Search Results

Our Loomis Goose Creek Preserve resident Osprey pair, Femke and Hauke, have once again raised a family of three chicks - for the second year in a row! The triplets fledged, one after the other, over the course of this past week. This is at least a week sooner than in the previous four years. The youngsters are nearly fully grown and are recognizable by their orange eyes and white edges along their feather tips.   For now, the babies fly short distances across the street (Route 394) to rest on telephone wires or in a nearby tree before they return to the nest. Although they can feed themselves from a fish delivered to the nest, they are not yet able to independently catch a fish from the lake. This is the task before them for the next month. They will also have to improve their flying skills so they can be prepared for the long-distance flight to South America, which will take place around mid-September.   Femke will probably head south in the next week or two, while Hauke will stay around for another month to teach his youngsters the flying and fishing skills they will need to survive the arduous journey to the Amazon region.   Unbelievably, this was the fifth year since we began observing the pair in 2020 - and the fourth observing by nest camera. Altogether, the couple have produced nine youngsters. Three have most likely returned to the area, and last year's triplets may come home next spring.   We’re looking forward to being able to watch the fledglings for at least another month!

Our Loomis Goose Creek Preserve Osprey triplets are getting close to fledging! While dad Hauke keeps bringing fresh fish to fulfill their insatiable appetites, the trio of youngsters keeps practicing flight techniques so that they can be ready for take-off in another week or two! It will be precisely timed, from the oldest to the youngest, a day or two apart. After taking to the air, they will stay around until mid-September at least, so we can enjoy their company for a while longer!

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy staff gets asked numerous questions about watersheds and water quality. Here are some of our more frequently asked questions – and answers! What is a watershed ? A watershed is an area of land where all surface water and groundwater drain to a common place like a stream, river, wetland, bay, or lake. No matter where you live, you are in a watershed. And what you do in your part of the watershed, from how you care for your yard to how you dispose of waste, affects the waterways into which it drains. Where does lake water come from ? Some of a lake’s water comes from rain and groundwater, but most lake water comes from inflowing streams. If the water in the streams is polluted with chemicals or sediment, those pollutants will eventually end up in the lake. Most of a lake’s problems are actually a result of issues upstream in the watershed. What causes lake algae and weed problems ? Excess nutrients and sediment in the water cause overgrowth of lake plants as well as algae blooms, which use the oxygen in the water that fish and aquatic organisms need to survive. This process is called eutrophication. W hat are “excess nutrients” and how do they get into our lakes ? Aquatic plants and organisms need nutrients to survive, just like those on land do, but when there are too many nutrients in the water, the system and rhythm of the lake gets out of whack. The term “excess nutrients” refers to an unnaturally high amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water – the two main nutrients causing problems in our region’s lakes. They can enter a lake through pollution of streams in the watershed, as well as direct pollution in the lake and on its shores. Rainwater, which already contains nutrients, runs over the ground, picking up chemicals, fertilizers, pet waste, leaves, and other matter along the way and then carries it all to our streams or storm drains, which can empty directly into other area waterways without filtration or treatment. These major sources of excess nutrients disrupt the natural cycles in the lake and cause lake plants and algae to grow much more than they should. Where does the sediment come from ? Sediment comes from erosion. Plants and their root systems help to hold soil in place. When plants are removed from the banks of streams or the shorelines of lakes, there is no longer anything to hold the soil in place. The force of flowing water will begin to wash away the soil, creating eroded banks and shorelines. The eroded soil is then carried through the stream into the lake, where it can cause havoc on the natural underwater processes. I don’t live near or use any of our area’s streams or lakes, so why should I care about them ? The economic health of the Chautauqua County region is very much connected to the ecological health of its streams and lakes. Much of the County’s economy depends on revenue brought in through these waterways by vacationers, fishermen, boaters, and campers who patronize our hotels, restaurants, stores, and other establishments. In fact, many local businesses depend on tourism from the lake to keep them afloat. Whether you live, work, or play in this area, the health of our waterways directly affects you. What does Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy do ? Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is a nationally accredited 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality, scenic beauty, and ecological health of lands and waters of the Chautauqua region for our community. We do so through land conservation, restoration projects, educational programming, and community engagement. We foster and advocate for the care and protection of our natural areas to provide cleaner and healthier waters, safe fish and wildlife habitat, scenic beauty, climate resiliency, and economic prosperity in the Chautauqua region. We also own and manage 35 nature preserves located throughout the County which help to protect a number of diverse ecosystems and provide year-round, nature-based recreational activities such as hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, bird and wildlife watching, and nature study and photography. photo taken at our Cassadaga Lakes Nature Park by Jill Eklund, Conservancy Director of Communications

When we think of the color blue, what comes to mind? A cloudless sky? Our wondrous open spaces? Crystal-clear water? The color blue has not been the color we have seen in our lakes in recent years. Excessive algae and plant growth have turned our lakes from blue to green, and dealing with this issue has become a consistent yearly struggle. And what is causing this green water? One of the main issues is excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) flowing from our land and our properties into our waterways and into our lakes. When we hear of ways to control this “green,” it is typically in the form of cutting or spraying, methods that unfortunately are not controlling the causes of the color change. These control methods are only “band-aids” – temporary fixes for something that is broken – so the causes of the excessive algae and green plant growth are not being addressed. Why would we want to continually spend money and time doing something that doesn’t work towards fixing the problem? Let’s put the power in our own hands. We can make a real difference in controlling our water color and the outbreak of harmful algal blooms and excessive plant growth right in our own yards and communities where we live. All of our yards drain and contribute to the health of our watershed – no matter how big they are or where they are located. Here are a few simple ways homeowners can help decrease the amount of nutrients flowing from or through their yards into our lakes and help us keep our blue view: Plant native buffers. Native plants along a lakefront or streamside have strong root systems that not only soak up excess nutrients but also help hold soil in place on the water’s edge to prevent erosion. And if you can take or leave gardening, stop mowing down to the water’s edge and just let nature do her thing. If you don’t live on a waterway, plant natives to better filter and soak up water and extra nutrients that are draining from your property. (They will also help feed our local birds and pollinators!) Scoop the poop. Pet waste contains a host of diseases and/or parasites, as well as being high in nitrogen and phosphorus. By scooping it and disposing of it in the trash, you can prevent diseases and extra nutrients from making their way into your homes and our waters. Fertilize in the fall (if at all). If you choose to fertilize, waiting until the fall to apply it is ideal because it is better for your lawn. Feeding your lawn in the fall with zero percent phosphorus fertilizer promotes strong grass root growth heading into winter, and you are less likely to contribute to lake algae and plant growth with the lower fall temperatures. Maintain your septic system. Septic tanks need to be properly maintained, cleaned, and emptied every 3 to 5 years. If not, our poop is draining straight into our nearby waterways. To better understand our connection to our watershed and how we can help protect our waterways, we have created and are excited to share our new video called “Our Lakeshore Connection.” Watch it on our website here or on our YouTube channel here . We have the knowledge, power, and responsibility to keep our water blue! Let’s work together to throw away the green “band-aids,” make some simple yard changes, and actually make a difference in the health of our lakes and waterways. Article by Conservationist Carol Markham

