A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Submitted by Paul Hetzler, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County Eat your hearts out, synchronized swimmers—blackbird migration is underway. With all due respect to those highly choreographed aquatic athletes, a flock of thousands of blackbirds turning and wheeling in unison is even more impressive. Although grackles, cowbirds and the invasive starlings are lumped into the category of “blackbird,” it’s our native red-winged blackbird that I more often see. Considering that red-wing blackbirds are the most numerous bird species in...
WASHINGTON (September 23, 2014) – The monarch butterfly, whose spectacular 2,000-mile migration has captivated scientists and school students for generations, is disappearing largely due to pesticides and may not be around for our children to witness in the future, according to a new report. The monarch is one of 10 threatened species highlighted in the report, Vanishing: Ten American Species Our Children May Never See, by the Endangered Species Coalition, which comprises hundreds of national and local conservation groups, including the C...
A team of researchers from McGill University and the Quebec government have discovered microplastics (in the form of polyethylene ‘microbeads,’ less than 2 mm in diameter) widely distributed across the bottom of the St. Lawrence River, the first time such pollutants have been found in freshwater sediments The microbeads likely originate from cosmetics, household cleansers, or industrial cleansers – all products in which they are commonly used as abrasives. Owing to their small size and buoyancy, they may readily pass through sewage treatment pl...
Mammals Mammals have adapted in many ways to survive the cold winter months. One way to survive the winter is by hibernation. Hibernation is when an animal goes into a deep sleep. The heartbeat and breathing slows down. The body cools down. They don’t eat food or drink water. 1. Why do animals hibernate? Animals use up their body’s fat much more slowly when they hibernate than if they were awake and moving around. In winter there is little or no food available. They have to put on a lot of extra weight in the fall, when the food is available, t...
Submitted by Paul Hetzler, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County The spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive fruit fly that threatens blueberries, raspberries and other fruit crops, has just been found in St. Lawrence County. Dr. Juliet E. Carroll of the NYS Integrated Pest Management Program at Cornell confirmed that an insect caught in a monitoring trap near Canton on August 25 is a female SWD. Because this Asian pest lays its eggs in firm, ripening fruit rather than in soft...
Over the weekend there was quite a scene at the community garage sale on Rt. 37. Apparently a swarm of hundreds of bees just suddenly dropped dead. On Monday the parking lot of Rt. 37 Homes was still filled with dead bees. I thought Googling "Why would a swarm of bees drop dead" would yield some answers, but none very definitive. I asked Paul Hetzler, Horticulture and Natural Resources Educator for the Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, his opinion on the event. He said that...
(July 17, 2014) In 2013, the vast majority of worldwide climate indicators—greenhouse gases, sea levels, global temperatures, etc.—continued to reflect trends of a warmer planet, according to the indicators assessed in the State of the Climate in 2013 report, released online by the American Meteorological Society. Scientists from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., served as the lead editors of the report, which was compiled by 425 scientists from 57 countries around the world. It provides a detailed update on global clima...
Written by IJC Staff with contributions by Matt Windle of the River Institute Slimy, snake-like and worth protecting. That's the American eel. This fish, once abundant in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, is fighting the odds to survive. The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences is working with partners to help the eels endure. The American eel's life history is fascinating. It spawns in seawater but spends most of its life in freshwater lakes and streams. Its spawning...
Paul Hetzler, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County It's that time of year again when we try to avoid getting sunburned, avoid burning meat on the grill and avoid getting burned by parsnips. Wild parsnip, an invasive plant that has spread rapidly throughout the St. Lawrence Valley in recent years, can cause severe chemical burns if its sap contacts your skin, and this is peak season for it. A member of the carrot family, wild parsnip is related to Queen Anne's lace, and has a...
1) What is the Name of the ticks that are found in Ont. and Que.? Answer: They are called blacklegged ticks or deer ticks 2) How long can an infected tick be attached to a person before it can spread Lyme disease? Answer: An infected tick can be attached to a person for 24 to 36 hours. 3) Developing a red, circular rash (bulls-eye rash) may develop after being bitten by an infected tick. What other symptoms may a person get after being bitten by an infected tick. Answer: Flu-like symptoms including fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and...
(June 30, 2014) Albany, NY — Local communities have triumphed over the fracking industry in precedent-setting case decided today by the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court. In a test case pitting community rights against the oil and gas industry, the Court ruled that the towns of Dryden and Middlefield can use local zoning laws to ban heavy industry, including oil and gas operations, within municipal borders. “Today the Court stood with the people of Dryden and the people of New York to protect their right to self deter...
Natural Resources Canada -- Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, issued the following statement outlining the Government of Canada’s decision after the Joint Review Panel’s independent review of the Northern Gateway Pipelines proposal to construct and operate two parallel pipelines to transport crude oil between Bruderheim, Alberta and Kitimat, British Columbia, and a marine terminal at the port of Kitimat. The proposal was submitted by Northern Gateway Pipelines Limited Partnership to the National Energy Board (NEB) for a...
(June 5, 2014) As part of an aggressive effort to prevent invasive species from entering and damaging New York water bodies, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) adopted new regulations that require boaters to remove all visible plant and animal materials from boats, trailers and associated equipment, and to drain boats prior to launching from DEC lands. The regulations, which are already in effect, pertain to all DEC boat launches, fishing access sites and other DEC lands where watercraft such as boats, kayak or canoes,...
