Category Archives: 2007

Event, April 26, NYC: First Annual Community Gardens Awards Dinner

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On Thursday, April 26, the New York City Community Gardens Coalition will hold its First Annual Community Gardens Awards Dinner and Fundraiser.

This event is designed to raise awareness about the importance of community gardening, parks, and open space, as well as to serve as our annual fundraiser to provide support of our mission – advocacy for community gardens preservation in New York City. Awards will be presented to four(4) outstanding New Yorkers who have made exemplary contributions to New York City community gardens in 2006.

This year’s event will be held at the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem, 2116 7th Avenue (W. 126th St.) from 6:00pm to 9:00PM. The program will include a presentation by our keynote speaker, Mr. Gerard Lordahl, Director of Open Space and Greening Program at the Council on the Environment of New York City, and recent President of the American Community Gardening Association, live music entertainment, a delicious dinner/dessert, and the Community Gardening Award presentations. The program will close with remarks from James Austin, President, NYCCGC Board of Directors. A “tax-deductible” contribution of $50 per ticket will admit you to this memorable event and includes a 1-year NYCCGC membership. …

We would like to have as many representatives of our community gardens as possible. … It will be an exciting event and a great opportunity to meet and network with your fellow gardeners. Exciting items also will be raffled during the evening.

Resource: Project BudBurst, another Citizen Science project

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Yet another Citizen Science resource on the Web, this one can be embraced by all gardeners:

Join us this spring in collecting important climate change data on the timing of leafing and flowering of trees and flowers in your area through Project BudBurst. This national citizen science field campaign targets native tree and flower species across the country. By recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of native species each year, scientists can learn about the prevailing climatic characteristics in a region over time. With your help, we will be compiling valuable environmental information that can be compared to historical records to illustrate the effects of climate change.

I love the subtitle on the home page:

A National Phenology Network Field Campaign for Citizen Scientists

Even if you don’t plan to contribute your own observations, there’s lots of information available on the site. No maps or other data posted yet, since this is just getting started. There’s some good introductory information, and special materials for students and teachers.

Phenology is the study of the timing of life cycle events in plants and animals. In other words, studying the environment to figure out how animals know when it is time to hibernate, and what ‘calendar’ or ‘clock’ plants use to begin flowering, leafing or reproducing.

Phenology is literally “the science of appearance.” Scientists who study phenology – phenologists — are interested in the timing of specific biological events (such as flowering, migration, and reproduction) in relation to changes in season and climate. Seasonal and climatic changes are some of the non-living or abiotic components of the environment that impact the living or biotic components. Seasonal changes can include variations in day length, temperature, and rain or snowfall. In short, phenologists attempt to learn more about the abiotic factors that plants and animals respond to.

– What is Phenology?

via Old House Gardens Newsletter #60, April 2007.

Related Posts

Project BudBurst

Links

Project BudBurst

Festival of the Trees #10 and Call for Submissions for FotT #11: Trees in the Concrete

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[Updated 2007.04.05: Corrected submission deadline.]

Still-Life with Hydrant and Tree
Hydrant and Tree

Festival of the Trees #10 is up on Roger Butterfield‘s blog, Words and Pictures. Roger is one of my favorite nature photographers on the Web. He’s in Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, UK and shares his love and intimate knowledge of his favorite places there.

And I will be hosting Festival of the Trees #11 here at Flatbush Gardener! The photo above symbolizes the theme for this edition:

We are interested in trees in the concrete rather than in the abstract, so while stories about a particular forest would be welcome, newsy pieces about forest issues probably wouldn’t be.
– FotT Submission Guidelines

Yes, I am also interested in trees in the concrete, like the one above. Urban trees and forestry. Street trees, park trees, weed trees. So, for the next Festival of the Trees, I’m especially looking for submissions on this theme. This is not a restrictive theme, so anything which fits the FotT submission guidelines is welcome. If you have a doubt, send it. You can submit entries via the Festival of the Trees Submission Form on BlogCarnival. You can also send an email to festival (dot) trees (at) gmail (dot) com with “Festival of the Trees” in the subject.

