Dragonflies, Downy Woodpecker, swans, Garter Snake, ladybugs, Red-winged Blackbirds, beetles, ducks and a just hatched aquatic turtle who really wanted to make its first trip to the pond.  That is not typically the list of wildlife one expects to find while viewing the skyline of downtown Manhattan, but all of these species are living just behind the Statue of Liberty.

Google Maps, Gmail, Images, Earth, Finance and Analytics are all products on which much of the world has come to rely for living on the internet.  On June 5, Liberty Park relied on a group of Googlers to help them restore park wildlife habitat after hurricane Sandy.  Liberty Park is just across the Hudson River from downtown NYC, just offshore is Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The park was devastated by the hurricane – the park staff only recently was able to return to occupy their offices after severe flooding.  Liberty Park is an urban park jewel, it includes a natural area with wooded trails, pond and butterfly garden.  Naturally this is the kind of area where National Wildlife Federation wanted to focus a restoration effort.

Snapdragon, American Holly, Milkweed, Bayberry, Foxglove, Coneflower and Winterberry are all plant and tree species that Google trucked in to put in the ground one by one.  National Wildlife Federation partnered with Google to bring in this native vegetation to repair a site that will benefit the whole community, this natural area and garden is used for educational programs for the public and school groups.  Inner city school kids, many of whom never play in outdoor settings, will now be able to spend time here learning about ecosystems, exploring a new environment and getting connected to nature.  Googlers in NYC now know where they can escape the city, view local wildlife and maybe get inspired to create a new app – Google Wildlife.

Photos by Tara Eisenberg.

Superstorm Sandy was indeed a very big storm, caused a large amount of destruction and affected millions of people, everything about it was big. On May 17, 2013 a small company made a very big effort in the restoration work still taking place around NYC. Great Eastern Energy, headquartered in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn partnered with National Wildlife Federation to help continue our important restoration projects in Gateway National Recreation Area. This spring NWF has been working with large corporations to get these recovery projects underway, but our event with Great Eastern Energy was different. They not only contributed materials and volunteers, they closed down their whole business for the day to make the project happen. This restoration work was very personal to them as their office almost borders the National Park land where we planted American Beach Grass to help build sand dunes that were leveled by the storm.

These volunteers were working in their own backyard. Included in the group was Rich Carmody, whose house (which flooded during the storm) is 1 mile from the spot where everyone was planting new grass shoots in the sand. After seeing the missing barrier dunes that stood 15 feet prior to the storm, he told me how important the natural beach area is to the community; providing recreation, a home to the endangered Piping Plover and as protection from the sea.

As big as Hurricane Sandy was, it has been matched by the effort of NWF’s recent partner Great Eastern Energy. The company is small but everything they brought to help us protect wildlife was big.

Help Wildlife Today

Help protect wildlife impacted by climate change: tell President Obama to limit carbon pollution today>>

Majorities of senators–including Senators King and Collins–voted to support key Clean Air Act provisions allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to limit the amount of industrial carbon and mercury pollution fouling our skies.

Congress shouldn’t use the budget to cut important public health protections against air pollution, and Maine Senator Angus King and Senator Susan Collins both deserve our thanks for opposing these amendments.

Thank Senator King for Climate Votes

Tell Senator King “Thank you for voting in-line with your concern about climate change by supporting the Clean Air Act!” on Facebook.

 Send him a tweet saying Thanks @SenAngusKing for your support of climate & @EPAgov during budget votes.”

Sen. King’s votes were clearly in line with his stated concerns about climate change and support for the Clean Air Act.

Thank Senator Collins for Her Climate Vote

  Tell Senator Collins “Thank you for putting Maine’s interests ahead of party politics by voting against the last attack on the Clean Air Act” by leaving a comment on one of her Facebook posts.

 Send her a tweet saying “Thanks @SenatorCollins for your support of climate & @EPAgov during budget votes. Pls step up on #KXL tar sands pipeline.”

Sen. Collins deserves special recognition because she put Maine’s interests ahead of party politics by voting against this attack on the Clean Air Act. She was the only Republican to cross party lines and support these common-sense clean air rules.

Congress Must Champion Clean Air

Polls show super-majorities of the American people support action on air pollution. Two-thirds of voters say elected officials should take steps now to reduce the impact of climate change on future generations, according to a Zogby post-election poll last November.

We need members of Congress to step up and champion clean air standards instead of looking for ways to undermine these vital clean air protections. Congress should protect the health and well-being of the people they represent, not the economic bottom line of big polluters.

