Last year was the Year of the Bird. Please visit our Year of the Bird section to read an introduction from Mary Anne Perks and to read about the activities and actions you did to make 2018 an amazing year for birds!

Climate Watch

How are the birds you see in your own backyard or local park affected by the changing climate? Climate Watch is a community science program focused on bluebirds and nuthatches, two types of birds that are anticipated to be threatened by climate change. From January 15 – February 15 in New York, volunteers will count Eastern Bluebirds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and White-breasted Nuthatches to document their responses to climate change. These community scientists will look for birds where Audubon’s climate models project they should be in the 2020s. The resulting data will show us how these species are faring in the face of climate change – and help us continue our efforts to protect them and the places they need.

Chemung Valley Audubon Society participates each year in the longest-running community science survey, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC). On December 15, 2018, members participated in a bird count centered in Corning, NY. Then, on January 1, 2019, we met again for the Elmira Christmas Bird Count. You can view the results on our Bird Counting page.
Photo credit: kansasphoto on Foter.com /

Stamps for Conservation

Have you purchased your Duck Stamps yet? You can learn all about this fun way to support bird habitat conservation on our Advocacy page.

One of the easiest ways that anyone can support bird habitat conservation is by buying Federal Duck Stamps - among the most successful conservation tools ever created to protect habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Your $25 purchase of a Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp provides long-term benefits for birds and other wildlife and for the people who enjoy them. Since 1934, the stamps have secured over 5.5 million acres of wildlife habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. If you want to ensure future generations a heritage of enlightened conservation, the purchase of a stamp this year – and every year – is the best investment you can make. The stamps are beautiful, and they are essential to the lives of game and non-game species alike. Learn more here.

If you've ever had the pleasure of exploring our Northrup Hill or Gleason Sanctuaries, you may know that the Chemung Valley Audubon Society has a cabin in the Gleason Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Caton, NY, that has been used by the club for events over the years. The Ondura roof, installed over thirty years ago, was deteriorating, thereby allowing water to enter and damage the interior structure.

Recognizing the seriousness of this problem, the CVAS Board of Directors hired RJ Construction of Woodhull, NY, to re-roof the cabin with a 40-year-warranty metal roof. A green roof color was selected to blend in with the forest environment of the sanctuary. The roofing work was initiated on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, and completed on Saturday, March 31, 2018.

Once the old roofing material was removed, an inspection of the main structure found it to be in excellent condition. As part of the new roof, translucent panels were placed strategically in the roof, allowing sunlight to penetrate into the cabin and brighten up the room. The construction went very well, and CVAS members are very pleased with the work. It looks great!

The Board of Directors recognized that this project requires a substantial outlay of funds, but agreed the work is needed to protect the club's asset. The club would gratefully accept any donation to help assist with the funding of this project.

Visit our Gleason Sanctuary page to see the photo album highlighting the progression of work on the roof project. For the next phase of cabin improvements, club members will volunteer their time to repair the water-damaged interior sections of the cabin. Once completed, hopefully by this summer, the Audubon Chapter members can again utilize this facility and events can be planned.

Do stop up to Gleason for a nice spring walk on our trails and see the nice new green roof on our cabin!

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Two types of planting styles are currently used for trees at Northrup Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary: boundary planting and group planting. Boundary planting consists of trees which are planted in a straight line, giving definition to the property by providing a visual separation between one property and another or a transitional area between grassland/shrub land and woodlot.  This transitional zone provides habitat for all wildlife.

The margin of the northern field is a boundary planting with 20 Northern White Cedar, Thuja accidentalis, used for property definition in the upper field and a wind break.  A boundary planting was used along the walking path in the first woodlot consisting of ten Paper (or White) Birch, Betula papyrifera, to add definition to the path.  Along this path, notice fungi growing on stumps.

You will notice the second type of planting in the first woodlot.  Sugar (or Hard) Maple, Acer saccharum, were planted using the group planting method.  This experimental planting, which includes ten Sugar Maples, is copying Mother Nature’s dispersal method.  When Sugar Maples disperse their seeds, they appear to helicopter and land in a circular pattern adjacent the parent tree.  There are few Sugar Maples in this woodlot; accordingly, this experiment is meant to augment their numbers.  In the following years, more Sugar Maples are planned to be group planted.

Saplings are a favorite food for deer so most tree plantings are protected with a 5 foot tubular sleeve.  Trees, protective tubes and stakes were donated for this project by Chemung County Soil and Water and by CVAS chapter member.

Thank you to Brian Dugan for providing this overview of tree planting.