March 2020 Stewardship Newsletter

Stewardship Strength in Numbers!

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http://hudsonvalleycountry.com/step-into-2019-with-a-first-day-hike/

Boot brush stations and signs (like the example above) are becoming more common at trailheads. Spring is almost here and so are the rain and mud. Make sure you aren’t spreading invasive species as you hike. Clean your boots and gear before hiking and before leaving the park. Give invasive species the brush off! Remember Play - Clean - Go. Photo credit: playcleango.org

It's almost spring and volunteer opportunities abound!

March is now upon us and with the relatively mild winter we've had, we will soon start welcoming in spring blooms and shoots! We have been hard at work to schedule volunteer and training opportunities to gear up for the growing season when we can get back to caring for the trails, parks, and gardens we all love! Now is the time to sign up for one of our volunteer survey training workshops, Habitat Helper or invasives removal workdays. Registrations are now open!

Ways to Get Involved!

Invasives Strike Force Survey Program:
2020 Workshop Registration Now Open!

Our Invasives Strike Force survey program is coordinated by Citizen Science Program Coordinator, Brent Boscarino (top left) and utilizes volunteers like Bridget Connolly (left) and Lauren Abderhalden (right) to map the distribution of invasive species like autumn olive (bottom left). To read more, check out this article in New Jersey Monthly by Monica Cardoza: The Can-Do of New Jersey's Citizen Scientists. Photo credit: Ira L. Black.

As an Invasives Strike Force survey volunteer, you’ll learn easy ways to identify a set of invasive plants found along our trails as well as how to record and report information about their locations. Not only will you learn how to ID invasive plants, but you will also learn how to use some easy mobile apps to help identify many types of organisms you are seeing along your hike. It truly takes the hiking experience to the next level! Sign up today for one of the training sessions below!

Registration dates for our Standard Surveys (for beginner surveyors)

May 9: 9:00-3:00 at Trail Conference HQ in Mahwah, NJ

May 16: 9:00-3:00 at Green Chimney's Clearpool Model Forest in Carmel, NY

May 30: 9:00-3:00 at the Environmental Cooperative at Vassar Barns in Poughkeepsie, NY

June 20: 9:00-3:00 at the New Weis Center in Ringwood, NJ

June 27: 9:00-3:00 at Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, NY

July 11: 9:00-3:00 at the Mamakating Environmental and Interpretive Center in Wurtsboro, NY

Registration dates for our Intermediate Surveys (experienced surveyors)

May 17: 9:30-12:30 at Trail Conference HQ in Mahwah, NJ

July 18: 9:30-12:30 at Westchester Land Trust in Bedford Hills, NY

For More Information on our Invasives Strike Force, Click Here!

Volunteer with our Invasives Strike Force Crew!

The Invasives Strike Force Crew will be working at this site in Harriman State Park in March and April to remove invasive plants and plant natives. We would love your help! Photo credit: Linda Rohleder.

The Invasives Strike Force Crew is made up of volunteers dedicated to protecting native habitats by removing invasive plants. No experience with plant ID or trail maintenance work is necessary to join- we provide on-the-job training! Just bring your work gloves and come help us make a real difference. More crew workdays will be advertised in next month's newsletter, but below are two great opportunities in March and April to come volunteer! These are the first in a series of monthly work days at Harriman State Park (Kanawauke Road in Southfields, NY) where we have previously removed invasive scotch broom and now we’re removing other invasives and planting native plants and seeds to restore the site. We will also be rescuing some native plants from a site that’s been impacted by construction and transplanting them to our restoration site. Come join us by clicking the volunteer workday links below to register!

March 15, 10am-12pm

April 19, 10am-12pm

Volunteer with our Habitat Helpers Crew!

Habitat Helpers volunteers work in the native plant landscape outside the Darlington Schoolhouse at Trail Conference headquarters to maintain the plantings, plant new plants, and remove weeds and invasive plants. Photo credit: Heather Darley

Interested in gardening and landscaping? Join other like-minded volunteers to plant native species, remove weeds, and learn about some of the native plants in our region all while improving the value of our surrounding landscape for pollinators and wildlife at the Trail Conference headquarters in Mahwah, NJ. You can also take what you’ve learned and apply it to your own yard. The Habitat Helpers program is now officially certified as a Bergen County Master Gardener worksite! Registration is now open. Simply click on the button below to learn more and register for a specific date to volunteer!

