Loading...
October 03, 1996 - The Environment: Sounding the AlarmbA • The Suffolk Times • October 3, 1996 The Environment: Sounding the Alarm Would you believe it? I had a tele- phone message this week from a man in Laurel who still has a hummingbird com- ing to his feeder. I had to return his call to congratulate him, for not only is it a crowning achievement to have humming- birds at your feeder, but to have them at this late date is rather remarkable. Most "hummers" that we see at this time of the year are transients. They are just passing through and are headed for the warmer parts of our world. As we talked, he told me he not only had one but he had had others during the summer months around his feeders. That was good news, for humming- birds have become rather scarce compared to years ago when they were considered common. It was good news that he had had them in the summertime, for that's a sure sign they were nesting. After my mentioning hummingbirds in a previous article during the summer, I got a call from a lady who lived up along the sound who definitely had one nesting in her yard. I had to see that, and sure enough, when I arrived, there was that golfball -sized nest molded around a branch, with two tiny, pointed bills stick- ing out. How fortunate these people were in having that gem of a bird in their yard. The female does all the work of building the nest and raising the family. The daz- zling ruby - throated male is the epitome of male chauvinism in the bird world. He has all the fun and glory while the drab Female does all the work. Another caller told me of the frustra- tion she was having in trying to keep her lawn from being completely uprooted by some unseen culprit. It seems her lawn is the target of an animal whose sole pur- pose is to dig and uproot it for some rea- son or another. I had this same complaint some years ago by a lady in Indian Neck, who was completely bewildered by the devastation that something was causing in her front yard. What it was could only be our scoundrel, Mr. Raccoon, again at work in one of his many destructive moods, looking for grubs in the lawn. Evidently the conditions were just right for an explosion of grubs and only the grass roots of the lawn were in the rac- coon's way. A bit of digging solved his problem and, therefore, the uprooted lawn. "What can I do about it ?" she asked. The answers are not always sim- ple. Get rid of the food sup- ply: the grubs. Although h I dis- like using chemicals on the land, in some cases it be- comes necessary in order to protect our properties. There is a treatment for lawns that will do away with the grubs and therefore send Mr. Raccoon on his way. I've also heard that moth crystals sprinkled about will discourage our culprit, but I haven't tried it and don't know how true it is. Here again is a case where the raccoon is doing what comes naturally to him. What is unnatural is that there are no predators to keep the raccoon population in check, and therefore we have an over- abundance of raccoons, and all compete for food of some sort or another. If rac- coon hats, like Davey Crockett wore, ever came into fashion again, perhaps this overpopulation problem might come to an end. It worked almost to extinction years ago with the beaver. Fashion design cre- ated such a need for beaver pelts for hats that the trapping of the beavers almost did them in. Today, with strict laws about how many and from where beavers can be taken, the beaver has once again become common in its native haunts. As a matter of fact, he has become so com- mon in certain areas, he's become a problem with his dam building. Properties Flooded, Trees Cut The dams flood low -lying areas which enable the beaver to travel by water greater distances, thereby letting him cut down more and more trees. Now that there are fewer trappers and practically no predators, the beaver population has exploded. Some would say, "So what? Let him do his thing." That's all well and good in a wilderness situation, but man Focus on Nature by Paul Stoutenburgh Talk Topic: Peace NORTHVILLE — Margaret Lightfoot will be the guest speaker at the 10:30 a.m. service on Sun- day, Oct. 6, at the North Fork Uni- tarian Universalist Fellowship, which meets at Grange Hall on Sound Avenue. Ms. Lightfoot's topic will be "Increase the Peace." Child care is available, and reli- gious education classes begin at 10. Call 951 -1273. Photo by Barbara Stoutenburgh WHITE- TAILED DEER —Deer are becoming so common they often appear right on your lawn and have become a real problem to the motorist. This photograph was taken through a picture window. has moved into most of the wilderness and because of the beaver's dams, the people's homes and gardens are flooded and the beaver cuts the trees down on his property. Then we hear the call to halt his destructiveness. It's then the state comes in and live -traps