Growing up in Chautauqua County, I always believed that I would one day leave and relocate to a larger city with more to offer. My hometown of Fredonia, New York, while charming in a small-town way, was never a part of the future I imagined myself to have. However, once I left to pursue my education, I realized that Chautauqua County has more to offer than I ever knew.    After graduating from Fredonia High School, I decided to pursue my bachelor’s degree at the University at Buffalo, majoring in environmental studies. My new life provided me with independence and discovery as I became committed to studying the environment and advocating for conservation. When it was time to apply to graduate programs, I knew that I wanted to further my environmental studies and am extremely fortunate to be attending Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment for my Master of Environmental Management degree. Although moving 10 hours away has been exciting, it has also been frightening. Coming home is a lot more difficult and I find myself missing this area. Something about Chautauqua County makes me want to come home.    A few months ago, my professors brought up the topic of summer internships. Although not a requirement, it is encouraged that students pursue summer internships to gain hands-on experience in the environmental field. At the time, I thought I would apply to various internships across the United States and hopefully obtain one in a larger city for a new adventure. However, when filling out applications, I realized that I did not want to relocate to another city – I wanted to move home and gain hands-on experience in my hometown. In searching for an internship in Chautauqua County, I discovered the Chautauqua Advancement Project, created by Chautauqua Works, to recruit young professionals looking for employment in the Jamestown region. I was fortunate enough to be placed with the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, a local nonprofit with the mission to preserve and enhance the Chautauqua region’s lands and waters. Through this internship, I have been involved in a multitude of experiences. From kayaking the Cassadaga Creek and Conewango Creek to identify hazardous areas that are unsafe for water recreation to assisting with aquatic invasive species surveys, I have been able to explore many aspects of the Conservancy’s incredible work.    This internship has not only provided me with invaluable hands-on experience but has also opened my eyes to the amazing things happening in Chautauqua County. I have learned that Chautauqua County is home to the Marden E. Cobb Waterway Trail, two flat-water trails that both span over 25 miles and will provide opportunities for water recreation after the Conservancy has concluded clearing the hazardous sites. I’ve also learned just how prevalent and lucky we are to have freshwater sources throughout the County. From Cassadaga Creek and Conewango Creek to Chautauqua Lake and even Lake Erie, our County is fortunate to have these waterways, and every day we take them for granted. Chautauqua County also contains what I like to call “hidden diversity.” When kayaking the Cassadaga and Conewango Creeks, I was mesmerized by the plant and animal species that were thriving in these waters. From bald eagles to wood turtles to native plants, the biodiversity in this area is incredible and often overlooked.    With my key takeaways in mind, I encourage young professionals in this area to research the companies and organizations and the valuable work they do in this County. I also encourage young professionals to apply to the vast and rewarding internships and jobs in this area before writing the area off as a small town with nothing to offer. Article by Caroline Cameron, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Intern

Our first two aquatic invasive species (AIS) surveys for 2024 are in the books! For our first paddle (launching from McCrea Point Park), our survey crew didn’t find anything but curly-leaf pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil, which was expected as they are everywhere and have been for quite some time. We re-checked the area near the Lawson Boat & Motor marina where one single water chestnut was found last year, and we came out empty-handed! For our second paddle (launching from Celoron Park), we checked a few known areas that last year had thousands of invasive plants and that took three separate trips back to remove. This year, these areas still had some invasives, but we only found and removed about 250 plants. And we were able to get them all in one shot – a sure sign of progress that our hand-pulling removal efforts are working! Get more info here .

One way of categorizing plants is based on their origin: native plants are those that have lived in an area since before humans altered the landscape. Conversely, non-native plant species are those that arrived more recently – often with our help. Well-known plants in the latter group include many agricultural crops, the ornamental plants that we use to decorate our gardens, as well as many European species that have long ago become an integral part of our landscape (think Dandelions). A subset of these newcomers has the potential to spread out of control and cause negative impacts on our environment and/or economy. Usually because they left the predators, grazers, or diseases that provide biological control behind. Such species are generally referred to as harmful invasive species. Common examples in our area include Japanese Knotweed, Eurasian Honeysuckle, or Garlic Mustard – all spread rapidly into roadsides and other disturbed areas and outcompete native plants. Even though the spread of any harmful invasive carries an ecological and financial cost, some can literally change our landscape. One of such species, the “Tree-of-heaven,” is establishing a foothold along the Chadakoin River in Jamestown and needs our immediate attention. Why does one type of plant pose such a great risk to our area? The answer is two-fold: the tree itself is damaging to our environment, but it also attracts a second harmful invasive species: the Spotted Lanternfly. This bug has the potential to deal a devastating blow to our grape, agricultural and forestry industries if it reaches our area. Tree-of-heaven ( Ailanthus altissima ), commonly referred to as “ailanthus,” is a very fast-growing tree native to China. Its common name is likely derived from its speedy growth habit, as it can reach “heaven” quickly. Tree-of-heaven thrives in very poor soils, in exposed locations, and under tough growing conditions, which allowed it to become widespread in many urban areas. It exudes chemicals from its leaves, roots, and bark that limit or prevent the establishment of nearby other plants, so it can maintain its dominance once established. Also, these trees are hard to kill. Cutting one down will cause dozens of sucker sprouts to emerge from the stump and its root system. If done incorrectly, attempts to remove these trees can have the opposite effect! Tree-of-heaven is also the preferred host plant for the Spotted Lanternfly ( Lycorma delicatula ), originally from China and first detected in the US in 2014. This bug is now firmly established in eastern Pennsylvania and spreading. Lanternflies feed on a variety of fruit, ornamental, and woody trees and are particularly fond of grapes and apples. While feeding, they excrete a sugary substance that covers everything beneath them. Park benches, playground equipment, picnic tables, etc. quickly become covered by this sticky honeydew, which then grows black mold. On a larger scale, a 2020 study by economists in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences projects that, if not contained, the economic impact of Spotted Lanternfly infestations on Pennsylvania’s economy could potentially range from $324-554 million annually and lead to the loss of 2,800-5,500 jobs. Imagine what will happen if this bug reaches Chautauqua County! There are several significant stands of Tree-of-heaven growing along the banks of the Chadakoin River. A rigid eradication regime will need to start with targeted chemical treatment of each individual tree and requires ongoing monitoring and retreatment over the next 2-3 years, until all trees and their root systems are dead and can be removed. CWC has taken on a leadership role in restoring and activating the Chadakoin River. The first phase of a multi-year project was recently completed, supported by ARPA funds awarded by Jamestown’s City Council. The next phases focus on invasive species removal, revegetation of riverbanks with native plants, and development of a strategic plan for the river. CWC staff has mapped Tree-of-heaven stands in the project area and developed an invasive species management plan to address the existing threat of Tree-of-heaven and mitigate the potential threat of a Spotted Lanternfly invasion. Pro-actively investing in eradication of these harmful trees may spare us from a potentially devastating environmental and economic disaster down the road. Since Tree-of-heaven is a veritable Spotted Lanternfly magnet, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) started monitoring a stand in 2021 to assess whether the bugs reached Jamestown yet. Trees were injected with a chemical that kills Lanternflies feeding on tree sap and a collecting tray was placed around the trunk. Fortunately, no Spotted Lanternflies have been detected yet, but we have to take action now! To learn more about Tree-of-heaven, visit https://extension.psu.edu/tree-of-heaven . Article and photo by Twan Leenders

