Now in the second half of our 49th year, Protectors of Pine Oak Woods is adding to our ranks. We are lucky enough to have three new members: Kywnn Hogan, Andy Blancero, and Heather Butts—three young, dedicated professionals that have worked tirelessly to making the outdoors more accessible to the public, and conserving natural spaces, over their careers thus far.
Some interesting observations took place across our Borough of Parks during the summer, including more breeding by American River Otters on the West and South Shores and large numbers of the southern cannonball jellies washing up on our beaches. Just south of us, a joro spiders were found in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in early-September—a sign of things to come for Staten Island. However they are harmless, and will most likely assimilate into the ecological communities here as they have elsewhere.
The fall migration of birds, bats, moths, and butterflies are underway. As of writing this letter, wood warblers are beginning to trickle in–dressed in their drab fall plumage–which will soon turn to millions of birds migrating overnight to return to their tropical wintering grounds. Likewise, moths and butterflies like Underwings and Monarchs are moving. Notably, in early-August, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the eastern population of regal fritillary butterflies as Endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Regal Fritillaries were once found across Staten Island’s west shore, with the last individuals on Staten Island being recorded in the 1970s by University of California entomologist Dr. Arthur Shapiro.
Finally, I want to make a personal note on two Staten Islanders who recently passed, who had an influence on our environmental community: Virginia Sherry and Sylvia Zaage. As you will read in subsequent pages in past-president Hillel Lofaso’s essay, Sylvia was a past member of our board of directors, and had strong ties to many other community organizations including the JCC. Virginia, who passed away earlier in the summer, was the founder of the Staten Island Native Plant Society, which is working to encourage Staten Islanders to use native plants in their gardens. I will remember her fondly, and I know many of those reading this will as well.
Thank you,
José Ramírez-Garofalo
President, Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
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