the culprits and moves them to new home sites away from man. We already know the problem we have with our deer here on our East End. There are just too many of them. We've created ideal conditions for them to expand. They create safety hazards on our roadways and do untold damage to farm crops, to say nothing of the loss to homeowners with their shrubs and gardens. All these examples of wildlife out of control tell us how much we've changed the world around us to suit ourselves. These examples are ones we can easily see. We can see the dead deer hit by the passing car. We can see the damage they do to our crops and gardens. We can see the uprooted lawns and our overturned garbage pails from the raccoon. We can see fewer and fewer true woodland birds and we can see the increase in the destructive starlings and blackbirds. We can see fewer and fewer clams and scal- lops and fish in our bays and local waters. The list could go on and on, but what ■ _s9_ ■ "__i, 75 Years Ago Sept. 30, 1921 Produce Wins Prizes: Nat Booth of Southold, owner of Yennicott Fruit Farm, was awarded first premi- ums on apples, pears and peaches which were exhibited at the County Fair last week in Riverhead. Ansel Young, pro- prietor of the Wyandank in Greenport, was also awarded first prize on a large pumpkin, which was raised in his gar- den in the rear of the hotel. South Wind at East Marion, of which Martin Beck is superintendent, received several first premiums on cattle and vegetables. A Great Book: No truly great book needs to be advertised. A book that is really worthwhile wins on its own merits. Over 7,000 copies of "How to Live One Hundred Years" have been sold and I will be glad to supply my friends with a copy for one dollar. —Frank Hartley. 50 Years Ago Oct. 4, 1946 Building Sites Offered: Beixedon Estates on Peconic Bay at Southold offers building sites for year -round homes in a developed and restricted community. Walter Burden, licensed broker, Greenport. (Advertisement) Small -Boat Harbor in Orient ?: The possibility of making a harbor for small boats north of the Orient dock by means of sinking old barges is being discussed by a we don't see is the slow creeping in of urban sprawl, the shrinking acres of farmland each year, the nibbling away of our pine barrens, the closing of this creek and then that one to shellfishing, the dif- ficulty in finding a spot to go clamming, the disappointment of no fish to catch, the problem of landfills and recyclables, the ban on open burning because of air pollution, the loss of our dogwood trees and native hemlocks due to foreign dis- ease and insects and the now taken -for- granted buying of bottled water because we've fouled our groundwater. The list goes on and on. All these acts and sights are taken in our stride as just the way it is. We have become a nation of pushovers, a nation of "What's the use of fighting the estab- lishment?" or, worse yet, "Who cares ?" Unless we start real soon to realize our environment is the No. I priority in this country and yes, in the world, there won't be a world worth living in. It won't take many years into the next century to tip the scales one way or the other as to how important the issue of the environ- ment is. Let's hope we all rally to the cause, for without a new awakening, there's a dark and ominous cloud hang- ing over all of us. group who feels that a really safe anchorage for small boats in Orient would be of a great benefit to the community. New Oyster Plant Inspected: The Commissioner of Commerce of the State of New York, accompanied by a party of deputies and representatives from the bureaus of Industry and Distribution recently inspected the modern new oyster plant of the Bluepoint Oyster Company at East Marion, which is a branch of the General Foods Corporation. After an inspection of the plant, the party was taken out on the oyster beds for a demonstration of the manner in which oysters are dredged. A banquet for the visitors was served at Mitchell's Restaurant on Front Street, Greenport. 25 Years Ago Sept. 30, 1971 Aquaseum Office Opens: Aquaseum offices have been opened in donated space in the Greenport Village Hall. It is being staffed by volunteer helpers. Information on the proposed Aquaseum is available there on request. In a meeting Monday night of the Aquaseum's education- al committee, plans were formalized to prepare a detailed prospectus of the Aquaseum educational programs. It will cover several levels of achievement: advanced courses in oceanography for college students; credit courses in the marine sciences for high school students; vocational train- ing; and adult education. "y.x. H r' .. 