As the Environmental Protection Agency works to finalize landmark limits on industrial carbon pollution under the Clean Air Act, the message is clear: The American people support climate action. Let’s get this done.

NTSB Photo – Ruptured Enbridge tar sands pipeline, Line 6B

Big Oil is trying to keep this project under the radar and avoid a scrutinizing presidential permitting process. A presidential permit is required for any project that crosses the American border and since the Exxon & Enbridge pipeline would cross into Canada, the permit requires that the administration assess the project and allow for public discussion (think Keystone XL).

Exxon & Enbridge Pipeline Project Under Scrutiny

Legislators from Vermont, Maine, & New Hampshire are joining tens of thousands of Northeast residents in speaking out against this proposed project. Out of the 12 northeast congressional members in the pipeline right of way states (VT, ME, NH), only Senator Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire has yet to stand with her community in opposing the project. Members are sending letter after letter after letter urging Secretary Kerry to require a new presidential permit for the proposed Exxon & Enbridge pipeline project.

When Senators Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine were visited by the tar sands lobby (including the pipeline director for the American Petroleum Institute) a few short weeks ago, the lobby were told to be prepared for lengthy and appropriate government scrutiny over the project.

King told the group that reversing the flow of the Portland-Montreal Pipe Line “is presidential-permit-worthy. And it’s up to the petroleum industry to convince me otherwise.”

Collins, in a prepared statement Tuesday, recalled that the pipeline officials “were not definitive in response to my questions” about exactly what they were up to.

“Should the company decide to seek approval for this new use,” Collins added, “I would expect that appropriate environmental impact reviews would be completed.”

Moose photo by Rick Libbey

Protecting Moose from Dirty Tar Sands

The Exxon & Enbridge pipeline project runs through important moose habitat in New England. If this dangerous project is not stopped, toxic tar sands oil would threaten the waterways where moose live–and would fuel more tar sands operations in Canada that are destroying the boreal forests and polluting fresh water.

Speak up against the risks that the Northeast tar sands pipeline poses to wildlife and our communities>>>

And that’s not all – in the forest, an immediate concern  is the potential for hemlock woody adelgid to have a major range expansion, and possibly wipe out eastern hemlock altogether.

These insects are native to Japan and feed on and kill eastern hemlock trees. The bug’s range is constrained to places where minimum temperatures remain above -20 degrees Fahrenheit… which now includes where I grew up, in North Carolina, and soon could include the forests in the entire Northeast. Climate model projections indicate that temperature increases could place the entire range of this tree above this temperature threshold, leading to range-wide declines and possible loss of the tree species altogether.

Why do we care? “I am more of a wildlife gal/guy than a tree one”, you say?
Eastern Hemlock is the most significant whitetail deer wintering cover in southern and central NH and parts of Maine and much of Massachusetts. Hemlock is used both as cover and forage during deep snow or cold temperatures. Loss of hemlock from the bugs could significantly drop the number of deer who make it through the winter, especially as we have more extreme winter storms that dump larger amounts of snow.

“But we need to worry about the economy, what about the economy?” Good question.  Deer drive hunting license numbers, important revenue in most states.  A significant reduction in deer numbers drives license sales and hunters getting out and spending money down correspondingly. Hunting and fishing license sales provide the bulk of state fish and wildlife funding in many states, which protects our wildlife and our pristine places.

A few fun facts from the Congressional Sportsmen’s foundation:

• The $12 billion anglers spent on boats and other special equipment in 2011 is more than the global revenues for Starbucks that year .
• Hunters spent $6 billion on guns, ammunition and archery equipment in 2011. That’s the same as the sales of bicycles in the United States.
• And hipsters beware: Sportsmen spend $90 billion annually – that’s more than the combined 2011 global revenues for Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

“I am convinced! What can we do about?” I am so glad you asked. We have a plan!

1. Reject tar sands in the US (including a pipeline here in New England)

2. Cut climate pollution from coal fired power plants

and last but not least,

3. Get the word out:  talk to your friends and neighbors, post this on your facebook page, and share it on twitter.

NWF Interior Nominee a Strong Voice for America’s Great Outdoors

February 06-President Barack Obama will nominate Sally Jewell, chief executive officer of Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), to head the Interior Department, as first reported by the Washington Post.

Jim Lyon, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation, said today:

“Sally Jewell is a business leader who knows that conserving America’s natural resources is fundamentally linked to a healthy and strong economy. Outdoor recreation contributes $646 billion to America’s economy and delivers $49 billion in tax revenue annually, but faces a critical challenge as Washington considers even more cuts to conservation programs on top of steep cuts already made.