There’s over 4 million miles of road in the United States. We are tied to our vehicles like they are a part of our family. We even name our vehicles. Roads and vehicles are logistically essential for our technologically advanced fast-paced lives. When I was growing up, getting your license was the epitome of freedom —the “two lanes [that] take us anywhere,” as Bruce Springsteen says. To Americans, roads signify connection, ease, convenience, and escape. To other life-forms, though, they can spell death and division. Roadkill has surpassed hunting as “the leading direct human cause of vertebrate mortality on land.” More birds die on American roads every week than were killed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (which was about 800,000 birds). It has never been more dangerous to set paw, hoof, or scaly belly on a highway. A study in the journal Current Biology concluded that more than one million deer were killed on U.S. roads in 2022. This all has to do with road ecology, which is a field of study that examines the ecological effects of how roads and traffic affect the movement, behavior, and survival of animals and plants, as well as the quality of water, soil, and air. The term was coined by Richard Forman who was standing in his Harvard University office with a few students in 1993, admiring a satellite photograph of a forest. Forman was discussing the forest’s features – where the water flowed, why people had put houses where they had, how the animals moved through it – when he paused. “I noticed the long slice going diagonally across the image,” he says. “It was a two-lane road through the forest. I said, gee, we know a lot about the ecology of everything else in this image, but we don’t know much about the ecology of that.” Inspired by inattention, Forman soon coined the term “road ecology.” (smithsonianmag.com) Roads and highways can have dramatic effects on wildlife movement and landscape connectivity. Some species may have complete aversion to roads, which would limit their movement through landscapes with roads. Other species may try to cross roads even with traffic present resulting in wildlife mortality and risks to drivers. Just last week driving down Jones and Gifford Avenue, my daughter and I saw a duck and about 8 ducklings on the side of the road trying to cross. We stopped to try and help, but the steady flow of traffic ended up making it unsafe for my 4-year-old. Last summer, we helped a softshell turtle cross over I86 – right at Bemus Creek. Growing up in Alaska, my older brother hit a moose in our big ‘74 Chevy pickup and had to go to the hospital due to the moose shattering the windshield, denting in the driver’s side door, smashing the grill, and overall totaling our truck. I bet everyone has a personal story about wildlife that you or someone you know has either hit or just missed hitting. How many dead deer, racoons, opossum, or squirrels have you seen around Chautauqua County roadways? We are making small steps towards progress though. Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy has partnered with Western New York Land Conservancy (WNYLC) and their Wildlife Occupancy Study for the WNY Wildway. Together, we have installed a wildlife trail camera at one of our nature preserves that borders a highway. WNYLC will retrieve the camera in October to fully assess the wildlife use in and around the highway. “Roads are so ubiquitous on the landscape, they really are everywhere, and they have real impacts on our wildlife, our ecosystems, and ourselves. These are systems and structures that we have built, and as we learn more about the problems they cause, we have an obligation to do what we can to correct the problems we’ve created. We can support our natural systems and keep people and wildlife safe successfully,” said Leslie Bliss-Ketchum the director of Samara Group, who we were luckily enough to have an insightful conversation with. Hopefully, in the future, we can start focusing more on how we can make our heavily loved roads in Chautauqua County less of a killing zone and more of a joint tool that can be used by wildlife and vehicles alike. For more info on the WNY Wildway project, visit: https://www.wnylc.org/wnywildway Article by Bethany O'Hagan, Land Specialist

Look how much our Loomis Goose Creek Osprey triplets have grown just in the last week! They developed from downy chicks to birds that have an almost primordial appearance, with a white stripe across their backs and large eyes and beaks. They are moving around the nest with ease, already practicing their flight muscles. They are incessantly eating, and (dad) Hauke keeps bringing them fresh fish a few times a day. It's been extremely hot for the past few days, and the temperature on the nest can reach > 100 F. Sometimes (mom) Femke spreads her wings a little to provide some shade for her youngsters. One morning, we noticed (on the camera) that they were left alone for a short while, but never for more than a few minutes. They still need a lot of parental protection, not just from the heat but also from predators, although this has not been an issue so far. This year, the camera has stayed in position, giving us an excellent view of the nest. We’ve collected hundreds of wonderful short videos and stills and making choices about which to share/post is difficult. As we’ve mentioned before, the nest is located in a place where there is no access to electricity or Wi-Fi, and streaming video is therefore very difficult and also very expensive. For now, we will continue with the nest camera that is still performing well for us for the fourth year!

The countywide, interactive Chautauqua County Trails & Recreation Map has been released! Find the online version at www.chqtrails.org. Earlier this week, we were thrilled to help unveil the map at the Friends of Chautauqua County Greenways’ June 12th meeting at SUNY Fredonia College Lodge. The map is the culmination of a yearlong process that involved input from all trail user groups in the county – including us! The map lets users find accessible trails in all areas of the county for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, kayaking and rowing, horseback riding, and more! The map is a huge step forward for residents and visitors to learn about trail location, tread surface, parking, trail length, and permitted use. It’s a "one-stop-shop" for all your trail information in the county, and both residents and visitors are assured to get the maximum use out of our county’s amazing outdoor trail network thanks to this project! A mobile app version of the map is also in the works and scheduled for release later this month or early July. Get more info on the project at: https://www.chautauquawatershed.org/trailmapping For more info on the map and trails throughout the county, join the FCCG on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1166550607137711

