September Littoral News September 1, 2020  From the Director Water Touches Everything We Do At the American Littoral Society I was lucky to have a childhood filled with healthy local waterways. In them I found fish, turtles, an occasional snake and lots and lots of mud. Mostly, they were great places to explore, to be on my own or with my brother, to grow our appreciation for the natural world.   “We’re going to the creek” was a common parting call (usually from halfway out the back door) in our house. Waterways were the geography of my childhood, and no doubt put me on the path which led to the Littoral Society.   Everyone deserves healthy local waterways. Accessible, healthy local waterways.   Click here to read the rest of the Director's Note COMING UP     Sunset Kayak Tour of Subway Island Wednesday, September 2 5 - 7 p.m. Community Boathouse Bay Breeze Park,  Beach 88th Street  Rockaway Beach, NY Registration required Join Don Riepe,director of the American Littoral Society's Northeast Chapter, for a sunset kayak tour of Jamaica Bay and its iconic marsh islands as part of the Discover Jamaica Bay: By Land and By Sea Tour Series.  Spots are extremely limited due to safety guidelines related to COVID-19. Please follow local, state, and federal guidance related to COVID-19 when planning your trip to the event. A face covering is required and social distancing will be practiced throughout the event. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available. Please wear appropriate clothing, and bring sunscreen, a water bottle, a hat, and bug spray!   The Discover Jamaica Bay: By Land and By Sea Tour Series highlights city, state, and national parks throughout Jamaica Bay in Brooklyn and Queens. This tour series focuses on the unique environment and ecology of Jamaica Bay, while also highlighting the historical, cultural, and social context of the 10,000 acres of parkland in this 18,000 acre estuary. The tour series is generously supported by Con Edison.   Click link to learn more and register.     New York State Beach Cleanup The kickoff for the 24th New York State Beach Cleanup (NYSBC) is Saturday, September 19. Like everything in our lives at the moment, Covid-19 is messing with our efforts to clean up the mess on our beaches and waterways!  It's pretty much impossible to hold large scale cleanups and many beaches and parks are prohibiting or limiting group gatherings. We want to encourage folks to get out by themselves, with their families, within their “pods” or “bubbles” despite this. It takes more than a pandemic to stop our efforts to tackle the problem of pollution – particularly plastic – on the beach! The State of NY has developed safety protocols which we ask everyone to follow. We suggest that our beach captains hold small cleanups on beaches that are allowing such events, or conducting family or single household cleanups, which should be allowed at most sites. Please post on your social media using the hashtag #NYSBC2020 as you help clean the beaches. This is individuals taking responsibility and acting to protect their planet. We are, indeed, all in this together – and we want to share the experience as best we can!   For more information, please e-mail NYSBC coordinator Lisa Scheppke at lisa@littoralsociety.org.     Jamaica Bay Monarch/Pollinator Festival Saturday, September 26 10 a.m. - Noon The Jamaica Bay Monarch/Pollinator Festival is going virtual this year. Participants can join us online to see and learn about the role of butterflies and other pollinators in the Jamaica Bay ecosystem.  For information and link to the Zoom video e-mail Don@littoralsociety.org and he will send info when available.     Zero Waste Workshop Wednesday, September 16  6 – 7:15 p.m. Click here to register   Join our Education Director, Nicole Haines, as she goes through ways to lessen your waste. This workshop will include:  pollution facts easy switches how to do a trash audit the problems with microfibers fast fashion giveaways and more! Virtual Rain Barrel Workshop Thursday, October 15th 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Registration link to follow Watch a live video on how to build your own rain barrel, then pick up the barrel and supplies at the Littoral Society Delaware Bay office in Millville.   For more information, contact Zach Nickerson. SJ Landscape Makeover Workshops   Sign up for our September Virtual Landscape Makeover training sessions. Learn how to build a rain garden at your own home, and possibly get a rebate if you live in our focus area. For more information and to sign up: https://www.sjwatersavers.org/makeover-sessions/ CELEBRATE YOUR LOCAL LITTORAL ZONE     Donate to Littorally Local Littorally Local at Home Join the American Littoral Society for Littorally Local at Home, an annual celebration of all the coast has to offer to support our efforts to protect it. Since 1961, the American Littoral Society has been caring for the coast in New Jersey, New York and beyond. We see the beauty and feel the energy that draws you to coastal communities. With your support, we work to protect and restore that splendor.   Your help is needed to continue and expand that work.   