Yesterday Olivia and I attended the Migratory Bird Festival at the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley, NY. and volunteered at the Seatuck information table, letting people know about Islip's new nature preserve. The day proved to be relaxing and restorative. After a hike around the preserve's lengthy trails, and a Baltimore Oriole sighting, Olivia and I took in a birds of prey show and perused the displays of nature conservation in our area. We also met Kathy of the Great South Bay Audubon Society, who confirmed our oriole identification and shared with us some of their bird watching programs. We loved hearing about the nighttime owl spotting one. We also learned about Cornell Univeristy's horseshoe crab counting program, being held on Captree Island. The horseshoe crab is an essential part of the food chain and bird migration, so its dwindling numbers are of concern. Also at the festival was an dear friend of mine, scientist Margaret Green, who was the first female chemist at Brookhaven National Labs. Now infirm, it was still great to have such a role model of mine meet my daughter.
It was a perfect way to meet up with like-minded nature lovers who are working towards saving their corner of the world. It is a pleasure to join their ranks.
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