4 dar R.: Photo by Barbara Stoutenburgh WHITE- TAILED DEER —Deer are becoming so common they often appear right on your lawn and have become a real problem to the motorist. This photograph was taken through a picture window. has moved into most of the wilderness and because of the beaver's dams, the people's homes and gardens are flooded and the beaver cuts the trees down on his property. Then we hear the call to halt his destructiveness. It's then the state comes in and live -traps the culprits and moves them to new home sites away from man. We already know the problem we have with our deer here on our East End. There are just too many of them. We've created ideal conditions for them to expand. They create safety hazards on our roadways and do untold damage to farm crops, to say nothing of the loss to homeowners with their shrubs and gardens. All these examples of wildlife out of control tell us how much we've changed the world around us to suit ourselves. These examples are ones we can easily see. We can see the dead deer hit by the passing car. We can see the damage they do to our crops and gardens. We can see the uprooted lawns and our overturned garbage pails from the raccoon. We can see fewer and fewer true woodland birds and we can see the increase in the destructive starlings and blackbirds. We can see fewer and fewer clams and scal- lops and fish in our bays and local waters. The list could go on and on, but what ■ _s9_ ■ "__i, 75 Years Ago Sept. 30, 1921 Produce Wins Prizes: Nat Booth of Southold, owner of Yennicott Fruit Farm, was awarded first premi- ums on apples, pears and peaches which were exhibited at the County Fair last week in Riverhead. Ansel Young, pro- prietor of the Wyandank in Greenport, was also awarded first prize on a large pumpkin, which was raised in his gar- den in the rear of the hotel. South Wind at East Marion, of which Martin Beck is superintendent, received several first premiums on cattle and vegetables. A Great Book: No truly great book needs to be advertised. A book that is really worthwhile wins on its own merits. Over 7,000 copies of "How to Live One Hundred Years" have been sold and I will be glad to supply my friends with a copy for one dollar. —Frank Hartley. 50 Years Ago Oct. 4, 1946 Building Sites Offered: Beixedon Estates on Peconic Bay at Southold offers building sites for year -round homes in a developed and restricted community. Walter Burden, licensed broker, Greenport. (Advertisement) Small -Boat Harbor in Orient ?: The possibility of making a harbor for small boats north of the Orient dock by means of sinking old barges is being discussed by a we don't see is the slow creeping in of urban sprawl, the shrinking acres of farmland each year, the nibbling away of our pine barrens, the closing of this creek and then that one to shellfishing, the dif- ficulty in finding a spot to go clamming, the disappointment of no fish to catch, the problem of landfills and recyclables, the ban on open burning because of air pollution, the loss of our dogwood trees and native hemlocks due to foreign dis- ease and insects and the now taken -for- granted buying of bottled water because we've fouled our groundwater. The list goes on and on. All these acts and sights are taken in our stride as just the way it is. We have become a nation of pushovers, a nation of "What's the use of fighting the estab- lishment?" or, worse yet, "Who cares ?" Unless we start real soon to realize our environment is the No. I priority in this country and yes, in the world, there won't be a world worth living in. It won't take many years into the next century to tip the scales one way or the other as to how important the issue of the environ- ment is. Let's hope we all rally to the cause, for without a new awakening, there's a dark and ominous cloud hang- ing over all of us. group who feels that a really safe anchorage for small boats in Orient would be of a great benefit to the community. New Oyster Plant Inspected: The Commissioner of Commerce of the State of New York, accompanied by a party of deputies and representatives from the bureaus of Industry and Distribution recently inspected the modern new oyster plant of the Bluepoint Oyster Company at East Marion, which is a branch of the General Foods Corporation. After an inspection of the plant, the party was taken out on the oyster beds for a demonstration of the manner in which oysters are dredged. A banquet for the visitors was served at Mitchell's Restaurant on Front Street, Greenport. 25 Years Ago Sept. 30, 1971 Aquaseum Office Opens: Aquaseum offices have been opened in donated space in the Greenport Village Hall. It is being staffed by volunteer helpers. Information on the proposed Aquaseum is available there on request. In a meeting Monday night of the Aquaseum's education- al committee, plans were formalized to prepare a detailed prospectus of the Aquaseum educational programs. It will cover several levels of achievement: advanced courses in oceanography for college students; credit courses in the marine sciences for high school students; vocational train- ing; and adult education.