Bedford Audubon Programs for December
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- December
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Speaking of bird counts (see below), did you see the piece in the NYTimes last week about the backyard birdfeeder count sponsored by Cornell in Ithaca. Here’s a link.
And from Helle Raheem of the Bedford Audubon Society:
“December 2008
“Field Trip to Edith Read Sanctuary (Playland) and Marshlands Conservancy, Rye
With Tait Johansson.
Tuesday, December 9, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Carpool from Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah
Located on the shore of the Long Island Sound, along the Atlantic migratory flyway, the 179-acre Edith Read Sanctuary is home to a great diversity of marine life. In winter, the 85-acre lake, a mixture of salt and fresh water, hosts over 5,000 ducks. The sanctuary has been recognized by National Audubon as an Important Bird Area due to its significant habitats and flyway.
Marshlands Conservancy, located off Route 1 in Rye, is also on the migratory flyway. This 173-acre wildlife sanctuary is composed of a diversity of habitats—forest, meadow, salt marsh, and seashore. The preserve has three miles of trails and one-half mile of shoreline along the Long Island Sound. Bring lunch and dress warmly. (Level of difficulty: Easy to Moderate)
Please register with Joan Becker: jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org
Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org
“Myxomycetes! The Enigma of Slime Molds — A Window to the Imagination, With David Rose, Past President of the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association (COMA)
Wednesday, December 10, 7:30 p.m.
Katonah Memorial House, 71 Bedford Road, Katonah
In this illustrated talk, David Rose will explore the natural history of myxomycetes, commonly known as “slime molds.” Slime molds are colorful, harmless organisms that inhabit damp woodland environments. So perplexing to science that they have been classified variously as
animals, plants, and fungi (they are actually protists), these organisms are remarkable for their delicate beauty and their surprising transformation from an animal-like to a plant-like stage. Though they are not mushrooms, slime molds reproduce by spores and have traditionally
been studied by mycologists for their resemblance to the fungi.
David W. Rose is an archivist, writer, and past president of the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association (COMA). As archivist, he has organized the records of many prominent mycologists and botanists at The New York Botanical Garden, and as consulting archivist he has processed the Charles Horton Peck Papers of the New York State Museum and the records of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA). Since 1998 his column, “Notes from Underground,” appeared in the COMA newsletter, Spores Illustrated, and now appears in FUNGI, a journal of amateur and professional mycology. “Notes from Underground” is a periodic essay using literary models and historical perspectives to explore the backwaters of mycology: the poetics of fungi and the individuals who have studied their marvels, all to illustrate that “mushrooms are a window to the imagination.” David is presently Archivist of the March of Dimes Foundation and author of the first photographic history of the foundation in the Arcadia Images of America series.
Website: www.bedfordaudubon.org
The program is free and open to the public.
Katonah Memorial House is wheelchair accessible.
“A Bronx Extravaganza!” Field Trip to The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show, Visit to the Arthur Avenue Market, and Lunch at Pasquale’s Rigoletto.
With Bedford Audubon Director Carol Gracie
Friday, December 12, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Carpool from Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah
From November 23 through January 13, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the Botanical Garden is one of the favorite holiday destinations in New York City. It has a unique appeal to a wide audience, from children, who marvel at the trains that crisscross the exhibit; to architects, who admire the exquisite reconstruction of New York City landmark buildings; to botanists and gardeners, who eagerly study the botanical materials used to recreate the dozens of buildings.
The field trip will have the added advantage of the expertise of Carol Gracie, who has worked at The Garden for over 30 years. After visiting the Holiday Train Show, the group will stop at the vibrant Arthur Avenue market in the “Little Italy” of the Bronx and then go to the popular Pasquale’s Rigoletto Restaurant for lunch.
A $10 per-car parking fee applies except for members of NYBG. An admission fee of $20 ($18 for seniors; free for members of NYBG) applies as well. Lunch is not included. Registration is limited to 10 people, so sign up early for this popular excursion! (Level of difficulty: Easy.) Please register with Joan Becker: jebecker@bedfordaudubon.org
“The Peekskill Christmas Bird Count with John Askildsen
Saturday, December 20, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
To participate, email John at jaskildsen@bedfordaudubon.org
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC), now in its 109th season, is the world’s largest and oldest citizen science project. Counts are conducted in all 50 states and in all 13 provinces and territories of Canada as well as other countries in North and South America. The individual counts are the lifeblood of the Audubon CBC whose collective data provide a “snapshot” of bird numbers at this time of year. BAS will do its part by conducting the 54th Annual Peekskill CBC on Saturday, December 20, held within a circle with a 15-mile radius in Northern Westchester County. Our group will cover a variety of habitats including forest, field, swamp, stream, and lake in search of wintering birds. Both bird species and individual numbers will be recorded. Join us and get to meet others who share an appreciation for the natural world, while contributing vital data for the assessment of the health of the avian community. At the end of the day, you are invited to the compilation, which includes a hearty potluck dinner. The $5 participation fee helps cover many of the CBC’s costs including production of the annual CBC summary issue of American Birds, which all participants will receive. Whether you are a novice or an experienced birder, reserve your space by contacting John Askildsen by phone at 845-677-3993 or by e-mail to jaskildsen@bedfordaudubon.org
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 at 6:18 am by Bill Cary.
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Bill Cary grew up in Louisville, Ky. His gardening was limited to growing parsley and impatiens on the windowsill of Manhattan walkups until the mid-1990s when he bought a rundown old chicken farm on 8 acres in the Hudson Valley. Now he spends his weekends chasing deer, hacking away at invasive shrubs and vines and wondering why he doesn`t have more meadow and less lawn.
