Massive Plastic Whale Sculptures Draw Attention to Ocean Plastic Pollution

California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium in 2018 built a life-sized blue whale art installation from discarded single-use plastic. According to Guinness World Records 2020, the whale structure is the world’s largest supported recycled plastic sculpture. (See the Bruges plastic whale below.)

Every nine minutes, 300,000 pounds of plastic—the weight of a blue whale—makes its way into the ocean. Monterey Bay Aquarium built a massive plastic whale to draw attention to the enormous and continually growing problem of ocean plastic pollution.

The whale is made mostly of single-use plastic trash: Grocery bags, milk jugs, laundry detergent containers, bubble wrapping, produce bags, etc. Workers spent months collecting, sorting, cleaning, shredding, heating, and molding the plastic to create the whale. In contrast, the Bruges whale (image below) was created from intact plastic marine debris.

In 2016, the United States produced more plastic waste than any other nation. Without enough resources to recycle all of the plastic, the only solution is to reduce plastic consumption.

If we don’t turn the tide, the amount of plastic in the ocean is projected to double by 2025. Since 1950, we have produced 8 billion tons of plastic. 6.3 billion tons have been discarded. Of that amount, only 9% has been recycled.

A new report by Oceana, a conservation group, found that in 90 percent of reported cases, animals had swallowed plastic, and the rest were entangled in it. Necropsies often showed that animals had died from blockages or lacerations. Over all, in 82 percent of the cases, the animals died.

Scientists estimate that by 2050, over 90 percent of seabirds — including pelicans, herons and seagulls— will have accidentally eaten plastic at least once.

Bruges, Belgium wanted to address how cities from across the globe are contributing to plastic waste that washes up on our shores and endangers and kills marine life. The city commissioned this 38-foot plastic whale sculpture designed by Brooklyn-based architecture and design firm StudioKCA. It is composed from over five tons of plastic pulled from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, which translated into 4,000 square feet of plastic waste for the 10,000-pound whale. 

Spotted Lanternfly: Not a Threat To FI…Yet

The destructive spotted lanternfly is known to feed on 70 different types of plants and trees. 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.

The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an aggressive invader that threatens not only agricultural crops and trees but also quality of life for those living in the midst of an infestation. The alarm is so great that multiple states have issued quarantines in an effort to halt its spread.

SLF can cause serious damage to crops including almonds, apples, blueberries, cherries, peaches, grapes and hops, and to trees, including maple, birch, oak, walnut and poplar. It feeds on sap from the stems, leaves and trunks of trees and, when feeding, excretes a sugary substance, called honeydew, that encourages the growth of black sooty mold that coats leaves and fruit, damaging fruit harvests.

Honeydew will also coat anything outside, including decks, outdoor furniture and play equipment. Some residents in areas of infestation report feeling like “prisoners” in their own homes during the spring and summer months due to swarming SLFs and honeydew that drops from trees.

Entire trees may appear wilted and exhibit oozing or weeping wounds, often with a fermented odor. There are no documented cases of SLFs killing trees, but heavy feeding weakens the tree and paves the way for secondary pests that can kill the tree.

SLF is a strong plant hopper and uses its wings to assist these jumps rather than making sustained flights. Its greatest risk of spread is through transportation of egg masses laid on firewood, stone or man-made items like grills, yard furniture, vehicles, farm equipment or other items stored outside.

State-mandated SLF quarantines restrict the movement of items that could harbor egg masses unless approved by special waiver. People traveling in a quarantined county are asked to do a quick SLF inspection of their vehicle before leaving.

Native to Asia, this insect first appeared in Pennsylvania in 2014. It is now well-established in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and northern Virginia, and has been observed in New York and Connecticut.

A few natural predators have been identified in the lanternfly’s native habitat in China, but they are being evaluated in the United States under quarantine, until researchers are certain that the predators will not become an invasive species.

The Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture has posted excellent SLF visuals and suggestions on how to slow the spread of this aggressor: Spotted Lanternfly Checklist for Residents.

(l) Spotted lanternflies coat trunk of tree, and (r) spotted lanternfly egg mass clings to tree but also will cling to grills, yard furniture, vehicles, children’s toys, and even lightbubs.

New Fluorometer Meter Boosts Oceanography Studies at Fishers Island School

Fishers Island School Oceanography students use fluorometer donated by FIConservancy. Carol Giles Photo

FIConservancy has provided a grant to Fishers Island School to purchase a fluorometer, already in use by Oceanography students.

The meter will enable these students to measure phytoplankton population density. Quantifying seasonal changes in density will spark student discussion of how environmental factors such as temperature, fertilizer runoff and light intensity affect growth. This, in turn, will engage student learning and awaken their concern for the environment, said science teacher Carol Giles in a letter to FIConservancy.

“FIConservancy has supported the Fishers Island science program for many years,” Mrs. Giles said in her letter. “Your past purchase of binoculars has allowed our Oceanography class to enumerate the FI seal population and graph its variance throughout the year. The carbon dioxide and oxygen probes are again being utilized to further explore fauna carbon sequestering.”

