Family of Canada Geese swimming in Lake Champlain
Family of Canada Geese swimming in Lake Champlain
I grabbed a quick shot of this family of Canada Geese swimming in Lake Champlain at Alburgh, Vermont on June 15, 2017.
New York State Invasive Species Awareness Week July 9 – 17
New York Invasive Species Awareness Week July 9-17
New York DEC Encourages Partner Organizations to Host Events for the Week
Event Submissions Accepted through June 26
Ariana London, Lake Champlain Steward, completes a boater survey on her tablet computer at the Great Chazy boat launch, (photo by Meg Phillips, State Parks.)
New York’s fourth annual Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) will be July 9-15. The annual educational campaign aims to educate New Yorkers about the negative impacts invasive species can have on our environment, economy, and health and empower residents to take action to stop the spread of these destructive pests. DEC is encouraging organizations to partner in hosting an event as part of New York’s ISAW.
“Preventing the spread of invasive species is the most effective way to fight and address the damage these species can cause to our natural resources,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Invasive Species Awareness Week is a great opportunity to highlight some of the environmental and economic threats these species can pose and raises awareness of the many ways that all New Yorkers can help protect against unwelcome species in their communities.”
During ISAW, the eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs), DEC, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and other state and local partners will host events to teach citizens how to identify, survey, manage, and map invasive species. Through these events, participants will gain the skills to participate in early detection and rapid response efforts in the places where they live, work, and play.
Natural resource managers depend on the public’s help now more than ever in combatting invasive species in New York. Although there has been significant strides toward controlling populations of giant hogweed, purple loosestrife, and other invaders, the eyes on the ground to detect new infestations as early as possible are essential.
The invasive fungus that causes oak wilt can spread rapidly and kill some types of oak trees in as little as two to six weeks. The aggressive submerged aquatic plant Hydrilla was recently found at a second Finger Lakes location, near the northeastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Promoting awareness of how everyday activities (pruning trees, recreational boating, gardening, camping, etc.) can facilitate the spread of invasive species will help to curb the problem.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Communities across the State have been instrumental in helping the State keep a watchful eye out for invasive species of all kinds. With their assistance, we have been able to better monitor and, as a result, slow the spread of these invasives that can damage our trees, plants and aquatic habitats, and negatively impact our State’s economy. We encourage citizens to join us during Invasive Species Awareness Week and take part in some of the activities planned to continue to educate New Yorkers on how to spot, identify and protect against these non-native species.”
Last year, partner organizations hosted more than 120 ISAW events in New York State and engaged more than 2,500 participants. These events included guided hikes and paddling events, documentary film screenings, presentations and community discussions, invasive species control projects, and others. If your organization is interested in hosting an ISAW event this summer, visit DEC’s Invasive Species Awareness Week web page to learn everything that you’ll need to know to plan a successful, well-attended event. PRISM coordinators will be accepting event submissions through June 26.
One example of an ISAW event is the iMap Invasives team teaming up with DEC and Finger Lakes Institute staff to host the second annual statewide Water Chestnut Chasers Challenge. The aim of the friendly competition is to fill in data gaps in the state’s invasive species database while teaching citizens how to survey for and report one of our most recognizable aquatic invasive species. If infestations are found early enough, there’s a good chance that a well-organized crew of volunteers can keep their favorite swimming holes and boat launches clear of this invasive floating plant. Prizes will be awarded to the individual who reports the greatest number of observations (including negative observations, i.e. no water chestnut) as well as the PRISM region with the most observations reported during the search window of July 5 through July 19.
The Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), Coordinator in the Lake Champlain Basin is:
Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, Brenden Quirion, bquirion@tnc.org, (518) 576-2082
Find more about Lake Champlain’s invasive species at Lake Champlain Invasives
Champlain’s islands–Stave, Crab, Valcour and Garden–all host otherworldly inhabitants, and unidentified creatures and objects have made appearances on the water, in the sky and in the forests surrounding the lake.
More Lake Champlain News:
Upper Fish Bladder Island – Lake Champlain Islands
Upper Fish Bladder Island – Lake Champlain Islands
Upper Fish Bladder Island is a very small island just east of South Hero, Vermont; it is sometimes connected to Fish Bladder Island when there are low-water conditions. The wooded, undeveloped island is owned and maintained by the Green Mountain Audubon Society as a bird sanctuary.
Upper Fish Bladder serves as an important bird nesting site and staging area for the Herring Gull, Great Blue Heron, and potentially the Common Tern.
History:
Upper Fish Bladder Island was donated to the Lake Champlain Land Trust by the late Mary Haas-Burak in 2000. The Lake Champlain Land Trust accepted Upper Fish Bladder thanks to the generosity of the landowner.
