To address the increased population of feral cats that have taken up home at the FI Waste Management District (FIWMD) Transfer Station, we are pleased to announce a renewed collaborative effort with FIWMD.

You may remember the cat program from several years ago. The program works to trap the cats for spay and neutering in order to control the population and improve the overall health of the feral cats going forward. Feral cats can destroy songbird populations. The FIWMD is committed to supporting the amazing work done by the Conservancy with the Parade Grounds bird sanctuary.

In the 2000s, the feral cat population surged on Fishers Island, with numbers estimated to be in the hundreds.
Contributing factors were residents and visitors who allowed their unneutered cats to roam and breed or left them behind when departing the Island.
In response, the Fishers Island Conservancy developed a humane approach by instituting a volunteer-managed program of trap, neuter, and release on the Island’s West End.
After a few years of successful efforts, it is thought that coyotes provided a natural form of population control.

Photo by Kristen Peterson

In the last couple of years, we have started to see an uptick in the feral cat population, particularly at the Transfer Station. This has coincided with a decrease in the coyote population and an increase in human interaction with the cats. There has been an ad hoc feeding program started at the Transfer Station, and the FIWMD and FI Conservancy would like to formalize the cat feeding program to work towards the eventual capture and spay/neuter of the cat population.

FIWMD and FI Conservancy do not deny that the cats have a certain value to the station, potentially keeping the rodent population at bay. A lower rodent population will mean less residential poison being used, which is also better for the birds, so there is a delicate balance we want to maintain.

We want to ensure the public understands that feeding cats is a key component of the humane control of the cat population.
Feeding them makes it possible to trap them for the spay/neuter program.
They need to be somewhat comfortable with human interaction for the program to succeed.

FI Conservancy has looked into numerous avenues since the Jackie Williamson era, and unfortunately there are a lot of logistical and state issues with trying to get TAG vans to the island. So our best option is to take them to town to a vet hospital.

A volunteer will take the cats to the vet visit. We are exploring spay/neuter options with Stonington Vet Hospital and Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic in Stratford (203 690 1550) / https://www.nutmegclinic.org. We are also looking for forever homes for any kittens we can.

Both FI Conservancy and FIWMD are committing funds to the program.

This will not be an overnight fix but rather a community effort, and we ask for your understanding, awareness, and patience as individuals are setting up and working on gathering information and resources to be able to execute this plan. We are starting with some identification procedures and data collection to understand some of the challenges and opportunities, since the feral cat population is variable and impacted by multiple factors like natural selection and an increase in residents adopting kittens over the last seven years. Thank you to all who have opened your doors!

We ask that people interested in supporting this important work contact the FI Conservancy for more information and make donations for the program through the FI Conservancy at https://www.ficonservancy.org/donate/.

Anyone interested in dropping off food for the program can bring bags of dry cat food to the Transfer Station.

We want to thank our dedicated volunteers for their support in launching this renewed effort.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the FI Conservancy at https://www.ficonservancy.org/get-involved/

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Please join us on the Big Club Beach to celebrate the work we are doing together to conserve and preserve Fishers Island.

Saturday, July 19th
6-8 pm

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featuring
Open Bar, Hors d’Oeuvres and Raw Bar on the Big Club Beach

We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

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Sponsorship Opportunities

$1200 Sponsorship (4 tickets)
$600 Sponsorship (2 tickets)

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Corporate Opportunities Available

(Inquire Below)

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Individual Tickets (Age 30 and up)

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Junior Ticket (Age 29 and under) $75

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Kindly purchase tickets by July 10th.

For questions or additional information on Corporate Sponsorship, please contact Caroline Mehta at caroline.mehta@gmail.com.

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Our tiniest visitors are back after traveling a long way just to call our beaches home for the summer. The piping plovers have arrived, and we are already seeing successful hatchings, like this one where two proud parents are raising two chicks. Check out the video!

Adult Piping Plover near protected area by Anna White

With this year’s official plover surveys now underway, you may notice protective fencing and signs set up around some beach areas. These measures help create safe spaces where the plovers can nest, hatch, and raise their young during this important season. Piping plovers are a federally protected species under the Endangered Species Act, meaning their nesting areas are given extra care and attention to help their populations recover.

• Piping plovers typically arrive by mid March, and during May and June, they lay about one egg every other day until they complete their usual clutch of four eggs.
• If an early nest fails, they may make a second or even third nesting attempt, though those later clutches often have just three eggs.
• Piping plovers frequently share nesting beaches with colonies of least terns.
• Both parents take part in incubating the eggs, which usually begins once the final egg is laid. This incubation period lasts about 25 to 31 days.
• Once the chicks hatch, they leave the nest quickly and are surprisingly independent, fledging (or learning to fly) in about 28 to 35 days.

Did you know – many adult piping plovers return to the same nesting sites year after year and may even reunite with the same mate. Some individuals have been tracked for many years — one bird recaptured on Long Island was recorded to be 14 years old! 

The fencing stays in place while the birds are actively nesting and raising their chicks, and it is removed once the season has safely wrapped up. While some older signs mention September or October, our team closely monitors the sites and ensures the fencing comes down when no longer needed!

We appreciate everyone’s understanding and support as we work to protect these special shorebirds. Together we can help make sure they continue to return to our beaches year after year.

Please reach out to the conservancy if you have any questions, comments or concerns!

If you would like to learn more, check out these resources

New York State DEC piping plover fact sheet
https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7086.html

US Fish and Wildlife Service piping plover conservation
https://www.fws.gov/species/piping-plover-charadrius-melodus

Atlantic Coast piping plover recovery plan (USFWS)
https://www.fws.gov/library/collection/piping-plover-recovery

Photo by Anna White

Spring Migratory Bird Count 2025
When: Sunday, May 11th at 8:00 am
Where: Meet outside of the Community Center

We invite you to join us for our annual Spring Migratory Bird Count on Sunday, May 11th. This seasonal tradition offers a great opportunity to observe birds returning to their northern breeding grounds while exploring a variety of habitats across the island.

The morning will begin outside the Fishers Island Community Center at 8 am, where we will gather before setting out in groups. Guided by Dr. Adam Mitchell of Tarleton State University, along with birding experts Emily Baisden and Will Almeida, the group will visit 15 designated stops from the West End to the East End of the island. Each stop lasts five minutes, following established Audubon count methods, as we identify and record bird species seen and heard along the way.

All are welcome to attend. No prior birding experience is needed. If you have binoculars, we encourage you to bring them. A limited number will also be available to borrow. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather.

This annual count supports the Conservancy’s long-term efforts to monitor bird populations and contributes valuable information to regional conservation work.