NY Harbor muck to restore Jamaica Bay islands

From the NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/science/earth/26dredge.html

Floyd Bennett Bioblitz call for volunteers

Brooklyn College is organizing a bioblitz for Gateway National Recreation Area in June (11th-12th, 3:00 PM to 3:00 PM). We are in desperate need for scientists, resource managers and naturalists (amateur or professional) to serve as experts. This entails coming out to Floyd Bennett Field and leading a small team of volunteers into the field to identify as many species as they can in the alloted time. We're covering all taxa (fish, birds, insects, plants, marine inverterbrates, mammals, moths, butterflies, etc.). Can you please forward this request to any lists of contacts you have that may be appropriate?



An informational flyer is attached. Interested people can contact me at bbranco@brooklyn.cuny.edu, or email JBbioblitz@yahoo.com for more information.



Thanks and regards,



Brett F. Branco, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Geology

Associate Director, AREAC



Brooklyn College - CUNY

2900 Bedford Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11210

BBranco@brooklyn.cuny.edu

718-951-5000, ext. 6441



http://userhome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bbranco

From American Bird Conservancy

Please help us stop bird kills at government buildings.

As many as one billion birds, both residents and migrants, die annually in the United States after colliding with buildings. You can help prevent these unnecessary deaths.

A new bill, the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2010 (H.R. 4797), introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL), calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the federal government to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. The legislation would require the government to take similar actions on existing buildings where practicable. This has already been demonstrated to be attainable, as some newer government buildings are already bird-friendly.

This bill will help prevent the deaths of millions of birds that collide with windows at thousands of federal buildings across the country. Your organization can help by sending an action alert to your supporters.

Photo: Seattle Courthouse; Western District of Washington

You can ask people to take action by sending an email to their Representative asking them to support this bill using American Bird Conservancy's Action Alert System. The link is http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5400/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2696 The system is fully automated however the impact of their action will be greatly increased if they take some extra time to add their personal thoughts and comments.

Sending a letter to your Representative on your organization’s letterhead is also very important. A template letter is below. It would be very helpful if you also send us a copy of your letter to sholmer@abcbirds.org.

Your organization can also help by informing providing resources such as information on how to reduce collisions at home. A new downloadable factsheet “You Can Save Birds From Flying Into Windows” offers homeowners tips on how they can make a difference. Additional information is available at www.abcbirds.org/conservationissues/threats/buildings.html.

Thank you in advance for helping prevent bird deaths at government buildings.



Dr. Christine Sheppard
Collisions Program Director
American Bird Conservancy



Dear Representative ________________:

I am writing to urge you to support H.R. 4797: the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2009 which was introduced by Representative Mike Quigley.

Migratory birds are not only beautiful and interesting creatures eagerly welcomed by millions of Americans into their backyards every year; they help generate billions of dollars annually to the U.S. economy through wildlife watching activities. According to the federal government, Americans spend about $36 billion in pursuit of birding activities. One in five Americans - 48 million people - engages in bird watching, and about 42 percent travel away from home to go birding. Birding activities generate about $4.4 billion in federal tax revenues and about $6.2 billion in state tax revenues, support about 670,000 jobs, and provide $28 billion in employment income. Birds also naturally provide billions of dollars worth of pest control which benefit farmers and consumers alike.

Building collisions are arguably the single greatest man-made killer of birds. It is estimated that there are three hundred million to one billion birds or more die each year from collisions with glass on buildings – from skyscrapers to homes.



H.R. 4797: the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2010 is a cost neutral bill which will save the lives of millions of birds that mistake objects reflected in window glass, such as habitat and sky. The bill calls for each public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. Many buildings constructed by GSA are already, in fact, bird-friendly. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where practicable. While this legislation is limited to federal buildings, it’s a very good start that perhaps can lead to more widespread applications of bird-friendly designs elsewhere.



Please show your support for H.R. 4794 by signing onto the bill as a cosponsor. To cosponsor H.R. 4797 please contact Lindsey Matese with Representative Quigley’s office at: lindsey.matese@mail.house.gov,



Thank you for your time.



Best Regards,








Steve Holmer

Director of the Bird Conservation Alliance &

Senior Policy Advisor

American Bird Conservancy

202/234-7181 ext. 216

sholmer@abcbirds.org

www.birdconservationalliance.org

www.abcbirds.org

The Bird Conservation Alliance (BCA) is a network of organizations working together to conserve wild birds.

BCA is facilitated by American Bird Conservancy which conserves native wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas.



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