|
|
Overview
In the 1990's a number of legal, industry specific, research, and social initiatives coalesced within the umbrella of the Niagara Mohawk, a National Grid Company, natural resource stewardship program. The endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) was among the most visible species within this dynamic program. In 1995, half of the remaining NYS population resided on power line rights-of-way where blue lupine and other nectar plants provided essential habitat. This habitat was elsewhere in decline.
While the company strategically integrated its programs within the arena of regulatory compliance, it also became a charter member of Project Habitat® . This utility industry forum seeks to highlight best management practices associated with the use of herbicides to control right-of-way vegetation and promote wildlife habitat. Project Habitat® recognized Niagara Mohawk for its protection of the Karner blue butterfly habitat.
Through preliminary research by SUNY- ES&F, funded by Niagara Mohawk, it became apparent that the utility's vegetation management strategy, including the use of herbicides, emulated the former role of wildfire in sustaining plant species essential to the Karner blue butterfly guild. Aided by Project Habitat®, a partnership formed to involve staff of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Department's Endangered Species Unit, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission, and The Nature Conservancy. As individuals within this partnership learned more, it became obvious that others were interested in protecting and enhancing the endangered butterfly guild.
One of these was the former manager of the Saratoga County Airport, home of New York State's largest Karner blue butterfly metapopulation. Larry Gorden had retired to become manager of a local Boy Scout camp. On the grounds of this camp he was also stewarding and expanding the blue lupine population. With the enthusiasm and input of young men, their families and adult leaders in the scouting program, as well as local garden clubs and shock camp prisoners, each year areas of the camp were prepared as seedbeds. While few butterflies were seen in the forested camp, the Scouts' work substantively increased lupine numbers and methods of seed collection and germination beyond what NYSDEC or TNC experienced at the time. Niagara Mohawk employees, who were Scouters, seized an opportunity to formalize these successes in an educational program.
The initial concept was to develop a specific program for the local Twin Rivers Boy Scout Council that used the endangered butterfly guild, and its habitat on power line rights-of-way, to integrate school lessons and the Boy Scout advancement requirements. One similar youth environmental education model is Project Wild® http://www.projectwild.org/. Others are maintained by organizations such as Buckmasters, Ducks Unlimited, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.
The pilot project was to create a 'hands on' experience in which participating Boy Scouts would have the opportunity to learn details of the insect's life, relating it to a greater understanding of applied science, environmental law, wildlife ecology, and forestry practices, all while having fun! With the cooperation of the utility, scout unit leaders would be able to work through the year's teaching lessons from a special 'Scoutmaster's Manual' and take their troop onto certain rights-of-ways to perform various learning and conservation exercises. These exercises would be tied to individual requirements in the merit badge program. If successful, the concept could be emulated for other species, in other habitats, by other organizations, across the United States.
Subsequently the opportunity for educational exercises was broadened to embrace more than Scouts and power lines. Finding a place to practice lessons afield remains a challenge. The Boy Scout Camp Saratoga was sold and incorporated into the Wilton Preserve. New York State's General Obligations Law § 9-103 has not been amended to enable greater access to private lands, and the NYSDEC does not have the staff to fully exploit implementation of its 1998 Adopt-a-Natural Resource Policy ONR-1. The Albany Pine Bush Preserve, the Wilton Preserve, other Nature Conservancy Lands, and State Parks remain the best field 'research station' opportunities for youth involved in this program. So the concept of a notebook of lessons and exercises was expanded to take advantage of the Internet resources, housed under the name of one of the nation's most recognizable conservationists, and maintained by one of the world's premier environmental institutions. With improved access, this set of modules becomes quite flexible for regionally tailored specialization and derivation to other species and community needs.
Users of these modules are encouraged to explore the links provided and to use a web browser search engine to search for the words displayed in bold type. In doing so, the user will better understand many of the terms and how the modules relate to one another.
Contributors and Acknowledgments
For the initial concept, we wish to acknowledge the encouragement of Scouters
Pete Crowley and Larry Gordon in Wilton. Kathy O'Brien, kmobrien@gw.dec.state.ny.us,
and Peter Nye, penye@gw.dec.state.ny.us,
of NYSDEC-DFW&MR in Albany were early advocates of the initiative to partner
seemingly competitive interests. Scott Shupe, scott.shupe@us.ngrid.com,
coordinated the overall exercise. Professor Don Leopold, dendro@mailbox.syr.edu,
contributed much in the way of research and photos used in these modules,
as did the primary author-editor of these modules, Maija Benjamins. Maija,
mebenjam@mailbox.syr.edu,
took the lead in rendering the modules to PDF format and placing them
on the Roosevelt Wildlife website.
None of this would have been possible without the financial contribution and patience of the three sponsoring organizations. Kudos to: Dr. Robert Chambers amwrfd@aol.com of the American Wildlife Conservation Foundation http://www.americanwildlifeconservationfoundation.org, Bobby Maddrey and Howard Travis of the National Wild Turkey Federation http://www.nwtf.org/, Rocky Evans, Executive Vice President of Quail Unlimited http://national.qu.org/national/, and the Roosevelt Wildlife Station, http://www.esf.edu/resorg/rooseveltwildlife/default.htm. Each of these organizations has a youth education program within its respective conservation mission.
|
|