Dates Through March and April:

To See a Full List of 2020 Dates and to Register, Click Here!

March/Early April Events from LH-PRISM partners

MAR. 8, 3:00 p.m.

Pollinator Pathway - Special Program at Ruth Keeler Memorial Library in North Salem, NY

Join us for a presentation on Pollinator Pathway covering the many ways residents can make an environmental impact in their own backyards.
Spearheaded by several conservation organizations, the program crosses state and county boundaries to establish corridors of pollinator-friendly habitat and food sources for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinating insects and wildlife. Presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. This program is open to the public but RSVP's are encouraged. Please contact [email protected] for RSVP's and questions.

MAR. 9, 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Places for Pollinators: Designing Welcoming Landscapes

Find out about the needs of pollinators and the challenges they face at The Native Plant Center's 2020 Spring Landscape Conference, Places for Pollinators: Designing Welcoming Landscapes, at Westchester Community College. Explore designs and native plants to use in creating beneficial sites. Discover the movement that is changing backyards and community landscapes while supporting the survival of these critical creatures. Earn credits: 4 LA-CES, 3 ISA, 4 CNLP-NY, 4 CNLP-NJ. For details and a list of presenters, please click here!

MAR. 11, 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Native Plant Society of New Jersey - Bergen Passaic Chapter Meeting

Join us at Trail Conference Headquarters for the monthly meeting of the Bergen-Passaic chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. We share information among native plant enthusiasts and have informative talks on native plants. This month will feature a talk by landscape architect Nancy Slowik entitled "Vine Identification - Unraveling their identity, natural history and importance."

For More Information, Click Here!

MAR. 20 & 27, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Gardener's Toolkit for Invasive Species

Join guest lecturer Jessica Schuler for this Native U course hosted by The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College. Learn to identify common invasive species. Find out the recommended management practices for monitoring and controlling these invasives as well as pertinent regulations. Registration is $90.

For More Information, Click Here!

MAR. 21, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Rethink Your Outdoor Space- Learn About Ecoregion Gardening

Amanda Bayley, landscape designer and co-founder of Plan It Wild, will discuss ways of connecting to nature through landscape planning and ecoregion design at the Pound Ridge Library in Pound Ridge, N.Y. Bayley applies an understanding of the local ecoregion to connect a landscape to the natural world. An ecoregion embraces places with similar plants, weather, and geographic conditions. These conditions in turn support animal life-- from lady bugs to hummingbirds-- associated with a place. Come join us!

For More Information and to Register, Click Here!

MAR. 21, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Maple Sugaring and Pancake Breakfast with Conservation Dog Demo

Come to the Green Chimney's Clearpool Model Forest in Carmel, N.Y. for their annual pancake breakfast! There will be multiple hands-on demonstrations, guided hikes, carnival games, free crafts and more (including an information table staffed by Lower Hudson PRISM and live demonstrations from our Conservation Dogs Program)!

For More Information, Click Here!

MAR. 21, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Westchester Land Trust Stone Wall Restoration Volunteer Day

Volunteers will clear invasive vines and brush along a historic stone wall on McLain St. This important project will protect the preserve’s ecology from invasive plants while showcasing Bedford’s cultural heritage. Location: Tom Burke Preserve in Bedford Hills. Park on the gravel pull-off along McLain St. in Bedford Hills. For more information, contact John Zeiger at [email protected].

MAR. 21, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Van Cortlandt Park Nature Center Wetland Volunteer Day

Did you know there are only 98 acres of freshwater wetlands left in the Bronx and 56 of them are in Van Cortlandt Park? Volunteers will help with native species planting, removal of non-native invasive plants and trash clean up within Tibbetts Wetlands. Meet at the Nature Center, enter the Park at Broadway and W. 246th St. For more information and to register, click here!

APR. 6, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Writing an Invasive Species Management Plan for Your Property

Do you manage a natural area? Do you need to have a documented plan for addressing invasive species? Take this workshop with Dr. Linda Rohleder who will lead you through some of the decisions and information that needs to be collected as well as provide a framework for your invasive species management plan. Attendees will bring laptops or notebooks to start on their plans during this session. For more information and to register, click here!