The fluorometer grant comes from FIConservancy’s 25th Anniversary Grant Fund founded in celebration of 25 years of preserving and protecting our Island’s environment.

Doug Tallamy’s Bestselling Nature Books

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Join Us for the Fall 2020 Migratory Bird Count

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John Thatcher Native Garden (formerly Demonstration Garden) is a busy third stop during the Fall Migratory Bird Count.

Mark your calendars for the 2020 Fall Migratory Bird Count Saturday Sept. 19, 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Meet at the Island Community Center. Bring binoculars. Masks required.

Following Audubon bird count rules, birders will make 15 five-minute stops from West End to East End. At each timed stop, birders count birds and call out what they see.

The fall 2019 bird count began under overcast skies, with thick clouds and fog, but the weather this Saturday is predicted to be sunny, in the 60s!

 

 

 

Stink Bugs Like to Winter Inside Houses

Green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris), is a native species that feeds on a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants. Unfortunately, they like to spend the winter indoors. Dianne Crary Photo

Stink bugs are making their annual appearance on Fishers Island. They like to overwinter in houses as the weather cools and have an uncanny ability to slip into homes through torn screens and door cracks thanks to their flat body shape.

They are a threat to agriculture, not to humans. But they are a nuisance. Known to sometimes invade homes in massive numbers, they emit a stink (likened to rotting meat) when threatened or squashed. Stink bugs, however, do not sting, spread disease or damage structures.

The best defense against stink bugs is weather stripping, caulking and tape, and making your home a fortress. Seal up gaps and crevices around foundations and any area where doors, windows, chimneys and utility pipes are cut into the exterior. Any opening large enough for a stink bug to crawl through should be sealed.

The best thing to do if you find them inside is gently sweep them into a bucket, then fill it with a couple of inches of soapy water. You could vacuum them, but only as a last resort, because it will trigger the stink bug’s noxious odor and make your vacuum cleaner smell nasty.

The pests gravitate towards light and often gather on sunny exterior walls, particularly near gardens and ornamental plants. They frequently die in light fixtures, filling rooms with a bad smell. They also fly inside, and can crawl on walls and ceilings in large numbers.

Stink bugs are found in New York and 45 other states.

Monarch Butterfly Sightings Always a Delight

Monarch butterfly at Parade Grounds. Laurie Marshall Photo

Monarch butterflies are a sign of a healthy natural environment and have been seen in increasing numbers on the Parade Grounds and in backyards. They were featured on the cover of the 2020-2021 Fishers Island Telephone Directory, which marked the 35th anniversary of the founding of FIConservancy.

What Plants Do to Survive!

Red oak sapling. Dianne Crary Photo

This tree sapling shows how plants modify their leaves to draw as much sunlight as possible for photosynthesis. Overshadowed by other plants, one leaf of this tree sapling was able to reach sunlight. It is about two inches longer and much wider than any of the other leaves.

What plants do to survive!

2020 Island Sentinels

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2020 Island Sentinels (l-r): Caroline Toldo, Nicolas Hall, Izzie Reid, Wilson Thors, Gardner Thors, Betsy Conger and Alexa Rosenberg. (Marc Rosenberg missing from picture.) Stephanie Hall Photo

FIConservancy’s Island Sentinels program, established in 2014, provides environmentally passionate students from both Fishers Island School and the seasonal community the opportunity to observe and monitor flora, fauna, insects, marine life and birds across the Island. This experience, combined with discussion and guidance, is creating future stewards of our environment.

Betsy Conger, 18, lives in Stonington, Conn. She will be a freshman at Sewanee: The University of the South this fall and plans to major in Biology. She is an alumna of Fishers Island School, where she attended 6th-12th grade, commuting daily via ferry.

Betsy’s interest in environmental studies started in science classes, where teachers utilized the Island as a living laboratory. She was intrigued by the Island’s ecology and became an Island Sentinel to learn more about the environmental work taking place here. Betsy volunteered as a Sentinel in 2016 and 2017, before officially working as a Sentinel in 2018, helping to monitor ecological sites across the Island.

In the summer of 2018 and 2019, Betsy participated in the Sewanee Environmental Institute (SEI), where she learned about ecosystems, plant and animal species, archeological techniques, GPS and GIS technology and conservation strategies that she shared when she returned to the Island. She also learned the importance of caring for the environment, not just on Fishers Island, but globally, because all ecosystems are interconnected.

Betsy’s environmental stewardship extends beyond FIConservancy. As chair of the environmental committee for the East Lyme Leo Club chapter, an internationally recognized youth volunteer organization, she designed and organized the distribution of reusable grocery totes. Over 400 bags were distributed to shoreline residents. 

Nicolas Hall, 18, has lived on Fishers Island his whole life and is a sophomore at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he is majoring in Oceanography. This is his third year as an Island Sentinel, including one winter of volunteering. Nick has a passion for the ocean whether sailing, fishing, spearfishing or simply going to the beach. He loves to monitor sites and immerse himself in Fishers flora and fauna. In addition to monitoring, Nick volunteers for the Fishers Island Seagrass Management Coalition helping them protect Fishers Island’s beautiful eelgrass meadows. Nick looks forward to furthering his knowledge and understanding of wildlife on and around the Island.

