(l-r) Honoree Carol Giles, FIConservancy President Tom Sargent and Honoree Ellie Kelly at award ceremony. Jane Crary Photo
The Fishers Island Conservancy honored two outstanding women, Ellen “Ellie” H. Kelly and Carol Giles, at FIConservancy’s annual event, Sunset on the Beach July 16 at the Big Club Beach.
Mrs. Kelly, the second president of FIConservancy, has dedicated her life to environmental causes both on and off Fishers Island. Carol Giles, who retired in June after 33 years as science teacher at Fishers Island School, has motivated countless students to become thoughtful and creative problem solvers in the field of science.
ELLEN H. KELLY
Mrs. Kelly was FIConservancy President from 2002-2006, but her dedication to preserving Fishers Island’s natural environment began in the 1970s before FIConservancy existed. Mrs. Kelly reflected on her early involvement with FIConservancy:
“Every Saturday in the 1970s, a little truck from Southold would spew out a cloud of DDT, spraying up and down every road, every driveway on the Island. Inspired by the groundbreaking environmentalist, Rachel Carson, Cherry Rafferty called together a small group: Mary Wood, Serge Doyen, John Thatcher, me and a few others. We wrestled with the problem of how to stop Southold’s mandated spraying of DDT on Fishers Island.
“Mary, Cherry and I would traverse Southold in Cherry’s old overheating Island clunker to attend meetings about banning the spraying of DDT. We were successful, and our indomitable first president John Thatcher organized organic mosquito control on Fishers Island.
“Our next problem was the dumping of toxic dredge spoil from the Thames River to a dump site two miles off the coast of Fishers Island. The fledgling FIConservancy sued the Navy. We were awarded a stipend, which became our little nest egg.
“As president, my aim was to broaden the scope of involvement in the Conservancy, establishing working committees, for example, to address mosquito control and the cleanup of West Harbor by pumping out waste from boats in the harbor.”
Off-Island, Mrs. Kelly impacted all of the boards on which she served, including the Rachel Carson Council, National Parks Conservancy and the Garden Club of America Conservation Group, which she started.
She has been acknowledged nationally for her work on the Alaska Lands bill by Jimmy Carter and influential with other bills such as the Clean Water Act as well as local laws protecting water and open space in the state of Maryland. Starting at the grassroots level, Mrs. Kelly always expanded to align herself with the larger public.
CAROL GILES
FIConservancy has developed a special relationship with Carol Giles through FIConservancy grants awarded to the school for specific science projects. Mrs. Giles speaks with pride about her students and their achievements:
“Maddie Hatfield’s four-month science project studying ocean acidification on a specific marine sponge species would not have been possible without FIConservancy’s grant to purchase two tank coolers and two filtration systems. Maddie’s research took one of the top prizes at the 2022 Long Island Youth Summit.
“Lili Kane received a grant to purchase a vernier oxygen and carbon dioxide probe to conduct research on, “The Effect of Earthworms Lumbricus Terristris on Climate Change: Carbon Source or Sink?” Two years of research won Lili 1st Honors and Special Awards, including being a finalist for PepsiCo/Pfizer life Sciences, Petit Family Foundation Women in Science and Engineering, and Future Sustainability Awards at the 2021 Connecticut State Science Fair, and Best Research Paper on Climate Change for the 2021 Long Island Youth Summit.
“Arabella Hatfield used the fluorometer, provided through a FIConservancy grant, to conduct research on, “Ocean Acidification: How it Effects the Phytoplankton Species Nannochloropsis oculata”. Her project earned State Finalist status in the CT State Science Fair and was selected Outstanding Climate Change Research Project in the Long Island Youth Summit.
“FIConservancy has purchased binoculars for the school used by both elementary and high school students, especially for our seal counts, and also has supported the ongoing Biorock Project: Low voltage electricity is sent to a steel geodesic dome that causes the reduction of calcium carbonate causing the formation of an artificial reef.”
Orienteering Competition
Events, NewsJoin us for an exciting Orienteering Competition hosted by FI School’s Class of 2026 and the FI Conservancy
Event Details
Date: Thursday, August 17
Location: FI School Playground
Time: 1-4PM
What is Orienteering?
Orienteering is a sport in which participants use a map to find various locations, or “controls.” Take an hour to find as many controls as you can. You can compete as an individual, or as a team (up to 3 people). You can run the course, or walk. All ages and ability levels are welcome.
