Become a 2022 FINY Shoreline Superstar

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Michele Klimczak, FIConservancy’s Marine Debris Coordinator hauls debris from Fishers Island beach. Ian Lockey Photo

Fishers Island is being inundated with marine debris: Fishers Island Conservancy has cleared and hauled away over 10 tons in the past two years.

Michele Klimczak, FIConservancy’s Marine Debris Coordinator, has the monumental task of clearing this pollution year-round to help conserve our Island and protect our wildlife and community. But there’s still more shoreline to cover and more debris to collect.

We need your help! Sign up here.

Last summer, dozens of Islanders joined in our beach cleanup efforts, contributing to THOUSANDS of pounds of marine debris being cleared from Fishers Island’s shores. Will you join us this year? Here’s how:

How to Become a Shoreline Superstar

Step 1: Sign up here!

Step 2: Review our Beach Cleanup Safety Guidelines below.

Step 3: Gather friends and family and bring a bag to the beach.

Step 4:

  • Text Michele at 631-800-9394 whenever you have a full bag so she can collect the debris & snap a photo of you and your haul.
  • OR, you can take your own photo, drop your bag at the FIConservancy truck by the movie theater and text Michele your photo and beach clean up location.

Step 5: Repeat steps 3 & 4 when you can.

Michele will weigh and sort the debris, properly disposing of anything that cannot be reused.

The three teams that collect the most marine debris throughout the summer will receive prizes!

Together, we can help conserve Fishers Island and its waters. JOIN US HERE.

Enormous thanks to Michele for her passion and hard work and to you for your continued support. Together, we can “Keep it Clean” to help conserve beautiful Fishers Island.

See you on the beach!

IMPORTANT: Beach Cleanup Safety Guidelines

Rusted metal, hypodermic needles, glass and sharp plastic are commonly encountered during beach cleanup. The following guidelines should be followed to ensure safety.

What to bring:

  • Large bags, preferably reusable, in which to place the debris
  • A “sharps container” for items found such as metal or glass
  • A trash/debris nabber, if you have one

What to wear:

  • Thick work gloves to protect your hands
  • Fully enclosed, supportive shoes (no sandals or open-toed shoes)
  • Long pants are preferable, and don’t forget your sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat

What to do:

  • Bags should be carried an arm’s length from body for your safety
  • Follow the steps listed above and have fun!

FIConservancy Helps FIFerry District With Native Grasses on New Berm

The Fishers Island Conservancy is pleased to have been a part of the Fishers Island Ferry District’s new berm project at Silver Eel Cove.

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Maddie Hatfield Shines at Science Competition with Local Sponge Species

Maddie Hatfield, a Fishers Island School junior and honors Regents chemistry student, with the graphic explanation of her award-winning science project. Maddie’s research was made possible with a grant from FIConservancy.

Maddie Hatfield, an honors Regents chemistry student at Fishers Island School, took one of the top prizes at an April 8 Long Island high schools science competition and did it with an unplanned harvest of marine sponges from docks at Pirate’s Cove Marina.

When Maddie discovered that a Maine vendor did not have the specific marine sponge she needed for her research, Carol Giles, Maddie’s science teacher, came up with a potential solution.

“I had noticed sponges growing on the docks at Pirate’s Cove,” Mrs. Giles said. “But sponges are difficult to identify because of only slight differences in external features. Maddie obtained a sample of a sponge different from her initial intention, but one she thought might work for her research.

“She extracted and measured microscopic particles and identified the species as Halichondria bowerbanki, exactly what she wanted. I reached out to Connor Jones, former FI Seagrass Management Coordinator, who posted pictures on several marine sponge listservs.

“Over a dozen scientists responded with varying species identification, but two offered to confirm its identity. Dr. Robert Thacker of Stony Brook University verified Maddie’s identification, as did Dr. Sergio Vargas of LMU München, the most prestigious university in Germany, who DNA-barcoded the sponge.

“Maddie’s four-month science project studying ocean acidification on a specific marine sponge species would not have been possible without Fishers Island Conservancy’s grant to purchase two tank coolers and two filtration systems,” Mrs. Giles said.

