Wild Suburbia Project

Bobcat captured on remote camera at Westmoreland Sanctuary

Over the past few decades, our suburbia has been getting wilder. Bobcats, coyotes, fishers, foxes, and black bears all call Westchester and Fairfield home.

However, not much is known about exactly where they live (e.g. Are there bobcats in Rye? Coyotes in Yonkers?) or when they first appeared. The Westmoreland Sanctuary, Teatown Lake Reservation and the Mianus River Gorge have joined forces in the Wild Suburbia Project to address these two questions. And they are turning to local residents to find some answers. Project coordinators are enlisting citizen scientists to provide information about where and when these animals have been seen.

“We’re eager to get a better picture of where these species are being observed in Westchester and Fairfield,” said Project co-coordinator and Westmoreland Sanctuary naturalist Adam Zorn. “After collecting bobcat sightings from around Westchester County for the last 8 years, we’re looking forward to developing a more thorough understanding of where they are carving out a living in this suburban landscape. And except for the coyote, these species were found historically in our area. They were originally driven out by human activities. The ones coming back have learned to live with us. That is fascinating.”

Zorn, along with Chris Nagy and Mark Weckel of the Mianus River Gorge will be hosting a series of workshops to launch the Wild Suburbia Project ( 7pm on April 4 at Teatown Lake Reservation, April 18 at Westmoreland Sanctuary, April 25 at Greenburgh Nature Center, and May 2 at Rye Nature Center). “We are inviting the public to attend these events, learn about these new critters, ask us questions, and find how to participate in our project. We need as many people as possible to get involved and tell us about their wildlife sightings for this study to work.”

Joining the project is very easy. Participants can easily register for the project by filling out an initial survey regarding the presence or absence of each of the species at their place of residence at www.wildsuburbiaproject.com (or in paper if they attend the workshop). Upon completion of the initial survey detailing any past sightings, participants will be able to report any new sightings of the five target species from any location in the NYC metropolitan area. “The Mianus River Gorge has used similar methods to map coyote and owl habitat, but never five species at once,” said Dr. Chris Nagy of the Mianus River Gorge. “We are very excited to be teaming up with Westmoreland on this project.”

Once residents begin to submit their residence surveys, sightings maps for each of the five target species will be displayed on the Project website. The website is also a wealth of information regarding proper identification of each species and natural history notes. More information on the Wild Suburbia Project and the animals being studied can be found at www.wildsuburbiaproject.com.

The Mianus River Gorge, located in Bedford, NY works to protect and promote appreciation of the natural heritage of the Mianus River watershed through land acquisition, conservation science, research, and education throughout the region.

Westmoreland Sanctuary is a non-profit nature center and 640-acre wildlife preserve located in the Towns of Bedford and North Castle, NY. Established in 1957, the Sanctuary works to promote nature appreciation, preservation, and conservation for the present and future benefit and enjoyment of the public.

Further information regarding this project can be found by contacting Adam Zorn, Naturalist - Westmoreland Sanctuary at (914)666-8448 or Chris Nagy, Staff Biologist - Mianus River Gorge at (914)234-3455. To reach the project authors for questions and general inquiries related to the Wild Suburbia Project, please send an email to wildsuburbiaproject@gmail.com.

A Bit 'O the Green

 Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Here is a nice sign of spring approaching even though we had a dusting of snow yesterday.  The moss is brightening along the woodland pools, swamps, and ponds in the Sanctuary.  It is very pronounced amongst the background of the still dank and dark leaves of winter.

Fortunately (in my opinion) St. Patrick did not live here, so we have a variety of snake species on the Sanctuary.  All of them are beneficial, including this beauty.  Garter snakes have always lived in the gardens here and we welcome them.  They help control damaging insects and rodents.  We do sometimes scare each other as I am walking by and they slither away in the dry leaf mulch.   I jump, startled at the sound and movement in the corner of my eye.

You may have guessed that St. Patrick did not really charm all those snakes into the ocean.  Does anyone know the real reason snakes disappeared from Ireland long before St. Patrick arrived?
-Steve Ricker, Resident Director

Time for Change

Spring is the time for change.  Every day we see a new sign--dripping sap, rushing streams, a brighter shade of moss, and the extraterrestrial-like flower of the skunk cabbage.

There are other changes at Westmoreland as well.  A new Executive Director (ok, that's me!)  New programs (see our website for our Nature Classes!)  New animal enclosures and Discovery Lab.  And lot's more.  So if you are in the area, come check out our Nature Center and enjoy spring in the preserve.

-Michele A. Miller, Executive Director

Remember when it felt like March instead of February?  When the sun was shining warm and the wind was calm?  It was only a couple days ago!

Check out the maple tree's reaction to early spring sunshine.  We're hoping to see these conditions return for this weekend.

SugarFest is taking place at Westmoreland Sanctuary on March 9 and 10.  Reservations for breakfast on both days are full, but there's plenty of room to join one of our maple sugaring demonstrations at 10am and 12pm on Saturday and Sunday!

And there's plenty of room to stretch your legs on our trail system too!  Explore the early spring forest, search for signs of spring like emerging skunk cabbage, listen to birds like the Tufted Titmouse and Black-capped Chickadees practicing their territorial spring songs.  Grab a trail map at the kiosk near the parking lot or download and print one from here.

We hope to see you this weekend!

-Adam Zorn, Naturalist

Ice feathers

Moisture and cold overnight temperatures combined to create a beautiful glaze of ice all over my car this morning. The photo doesn't do the intricate feather-like pattern full justice, but I hope it will suffice.

-Adam Zorn, Naturalist

Garter snake makes early appearance

A Garter snake was observed basking in the sun in front of the Naturalist's cottage this afternoon. Notice the snow in the background. 
The stones on the shoveled walkway absorb the sun's rays and radiate heat that the snake is attracted to.  The south-facing orientation of the cottage also absorbs and radiates heat from the sun and further enhances the warmth of this location.
It's not uncommon to see snakes here each spring, but this is certainly the earliest date these cold-blooded critters have appeared.  It's the first time I've seen them basking next to the snow in the eight years I've lived in the cottage. 
I hope he/she retreats back under the porch before temps drop again tonight.  Cold-blooded critters like these rely on warm air temperatures to facilitate body functions such as muscle movement and digestion.  Without ample warmth, cold-blooded creatures will freeze and die. 
It would be a shame to lose a garter snake to the perils of cold weather. They are an important part of the natural balance of the lawn and garden in front of the cottage.  Let's hope this snake finds its way back into the insulated protection of the porch foundation!
-Adam Zorn, Naturalist

Sap is rising

The sugar maple taps are running well today. Clear skies, calm wind, and temps in the 40's are ideal for sap collection at this time of year. We have 45 gallons of sap and counting so far.
-Adam Zorn, Naturalist