How to Register
To join the fun, contact Mike George at [email protected] or 585-406-1746. Register before Thursday, August 17, to pay $15 per person. Same-day registrations will be $20 per person.
The proceeds will support the Class of 2026’s senior class trip.
Win Ice Cream Gift Certificates and More!
The top individual finisher and the top team will receive ice cream gift certificates, generously donated by Toppers. Additionally, the FI Conservancy is giving a gift bag.
Be Prepared
We encourage you to bring comfortable shoes and water. Compasses are not required, but you may bring one; we have a small number that we can loan participants. The event will be held rain or shine.
For more information about orienteering, check out this article and video:
https://orienteeringusa.org/explore/what-is-orienteering/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Zc5AVkFis
A Day of Nature- August 12
Events, NewsJoin us for a Day of Nature at the Parade Grounds Saturday, August 12th, from 3-6 p.m.
Enter near the theater to explore fun activities and expert-led stations for all ages.
Connect with nature and have fun with family and friends! See you there!
The Ghost Net: An Environmental Musical of the Sea
Events, NewsFishers Island Conservancy Presents
The Ghost Net: An Environmental Musical of the Sea
Show & Performance by
Grumbling Gryphons
Traveling Children’s Theater
Saturday, August 12, 2023
at the Fishers Island Movie Theater
Pre-performance Workshop – 3 PM Sharp!
Performance – 4 PM
Ages 6 & up
Sing Dance, Act & Be in the Show!
To pre-register your children for the workshop, call Michele Klimczak at (631) 800-9394.
On the afternoon of the show from 3:00-3:50pm, Grumbling Gryphons will conduct a pre-performance drama workshop for children ages 6 & up who will train with the actors to become part of the show. Become a “Trash Creature” and join in the “Slimy-Sludge Rap” or dance as a colorful tropical fish in “The Coral Reef Calypso”!
The whole family can get in on the act!
The Ghost Net: An Environmental Musical of the Sea premiered in 1990 as part of an environmental expo – “The Visit of the Mimi” held at Captain’s Cove Seaport in Bridgeport, CT, which thousands of school children attended. With the invaluable input by marine biologist Barbara Whitman and other environmental educators, Leslie Elias created a play that has served as a powerful vehicle for promoting awareness of our planet’s rapidly depleting oceans and endangered marine life. Since 1990 the show has toured the United States, receiving rave reviews for its beautiful artistry and timely message.
Learn more grumblinggryphons.org
Struggles to Clean Relentless Waves of Plastic From Fishers Island’s Beaches
Beach Cleanup, NewsCoastal debris coordinator, Michele Klimczak has been collecting garbage on Fishers Island for about two decades – and full time for the FI Conservancy since 2018. In these past three years she has helped to remove more than 32,000 pounds of garbage from our shores, with no end in sight. Much of the trash Michele finds is tiny plastics that may be easy to overlook, but can be detrimental to our natural environment.
To learn more about how Michele’s efforts are so vital for the wildlife that inhabit our beach community and why more may need to done beyond our shores to help combat the growing problem, please see the article posted on Inside Climate News:
The ‘Sisyphus of Trash’ Struggles to Clean Relentless Waves of Plastic From a New York Island’s Beaches
Michele Klimczak’s passion for cleaning the beaches of Fishers Island led to a full-time, year-round job, but she still can’t keep up with the flood of plastic waste.
By Devin Speak
Inside Climate News
June 20, 2023
Photo Credit: Devin Speak
Sunset on the Beach 2023
Events, NewsIndividual Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities Available! Please join us July 15th to celebrate the work we are doing together to conserve and preserve Fishers Island.
2023 Spring Migratory Bird Count
Events, NewsAn osprey sitting on a new perch, April 2023 Photo: Jay Cushing
After wintering in warmer climates, migratory birds are returning to their northern breeding grounds and we need your help charting these bird populations.
Please join us with experts, Dr. Adam Mitchell from Tarleton State University, and the University of Delaware team, Emily Baisden and Will Almeida, for our annual spring migratory bird count on Sunday, May 7.
