Summary of Activities 2001-2002

Preface

This year for the first time, the last edition of the newsletter is partially devoted to a review of all the activities of Menunkatuck during 2002. The board of directors and the newsletter staff hope that this report to our members will provide you with a better understanding of Menunkatuck’s many and diverse activities, and perhaps spark your interest in participating in one or more of the fascinating endeavors that your Audubon Society is involved in. We also hope that you will continue to support these important efforts with your generous contributions to the Annual Appeal and the Birdathon.

Education

The Annual Birdathon was held May 11, 2002. The day was a wonderful success. Several groups were led throughout the chapter area. Menunkatuck and New Haven Bird Club participated together and a total of 185 species were counted. MAS Vice-president Bill Yule, and Board members Cindi Kobak and Dorothy Holabird participated in the Birdathon, walking the Trolley Trail in Guilford and spotting 76 species.

We plan to collaborate with the New Haven Bird Club again next year on this spring fundraising event.

Menunkatuck is proud to announce that we will assemble a team in conjunction with the New Haven Bird Club to participate in the 2002 New Haven County Christmas Bird Count.

Menunkatuck participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count, sponsored by Audubon and Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology, in February. This four-day event invited backyard birders to participate in “citizen science” as they helped scientists define the status of our winter birds. Menunkatuck publicized the event in local newspapers and included the phone number of a chapter contact person who submitted data for people that did not have online capabilities.

Menunkatuck participated in CT Audubon’s Eagle Festival in February. A group of board members and other volunteers manned one of the designated sites along the Connecticut River with binoculars and scopes. The volunteers pointed out to visitors the location of eagles and other birds in the area.

General Public Meetings were held the second Wednesday of each month, September through June.

The Seventh Annual Workshop for Educators, Connecticut’s Landscape, Our Geologic Heritage, was held on a gorgeous May 4, 2002. The fourteen participants included teachers and environmental educators from Branford, Guilford, Madison, New Haven and North Branford. State Geologist, Ralph Lewis, led the workshop. After a morning slide presentation and discussion, we spent the afternoon exploring geologic features at Chatfield Hollow State Park and Hammonasset Beach State Park.

Two Field Walks were held during the summer:

• Bill Yule and Cindi Kobak co-led a Dragonfly and Butterfly walk Saturday July 12 in Bauer Park, Madison. There was a great mix of adults and children discovering the rich diversity of butterflies and dragonflies in the park.
  
• Bill Yule, former officer of the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society, and lichen expert Carol Lemmon, State Entomologist, co-led a walk on Mushrooms and Lichens on August 10. Bill, Carol and an enthusiastic group of naturalist explored the fascinating world of fungi and lichen in the Guilford Town Forest known as “Timberlands.”

Bill and John Picard have begun to assemble an itinerary of field trips for 2003 that will be announced during the winter.

Jerry Connolly has been and will continue leading Saturday morning bird walks. During the months of January and February he also led eagle-sighting trips along the Connecticut River.

The Annual Scholarship was awarded to two graduating seniors in our chapter area who plan to study life sciences or other environmental fields. One award was for $500 and another was for $200.

Know Your Natural Neighbors, a weekly natural history piece written by Cindi Kobak, appears in several local papers, including The Sound (Branford), The Guilford Courier, and The Source (Madison).

SuZanne Botta presented three environmental education programs for Menunkatuck in the spring of 2002. Leaves, an education program at the Children’s Building in New Haven , attracted 45 participants ranging in age from 3-11. Watersheds and the Farmington River was presented to approximately 30 attendees of the Farmington Rotary Club. SuZanne and the CT Project SEARCH Coordinator set up a table at the Melissa Jones Elementary School Science Night. They showed how freshwater macroinvertebrates (dragonfly and mayfly nymphs and larvae) are used to determine the water quality of local streams. It was a busy evening and the table received over 50 visitors. Project SEARCH is a science curriculum enrichment program of the West Hartford Science Center and CT DEP. Additionally, SuZanne completed the CT DEP Master Wildlife Conservationist Certification. This course focuses on wildlife issues in Connecticut. It enables her to better answer questions regarding falconry, wildlife rehabilitation, nuisance wildlife, etc.

Biodiversity Initiative

The 2001 Guilford Biodiversity Day publication was completed and sent out in the summer of 2002.

A slide presentation of the Guilford Biodiversity Day is in the process of being assembled by Bill Yule. A special meeting will be scheduled for the slide show.

Branford Biodiversity Day has been scheduled for September 12 and 13, 2003. Details will be announced in future newsletters.

Advocacy

Griswold Over-Development: Henry Ferris continues to work diligently on this project. Menunkatuck provided testimony regarding the economic value of birders and other eco-tourists.

