Community Science LI
An annual educational webinar series
supporting local wildlife conservation
About
Community Science LI (CSLI) is an annual educational webinar series that highlights various community science opportunities around Long Island, and the importance of those projects in supporting local wildlife conservation efforts. Webinars coincide with the survey season for each monitoring program.
The series will span from November 2023 to April 2024, covering topics such as Sea Turtles, Birds, Seals, River Herring, Flooding & Storms, and Monarch Butterflies. In addition to these exciting webinars, CSLI will be hosting 7 in-person events related to each topic!
CSLI is hosted by Seatuck together with our partners in the Long Island Sound Study, NY Sea Grant, Peconic Estuary Partnership and the South Shore Estuary Reserve.
Webinar Schedule
Scroll to the bottom for information on the in-person events!
14
NOV
Resources
Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
- Call the NYS Stranding Hotline (631) 369-9829 for sick and injured marine animals
- Report a sighting
SEA TURTLES!
View the recorded webinar here!
Presenters:
- Allison Deperte, Research Associate and Field Biologist, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
- Ellie Sywak, Stranding Response/ Education Apprentice, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
Long Island’s waters are home to several species of sea turtle including loggerhead, Kemp’s Ridley, leatherback and Atlantic green sea turtles. During the cold months of the year, when water temperatures drop, sea turtles can suffer from a condition known as cold-stunning (hypothermia) in which they become very weak, inactive, and wash ashore on local beaches.
With the help of volunteers, groups like AMSEAS help monitor beaches during winter months to spot cold-stunned turtles and get them immediate medical attention! This webinar will cover information about NY’s sea turtles and how volunteers can get involved in their conservation!
6
DEC
BIRDS!
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Presenters:
- Jennifer Wilson-Pines, North Nassau Christmas Bird Count Coordinator
- Cliff Hagen, NYSOA Waterfowl Count Coordintaor
Join us to learn more about two of the most long standing bird surveying programs on Long Island! Count coordinators will discuss the history of the annual Christmas Bird Count and the NYSOA Waterfowl Count and how community members can get involved in contributing to this historic effort.
18
JAN
Resources
CRESLI Resources
AMSEAS Resources
- Seal Walks & Beach Cleanups
- Seal Cruises
- The New York Stranding Response Hotline: (631) 369-9829
- Report Sightings
SEALS!
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Dr. Artie Kopelman, President, Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island
- Robert DiGiovanni, Chief Scientist, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
Did you know seals live right here on Long Island? There are five species of seal that can be found on Long Island: The very common Atlantic harbor and Atlantic gray, and the rare harp, hooded, and ringed seals. Learn about our native seal populations and join us for a seal walk on Cupsogue Beach. Seals can be found year round but most often in the cooler weather.
7
FEB
Resources
South Shore
- South Shore Breakout Room
- 2024 River Herring & Eel Survey Link (All of Long Island)
- 2024 South Shore Survey Sites
North Shore/Westchester
- North Shore/Westchester Breakout Room
- 2024 River Herring & Eel Survey Link (Westchester)
- 2024 North Shore/Long Island Sound Survey Sites
- 2024 Westchester Survey Sites
East End
RIVER HERRING UPDATE!
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
View the recorded webinar here!
Presenters:
- Enrico Nardone, Executive Director, Seatuck Environmental Association
- Kaitlin Mattei, Conservation Project Manager, Seatuck Environmental Association
- Jimena Beatriz Perez-Viscasillas, Outreach Coordinator, Long Island Sound Study – Nassau/Suffolk County
- Lillit Genovesi, Outreach Coordinator – NYC/Westchester County
- Sally Kellogg, Program Implementation Specialist, NYS DOS/Reserve Office
- Valerie Virgona, Outreach Coordinator, Peconic Estuary Partnership
Long Island’s river herring spend most of their life in the ocean but return every spring to our freshwater rivers, streams, and lakes to spawn. They provide many vital ecosystem services, including serving as prey for important commercial and recreational fish species, migratory birds, and mammals. River herring populations have been declining for the past century in part due migration barriers – dams and road culverts – that block access to important freshwater habitat. Citizen science has been integral in identifying spawning runs and justifying fish passage projects. Join us to learn more about the Byron Young Fish Passage at Woodhull Dam, and how you can survey for these diadromous fish in a river or stream near you!
Check out our River Herring & American Eel Survey webpage for more details.
5
MAR
Resources
NOAA/National Weather Service
New York Sea Grant
FLOODING & STORMS!
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Presenters:
- Kathleen Fallon, NY Sea Grant
- Nelson Vaz, NOAA
You’re driving through your neighborhood after a heavy rainstorm and you stumble across a flooded area…What do you do? In this webinar, experts Kathleen Fallon, New York Sea Grant’s Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist, and Nelson Vaz of NOAA’s National Weather Service, will share information about storms and flooding events, how people can help report effects and damage from such events in their area, and the importance of community input in weather awareness.