The publication date will be May 1st, 2007. The deadline for submissions is April 29. It’s my first time hosting a Blog Carnival, so be gentle.

Important links:

PS: The tree above lives – nay, survives – on Westminster Road, around the corner from my home. I don’t know what kind of tree it is, yet.

Forsythia Day today at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

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I’ll be leaving for BBG shortly. We’ve got rain coming today, so I want to get there as early as possible. They open at 10am on weekends.

There are a couple of things I want to see and do for today’s visit.

Today, all members receive a free Forsythia × intermedia ‘Goldilocks’. I generally loathe Forsythia; they have no garden value other than their one week of bloom. But I don’t even have a single one on my property, and I can afford one in the developing mixed border on the south side of the house. I can always dig it up and give it away.

The other Forsythia Day events are an awards ceremony and a reception in the afternoon. I don’t think I’ll stick around for any of that, even if it’s not raining by then. Awards are interesting for the recipients and the organizers, otherwise boring as hell to everyone else.

I’m also going to pick up my signature plants. I got my confirmation letter in the mail last week. Today I’ll pick up Cotinus coggygria “Golden Spirit” and Heptacodium miconioides. Both would be suitable for the mixed border.

Today I really want to see the Rock Garden. Spring should be the peak season for this, and BBG’s Plants in Bloom page confirms that there will be lots of bulb and Hellebore action there. I also ahve never managed to catch Daffodil Hill in peak bloom. Today should be perfect.

If time permits, I also want to check out the Native Flora Garden, just to see what’s going on there.

Of course, there will be a large photo post from my visit. So check back later!

The Other Shoe Has Dropped: ALB Found on Staten Island

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Just two weeks ago, USDA APHIS reported that Anoplophora glabripennis, Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB for short) was found on Prall’s Island, an uninhabited island in the strait between New Jersey and Staten Island, about a mile south of the Goethals Bridge. Yesterday the Parks Department announced that ALB was found on Staten Island six days ago:

The New York City Department of New York Parks & Recreation, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYS DAM), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that the Asian Longhorned beetle (ALB), an insect classified by the USDA as an invasive species and an imminent threat to the United States and New York City’s forest ecosystem, has spread to Staten Island. An infested silver maple tree, located on a private wood lot in Bloomfield, is the first evidence of the beetle found on mainland Staten Island, and was detected on March 22, 2007 by USDA tree climbers. Surveys intensified on Staten Island since the detection of infested trees on nearby Prall’s Island. To date, only one infested tree has been detected on the mainland and survey crews will continue to inspect ALB host trees to determine if any additional trees are infested. Due south, on the 88-acre, uninhabited Prall’s Island which is owned and operated by Parks & Recreation as a bird sanctuary, 37 ALB-infested red maple and gray birch trees have been discovered since March 1, 2007. Not all trees on Prall’s Island have been surveyed.

The ALB-infested tree in Bloomfield sports light damage in the form of ten egg sites in its canopy. When inspected by USDA climbers in May 2006 just prior to flight season, the tree was not infested, leading experts to believe that the tree has been infested for less than a year. USDA surveyors inspected the wood lot following the confirmation of significant infestation on nearby Prall’s Island, which is located in close proximity to ALB-infested areas in New Jersey. Parks continues to work with partner agencies on the federal and state levels to monitor both infested areas of Staten Island for further signs of the beetle, develop strategies to remove infested and potential host trees, and dispose of removed trees in a manner with minimal ecological impacts.

This is really discouraging news.

Related Posts

GAO Report: Invasive Forest Pests, May 2006

Links

Parks’ ALB Home Page
New York DEC ALB page
USDA APHIS ALB Newsroom
University of Vermont ALB Reference

Good Planets: Memory

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Cherry Leaves in Stone Basin
Cherry Leaves in Stone Basin

Good Planets is up on Bev Wigney’s wonderful Burning Silo. The theme was Memory. Contributors explored memory through many different lenses. Definitely check it out.