 

Isabelle “Izzie” Reid is a rising junior at Elon University majoring in Strategic Communications with a minor in Human Services. She is new to the Island Sentinels team this summer, but Fishers has been a part of her life for over 20 years. Isabelle went to Tabor Academy, where she studied Environmental Science, Oceanography, Fish & Fisheries. Her years by the sea instilled an appreciation for marine wildlife. Over the past couple months, Isabelle has enjoyed discovering more of our Island wildlife through the Island Sentinels and Seagrass Management Coalition programs and looks forward to exploring more of the Island!

Alexa Rosenberg, 15, is a sophomore at Hunter College High School in New York City. She started as an Island Sentinel in the summer of 2019 and is very grateful for all the wonderful experiences she has had with the team. She has been coming to Fishers Island for as long as she can remember and has enjoyed learning about the fascinating Island wildlife. Alexa appreciates that the program has helped her to take a more active role in the protection and preservation of the Island.

sentinel

Marc Rosenberg, 16, lives in New York City and is a junior at Bronx High School of Science. 2018 was his “volunteer” year and first summer as an Island Sentinel. He joined the Sentinel program because he was interested in sea life and wildlife on Fishers Island.

Marc’s interest in sea life was sparked when he vacationed in Greece and observed a multitude of fish through his goggles. After that experience, Marc became increasingly curious about wildlife on and around Fishers Island. His trip to Costa Rica helped him experience more underwater life and renewed his passion for marine biology. This summer, Marc hopes to continue monitoring as well as working on monitoring water quality for the Fishers Island Seagrass Coalition.

Marc enjoys spending time under water and made a video of seagrass off the coast of Fishers Island. See Marc’s video.

Gardner Thors, 18, lives in New York City and is a freshman at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. This is his seventh summer as an Island Sentinel, after volunteering for one summer. Throughout his childhood, growing up in the urban environment of Manhattan, Fishers Island has been his natural sanctuary. Gardner has been summering here for as long as he can remember, and Fishers holds a special place in his heart. That is why he chose to play a part in the preservation of this environment. With eight years of environmental preservation experience on the Island and schooling in ecology, conservation biology and other areas of environmental studies, Gardner looks forward to sharing his experiences and what he has learned with the Island community, as well as to continue to gather crucial data about the ever-changing ecology of Fishers Island. His brother, Wilson, is also a passionate Sentinel.

Wilson Thors lives in New York City and is a rising Junior at Groton School in Massachusetts. 2017 was his first summer as a Sentinel, although he volunteered to monitor for FIConservancy the year before. Initially, he joined the Island Sentinel program because he was curious about his brother’s experiences as a Sentinel and wanted to take an active role in supporting the environmental community of Fishers Island.

Through his two years as a Sentinel, Wilson has not only learned more about the ecological trajectory of Fishers Island, especially concerning the eelgrass meadows, but also how to direct it forward. Wilson has always appreciated the natural beauty of Fishers Island, but now he has a deeper love of the Island since learning more about the wildlife and learning that we share such a great Island with it.

Caroline Toldo is a third-year student at Loyola University Chicago, double majoring in Environmental Studies and Environmental Policy with a minor in Environmental Activism and Leadership. She lived on Fishers Island from the age of 12 and graduated from Fishers Island School in 2018. Caroline is looking to further educate herself on the humanitarian side of the ecological crisis, aiming to learn how to spread awareness. She is interested in furthering her education by getting a masters degree in Oceanographic Studies.

 

Pest and Pest Control Wrapped in One Package

Tobacco hornworm caterpillar coated with parasitic wasp cocoons. Jane Crary Photo

Masters of camouflage, the tobacco hornworm caterpillar is a garden pest that can overnight devour entire leaves of their favored plants, including tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and tobacco.

The clusters of white silky pods covering the caterpillar are cocoons of tiny parasitic wasps. (Not the kind that bite.) The female wasp lays her eggs under the skin of the tobacco hornworm. As the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the hornworm’s insides, eating their way out and spinning the cocoons.

When adult wasps emerge from the cocoons, the caterpillar dies. The above caterpillar will likely die in a week, according to entomologist Adam Mitchell, Ph.D.

“The parasitic moth is fairly common with these caterpillars, which used to feed exclusively on nightshade or tobacco, and the toxins in those plants helped the caterpillars reduce the likelihood of parasitism,” Dr. Mitchell said. “However, we’ve done a good job at removing plant defenses in tomatoes so we can improve fruit yield, and this has led to the caterpillars having no real defense against the wasps when they lay their eggs.”

Entomologists recommend leaving the cocooned caterpillar alone, because parasitic wasps control other garden pests including beetles, aphids, squash bugs, stink bugs and tent caterpillars.

The tobacco hornworm is also a “model organism” commonly used in neurobiology in a variety of biomedical and biological experiments, due to its easily accessible nervous system and short life cycle.