This summer, we’re once again conducting aquatic invasive species (AIS) surveys and monitoring in and around Chautauqua Lake! We’ll kick things off with the informational presentation “What Are These Weeds? An Introduction to Chautauqua Lake Invasive Species” on Monday, June 17th at 4pm. Attendees will learn what invasive species are, how and why they pose a threat to our local ecosystem and economy, and which invasives have been identified in Chautauqua Lake to date. You’ll also hear about our ongoing efforts within the community to prevent the arrival of new invasive species and manage the ones that are already present. Those interested in the presentation can attend either in person at our office at 71 East Fairmount Avenue in Lakewood or online via Zoom. To attend in person, RSVP to info@chautauquawatershed.org or 716-664-2166. Due to limited seating, in-person attendance is limited to 15 individuals. To attend via Zoom, use this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81308749122?pwd=v966QPXa6TmfPW1xfjnrRqoaVpoPCb.1 We’ll also be taking to the water several days each month from June to September at various locations around Chautauqua Lake to re-survey areas where aquatic invasives have been previously reported and survey potential new sites for them as well. If any invasives are found, we’ll report them through the online reporting portal iMapInvasives and then carefully remove and dispose of them. We have two on-water surveys scheduled in the month of June: Wednesday, June 19th, 10am – survey of McCrea Point/Celoron – meet at McCrea Point Park kayak launch Monday, June 24th, 2pm – survey of Celoron/ McCrea Point – meet at Celoron Park Other survey dates are listed below. All surveys are weather permitting, so be sure to check our website for current dates and times and for any cancellations. We welcome and appreciate help with these surveys. If you are available to volunteer, please RSVP to ais@chautauquawatershed.org with your name, contact info, and date/s of the survey/s you’d like to participate in. Though participation is free, registration helps us know how many people we can expect to have on hand and better “map out” our surveys. (Please note that participants will need to bring her/her own kayak or canoe and life jacket.) Get more info on our AIS program at https://www.chautauquawatershed.org/aquatic With thanks to the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance for their funding assistance for this year’s AIS program!

Congratulations are in order for Hauke and Femke, our resident Osprey pair at the Loomis Goose Creek Preserve! They are now the proud parents to three chicks! This is the same number of chicks they raised last year. The protective parents will now be busy feeding their ravenously hungry little mouths continuously and stepping around them carefully with their talons, looking to protect them in the deepest spot of their nest. The chicks are still so tiny and fragile, but we know Hauke and Femke will do as great a job raising them as they have their other offspring in the past four years. We look forward to watching them grow over the summer and fledge sometime in early to mid-August! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get updates and see more videos!

(This small remnant wetland pictured above stands between the Wegmans-Target parking lot and Chautauqua Lake, trapping mud, nutrients, and pollution as they run down the hill. Wetlands like this one provide valuable protective barriers that help keep our Lake a lake. Photo courtesy John Jablonski III) We all want to keep Chautauqua Lake a lake! No one wants the area by their dock to fill in and get shallower, whether from dead plant matter blown in by winds or mud carried in from a nearby road ditch. With so much discussion around New York State’s pending wetland regulations, seeing signs pop up with this sentiment, and so much misinformation out there about the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s position on those regulations, we started thinking – what is the best way to keep our Lake a lake? If that’s the goal, which we think we can all agree it is, then somehow attempting to oppose a State-wide regulation meant to strengthen wetland protections doesn’t seem the best fit. Chautauqua Lake formed during the last ice age about 16,000 years ago. Even without human disturbance, lakes age very slowly as they fill with sediments and nutrients from the surrounding watershed, losing their depth over thousands of years, becoming more biologically productive, and eventually turning into wetlands. Lakes fill with sediments most quickly at stream mouths, where coarse sediments form deltas, and in bays that accumulate wind-driven debris. Then when you add in our own activities, this process of aging is greatly accelerated. As culverts and road ditches carry loads of sediment into the lake, soil and plant particles erode downhill from yards and grounds, forests are cleared, roads are constructed, and wetlands are drained and filled, our lake is continually being loaded with excess sediments and nutrients – taking it from deep and infertile to shallow and highly nutrient enriched. Construction sites and cropland without soil conservation best management practices erode quickly during storm events. Phosphorus-rich fine clay and silt particles carried in by water coat the bottom, while sand and gravel form deltas growing ever farther out into the lake. Topsoil eroded in the watershed, once deposited on the lake bottom, provides a fertile rooting bed for aquatic plants. If the lake bottom is shallow enough to receive sunlight and the bottom provides sediment with nutrients and opportunities for anchoring, either plants or algae will grow there. So, if we don’t want our Lake to get shallower and shallower, promoting the growth of submerged, floating, and emergent plant communities that meet the State’s definition of a wetland, what can we do? Rather than attempting to fight a State-wide regulation that we are unlikely to have much of an impact on, while simultaneously having the negative impact of hurting our chances of receiving much needed State funding, we should focus on coming together to do what we can in our own community to keep the Lake a lake. Despite how unpopular regulations are, one path is through citizens and government leaders advocating for and adopting local laws to better protect the Lake and its tributaries from excessive stormwater runoff, flooding, erosion, and nutrient runoff pollution. These include reasonable limits to lot coverage with impervious surfaces and requiring the capture and infiltration of stormwater to reduce stormwater discharges to downstream waters. Laws to protect stream corridors from disturbance, and to protect floodplains and, yes, wetlands that capture, filter, and absorb sediments and pollutants are important if we want to slow the rate of sedimentation and the loss of depth along the shorelines of the Lake. Another important path is for each of us to do our part as good lake and watershed stewards of our properties. We can re-grow buffers of native plants between our lawns and the lake or nearest watercourse. We can choose not to overuse fertilizers and pesticides in our yards, as fertilizer runoff promotes aquatic plant and algae growth, which upon dying contribute to the accumulation of sediment and the loss of lake depth and lake area. We can re-wild parts of our yards with native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. We can reduce the size of impervious surfaces in our yards by choosing porous pavements instead of concrete or blacktop, decks over patios, and only paving year-round parking areas. We can install rain gardens to capture stormwater from our rooftops and driveways. Lastly, we can personally invest in and advocate for government and foundation support for strategically conserving and enhancing the most important areas of the Lake’s watershed forests, streams, and wetlands to capture runoff and feed groundwaters to reduce storm-driven soil erosion and fortifying groundwater recharge to feed base flow in tributaries to maintain summer lake water levels. Keeping Chautauqua Lake a lake requires a collective commitment to sustainable practices and informed advocacy. Each of us can contribute by supporting reasonable local laws to prevent stormwater runoff, adopting eco-friendly landscaping practices, and investing in and advocating for the conservation of key watershed areas that will help keep the lake’s depth and ecological balance. Together, through mindful stewardship and community effort, we can ensure that Chautauqua Lake stays a vibrant and healthy body of water for generations to come. Article by Executive Director Whitney Gleason and Special Projects Coordinator John Jablonski III

Our resident Osprey pair at the Loomis Goose Creek Preserve in Ashville has returned! On April 1st, we had our first sighting of Hauke (the male) on the nesting platform, and three days later on April 4th, Femke (the female) arrived home. The pair has been inseparable since reuniting– playing house and barely leaving the nest other than for short periods, happy that their long separation has come to an end! We can expect to see one or more eggs in a couple of weeks. This will be their fifth season on the nest, and each return is just as miraculous as their homecoming in previous springs. It is like clockwork, and always begs the question of why they have chosen the Loomis Creek nest, along a busy road, out of the billion other places that they could have landed in warmer climates with equally good sources of food. And how do they not lose their way on their long, separate journeys from down south and find each other here in Chautauqua County? No doubt they love Chautauqua Lake! If only they knew the joy and sense of wonder their presence brings to us. Thank you, Femke and Hauke! And welcome home! (photos from our Osprey cam - follow our Facebook and Instagram pages to see more photos and videos and follow Hauke and Femke's story for 2024!)