What: FI Conservancy 2023 Spring Migratory Bird Count
When: Sunday, May 7, 8am—10:30am
Where: Meet outside the Fishers Island Community Center & BYOBinoculars
Following Audubon bird count rules, birders will make 15 five-minute stops from the West End to the East End of Fishers Island. At each timed stop, birders count birds and call out what they see. Our experts will lead the count and answer your questions about migratory birds.
We hope to see you at this fun, informative outdoor event, celebrating the spring season at Fishers Island.
FIConservancy Team
2022 Marine Debris Report
NewsHow to Control Invasive Mugwort!
Feature, NewsEllen H. Kelly and Carol Giles Honored at Sunset on the Beach
NewsThe Fishers Island Conservancy honored two outstanding women, Ellen “Ellie” H. Kelly and Carol Giles, at FIConservancy’s annual event, Sunset on the Beach July 16 at the Big Club Beach.
Mrs. Kelly, the second president of FIConservancy, has dedicated her life to environmental causes both on and off Fishers Island. Carol Giles, who retired in June after 33 years as science teacher at Fishers Island School, has motivated countless students to become thoughtful and creative problem solvers in the field of science.
ELLEN H. KELLY
Mrs. Kelly was FIConservancy President from 2002-2006, but her dedication to preserving Fishers Island’s natural environment began in the 1970s before FIConservancy existed. Mrs. Kelly reflected on her early involvement with FIConservancy:
“Every Saturday in the 1970s, a little truck from Southold would spew out a cloud of DDT, spraying up and down every road, every driveway on the Island. Inspired by the groundbreaking environmentalist, Rachel Carson, Cherry Rafferty called together a small group: Mary Wood, Serge Doyen, John Thatcher, me and a few others. We wrestled with the problem of how to stop Southold’s mandated spraying of DDT on Fishers Island.
“Mary, Cherry and I would traverse Southold in Cherry’s old overheating Island clunker to attend meetings about banning the spraying of DDT. We were successful, and our indomitable first president John Thatcher organized organic mosquito control on Fishers Island.
“Our next problem was the dumping of toxic dredge spoil from the Thames River to a dump site two miles off the coast of Fishers Island. The fledgling FIConservancy sued the Navy. We were awarded a stipend, which became our little nest egg.
“As president, my aim was to broaden the scope of involvement in the Conservancy, establishing working committees, for example, to address mosquito control and the cleanup of West Harbor by pumping out waste from boats in the harbor.”
Off-Island, Mrs. Kelly impacted all of the boards on which she served, including the Rachel Carson Council, National Parks Conservancy and the Garden Club of America Conservation Group, which she started.
She has been acknowledged nationally for her work on the Alaska Lands bill by Jimmy Carter and influential with other bills such as the Clean Water Act as well as local laws protecting water and open space in the state of Maryland. Starting at the grassroots level, Mrs. Kelly always expanded to align herself with the larger public.
CAROL GILES
FIConservancy has developed a special relationship with Carol Giles through FIConservancy grants awarded to the school for specific science projects. Mrs. Giles speaks with pride about her students and their achievements:
“Maddie Hatfield’s four-month science project studying ocean acidification on a specific marine sponge species would not have been possible without FIConservancy’s grant to purchase two tank coolers and two filtration systems. Maddie’s research took one of the top prizes at the 2022 Long Island Youth Summit.
“Lili Kane received a grant to purchase a vernier oxygen and carbon dioxide probe to conduct research on, “The Effect of Earthworms Lumbricus Terristris on Climate Change: Carbon Source or Sink?” Two years of research won Lili 1st Honors and Special Awards, including being a finalist for PepsiCo/Pfizer life Sciences, Petit Family Foundation Women in Science and Engineering, and Future Sustainability Awards at the 2021 Connecticut State Science Fair, and Best Research Paper on Climate Change for the 2021 Long Island Youth Summit.
“Arabella Hatfield used the fluorometer, provided through a FIConservancy grant, to conduct research on, “Ocean Acidification: How it Effects the Phytoplankton Species Nannochloropsis oculata”. Her project earned State Finalist status in the CT State Science Fair and was selected Outstanding Climate Change Research Project in the Long Island Youth Summit.
“FIConservancy has purchased binoculars for the school used by both elementary and high school students, especially for our seal counts, and also has supported the ongoing Biorock Project: Low voltage electricity is sent to a steel geodesic dome that causes the reduction of calcium carbonate causing the formation of an artificial reef.”