After five nights of hearings by the Madison Planning and Zoning Commission, the applicant (the Leyland Corporation) withdrew its latest application for 192 housing units on the 32 acre airport site. Opposition was strong from the Department of Environmental Protection, The Committee to Stop Griswold Over-Development, five environmental intervenors, including Menunkatuck and the Audubon Council of Connecticut, and numerous Madison residents who spoke eloquently in opposition. Fully 85% of those speaking were opposed to this obscene use of a property that threatened the priceless natural resources at Hammonasset State Park, the Hammonasset River, and Long Island Sound itself. In the meantime, the lawsuit filed by Stop Griswold Over-Development against the original zone change was granted legal standing by the court. A final decision is anticipated in a few months.

It is expected, however, that Leyland will return in a month or two with another application. They will probably drop a few housing units and attempt to defuse DEP opposition by promising a 100-ft. setback from the natural resources. This would be insufficient to buffer the negative impact of so many buildings. Leyland will again meet strong opposition to their declared strategy of wearing down their opponents. Menunkatuck, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Save the Sound Inc., and the Audubon Council are all expected to intervene again under Connecticut’s Environmental Protection Act. In addition, the Attorney General of Connecticut has assured us that he intends to oppose this development project to the end. Once again, we are counting on the public to help us fight this damaging proposal that would forever change the face of the beautiful Hammonasset River Estuary that we all love. Contributions to Stop Griswold Over-Development at PO Box 1298, Madison, Ct 06443 will help pay for the ongoing lawsuit, as well as expert witnesses at the next hearing.

Islander East Natural Gas Pipeline: SuZanne Botta has been and continues to work closely with CT Stop the Pipeline to prevent Islander East from constructing a natural gas pipeline that would go through the chapter area and across Long Island Sound. Menunkatuck has provided testimony on the impact to wetland, birds, biodiversity, marine mammals, and erosion concerns in potentially impacted wetlands (inland and costal). Menunkatuck has intervenor status with the CT Siting Council.

In mid-October the CT Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a very strong letter that denied Islander East a federal coastal zone consistency determination. This is a requirement for receipt of two federal permits that the state DEP oversees, as well as a requirement for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit. In response Islander East has withdrawn its application. It is fairly safe to assume, that Islander East will submit a modified application, but today we can all rejoice in our victory!
Non-Profit Advocacy Workshop: SuZanne Botta attended a workshop presented by the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters and Alliance for Justice. The workshop, Rules of the Game, provided information regarding what non-profit organizations can and cannot do in terms of advocacy. The workshop was extremely informative . Menunkatuck’s advocacy issues will not affect our 501(c)3 status.

Newsletter

The newsletter is printed 6 times per year.

Conservation

IBA: Cindi Kobak assisted Guilford’s Town Environmental Planner, Leslie Kane, and past board member, Dan Cinotti, in gathering information to nominate the East and West River Salt Marsh Complex in Guilford for Important Bird Area status with National Audubon. The nomination has been submitted and we are currently awaiting news of its acceptance.

New Boat Launch: The town of Madison Economic Development Commission and the Trust for Public Land is potentially going to build a non-motorized boat launch off Route 1 along the East River (extremely close to the Guilford Salt Marsh property). Nothing has been proposed at this time, currently they are looking at funding and feasibility. We are keeping in contact with the Trust for Public Land regarding this project.

Branford Fish Ladder Project: This project is in the early planning stages and we are keeping in contact with the Branford River Project and Branford Land Trust regarding this project and will assist when needed.

Bauer Park, Madison: The town is considering converting this large open space (mix of woodland and fields) into baseball fields. We are keeping up-to-date and up-dating our members as needed.

Connecticut Amphibian Monitoring Project: One of our new board members, John Picard, is currently receiving training on organizing volunteers to monitor amphibians in a pre-specified area. This is part of a state-wide monitoring program run through the DEP and West Hartford Science Center.

Hammonasset Bird Blind Materials donated by Menunkatuck have been used to construct a second bird blind at Hammonasset at the restored marsh east of Middle Beach. Tree Swallow nest boxes continue to be monitored and nesting data is being kept by volunteer Charlie Rafford.

The Willards Island habitat management plan continues as a work in progress as habitat changes are monitored and assessed on an on-going basis.

The Board

We have three new board members:

• Bill Yule, Vice President; Dorothy Holabird; John Picard
  
• Henry Ferris remains on the board, focusing on and keeping the board and our members up-to-date on the Griswold Airport Development.
  
• Dan Cinotti stepped down from the board although he continues to play a role on Menunkatuck’s conservation efforts.

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Last updated 18 September, 2004 .