Creating a wildlife habitat garden that attracts birds, butterflies, and other neighborhood wildlife, and also helps water quality, is fun, rewarding, and will have a big impact in your yard, neighborhood, and community! In May 2022, the Conservancy set out to certify Chautauqua County as a Community Wildlife Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Community certification through NWF is based on a points system, which includes a number of educational and outreach activities provided by the Conservancy and its partners as well as a certain number of individually certified gardens within the community. But we need the community’s help. And it’s easier than you might think! To receive a NWF certification, a single property, yard, or garden needs to provide food, water, cover, and places for wildlife to raise young, as well as be tended to with sustainable landscaping practices. Through participation in the project, residents learn about those sustainable gardening practices and how these habitats promote healthy, purposeful living for all who visit it! We currently need 200 homeowners, businesses, schools, churches, and/or libraries to certify their yards, properties, and/or gardens to make this happen! We know this is an ambitious goal, but most of us have beautiful gardens and landscapes in our yards already. And if you need it, the Conservancy can help you enhance them to be wildlife-friendly with our LakeScapes program. The Conservancy’s LakeScapes program is a one-on-one educational program that provides a FREE personal yard consultation to any homeowner, business owner, organization, school, or municipality within Chautauqua County. Through the program, we give guidance on how to create native habitats that provide food and places for our local bees, birds, and other wildlife to live. Our recommendations not only beautify your yard but also protect water quality and enhance your way of life and the wildlife that live and thrive within it! For more information on certifying your yard with NWF, please visit https://www.nwf.org/certify. For only $20, you can certify your garden and help us reach the goal of certifying Chautauqua County as a Community Wildlife Habitat . . . one yard at a time! To schedule your free LakeScapes yard visit, please call 716-664-2166 ext. 1005 or email info@chautauquawatershed.org. Healthy habitats and healthy communities go hand-in hand. Can we depend on you to become the next Chautauqua County property to help wildlife, water, and our way of life? Certify your yard today! Article and bottom photo by Conservationist Carol Markham Top photo by Executive Director Whitney Gleason

Exciting news! One of the new Osprey nesting platforms that we installed just over a week ago has already been discovered by a young (most likely male) Osprey! We can’t help but wonder if it could be one of the offspring of the Osprey pair from the nest at our Loomis Goose Creek Preserve. Either way, we are thrilled to see this youngster on the platform at the Chautauqua Golf Club and have our fingers crossed that it can find a mate and settle in soon. photos by Jeanne Wiebenga, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Vice Chair

Spring has seriously sprung these days, and the abundance of life around us is absolutely exhilarating. Within a few short weeks, trees leaf out, wildflowers liven up the forest floor, and returning migratory birds adorn the backyard with color and song during the day, while the nights are filled with joyful sound of frog choruses in nearby wetlands. We are fortunate to live in an area that allows us to enjoy these miraculous sights and sounds, and I feel privileged to work for an organization whose mission it is preserve and protect areas with high ecological, hydrological, and scenic value – the same areas that allow for native wildflowers to thrive, birds to nest, and frogs and other sensitive species to thrive. Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy strives to identify and protect the most important natural areas in our region, which will help us maintain our region’s amazing biodiversity. However, if we truly want to move the dial on making the region more beautiful, sustainable, and resilient for future generations, we will also need to focus on making some improvements in areas where previous land uses may have compromised the land. My favorite aspect of such restorative work is that it can be done just about anywhere and at any scale, making it possible for most people to lend a hand – or do some of it on their own as well. The basic concept is that we try and encourage native species of plants and animals to return to areas where they have been forced out by incompatible land uses. Little pockets of functional habitat dotted across the landscape make great “stepping stones” to connect existing parks and other natural areas where good habitat still exists. These stepping stones allow for the movement of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife across the landscape, hopscotching from one suitable habitat patch to the next. Restoring native habitats and restoring landscape connectivity are key elements of a successful regional conservation action plan. Those stepping stones can take on all kinds of shapes and sizes - a city park with a native pollinator garden can be a place where butterflies and native bees can feed, reproduce, and spread into the surrounding area; a carefully placed series of artificial nest boxes can help boost bluebird, swallow, or bat populations; and removing invasive plants from a roadside can allow native seeds lying dormant in the soil to germinate and reclaim lost territory. Last week, we were able to do all those things! A dedicated group of volunteers from National Fuel helped install native flowers on the banks of the Chadakoin River, beautifying Jamestown’s Chadakoin RiverWalk while also creating habitat for native pollinators. We also wrapped large bank trees with wire fencing to protect them from damage by the beavers that inhabit the river. These trees provide important shade to the urban environment and our community during hot summer days, and they help keep the water temperature in the river down to benefit fish and other aquatic creatures. We also met with colleagues from the Western New York chapter of PRISM, the Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, to start planning a multi-year effort to rid our Cassadaga Lakes Nature Park of a variety of non-native invasive plant species that are negatively impacting the quality of our preserve’s forest habitat. Already one of the most bird-diverse places in the county, this preserve can only get better once we can restore some of its original vegetation and eliminate the non-native vegetation that provides little to no benefits. We ended the week with a collaborative effort to install three new osprey nesting platforms around Chautauqua Lake. Our area’s osprey population is booming, and the lack of suitable nesting locations seems to be a bottleneck. By installing more platforms in the right locations, we hope to help mitigate the “osprey housing crisis” just a little bit. Judging by the success of platforms we previously installed, we’re making a difference for these birds. The osprey pairs that nest on our Ball Creek Preserve and Loomis Goose Creek Preserve have been raising triplets in the last few years – which is not common for these large birds that normally only raise one or two chicks each year. Based on recent images from our osprey camera that is installed at the latter nest, we have three eggs this year again! We’re so grateful that we can contribute just a little bit to the magic of spring and to the long-term environmental health of our beautiful region, and I wanted to thank everyone who made last week’s efforts possible. Article and photo by Director of Conservation Twan Leenders

