull
Great blue heron
Golden-crowned kinglet
Gray catbird
Great egret
Herring gull
House finch
House sparrow
Laughing gull (running)
Mallard
Merlin
Mourning dove
Mute swan
Northern cardinal
Northern flicker
Northern harrier
Northern mockingbird
Red-bellied woodpecker
Red-tailed hawk
Northern rough-winged swallow
Osprey (running)
Savannah sparrow
Salt marsh sparrow
Swamp sparrow (running)
Song sparrow
Tufted titmouse
White-breasted nuthatch
White-throated sparrow
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Yellow warbler
Yellow-rumped warbler

Fall 2023 Migratory Bird Count

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Bird watchers scan the skies looking for birds to include in the biannual migratory bird count on Fishers Island.

Join us for our 2023 Fall Migratory Bird Count alongside our University of Delaware experts, Emily Baisden and Will Almeida. 

Event Details: 

What: FIConservancy 2023 Fall Migratory Bird Count

When: Sunday, October 1, 2023 @ 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Where: Meet at Fishers Island Community Center

Make sure to bring your binoculars!

Following Audubon bird count rules, birders will make 15 five-minute stops from West End to East End. At each timed stop, birders count birds and call out what they see.

The outcomes from these bird counts play a crucial role in assisting scientists and conservation groups in mapping bird populations. Furthermore, they provide valuable insights into the distribution and frequency of various bird species within our local environment.

Illustrated Talk with Beyond Plastics- October 8th

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Plastic in the water, on the land and IN you! Fighting pollution on Fishers Island and Beyond

Event Details: 

Date: October 8th

Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM 

Place: In-person at the Museum, 2nd Floor and virtual via Zoom

Category: Illustrated Talk

 

Plastic pollution is a bad neighbor. As plastic breaks up into microplastics it disperses into the environment. Researchers are finding plastic particles almost everywhere they look, including inside the human body.

What are the impacts of these plastics, and what can we do to stop them?  

Join Dr. Megan J. Wolff, MPH, policy director at Beyond Plastics, as she talks about what individuals can do to reduce their consumption and exposure to plastics as well as discuss the exciting legislative initiatives underway in the state of New York aimed at significantly reducing plastic  pollution.

Michele Klimczak, our Coastal Debris Coordinator at the Fishers Island Conservancy, will also be presenting an overview of the extensive repercussions of plastic pollution on the island, offering a localized perspective to complement the presentation by Dr. Megan J. Wolff.

*To secure your spot, please reach out to us at 631-788-7239 or send an email to [email protected]. Virtual attendance does not require prior registration.

Bug Night with Dr. Adam Mitchell

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Join Us for Bug Night with Entomologist Dr. Adam Mitchell!

Event Details:

Date: Saturday

Time: 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM-?

Location: John Thatcher Native Garden

Join Us:

Calling all nature enthusiasts and bug lovers!  Get ready for another Bug Night adventure with entomologist Dr. Adam Mitchell. Embrace the opportunity to see insects in a whole new light! Bring your friends and family for an exciting evening of discovery and learning.

What to Expect:

Explore the world of insects under the guidance of an expert entomologist and expand your knowledge of local insect species. 

Witness a variety of critters drawn to large white sheets illuminated by vapor lamps.

Learn about the fascinating lives, behaviors, and habits of insects that call the John Thatcher Native Garden home.

Let’s marvel at the magic of insects together. See you at Bug Night!

Note: Event details are subject to change. Please check our website or contact us for any updates.