9
APR
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES!
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Does your heart flutter when you see a butterfly? Then this is the webinar for you! Experts Annie Isenbarger and Karen Oberhauser from the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project will share information on monarch butterfly biology, conservation, and how volunteers can play a role in helping better understand and protect them!
In-Person Event Schedule
18
NOV
BEACH CLEANUP & TURTLE SPOTTING WALK!
- Host: AMSEAS
- When: November 18th, 2023 at 1:00 PM
- Where: Sunken Meadow State Park
Want to learn more? Join us in-person for a community-wide beach cleanup and turtle walk hosted by AMSEAS, where experts will further demonstrate how to spot and help save cold-stunned turtles on the shore. AMSEAS will provide all materials needed for the cleanup; volunteers should remember to bring plenty of water and sunscreen, and dress appropriately for the weather.
TBD
GUIDED BIRD WALK!
- Host: Seatuck
- When: TBD
- Where: Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center
Hosted by Seatuck and the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center, join Seatuck’s Senior Conservation Policy Advocate, John Turner, on an exciting beach bird walk! In a brief presentation within the nature center, John will discuss what birds you might find this time of year and some of the dangers they face, specifically dangerous window collisions.
After the presentation, you will take a guided stroll along the beach to see if you can find some winter birds. You can also check out first hand how groups like the Jones Beach Nature Center have taken precautions to minimize these bird collisions.
JAN–APR
SEAL WATCHING WALK!
- Host: CRESLI
- When: JANUARY 20TH DATE CANCELED (Please check out CRESLI’s website to register for future seal walk/seal cruise dates)
- Where: Cupsogue Beach
Take a guided seal walk at Cupsogue Beach with Dr. Artie Kopelman, CRESLI President, to observe, photograph, and learn about Long Island’s seals. This 1.2 mile round trip walk is suitable for children (but not strollers) and will take about 1 to 1.5 hours. Learn from experts, including CRESLI and AMSEAS, to see how citizen science works! This event is hosted by CRESLI and will be the 19th survey year! Registration is required. Please be prepared for the weather, i.e., wear warm clothing in layers. Hats, gloves, warm waterproof shoes are recommended, as are cameras and binoculars.
23
MAR
BYRON YOUNG FISH PASSAGE SITE VISIT!
- Host: PEP
- When: March 23rd, 2024 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- Where: Byron Young Fish Passage at Woodhull Dam
- Park and meet across the street at 300 Center Dr, Riverhead, NY 11901
PEP will be hosting an in-person event at the Byron Young Fish Passage at Woodhull Dam on March 23rd, from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. This event is in conjunction with the Community Science LI series, and the Annual Long island River Herring and Eel Survey. We will be covering how to identify alewife, and use the Survey 123 app to record your survey results. We will also discuss the significance of the fish passage project on the Peconic River spawning run. Please join us!
30
MAR
LIVING SHORELINE VISIT TO PATCHOGUE!
- Host: NY Sea Grant
- When: March 30th, 2024 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Where: Shorefront Park, Patchogue
Living shorelines are coastlines that have been protected or stabilized using plants and other natural materials like rocks or sand. At this free event hosted by New York Sea Grant, experts will offer a guided tour of the Living Shoreline structure at Shorefront Park in Patchogue and explain how it came to be, its design, and how it works.
11
MAY
MARINE ANIMAL STRANDING WORKSHOP!
- Host: AMSEAS
- When: May 11th, 2024 from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
- Where: Nature Center at Cedar Beach, Mt. Sinai
- Meet in front of Nature Center
Do you know what to do if you run across a sick, deceased, or stranded animal at the beach? Join this hands-on First Responders Training to find out. Experts from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society will talk about some of the animals commonly found stranded – including sea turtles, seals, and dolphins – and demonstrate the proper protocols responders should take when first arriving at the scene of a stranding. This training will take place outside of the Cedar Beach Nature Center in Mount Sinai, NY on May 11th.
29
JUN
GUIDED CATERPILLAR MONITORING DEMO & NATIVE GARDEN TOUR!
- Host: NY Sea Grant/LISS
- When: June 29th, 2024 at 10:00 AM
- Where: Clark Botanical Gardens, Roslyn Heights
Curious what it’s like to monitor for monarch butterfly larva? Come join us at the Clark Botanical Gardens to find out! At this free event hosted by New York Sea Grant, Meagan Fastuca (Town of North Hempstead’s Department of Planning and Environmental Protection) will demonstrate how to monitor for milkweed (monarch caterpillar’s source of food), monarch eggs, and caterpillars. The event will also include a brief demonstration from Long Island Sound Outreach Coordinator Jimena Perez-Viscasillas showing the link between land and water quality, and a tour of Clark’s rain garden and native plant garden.