There are now three more Osprey nesting platforms around Chautauqua Lake! On Friday, April 26th, new platforms were installed at Camp Onyahsa, at Chautauqua Club Golf (near hole 14 on the lake course), and at University Beach at Chautauqua Institution. Our director of conservation, Twan Leenders, was helped by the owners of Gunn 'n Earley Tree Service and Mike Catanese of ArborWild Environmental with these installations. This amazing crew was able to get all three poles and platforms in place in less than six hours! Talk about efficiency! The platforms were made possible by generous donations from Roger Tory Peterson Institute and supporters of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy and the Chautauqua Bird, Tree & Garden Club. The poles were a gift from the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities. On behalf of the lucky Osprey who will call these new nesting platforms home, we extend a huge thank you to everyone who supported and helped with this project! We have seen an influx of Ospreys to our area lately, most likely the offspring of our pair at the Loomis Goose Creek nest as well as other nests from our area. Osprey prefer to nest up high and near open water since most of their diet consists of fish. (This is also where they get the nickname of ‘fish hawk.”) Unfortunately, due to natural habitat loss, Osprey often end up using man-made structures like utility poles and cell towers (instead of trees and snags) for nesting sites, which can pose a hazardous situation if those structures have energized wires. We hope these new platforms will help solve some of the current ‘housing crisis’ for our beloved Osprey.

The next phase of our latest Chadakoin River restoration work has begun! With help from 13 volunteers from National Fuel on April 24th, we installed 240 native flowers on a section of the river’s shoreline (near the Main Street bridge next to the former Friendly’s restaurant in Jamestown) to create habitat and food sources for native pollinators and also help beautify that section of the Jamestown RiverWalk. We also wrapped two dozen or so large bank trees with wire fencing to protect them from damage by the beavers who inhabit the river. These trees help stabilize the river’s bank and prevent erosion, which in turn will help protect the river’s water quality. The trees also provide shade to keep the water temperature in the river down to benefit the fish and other aquatic creatures who live there. The volunteers lent a hand as part of National Fuel’s “Days of Doing” program, an annual three-day company-wide event where more than 700 National Fuel employees provide approximately 2,300 volunteer hours to a variety of service projects located across the company’s NY and PA service area. The projects selected this year were focused on environmental conservation and stewardship activities such as planting, clean-up, and beautification activities. We thank National Fuel and their amazing volunteer crew for helping us make our community a better, healthier, prettier place! We’re planning to do additional native plantings and some hydroseeding with tall native grasses on other restored sections of the riverbank later this summer and fall. Stay tuned for those updates!

Good news to report from the Loomis Goose Creek Osprey nest! Our pair produced their first egg, on April 24th, more or less on the expected date, almost 3 weeks after they got back together. It is clearly visible with the shell, showing a brown wash over a cream-colored base. Femke and Hauke took turns tending to it. On one video from April 25th, Femke can be seen guzzling down the back end of a fish, as it is usually presented to her by Hauke. On April 27th, we noticed a second egg in the same soft spot in the center of the nest. Since Osprey tend to lay clusters of one to 4 eggs, 3 days apart from each other, this was not unexpected – but a happy surprise all the same! Last year, our couple raised 3 youngsters, so there may be more on the way! Usually this is the beginning of a quieter phase, where Femke will brood on the eggs and protect them from predators, while Hauke provides the food (although he will take her place from time to time) until the eggs hatch in 5-6 weeks. (photos from our Osprey cam - follow our Facebook and Instagram pages to see more photos and videos and follow Hauke and Femke's story for 2024!)

Only fifteen percent. That’s approximately the amount of natural shoreline currently remaining on Chautauqua Lake. What does that mean for the lake’s ecosystem and its fish and wildlife communities? What does it mean for us, the people who live and recreate on the lake and depend on lake communities for tax revenues to run our public services and health care costs? As quoted in The Shore Primer: A Cottager’s Guide to a Healthy Waterfront, “The waterfront is the lake’s lungs, doormat, cafeteria, and daycare, a living retaining wall for the shore. It’s a sophisticated ecosystem that serves as the glue holding a shoreline together, through roots and foliage. It’s also a zone where contaminants from land can be filtered, where fish can lay their eggs, and where small critters hang out.” We know from research at many lakes, including Chautauqua Lake, that converting wooded natural shorelands from natural wild emergent and overhanging vegetation to a shoreline of lawns and concrete or steel-armored banks results in a direct loss of fish and wildlife habitat and reduced diversity and abundance of the insects, worms, crustaceans, and other food that feed panfish, gamefish, amphibians, waterfowl, and mammal species. We know that several species of panfish and gamefish lose nesting habitat. We know that the twigs, sticks, branches, and trees which are found lying on the bottom of the lake adjacent to natural shorelines provide essential habitats for reproduction, shelter, and feeding of many fish and other animals. Research from Minnesota indicates removing a tree from lake waters can have a negative effect on fish populations for over one hundred years! Research by Robert Johnson, formerly of the Cornell University Research Ponds & Racine Johnson, shows that insects which eat and help control the abundance of Eurasian water milfoil plants rely on natural shoreline vegetation and shallow water emergent vegetation to not only lay their eggs but also for shelter against predators during the short, non-aquatic part of their life cycles. Research from Wisconsin has shown that shoreline development reduces populations of woodland nesting birds such as warblers, thrushes, and vireos, while common suburban birds such as chickadees, blue jays, grackles, and goldfinches increase in numbers. So what have we wrought on Chautauqua Lake? Our famed muskellunge, which needs natural shorelines with native vegetation and well-oxygenated bottom conditions for its eggs to survive, now has an adult population that is at least 75% hatchery-reared. What about habitats for mink, beaver, muskrat, turtles, water snakes, frogs, waterfowl, and other water-related birds? Because of the essential nature of natural shorelands to the ecological health and water quality of lakes, conserving the lake’s most important shoreline habitats has been a primary objective and activity of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy since it began. Much habitat has been saved, but much has also been lost. The Conservancy has facilitated the conservation of over 2 miles of lake and outlet shoreline, including more than ½-mile of wetland shoreline (80 acres) along the Outlet-Chadakoin River, 700 feet of shoreline wetlands (7 acres) at the mouth of Prendergast Creek and Whitney Point, and 30 acres of the Goose Creek wetland. We have also partnered with NYSDEC to conserve 0.6 miles of lake shoreline at Cheney Farm, 1,180 feet at Stow Farm, and 12 acres and 400 feet of natural shoreline at Whitney Bay. In addition, according to our 2022 lake buffer survey, about 200 private landowners are helping in these efforts by growing native plant buffers on their shorelines around the lake’s perimeter. That means more habitat for more abundant fish and wildlife! With only about 1.4 miles of the lake’s 42-mile shoreline remaining in a natural condition, we have a lot more work to do and more shoreline to conserve and restore. Since the majority of the lake’s shoreline is privately owned, the Conservancy continues to engage and educate lakeshore homeowners about the benefits of native plant lakeshore buffers and how they can reduce shoreline erosion and improve habitat on their own properties. For assistance, please contact our Conservationist Carol Markham at carol@chautauquawatershed.org. You can also find more information in the free downloadable publication, The Water’s Edge, at: https://learningstore.extension.wisc.edu/products/the-waters-edge-p600 Article by John Jablonski III, Special Projects Coordinator Photo by Craig Seger

Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy is a nationally accredited land trust by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, which is a mark of distinction showing that we meet the highest standards for land conservation. A crucial part of staying in good standing as a land trust is dutiful stewardship of our 35 (and growing) nature preserves. A nature preserve, also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve, or nature conservation area, is a protected area of great importance for plants, animals, and the health and quality of our water systems. Nature preserves exist to serve as sanctuaries where biodiversity can thrive undisturbed. Preserves are strictly protected and have a very specific set of rules and regulations – more so than nature parks. Failing to follow our preserve rules and regulations in natural areas can have significant consequences, both for the environment and for people. All our nature preserves are open to the public from sunrise to sunset, but there is a thorough list of rules that we ask visitors to follow. Please remember that we really do want you to go out and enjoy all our hiking trails, beautiful scenery, and the ever-present birds that are now chirping all over the county. What we do not want you to do, though, is pretty straightforward. Our trails, although currently muddy, are there for your enjoyment. However, no ATVs or motorized vehicles are ever allowed on our preserves. We are working to help native plants and animals thrive in an undisturbed environment. Please also stay on the trails and never cut down any trees, remove brush, or disturb vegetation in any way – no matter the size or status. Creating survivalist huts or using a nature preserve as your personal camping spot is also prohibited. Dogs are some of the best animals on the planet, according to yours truly. I take my husky out to preserves almost weekly. While dogs are welcome on our preserves, they must always be kept on a leash. Not only is it a rule of nature preserves around the world, but a leashed dog is also a safe dog. Not everyone feels safe around dogs, so even if you have the nicest dog on the planet, like I do, some people still do not want to be confronted with a dog in any way. Should your dog need to poop while on your walk, please take a moment to pick it up and also take your “doggy bag” home for proper disposal. Do not leave it on the trail for someone else to step in or clean up. Smoking is also prohibited on all our nature preserves. We pride ourselves on the excellent air quality and beautiful surroundings that our preserves provide for people. Cigarette butts contain carcinogens and are composed of thousands of cellulose acetate fibers – which is a microplastic – that kill plants, insects, and animals. Did you know that cigarette butts are statistically the most littered item on the planet? They are toxic, and they can take up to 10 years to decompose. There are no deer stands allowed on any of our preserves. No hunting cameras, no camo huts, no makeshift stands, or any hunting equipment of any kind. As property owners, it would never be normal practice to waltz onto someone else’s property and erect a permanent deer stand. There is no difference between you doing that to your neighbor versus setting up a deer stand on one of our preserves. Hunting in specific preserves with prior authorization can serve as a management tool to improve forest health where game populations have exceeded the forest’s capacity, so we are not against all hunting. What we are against is erecting structures on property that is not yours. If you have a deer stand on any of our properties, you must remove it immediately, or we will confiscate it. Hunting is allowed on a few of our preserves, however, but only with prior written permission from our organization. Remember, respecting boundaries ensures the preservation of our natural spaces and minimizes conflicts. Let’s all be responsible stewards of the environment, so that it can be there for everyone, as well as our future generations. And while you’re out enjoying our preserves, please also remember to sign in at our kiosk, scan the QR code, and let us know if there is anything that needs attention on our trials. Article and photo by Land Specialist Bethany O'Hagan

