Mute Swans (Cygnus olor)
If you live in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region of Western New York you are far more accustomed to spotting Tundra Swans rather than these Mute Swans (Cygnus olor), a beautiful species that likely takes the title for most attractive non-native invasive bird in North America. Mute Swans call Eurasia their homeland but were brought to North America by humans and have taken up residence in a number of areas since the late 19th century, especially those in the east and near suburban areas and cities. They are a threat to native waterfowl because of how aggressive they are, a behavior I can attest...
Read MoreWhere Balloons Go
This is where balloons end up once they are let go. I cannot tell you how many times I have come across large bunches of balloons while outdoors in even remote and otherwise pristine locations. We even end up spotting them during hawk watching every year! While most folks rather innocently do not think about the end game once they let go of that string we should be aware of the consequences of our actions and how potentially deadly they are to birds and all wildlife. Released lighted lanterns may be pretty but where are they going to end up? Not floating off into space. I am always surprised...
Read MoreMore recyclable plastic
I can still remember when we first got the “blue bin” to toss recyclable materials in every other week when I was a child in Connecticut. It could only take plastics labeled #1 or #2 plus cans and bottles, then newspapers, then all sorts of paper, and so on. Now you can even recycle these plastic newspaper bags by bringing them to stores! It is a long road but we are finally getting to a point where nearly everything we use can be used again for another purpose or entirely recycled. At least if we have to use plastic we can make sure it is not going directly to waste. I know each...
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