Above is the photo I contributed. This may look familiar; it’s the lead photo for my recent post of “lost and found” photos from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden from November 2005. Several people found that photo evocative. It is for me as well. Below is my explanation of how it connects to “memory” for me.

This basin is outside the entrance to the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Built from 1914-1915 and opened to the public in June 1915, it was the first Japanese garden to be created in an American public garden. This image speaks to “memory” for me in many ways. There are other times the basin has been filled with water from rain. The emptiness of the basin holds that memory for me. The leaves: the memory of the cherry trees above the basin, their flowers in Spring, how they look at other seasons, the memories of past winters like the one about to come.

There is another, darker kind of remembering which this basin, and the whole garden, holds for me. The Japanese Garden was designed by Takeo Shiota. He died in 1943 in a U.S. internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II. Read The Death of Takeo Shiota for my take on this.

Where’s Eugene?

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This is 40-46 Argyle Road, also known as Argyle Court. Mathieu Eugene, who is forcing a second special election upon the residents of Brooklyn’s 40th City Council District, claims to live in this building.
Argyle Court, 40-46 Argyle Road

Here in Brooklyn’s politically-beleaguered 40th City Council District, we are gearing up for yet another special election. Today, Friday March 23, was the deadline for candidates to accept or decline their nominations for the April 24 election.

After I voted the morning of the first special election on February 20th, I wrote:

The voting sheet looked very odd, with just one row at the top of the sheet, and not enough room to list all 11 candidates! Turnout was extremely light. The winner of this election is likely to do so by a handful of votes. Every vote counts, unlike some elections [g].

How could I have been so naive. Every vote was wasted.

For those of you, such as my more distant readers, just tuning in, the story so far:

  • Brooklyn’s 40th City Council District seat was vacated when Yvette Clarke, was elected to Congress last fall.
  • To fill the seat, a special election was held, with 12 candidates running (11 on the ballot, and one write-in).
  • Questions arose about where the winner of that election, Mathieu Eugene, lived, and when he lived there. Elected officials must live in the district they represent.
  • An investigation began. Eugene, after refusing to provide proof of residency, called for a second special election.

This is not the half of it. The best analysis of this farce I’ve read continues to be written by Rock Hackshaw (isn’t that just the best name?!) on Room Eight, a New York political bloghaus.

Some statistics:

  • Active voters registered in the 40th District as of October 30, 2006: 65,640
  • Total votes recorded in the February 20 election: 6,166
  • Voter turnout: 9.39%

The election results:

Name #Votes %Votes %Voters
Mathieu Eugene 2,076 33.67% 3.16%
Jennifer N. James 942 15.28% 1.44%
Wellington Sharpe 728 11.81% 1.11%
Harry L. Schiffman 490 7.95% 0.75%
Jesse Hamilton 463 7.51% 0.71%
Mohammad A. Razvi 432 7.01% 0.66%
Joel G. Toney 365 5.92% 0.56%
Leithland R. Tulloch 298 4.83% 0.45%
Zenobia McNally 276 4.48% 0.42%
Karlene A. Gordon 72 1.17% 0.11%
Gerry Hopkins 23 0.37% 0.04%
Malcom Davis 1 0.02% 0.00%
Total 6,166 100.00% 9.39%

Lest anyone believe that the winner of the first race walked away with any kind of a mandate from “the people”, let me repeat:

Only 3.16% of the voters in the 40th District voted for the winner of this race.

Related posts:

Related news stories:

References:

  • Voter Enrollment Totals [PDF]
  • Statement and Return Report for Certification, Special Election City Council, 02/20/2007, Kings County, 40th Council District [PDF]
  • Calendar for Special Election for the Member of the New York City Council, 40th Council District, Borough of Brooklyn [PDF]

Event, May 10: 2nd Annual Brooklyn Blogfest

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Old Stone House. Credit: Paul Kostro
Photo of the Old Stone House by Paul Kostro

Back in February, Only The Blog Knows Brooklyn (OTBKB) announced that the Second Annual Brooklyn Blogfest will take place May 10th at 8pm. The theme is “The Impact of Brooklyn Blogging.” It will be held at the Old Stone House in J. J. Byrne Memorial Park in Park Slope, near the middle of 3rd Street between 4th and 5th Avenues.