For more on Sally Jewell’s nomination, check out the blog post: Will New Interior Secretary Put Conservation On Equal Ground with Energy? 

And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• UPI: NWF: Enbridge pipeline review lax
• Associated Press (MA):  Report: Climate change affects region’s wildlife
• Star Tribune: State species at risk as climate heats up (Editorial)
• MinnPost: Where the wild things aren’t: Moose, other species fade with climate change
• WFIR: Changing climate could have big impact on Virginia’s wildlife
• The Mercury: What is the purpose of National Wildlife Week?
• Dunwoody Crier: Create a wildlife habitat in your backyard

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

Santa’s sleigh doesn’t run on oil, it’s powered by Rudolph and his friends! Santa’s reindeer and their cousins, the woodland caribou, are in danger and need your help! Up in Alberta, Canada caribou are being threatened by the tar sands industry and humans rapid expansion into caribou habitat.  This dirty industry is responsible for dangerous projects like Keystone XL pipeline & other pipelines across the country. Alberta’s government reported that  caribou populations are in serious decline and measures need to be taken to save this iconic and important species (I mean, seriously, how can you not save the red-nosed Rudolph?). This comes on the hooves of Alberta’s 5-year wolf-killing program as its main approach to caribou management, which has already seen more than 500 wolves killed.

Why We Should Save Caribou:

1. Dasher
2. Dancer
3. Prancer
4. Vixen
5. Comet
6. Cupid
7. Donner
8. Blitzen
9. Rudolph

While Santa’s making his list and checking it twice, his reindeer are on thin ice. We need to take action now so kids can grow up knowing that their reindeer are protected against the folks, who quite frankly, deserve a lump of coal in their stocking this year! Take action to protect caribou and other wildlife from dangerous tar sands development!

Waves from Hurricane Sandy batter the Brooklyn coast. NASA photo.

It has been refreshing to see our leaders – from President Obama to Governors Cuomo and Christie – connect the dots and acknowledge that climate change is fueling these more frequent and intense storms, but investing in sea walls and storm response plans is  just not enough.

We need to aggressively cut carbon pollution and pursue clean, renewable sources of energy – including offshore wind – in order to protect future generations of people and wildlife from the dangers of climate change.

Offshore Wind Energy in Germany = Jobs, & Not Just Along the Coast

I recently had the pleasure of spending a few days with Senator Joachim Lohse from Germany, a global leader in renewable energy. Thanks to the Heinrich Boll Foundation, which fosters transatlantic dialogue on critical issues, Senator Lohse came to America to share the amazing success story of offshore wind energy development in his state of Bremen. National Wildlife Federation was honored to join the Blue-Green Alliance for a US tour with the Senator, bringing Germany’s story of offshore wind job creation to key leaders, government agencies, stakeholders, and the media in Washington DC, Maryland, and New York.

Headed into the White House Council on Environmental Quality. (L to R: Andreas Marcotty, BGA; Catherine Bowes, NWF; Senator Joachim Lohse, Bremen, Germany; Rebecca Bertram, Heinrich Boll Foundation, Mike Williams, BGA) Photo: BGA

In Senator Lohse’s state of Bremen, Germany, new jobs in the offshore wind industry more than doubled over the last two years (See Lohse presentation).  There are currently just under 3,000 jobs in the offshore wind industry in Bremerhaven (Bremen’s port city), a number which is expected to reach 14,000 by 2020. Across Europe, over 300,000 jobs have been projected to result from pursuing the region’s aggressive offshore wind energy goal of 40 GW by 2020.

And these are not just coastal jobs - over 60% of the economic development benefits from offshore wind energy in Germany have rippled across the country for project development and supply chain manufacturing industries.

Jealous!

Everyone we met with over the course of the tour used the same word in response to hearing Senator Lohse describe Germany’s commitment to clean energy, where renewables currently make up 25% of the country’s energy mix:  Jealous!

The photos he showed of the buzzing port activity in Germany – including massive steel and concrete construction opportunities – left us all wishing we had the leadership here in America necessary to move us forward in harnessing our own offshore wind energy resource.

Offshore wind energy foundations ready for construction at the booming port of Bremerhaven, Germany. Photo: Joachim Lohse

At a time when the twin imperatives of advancing clean energy and revitalizing our economy could not be more clear, we simply can no longer afford to ignore the massive job-creating energy source sitting right off our shores.  A recent poll found that Americans prefer clean energy to investing in more fossil fuels by a 4 to 1 margin, yet renewable energy only makes up 4% of our energy mix. It is time to get serious about clean energy sources like offshore wind.

