Long Island Head Light Transferred to National Park Service

The U.S. Coast Guard transferred management of Long Island Head Light to the National Park Service in a ceremony on Saturday, June 25, 2011.

Transferring lighthouses from the Coast Guard to others is part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

 

This act allows for lighthouse ownership transfer to other federal agencies or local government agencies as well as non-profit corporations or educational institutions, all of which must be committed to cultural or historic preservation.

Long Island Head Light became one of the first cast iron lighthouses in the US in 1844 and has been in and out of service since the early 19th century. It is currently operational after a renovation in 1985.

Long Island is city-owned and a restricted area. Now, with the park’s new addition, Long Island Head Light will be open to the public for special trips and programs organized by the park. The park service is currently making moves to assess the lighthouse’s overall safety before organizing excursions for the public.

The ceremony itself took place on city soil thanks to the help of Antonia Pollak, Commissioner of Boston Parks and Recreation, who also attended. The land transfer was a mere 0.06 acres of land between the two government agencies and is the only piece of land currently owned by the National Park Service within the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

The Coast Guard has been maintaining Long Island Head Light with the assistance of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Auxiliary currently assists with maintenance on Boston Light located on Little Brewster Island, another island part of the Boston Harbor Islands.

The Long Island Head Light’s grounds are being maintained with great efforts by the Auxiliary Flotilla 53-Constitution and hopefully Flotilla volunteers will continue their work after this transfer. The beacon itself will still continue to be run by the Coast Guard.

source: USCG 1st District

Northern Goshawk Killed in Maryland

The remains of a female Northern Goshawk were found on June 17 by a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Biologist in the Savage River State Forest, near Grantsville, Maryland.

Apparently the female was shot and killed, leaving three orphaned chicks in the nest to die. This was Maryland’s only known nesting goshawk, a State listed endangered species.

“Why someone would kill this amazing and beautiful animal is difficult to comprehend” said Jonathan McKnight, who manages DNR’s non-game wildlife programs.

The Northern Goshawk is a large, powerful and secretive forest raptor or bird of prey. Goshawks were driven out of Maryland in the early 1900s by extensive timber harvesting, but returned in 2001 because of improved forest habitat. This would have been Maryland’s first successful goshawk nest recorded since 2006.

The Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the responsible person(s).

The Natural Resources Police (NRP) are asking for the publics’ help in identifying the person or persons responsible for this crime. The investigation has determined that the hawk was shot between May 16 and June 17 in the Savage River State Forest near Westernport Road and McAndrews Hill Road.

If anyone has information about this crime or description of individuals or vehicles seen in the area, please call the Catch-a-poacher hotline at 800-635-6124. Callers may remain anonymous and are eligible for reward money.

Mid Atlantic Bird Icons

osprey

Birds are commonly recognized as icons of the Mid Atlantic region. Waterfowl, shorebirds, birds of prey and songbirds are all represented in the list of icons for the area.

Along the coast, herons, egrets and other shorebirds have long been recognized as icons. Canada geese, snow geese, brant, and a variety of ducks are also familiar symbols of the Mid Atlantic region's seasonal migrations.

In the Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries, the osprey is a popular icon. These seasonal birds of prey are famous for their ability to catch fish as well as their familiar nests.

Closer to the Atlantic, bald eagles are common and are often seen on regional logos and other artwork. Their white heads, large size, and other attributes attract the attention of artists.

Songbirds are also important in Mid Atlantic culture. Several songbirds are state birds or have cultural significance in other ways. Several songbirds are school mascots or icons of professional sports in the area.

Some of the most famous songbird icons of the Mid Atlantic include the Baltimore oriole, northern cardinal, eastern bluebird, wood thrush, and eastern goldfinch.

Chesapeake Region Native Plant Center

A new online portal, the Native Plant Center for the Chesapeake Bay Region, allows for the identification and selection of native plant species for habitat restoration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Users to the portal, www.nativeplantcenter.net, can search for native plants by name, plant type, sun exposure, soil texture and moisture, and even find native plants with the same shape, color, size or other characteristics as some of their favorite non-native plants.

The portal also includes a geo-locator feature to identify plants suited to a user’s specific location. An online network for interacting with other Chesapeake Bay stewards is planned.

The portal uses the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service’s native plant database, associated with the publication entitled Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, with support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contracted with Image Matters LLC to create an online version of the guide, the Native Plants Center, Chesapeake Region.

Black Racer Snakes

Summer is prime time to spot black racers, also known as black snakes. These attractive snakes feed on birds, eggs, rodents, lizards and other small prey.

Black racers are found throughout the Mid Atlantic region, in forests, swamps, and other habitats.

They are sometimes found living among humans, in backyard sheds, old vehicles and occasionally even inside homes where they visit to hunt for rodents.