For the past two weeks, apprentices had the opportunity to hone their gardening and horticulture skills at the Kanahiio community garden. As part of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's Environment Restoration Project, the Apprentice Program includes; Fishing and River Use, Hunting and Trapping, Medicine and Healing, and Horticulture and Basket Making. Apprentices receive three hours of Mohawk language instruction a day as well as concentrated field work for two weeks in one of the five areas....
The newest game consoles are on track to consume as much electricity each year as all the homes in Houston, the fourth-largest city in the country, and cost consumers more than $1 billion to operate annually. Most of the energy will be consumed in the middle of the night, when the console is in standby mode but still listening for voice commands or using higher power than necessary to keep USB ports active. Game console manufacturers should leverage design best practices to reduce console energy consumption as soon as possible, before too many...
Submitted by Noah Point, HETF "Kakwitetstsi Nikahawi Enniskowa Tsiniwenh:nites nonen ronterontara:raks Tho:ne' Onen Entitewahwe'non:ni ne Orontakeri, Tho:ne' onen Tenhatihnekonkiehte Tsiniiore Enwaton Watha Oses." "In the spring time, in the month of March, they will drill holes in the trees, and then collect the sap, and then boil the sap until it becomes maple syrup." Akwesasronon gathered at Kanonsesne late this year to give thanks and to celebrate many things including the return of the...
By Paul Hetzler, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County They might all be right: for Hindus and Buddhists, the cause of suffering is desire, while Christians believe the origin of all evil is the love of money. And as far as trees are concerned, root damage is the root of all problems. Well, most of them, anyway. Whether it’s early fall color (a sign of stress), twig and branch dieback, pale foliage, slow growth, or even some diseases and insect infestations, the problem is usually below ground. If the next “Google Glass” offer...
BERLIN, 13 April – A new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that global emissions of greenhouse gases have risen to unprecedented levels despite a growing number of policies to reduce climate change. Emissions grew more quickly between 2000 and 2010 than in each of the three previous decades. According to the Working Group III contribution to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report, it would be possible, using a wide array of technological measures and changes in behaviour, to limit the increase in global mean tem...
Egg carton compartments make good containers. Be sure to poke holes in the sides near the bottom of the containers you use. A Citrus Peel Starter Pot For Seedlings - Half a lemon can provide a perfect first home for any seedling. Robust yet decomposable, there is no need to even take the seedling out when re-planting outside. Egg Shell Pots – Instead of throwing old egg shells into the compost, rescue them by giving them another job – start seeds in them. K-Cup Recycling – If you are fan of those little K-Cup coffees then you will probably real...
WASHINGTON (April 7, 2014) – More than 100 leading scientists and economists are calling on the Obama Administration to deny the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline because it will trigger massive development of the world’s dirtiest oil, and escalate climate change. They include Nobel Prize winners in physics and economics, and lead authors of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports. “We urge you to reject the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline as a project that will contribute to climate change at a time when...
NEW YORK – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman was joined by Long Island Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney in proposing first-in-the-nation legislation that bans a form of plastic pollution that is an emerging threat to New York’s Great Lakes and other bodies of water. The Attorney General’s Microbead-Free Waters Act will prohibit the sale in New York of beauty and cosmetic products that contain tiny plastic particles that are often marketed as microbeads. The plastic beads, which were recently found in alarmingly high levels in the New York...
Submitted by Paul Hetzler, Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County In states like Indiana, Illinois and Ohio, “emerald cities” are becoming all too common. Unlike the fabled city in the Land of Oz, their “emerald” designation refers not to their hue, but to the fact they’ve suffered through an emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation, losing thousands of ash trees in the span of a few years. Since its discovery in 2002, EAB has drastically altered the look of many communities as tree-lined streets are stripped bare by the emerald invade...
1/09/2014 (New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revamped its Citizen Science website to provide new resources and success stories to assist the public in conducting scientific research and collecting data to better understand their local environment and address issues of concern. The website can be found at www.epa.gov/region2/citizenscience. “Citizen Science is an increasingly important part of EPA’s commitment to using sound science and technology to protect people’s health and safeguard the environment,” said Ju...
Story from NorthCountryNow.com A representative with the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced at a Thursday meeting of the North Country Redevelopment Task Force that 250 percent more contaminated soil than anticipated has been removed from the site to date. As a result, the project is over budget. Anna Kelly of the EPA’s Emergency and Remedial Project Response Division said a 2007 bankruptcy court settlement gave funds in expectation of removal of 121,000 tons of contaminated soil. But 335,000 tons have been dug up so far and t...
By David Sommerstein, in Canton, NY Reprinted from www.northcountrypublicradio.org (Massena, NY) Jan 02, 2014 — The federal trust in charge of redeveloping General Motors’ property in Massena says its clean-up is on schedule. The land by the St. Lawrence River is a Superfund site because GM dumped tons of cancer-causing PCB oil there for decades. As David Sommerstein reports, it’s not easy to sell real estate that’s still contaminated. When the federal government bailed out General Motors in 2009, it became owner of GM’s worst assets. A...