Despite the recent rhetoric regarding the impact of a potential wetland designation on some parts of Chautauqua Lake, we simply do not have enough information at this time to do more than speculate. One aspect of these discussions, however, is already abundantly clear – although not necessarily presented that way. It is the critically beneficial role that our remaining wetlands play in the health of Chautauqua Lake. There are many different types of wetlands and just as many ways to define each. However, as stated on the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s website, in essence wetlands are simply the areas where land and water meet. They are the areas where upland plant and animal communities transition into the submersed areas where aquatic species thrive. Simply put, the vegetated shoreline areas right above and below the waterline. Some 500 years ago, Chautauqua Lake would have looked very different from how it appears now. Just like any other lake in the region, it would have been part of a hilly, forested landscape, occupying a low spot and receiving water from spring-fed tributary streams and from snowmelt and rainwater that runs downhill. The vegetated areas along the water’s edge of lakes and tributary streams constitute a critical component of a healthy watershed. These vegetated wetlands function as the kidneys and the immune system of the lake. They filter out pollutants and absorb nutrients as they flow downhill, converting those nutrients into healthy native plant growth before they reach the lake. They capture sediment between the roots of the wetland vegetation before it enters the open water and creates problems. In addition, these extensive root systems also anchor the shorelines and floodplains, protecting them from collapsing or eroding when exposed to wave action, flooding, or storm events. Furthermore, the structural complexity of a wetland’s vegetation and its small channels and pools forms numerous microhabitats where fish, ducks, mammals, but also beneficial micro-organisms, mussels, and other invertebrates, can shelter, feed, reproduce, and sustain the complex ecosystem of its adjacent lake. Ongoing settlement and development in the region caused dramatic changes in the uplands, removing all our old-growth forests, and implementing new agricultural practices and other land uses that caused increased flow of sediment and nutrients downhill with every rainstorm. As long as Chautauqua Lake and its tributaries were still bordered by vegetated wetlands, this runoff would have been captured and filtered before it could impact the lake. However, at some point in time those ecosystem services stopped when the lake’s protective wetland buffer became compromised. Today, we not only have very little functional wetland left to help us prevent unfiltered nutrients and pollutants from entering the lake, but instead we place some of our most polluting land uses right on the water’s edge! Fertilized lawns (some treated with herbicides and other toxins), and areas of pavement are often only separated from the water they pollute by a concrete or steel retaining wall, which does nothing to capture sediment, absorb nutrients, or provide flood resilience. I’m not here to debate the economic benefits that drove these dramatic changes in our landscape.  However, I do want to make an economic argument in favor of maintaining and restoring our wetlands wherever possible. Centuries of filling in wetlands that were deemed useless, or at least less valuable than whatever alternate land use folks had in mind, should be reconsidered. Because the unfathomable amounts of time, effort, and money that we now need to spend on erosion control, bank stabilization, sediment removal (dredging), pollution control, and mitigation of excess nutrient loading could have been avoided, or certainly greatly reduced, if Chautauqua Lake’s protective wetlands had remained intact. The US Fish & Wildlife Service estimates that by the mid-1980s, the USA had lost over half its original wetlands, and those losses continue to date. The same holds true in our region and many of our wetlands have been drained, filled, or otherwise impacted over time. The good news is that the remaining wetlands in the watershed continue to do for us all those things that we cannot seem to accomplish with even our most sophisticated engineered or chemical solutions. They continue to absorb nutrients, trap sediment, mitigate flooding, and prevent erosion wherever we allow them to exist. They help keep our lake healthier, our businesses and neighborhoods safer from flooding, and our region more scenically beautiful. And the really wonderful thing is that they do it all for free! Wetlands work quietly, 24/7/365, and are entirely solar-powered (no panels needed!), and look great doing their job, all dressed in wildflowers, birds, butterflies, frogs, turtles, and other wildlife. Anyone who has ever canoed down the Chautauqua Lake outlet or taken a ride on the Chautauqua Belle in or out of Jamestown can attest to the beauty of our last sizeable wetlands on the lake. Unfortunately for lake users, these systems filter the water that is leaving Chautauqua Lake, and their beneficial impacts are enjoyed in Jamestown and farther downstream. Having similarly functional wetland systems along the lake shores and bordering the tributary streams that feed into Chautauqua Lake is what we should be striving for. Still, the opportunity for residents and outside visitors to experience the natural beauty of a ride down the lake’s outlet or to spend a relaxing afternoon fishing provides real economic potential. There are many undeniable ecological and economic benefits to protecting our existing wetlands. I have no doubt that this notion is one of the main drivers of the DECs new wetland regulations. Finding a balance between short-term, in-lake improvements to keep Chautauqua Lake’s appeal high, while simultaneously working towards a more financially and ecologically sensible and sustainable future is what needs to happen. Rather than simply vilifying wetlands as a problem, we should embrace their incredible restorative abilities. They have always kept our lake healthy and thriving until we compromised their ability to function properly. Wetlands truly are the original tool in that metaphorical “toolbox” which is so often referenced in conversations about lake maintenance. I understand people’s concerns over the potential impacts on property values but do want to point out that properties protected by wetlands or vegetated shorelines are significantly less likely to be damaged by our increasingly intense storm events than those protected by lawn and/or a bulkhead. A point that has also not gone unnoticed by insurance companies and is reflected in the cost of flood insurance premiums. Whatever shape a potential future wetland designation on parts of the lake’s shorelines will take remains to be seen. However, I am absolutely convinced that protecting our remaining wetlands is critical for the long-term health of Chautauqua Lake. And I am equally convinced that investing in the restoration of compromised wetlands, or the construction of new vegetated buffers along our shores in places where this makes sense, will give us the most bang for our buck if we want our lake to be ecologically and economically sustainable. Written by Twan Leenders, Director of Conservation for Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Photo of wetlands at Whitney Point at the Prendergast Creek Wetland Preserve

Ticks. Those pesky creatures that every hiker, dog owner, and outdoor enthusiast tries desperately to avoid. A lot of people think that planting more gardens or letting your grass grow higher will attract these little “buggers,” but that is not typically the case. Ticks are small, blood-feeding parasites related to spiders and mites that are capable of carrying and transmitting diseases. In general, ticks tend to be found in forested areas, along the edges where woods and lawn meet, and around stone walls and woodpiles where small mammals live. Adult ticks mostly feed upon white-tailed deer. When done feeding, they drop off and lay their eggs on the forest floor. The following year, the eggs hatch into larvae. Since deer don’t carry the Lyme bacteria, the tick larvae will only get infected and be carriers if they feed on an animal that carries the bacteria, which is most often a white-footed mouse. While tick larvae may also feed on other small mammals like squirrels and opossums, these creatures have much better grooming habits than mice – grooming off and eating most of the ticks who try to feed on them. Because some mammals are so good at grooming, they help keep tick populations under control and reduce the risk of people being bitten. Studies reveal that the greater the diversity of animal species, the fewer the number of ticks, and the less chance of Lyme bacteria spreading to people. Therefore, it can be said that a yard and landscape with more biodiversity means more choices for ticks to feed on, like opossums and squirrels, and also means more predators, such as owls, hawks, snakes, and foxes that help control the mouse population. So what is happening in Western New York, and why are we seeing an uprise in tick populations? Changes in our weather patterns, as well as decreasing habitat and diversity, are influencing tick numbers, the survival of their hosts (deer and mice), and the bacterium that causes the diseases they carry. Not only are the geographic areas in which ticks can survive expanding because of changes in climate, but our milder winters result in more deer and therefore more ticks surviving the cold season. In addition, as development increases and more habitat is chunked up and fragmented, the very animals that tend to be infected with Lyme disease (mice and chipmunks) thrive in these landscapes. Other animals that might control the number of Lyme-infected rodents, like foxes and weasels, are unfortunately, relatively scarce. To compound the issue, some ecologists believe that the coyote is competing with foxes. These scientists have found a rough correlation between high coyote densities in New York state and lower fox numbers, and a higher prevalence of Lyme disease. By displacing foxes, who specialize in hunting rodents, coyotes may have changed the behavior and abundance of rodents – and aided the spread of Lyme. So, together with changes in weather patterns, and an increasing fragmentation of land changing our ecosystem and affecting the populations of predators large and small, we are seeing an increase in the number of ticks and, as a result, more Lyme-infected ticks. So what can we do in our yards to help? Replace invasive shrubs. Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), and Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) create perfect environments for ticks and their hosts and reduce species diversity. Three native substitutions include Northern Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera), Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), and Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia). Increase biodiversity and habitat structure. Create garden areas with multiple layers of native trees and shrubs that offer food and shelter for a more diverse ecosystem. Increased biodiversity fosters predators like snakes (yes…snakes are good!), owls, hawks, and foxes which can lead to fewer mice, fewer ticks, and less disease. Make a mulch “moat.” Add a 2-foot-wide barrier of dry wood chips or bark on your garden edges. Ticks can’t tolerate this type of dry and hot habitat. Ticks aren’t going anywhere, but the plants in your landscape can definitely influence their numbers and occurrence. Prevention and knowledge are always key when it comes to these “buggers.” Let’s increase the diversity of life in our gardens, create “moat” madness, and make our yards less inviting to ticks! Article by Carol Markham, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Conservationist

If you are a Chautauqua County hunter and have deer stands or any other hunting equipment located on any Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy nature preserve or other property, we ask you to please remove it no later than March 31, 2024. Beginning April 1, 2024, any hunting stands and/or equipment that remain on our properties will be considered abandoned and disposed of.