FIConservancy continues to support Fishers Island School through a series of grants, including a 2020 purchase of a fluorometer, which measures phytoplankton density.

Maddie was one of five top students out of 300 finalists at the Long Island Youth Summit, a partnership between Northwell Health, St. Joseph’s College, Vision Long Island and other public and private organizations. 

The purpose of the Summit is to engage talented high school students of diverse backgrounds, encouraging them to think about solutions for local and regional problems related to social, economic and environmental issues. The Summit aims to develop the students’ research, creative and social skills by allowing them to work together with leaders in business, government and non-profit sectors.

2022 Spring Migratory Bird Count Surpasses Average Count For Fishers Island

Birders gather May 8 in the John Thatcher Native Garden next to Movie Theater. Tom Sargent Photo

Sunday, May 8 was a great day for birding! Dr. Adam Mitchell of Tarleton State University led a group of enthusiastic volunteers who counted birds from the West End to the East End of Fishers Island, following Audubon Bird Count rules.

“We observed a total of 52 species during the migration count, and 58 species overall for the weekend.” Dr. Mitchell said. “To put that in perspective, the average migration count over the past eight years is 47 in the spring and 39 in the fall.

“According to birdcast.info (a great migration tool!), however, the predicted overall migration rate for birds this spring was low. The late spring, compounded by cold and windy weather, kept many of our overwintering and migrant birds on the Island.

“More recent migrants, like warblers, vireos and other passerines (perching birds), were  forced to wait out our recent storm front by hiding in the dense undergrowth, rather than gleaning from the exposed tree branches, so our detection on these birds was likely to be fairly low.

“Of note was the unusual amount of brown-headed cowbirds in the mix,” Dr. Mitchell said. “It’s possible that these migrants were blown in from the storm. The bird count list is below:

American black duck

American crow

American goldfinch

American robin

Baltimore oriole

Barn swallow

Black-and-white warbler

Black-capped chickadee

Blackburnian warbler

Blue-winged warbler

Brown-headed cowbird

Blue-gray gnatcatcher

Blue jay

Canada goose

Carolina wren

Chimney swift

Chipping sparrow

Common eider

Common grackle

Common loon

Common raven

Common tern

Dark-eyed junco

Double-crested cormorant

Downey woodpecker

Eastern towhee

European starling

Fish crow

Gray catbird

Great black-backed gull

Great egret

Herring gull

House finch

House sparrow

House wren

Killdeer

Mallard

Mourning dove

Mute swan

Northern cardinal

Northern flicker

Northern harrier

Northern parula

Osprey

Red-bellied woodpecker

Red-tailed hawk

Red-winged blackbird

Ring-necked pheasant

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Ruby-throated hummingbird

Song sparrow

Tufted titmouse

Tree swallow

Turkey vulture

White-breasted nuthatch

White-throated sparrow

Yellow-rumped warbler

Yellow warbler

2022 Spring Bird Count

Mark your calendars for the 2022 Spring Bird Count Sunday, May 8, 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

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Famed Scientist Edward Osborne “E.O.” Wilson Dies at 92

E.O. Wilson (pictured in 2003). The Royal Swedish Academy, which awards Nobel Prizes, awarded Wilson the Crafoord Prize, an award in biosciences and geosciences not included in Nobel Prize categories. 

E.O. Wilson, considered the father of biodiversity and “Darwin’s heir”, died Dec. 26, 2021 at the age of 92.

Dr. Wilson was one of the most distinguished American scientists in modern history and devoted his life to studying the natural world, becoming the world authority on ants and later focusing on the critical link between conserving functional ecosystems and the survival of all species on our planet.

As a young student, University of Delaware entomologist Doug Tallamy, FIConservancy’s mentor for transforming our tangled Parade Grounds into rolling meadows, met and was inspired by “E.O.”

“My work studying native plants and insects, and how crucial they are to food webs, was inspired by Wilson’s eloquent descriptions of biodiversity and how the myriad interactions among species create the conditions that enable the very existence of such species,” Tallamy wrote in a thoughtful and heartfelt tribute to E.O.Wilson.