The Lake Champlain Land Trust later donated three islands, including Upper Fish Bladder Island, to the Green Mountain Audubon Society. This island is now managed by the Green Mountain Audubon Society, with the conservation easement still held by the Land Trust.
- Upper Fish Bladder Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Fish Bladder Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Cloak Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Four Brothers Islands – Lake Champlain Islands
- Gunboat Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Cole Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Cedar Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Schuyler Island – Lake Champlain Islands
Vermont Fish Biologists Recapture Lake Sturgeon First Caught in 1998
Vermont Fish Biologists Recapture Lake Sturgeon First Caught in 1998
Biologists recapture lake sturgeon first studied in 1998, study and re-release it 19 years later
Vermont Fish & Wildlife staffers received a pleasant surprise recently while performing survey work on Lake Champlain when they recaptured a 48-year old lake sturgeon that biologists first studied and tagged nearly two decades ago.
The male sturgeon weighed 69 pounds and measured 66.1 inches when it was first caught and tagged in 1998. This May it weighed in at 78 pounds and had a total length of 67.5 inches at the time of the most recent capture.
“We first saw this fish in 1998 when it was roughly 29 years old,” said Chet MacKenzie, fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “It’s a really interesting story to see this fish 19 years later, and another great example of the incredible longevity that the species is known for. We recaptured this fish several times between 1998 and 2002, This year we implanted an acoustic tag which will allow us to follow its movements for up to 10 years.”
Vermont Fish & Wildlife sturgeon monitoring activities are part of the Department’s Lake Champlain Sturgeon Recovery Plan – enacted in 2016. The plan includes efforts to reduce mortality of lake sturgeon, improve spawning and nursery habitat and continue population assessment work.
Biologists Remind Anglers That Lake Sturgeon are Protected
Lake sturgeon are an endangered species in the State of Vermont and are protected from harvest. In Vermont lake sturgeon are only found in Lake Champlain and the lower reaches of the Winooski, Lamoille and Missisquoi rivers, and Otter Creek. Lake Champlain has the only lake sturgeon population in New England.
The fish were once more common in Lake Champlain, but declined rapidly in the 20th century due to over fishing, the loss of spawning and nursery habitat caused by the construction of dams and sea lamprey predation. They are a unique, ancient form of fish that were first given complete protection by law in 1967. (Read more about the lake sturgeon at: A Dinosaur Among Us- The Lake Sturgeon and Lake Sturgeon Thunder)
“We’d like to remind anglers that sturgeon are fully protected by Vermont law and any sturgeon caught must be released immediately,” said MacKenzie. “Harvesting a lake sturgeon would result in the loss of an angler’s fish and wildlife licenses in Vermont and most other states for up to three years, in addition to various potential fines.”
MacKenzie encouraged anglers to help with the Lake Champlain sturgeon restoration effort by minimizing injuries to any accidentally caught sturgeon.
“If by chance an angler catches a sturgeon, we ask that they leave the sturgeon in the water and remove the hook if the fish is hooked in the mouth, but cut the line and leave the hook in place if the hook is swallowed. Anglers can also help by choosing to change fishing locations or using a different bait in the event that they catch multiple sturgeon in a particular area.”
Vermont Fish & Wildlife urges anglers to help population recovery efforts by reporting any sturgeon they catch to the Department at 802-878-1564, or by contacting their local fish and game warden or district office. Information obtained about sturgeon catches can be valuable to the Department’s sampling efforts and to monitoring the trend in sturgeon abundance over time.
Anglers and members of the public are also asked to report illegal sturgeon harvest to law enforcement immediately by calling their local warden, a state police dispatch center or Operation Game Thief at 1-800-752-5378.
To learn more about Vermont’s fisheries programs, fishing regulations, or to purchase a fishing license, visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com.
Fish Bladder Island – Lake Champlain Islands
Fish Bladder Island – Lake Champlain Islands
Fish Bladder Island is a privately owned 11.6-Acre Island in Lake Champlain located just minutes off the causeway to the Champlain Islands – just east of South Hero, Vermont and just north of Cedar Island.
Fish Bladder Island features gently rolling terrain, a beach, and protected coves for docking. The island features a newly constructed residence with boat storage area on the lower level and another two bedroom guest house.
In times of low water Fish Bladder is connected by a sand bridge to Upper Fishbladder Island to the north. Upper Fishbladder is owned and managed by the Green Mountain Audubon Society as a bird sanctuary.
History:
In October 2007 a wind-whipped fire destroyed an Adirondack style camp on the island. Firefighters had to be ferried to the island from South Hero, VT to fight the blaze.
Video Tour of Fishbladder Island
- Upper Fish Bladder Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Fish Bladder Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Cloak Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Four Brothers Islands – Lake Champlain Islands
- Gunboat Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Cole Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Cedar Island – Lake Champlain Islands
- Schuyler Island – Lake Champlain Islands