Visit the online auction from August 29 to September 12 to browse a wide variety of littorally local items and activities! You can choose from a private boat tour of Jamaica Bay or Delaware Bay, a private Zero Waste Workshop for you and your friends and family, original artwork, and other local sites and sounds! Visit the Online Auction SIGHTS & SOUNDS Raptors Have Returned Webinar In 1990 there were zero osprey nests in New York City. DDT had interfered with their ability to reproduce and the population crashed. In this webinar learn about the Littoral Society’s successful efforts to fully restore the osprey to Jamaica Bay from 1990 to today. Spoiler alert, they’re back! Facebook Live: Cohansey River Canoe Trip In case you missed it: Join the American Littoral Society's Zach Nickerson and Lucia Ruggiero as they take a paddle on the Cohansey River. Restoring Wreck Pond Webinar and Video Series On Thursday, Aug. 27, the American Littoral Society's Habitat Restoration Program conducted a webinar on their work to increase ecological and community resiliency in and around Wreck Pond, a 73-acre coastal lake located on the border of Spring Lake and Sea Girt, NJ.   The initial stage of the project involved reconnecting Wreck Pond with the Atlantic Ocean in order to improve water quality in the pond, provide better flood control to the surrounding area, and allow migratory fish (such as river herring) to reach traditional spawning areas.   The work has since expanded to include removing the buildup of sediment in the pond, create more natural shorelines, expand upstream access for spawning fish, and conduct monitoring of the project's results. The virtual discussion came after the release of three videos detailing various aspects of the project. You can find those videos below. PART 1: Restoring Wreck Pond Part 2: Fish Sampling and Monitoring PART 3: Citizen Science Monitoring Program   Forked River Living Shoreline Project Presentation   The American Littoral Society is preparing for a living shoreline project along a shoreline where the Forked River meets Barnegat Bay in Lacey Twp., NJ. This recording of a webinar and online discussion provides an introduction to the scope and purpose of this restoration project. 15th Annual Jamaica Bay Shorebird Festival August is the perfect time to explore the diversity and abundance of NYC's shorebirds, particularly at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, so the 15th Annual Shorebird Festival at Jamaica Bay's was held virtually on August 22, 2020.    If you couldn't be there for the livestream of the event, you can watch the recording here. The festival was produced by the American Littoral Society, Jamaica Bay-Rockaways Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service, and NYC Audubon.  Hosted by Alex Zablocki of JBRPC, the event included a boat tour of Jamaica Bay with Littoral Society Northeast Chapter Director Don Riepe and a puppet show produced by staff at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Center. There were also talks by Kevin Karlson, Lloyd Spitalnik, and NYC Audubon senior conservation biologist Kaitlyn Parkins, as well as segments provided by Shirley Chisholm State Park and NYC Parks.  Click this link to learn more about the festival and interact with JBRPC's Jamaica Bay StoryMap.  JOIN US   Membership, Renew or Join Today! Your loyalty and support enable us to continue to protect and care for the coast. Your membership supports marine science education programs for thousands of students, protecting and restoring marine life and habitat, and our efforts to defend the coast from harm. You are vitally important to this work; coastal conservation is a group effort. Your membership in the Society adds your voice to many others in support of marine life and the coast. Seniors can join or renew for $30, and Individuals for $40, or Families for $50. Click here to join, renew or give the gift of membership.   Show Your Support withLittoral Society Gear There are more ways than ever to show your support for the American Littoral Society. Now available at the the Society online store are short-sleeve t-shirts in multiple designs/colors, as well as long-sleeve t's and baseball caps with the Society's name and/or logo. The long-sleeve shirts have the definition of littoral on the back. The baseball caps are focused on the Society's Fish Tagging Program and feature a tagged black seabass. Purchase proceeds cover the cost of the item and contribute to the Society's operating budget. Click here to find Littoral Society wearable gear in the online store. POSTPONEMENTS & CANCELLATIONS Canceled Events The American Littoral Society will be postponing or canceling scheduled public events for July based on public health advisories from states and the US Centers for Disease Control. We are looking forward to resuming our walks, workshops and other activities when that is safe. Please stay safe and healthy. We look forward to seeing you again when circumstances allow. The following is a list of events that have been canceled or postponed:  Shore Birds and Wild Edibles Walk, Sandy Hook, NJ - Saturday, September 5 Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}* *{{Unsubscribe}}*

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