Read Doug Tallamy’s Tribute to E.O. Wilson:
Read Tribute

2021 Marine Debris Report

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President’s Message 2021

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Restored grassland at Parade Grounds.

While the pandemic continues to present challenges for the Conservancy, overall things have returned to a somewhat normal state. We have been able to get back to our mission of preserving and protecting the natural environment of Fishers Island. We could not be more pleased.

Tom Sargent

After our schedules had been hobbled in 2020 due to the pandemic, 2021 was much less restricted as vaccines became available early this year. As a result, were able to return to our annual burn in the Parade Grounds in March. Fishers Island Fire Department volunteers activated our prescribed burn plan, and it went off without a hitch. What a sight to see several acres crackling and hissing, flames reaching high into the sky. As fast as it started, it was over. The prescribed burn is a critical part of our Parade Grounds maintenance. It releases natural nitrogen into the soil and clears woody underbrush, leaving a healthy grassland habitat for several species of ground nesting birds. I can’t thank the entire FI Fire Department enough for their experience and guidance in this annual ritual.

Still pressed with the pandemic, we were unable to operate our “weed team” of graduate students from the University of Delaware (UD). We are in current conversations, however, with Professors Tallamy and Mitchell and expect to have a full complement in place for next season. While we missed our UD team, the slack was picked up via our Island Sentinels program run by Stephanie Hall. We had a record number of participants in our student scientist program, and they took hundreds of readings at multiple sites across the Island. We are currently collecting and collating this data, which will be available to the public as trend lines become apparent as to the health and vibrancy of the Island’s unique habitats.

The Conservancy held both Spring and Fall Migratory Bird Counts according to Audubon standards. We were able to bring back our scientist birders, Emily Baisden and Will Almeida. Both counts were well attended. On a happy note, we observed the highest number of birds at locations with the least number of invasive plant species, but now we have to quantify it with the science. Along these lines, I would like to suggest a title for a little winter reading, A World on the Wing by Scott Weidensaul. The author explores the only-recently understood odyssey of migratory birds, many of whom use this little tuft of refuge as a brief stop to rest and refuel before continuing their several-thousand-mile migratory journeys. This book illuminates the importance of native habitat—a subject not lost on our community.

Our two big summer events were back in force: Sunset on the Beach and Nature Days. We had record numbers of participants at both events. I think the pent-up demand to get out, see people and celebrate our beautiful Island was overwhelming. I want to thank our Executive Director Kristen Peterson, our Sunset Sponsors and all the volunteers for making these two events so special for the Conservancy and for the Island Community. We at the Conservancy are deeply grateful to our friends and supporters for all you do to keep this organization humming. Thank you!

As we enter the quiet time of late fall, and the last of the warblers have left for warmer climes, please remember that a gift to the Fishers Island Conservancy is a gift to Fishers Island.

Cheers, Tom

Shoreline Superstars Embrace Adopt-A-Beach Competition

FIConservancy launched its first community marine debris program this summer, and it was a great success. Thank you to all you participated!

Read more

Destructive Spotted Lanternfly An Increasing Threat

The destructive spotted lanternfly: Wings open and wings closed.

Be on the lookout for the colorful but treacherous spotted lanternfly (SLF). Relatively new to the U.S., it is an invasive insect from China that is known to feed on 70 different types of plants and trees. SLF adults emerge in July and are active until the first hard frost.

This insect was first spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014, and by July 2021 had spread to about half of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, eastern Ohio and Indiana.

Closer to home, the the SLF has been found in western Connecticut, parts of New York state, and on Sept. 29, Rhode Island reported a second credible sighting in West Greenwich, RI. This insect usually spreads by hopping rides on vehicles as they move from state to state.

The U.S. Dept of Agriculture has issued a thorough SLF Pest Alert pdf with information about the SLF and what you can do about it. If you see an SLF, take pictures and report it to New York State via its SLF reporting form. Scraping its grey egg masses from trees and man-made outdoor items is vital to slowing its spread. Egg masses can be double bagged and discarded, or placed in alcohol or bleach to kill them.

Indicating the significance of this dangerous pest, FIConservancy posted advance warnings about the SLF in 2018 and 2020.

Thanks for your help.