For More Information and to Register, Click Here!

APR. 8, 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Native Plant Society of New Jersey - Bergen Passaic Chapter Meeting

Join us at Trail Conference Headquarters for the monthly meeting of the Bergen-Passaic chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. We share information among native plant enthusiasts and have informative talks on native plants. This month, Dr. Linda Rohleder will give an overview of common characteristics invasive species share, how to recognize the warning signs and review some garden plants that are becoming invasive..

For More Information, Click Here!

March EcoQuest: Less of Lesser is Better!

Lesser celandine is an herbaceous perennial plant with glossy dark green, kidney-shaped leaves with wavy edges that emerge in February. Each leaf is about the size of your thumbnail. The flowers begin to bloom in March and April, with 7-12 bright yellow petals. The plant then goes dormant again by June, not to be seen again until next spring. Photo credit: thetandd.com

Native to Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, lesser celandine was introduced to the United States in the late 1860’s as an ornamental plant. It has a wide range of growing conditions, from wet shade along woodland stream banks to sun filled lawns where it is aggressive enough to outcompete turfgrass. This wide range makes it a nuisance in both our manicured landscapes and our managed forests. It is in our riparian areas that the concern of its impact is greatest, where vast monocultures force out native spring ephemerals. Enjoy seeing spring beauty (Claytonia virginica) or yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum)? You may be seeing less of them in the future, as these are some of the plants which will not be able to compete with lesser celandine.

To join the Invasives Strike Force EcoQuest and help us monitor the distribution of lesser celandine, all you need to do is 1) register to participate here (no need to re-register if you've already done so for a previous challenge) 2) visit our 2020 EcoQuest webpage for ID tips 3) download the free iNaturalist App, 4) hit the trail, head to a park or look around your property for the target species, and then 5) point, click, and upload photos directly to iNaturalist!

Special Thanks + Congratulations

We would like to say thank you to Chris Raleigh who stepped up to help with database entry work this winter. Chris is helping ensure our contact lists are up to date and accurate to help with our invasive species recruiting, education and outreach initiatives. This "behind the scenes" work is so critical to the success of our programs. Thank you Chris!

Also a big shout out to PRISM partners Green Chimneys, Vassar College, Black Rock Forest, Westchester Land Trust as well as the Basha Kill Area Association and the New Weis Center for graciously opening up their facilities to host invasive species training workshops this year. Without the help of these organizations, our programs would not have the same level of volunteer participation and reach that we currently do. Interesting in hosting a future training? Please reach out to us at [email protected].

Lastly, there are still a few remaining spots for the Volunteer Appreciation Event being held this coming weekend on March 8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Skylands Manor in Ringwood, NJ. If you are interested in coming and have not yet registered, please email [email protected] or call 201-512-9348 ext. 822.

Conservation Dogs Program Update

Fagen getting ready to train and practice identifying spotted lanternfly (SLF) in 2019. SLF will continue to be a primary focus for both Dia and Fagen in 2020. Photo credit: Arden Blumenthal

The Conservation Dogs program is looking forward to all of the work planned for March. Searching for spotted lanternfly (SLF) egg masses continues with Fagen and Dia doing most of their training near the Delaware River Gap in New Jersey. Search work is focused on Port Jervis, New York and its surrounding areas. We’re doing all we can to keep SLF out of New York State.

Last weekend, we began our second season searching for Scotch broom. Dia already found over 30 plants at a site that was searched and cleared by a human crew just last year! We’ll continue working our way through each Scotch broom site in Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. Oak wilt is our next target, and we are excited to be partnering with Cornell University. This work will take us through several locations in New York State, including Canandaigua and Brooklyn. This disease can kill oak trees in a matter of weeks and is spread by beetles that feed on oak trees or through oak tree roots. Early detection is key to combating this invasive and the dogs are trying to do their part!

We have several demonstrations happening this month, and these will continue throughout the field season. Demonstrations offer us a chance to show how effective our dogs are at finding invasives and to bring awareness to the threat that invasives pose for our environment and economy. If you are interested in attending a demonstration, please visit us at Teatown for Plant Fest on May 9th. If you are interested in hosting a demonstration, please send an email to [email protected]. And, don’t forget to follow all of our progress on Instagram @diasavestheforest."