In today’s follow-up announcement, OTBKB provided contact information. I’m signed up for the “new blog on the block” open mic. If you have suggestions on how I should describe this blog, please leave a comment! (Be nice.)

There will be special guest speakers, an OPEN MIC FOR ALL NEW BROOKLYN BLOGGERS and lots of time to meet and greet.

Meet all of your favorite Brooklyn Bloggers, including Gowanus Lounge, A Brooklyn Life, Seeing Green, Brownstoner, Creative Times, Brooklyn Record, No Land Grab, AYR Report, Streetsblog, Rabbi Andy Bachman, Pastor Daniel Meeter, Joe’s NYC, No Words_Daily Pix, Mommy 101, Special Focus, Shiksa From Manila, Mrs. Cleavage’s Diary and many more …

Donation (Tip Jar): $5.00 (to defray costs).

I’m wondering if the Old Stone House is gonna be big enough for this event:

The great hall comfortably accommodates 80 standing, 60 seated. When rented in conjunction with the first floor gallery the House holds 125 people. Adding a tent expands our capacity.

– Site Rental page, Old Stone House Web site

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are migrating north

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Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Sightings and vegetation.
Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Okay, NASA does have some pretty powerful satellites, but they can’t identify hummingbirds from space just yet.

Every year in March, the first ruby-throated hummingbirds arrive in Gulf Coast states from their wintering grounds in Central America. Fattened on insects, the tiny birds fly 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico and arrive in the United States hungry for nectar from early spring flowers. As spring progresses into summer, the birds follow maturing vegetation northward into the eastern United States and Canada. During this journey north, students across the country track the birds’ progress. When a student sees a bird, he or she records the sighting. Teachers report their students’ sightings to the Journey North web page, where it is logged on a map. At the end of the week, Journey North staff members review the sightings and publish a weekly summary.

The dots on this image mark student sightings of the first adult ruby-throated hummingbirds of the spring 2007 migration. White dots indicate confirmed sightings prior to March 15, while the purple dots show sightings reported (but not yet confirmed) between March 15 and March 19. The earlier sightings are along the southern coast, where the birds first come ashore after crossing the Gulf. The northernmost sightings are the most recent records. The birds are clearly concentrated in the areas that have started to green up, where nectar-laden flowers would be available. New vegetation is only beginning to reach the northern section of the image, and as a consequence, the birds have yet to migrate to those areas.

On her blog Burning Silo, Bev Wigney noted on March 16, an equivalent effort, the Hummingbird Migration Project:

As of today, both efforts have recorded sightings as far north as South Carolina on the Atlantic seaboard, and far western Tennessee along the Mississippi. By the end of the summer, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds will make their way to New York City and Long Island. My trumpet honeysuckle and scarlet runner beans will be waiting for them.

Happy Vernal Equinox

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The Return of Persephone (1891), by Frederic Leighton (1830–1896)
The Return of Persephone (1891), by Frederic Leighton (1830–1896)

The vernal equinox of 2007 occurs at 00:07 UTC on March 21, or 20:07/8:07pm my time this evening.

“Vernal” instead of “Spring” because:

  1. It’s okay to use for both hemispheres.
  2. Also, you could use this term on any other planets on which you should find yourself.

Vernal equinox and autumnal equinox. These names are direct derivatives of Latin (ver = spring, autumnus = autumn), and as such more apt to be found in writings. Although in principle they are subject to the same problem as the spring/autumn names, their use over the centuries has fixed them to the viewpoint of the northern hemisphere. As such the vernal equinox is the equinox where the Sun passes from south to north [across the equator], and is a zeropoint in some celestial coordinate systems. The name of the other equinox is used less often.
– Wikipedia:Equinox:Names