Seeds of Change: Support Your Audubon Chapter, Ban Neonics
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Brian Kluepfel
As the saying goes, put your money where your mouth is.
Although I sometimes tiptoe around the subject, this month’s column is not one of those times. The Saw Mill River Audubon (SMRA) needs money from its supporters to keep its programs active, pay staff and maintain its sanctuaries.
One way you can help is certainly a win-win; buy any variety of seed from SMRA and enjoy the winter spectacle of birds assembling at your feeder. It’s not exactly a free show, but almost, and it is a wonderful way to spend a winter’s morning, hot coffee or cocoa in hand, watching from the warmth of your kitchen or living room as avians of all stripes gather for some serious caloric intake.
You can order SMRA seed online at any time, but be sure to schedule a pick-up based on our staff’s availability. The quantity and type of seed – some birds are selective seed specialists – varies, but the staff are happy to answer any questions and help you load your car when you show up at Pruyn Sanctuary in Chappaqua at the appointed hour.
Everything you need to know about buying seed and supporting SMRA can be found by visiting https://www.sawmillriveraudubon.org/seed.
For those of us venturing into the unheated outdoors, November and December are transitional months, where many familiar summer-fall birds have migrated south, and those that stick it out through the frost may have a more muted appearance.
Today I wandered over to Mariandale and came across dark-eyed juncos, blue jays, northern cardinals, eastern bluebirds, white-throated nuthatches, tufted titmice and a variety of sparrows. The leafless trees and diminished plant life make it easier to see birds, and I’ve also been fortunate recently to spy a pair of pileated woodpeckers, massive crimson-crowned grub-eating kings of the eastern forests.
Winter is also a time for waterfowl to gather on rivers, lakes and ponds. A recent composting trip to Cedar Lane Park brought a raft of mallards, as well as a definitely-duller exemplar of the great blue heron, busily fishing while the ducks traced wide circles in the darkening afternoon water. Other wonderful sites for winter water birds are the Tarrytown Lakes and Edith Read Sanctuary in Rye.
Another shameless Audubon plug: It leads walks in these places and many others across Westchester, and friendly volunteers and staff are on the spot to help you separate the gadwalls from the geese and the ducks from the dowitchers. Sign up for a walk at https://www.sawmillriveraudubon.org/register-trips/
I do make a personal appeal, bolstered by Audubon chapters across the state, to support the Birds and Bees Protection Act, which was passed by the state legislature and only requires Gov. Hochul’s signature. The measure would ban most “neonics,” or pesticides, which do great harm to avian and bee populations. Like the fight against DDT, this is a battle which needs to be won on behalf of nature and against toxins in the food chain – for the birds, the bees and humans. For more information about the legislation, visit https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/new-york-protects-birds-and-bees-nation-leading-legislation.
So, folks, thanks for reading, and please continue to support Saw Mill River Audubon, both politically and in our pocketbook, where we sometimes need it most. Think of what Westchester County might be like without SMRA and its eight sanctuaries, educational programs and environmental stewardship.
Brian Kluepfel is a former Saw Mill River Audubon board member as well as a writer for the Lonely Planet travel series, Westchester Magazine and BirdWatching magazine.
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