Take Action: Critical tax credits for wind energy expire at the end of this year. Click here voice your support for offshore wind energy!

Pretty good sign for scrap wood. Don’t you think?

Charity Pumpkins

So it was a natural the other day when my son and I were figuring out what to do with the dozens of pumpkins we grew. We first offered my son and daughter and their neighbor friends a pumpkin each. That went well but we still had a ton of pumpkins. After some debate, my son and I decided to create a charity pumpkin sale. After making a homemade sign together from scrap wood, we agreed on a price: $5 for the large and $2 for small ones. Seth decided that half the proceeds should go to National Wildlife Federation and the other half to the Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (VT Network), where my wife works as an attorney.

We had a neighbor stop by as we were putting up the sign, so we got some cash flow immediately. Seth was excited right away. Each day Seth would get off the school bus and he would go to the “cash box” that we left on the road. Some days there was some money in there, other days not. He would rush into the house when there was some money, with total delight. It was fun to see.

We had one special sale. Unknown to us, the Executive Director of the VT Network (Michele’s boss) was driving by and stopped to get pumpkins. I think about how great it must have felt for her to see that the money was going to support her hard work on such a critical issue like domestic violence and sexual assault. Every dollar helps and now Seth is going to be in their newsletter!

Then things slowed down. I wasn’t sure whether we would sell the whole crop. Days might have passed by without any sales. Then one day I noticed that all the remaining pumpkins where gone. I have to say, the first thing that crossed my mind was that a teenager might have taken the pumpkins, but when I looked in the cash box it was full of cash. I felt like my son that day running into the house to tell my wife of the good news. I put the cash box back so Seth would find it when he got off the bus. It was a special feeling to see him so excited that we had sold maybe 20 pumpkins.

In total, we raised $66. We have made a fat contribution to NWF and the VT Network. I think we all gain much more than that. Have a great Halloween!

Consider making your own donation to NWF or your favorite charity this Halloween and every other day. If you donate to NWF right now, your contribution will be matched by Craig Newmark.

My son, Seth, visits with a salmander.

On Saturday, July 18, my son and I had a terrific day joining more than 1,000 people at NWF’s and New Hampshire Audubon’s Engage Nature event. The event was a big hit for the kids and their parents, from “ponding” (kids having fun with nets in a pond), “fielding” (kids having fun in a field catching and identifying insects), seeing bald eagles and screech owls and a zillion of other fun filled activities.

Engage Nature

New Hampshire Audubon, our newest state affiliate, did a terrific job in organizing the event. They had five separate locations, including the McLean Audubon Center, Massabesic Audubon Center, the Hebron Fair & Newfound Audubon Center, Ponemah Bog Sanctuary in Amherst, and the Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon at the Seacoast Science Center. New Hampshire Audubon is an independent state Audubon.

The Concord Monitor did an excellent job at previewing the event on the front page of their weekend section, highlighting the affiliation between NWF and New Hampshire Audubon:

“The purpose of the affiliation is to strengthen,” said Kelly Wing, spokeswoman for the New Hampshire Audubon.

“It’s to provide a partnership that strengthens the capacity of each organization. . . . And it works particularly well, because of course, National Wildlife Federation being very large provides resources that a small organization like ourselves might not have. But what we can provide to them is local, on the ground, grassroots resources.”

Though it’s just begun, the affiliation has already helped pay for fundraising and development training for the New Hampshire Audubon’s staff and board that otherwise might not have happened due to limited financial resources.

Ranger Rick gives a “high five” to Mike Bartlett, New Hampshire Audubon President, as NWF’s Regional Representative Don Hooper, and NWF Board of Director Paul Beaudette look on.

National Poll Demonstrates Americans Realize the ‘Indoor Childhood’ is a Real Problem

I am sure that many of the event participants wouldn’t be surprised that a recent poll found that 82% of likely voters (Republicans and Democrats alike) believe that kids not spending enough time in is a problem (50% said it was an “extremely” or “very serious” problem). The poll was conducted by the Nature Conservancy, of “likely voters,” and demonstrates that conservation is a bipartisan, patriotic issue that united Americans from all walks of life.

NWF has some amazing resources for parents to make getting outside easy and fun. As a parent, I know my son’s schedule can often get focused on Taekwondo, hockey and other organized sports (which I love), so I make sure he gets as much unstructured time outdoors as possible. Some great resources that I recommend, include “The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids”, Whole Child: Developing Mind, Body and Spirit through Outdoor Play, and Green Time for Sleep Time.

Some happy kids before heading to the Pond to find some wildlife friends.

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