Sue Fenili, recently-retired third grade teacher
at Silver Run School in Millville
and CU board member, will be
discussing her trip to Mexico. There she visited the Monarch
butterfly overwintering site in the state of Michoacan, and learned
plenty about the culture of the area as well. Join us as we visit
both natural and cultural aspects of Mexico through the eyes of an
educator.
CU Update
IMPORTANT CORPORATE BUSINESS New
Bylaws -- It is anticipated that the Officers and Trustees will
be presenting new bylaws to the membership for their vote at the
Annual Membership Meeting on November 12, 2008. You may view the
proposed bylaws beforehand on our website,
www.cumauriceriver.org,
or at the reference desk of the Millville Public Library, or we can
mail you a hard copy. We hope to have the final version available in
mid-October. For more information you may call Jane Galetto at
856-327-1161.
September 20, 2008 Cumberland Pond BYOB
Join Associate Director Renee at 9 a.m. for this Bring Your Own Boat
paddling historical/natural history adventure in Peaslee WMA. We
will first visit the remnants of Cumberland Furnace, which was built
in 1785, and then kayak the pond and upstream toward the associated
forge. For more information, or to register for this trip, contact
Renee at 856-305-3238 or
rbrecht.cumaurice@yahoo.com.
Volunteer Opportunities and Events:
RSVP! Space Limited Ah Why Knot This fun-raising event is soon
approaching-- October 25th, so invite your family and friends and
plan to attend our annual steak and salmon dinner while giving
accolades to you, our members, for all of your hard work and
dedication to CU and our mission. As in previous years, there will
be Red Knot Awards given in several categories to volunteers whose
volunteerism efforts have been outstanding. There will also be a
President's Award and a special surprise for several of our members.
A donation of $50 is suggested. Contact Renee to make
reservations or to volunteer to help with planning, shopping,
set-up, cooking, beverage set-up, and break-down (856-305-3238 or
rbrecht.cumaurice@yahoo.com). Typically, we have a short
fundraiser at this event with five or six higher end items. If you
are interested in donating an item, please contact Jane at
856-327-1161 or forrivers@aol.com
Osprey Nests Erection at Dorchester --
Volunteers are needed to put up 2-3 osprey nests on Sunday,
September 28. Two nests are planned for the Dorchester area and one
nest for the Natural Lands Trust's Glades Preserve Newport/Fortescue
area.
October 9, 2008 Fall Campfire 6:30-9:30
p.m. Tim and Maryann Russell's home on the Maurice River. Our theme
will be Making a Living on the River.
People who are familiar with
or have made a living on the river will be the focus of this event.
If you are a fisherman, railbird pusher, sandminer, farmer, boat
builder or have another river-related occupation we would enjoy
hearing about it. We'll supply the marshmallows & weenies. Bring
your guitar or other instruments! REMEMBER your lawn chair, blankets
and layers of warm clothing. Offers of dessert or salad are welcome.
Directions to Russells: just west of the Laurel Lake bridge (in
Millville) on Buckshutem Rd. turn on to Cedar Rd., park along end of
Cedar Rd and walk to house at the end of the lane (look for CU event
signs). Please RSVP so we have enough food - Renee at 856-305-3238
or rbrecht.cumaurice@yahoo.com.
Alliance Beach Clean-up- Volunteers Needed--Will be held on
Saturday, October 18th (it will be possible for some individuals to
work on Friday, October 17th specifically because some folks that
had a great desire to help need to work on Saturdays). We need lots
of hands to help out. Please call or email Jane Galetto to get
involved at 609-774-5853 or email forrivers@aol.com.
CU Update
Botany website -- Well, it is growing season, and our botany
website has certainly been growing as well! Our plant profiles
number around 250, and a long-term plan for the site is in process.
To visit the site, see
www.cumauriceriver.org/botany/index.html
The Fish Hawks World Series of Birding Team--This was a
successful event for us. Presently our total monies realized after
expenses exceed $5,000. Some of our pledges have not been paid and
we are awaiting some corporate matches.
A RECORD 74 Osprey Chicks Banded -- Wow what a great year for
osprey on the Maurice. The spring had some bad weather and we
thought the number of young would be down. What a great surprise to
have banded so many healthy birds.
Allen Jackson & Co. Band 8000 Purple Martins —Allen Jackson's
team
banded 8000 purple martin chicks before running out of bands.
Last year CU purchased 6000 bands for the crew and they ran out. So
this year to be certain there would be plenty of bands we purchased
8000- whoops! Our local martin landlords just simply outdo
themselves in providing housing; many sites exceeded 100 birds! At
one site in Mays Landing over 500 young were banded. An astounding
forty percent of the purple martins banded in N. American will be
banded by the CU/PMCA team. On July 15 we held a press conference to
celebrate the 8000th chick. There was a wonderful attendance of CU
members -- thank you all for coming out to support this super
program.
The National Park Service has made arrangements to have new decals
placed on local signs identifying sections of the wild and scenic
rivers. This was made possible from the grant that CU receives to
implement aspects of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Management Plan.
Thank you to Paul Kenney for taking care of these details.
CU was awarded a grant from the Environmental
Endowment for New Jersey. The monies were used to purchased an
Enviroscape model, as well as global position system units and
topographical mapping programs for the Adopt a Swamp Pink program,
and a number of other supplies - microscopes and slides to use at
our festival table, seines for collecting samples in the rivers and
marshes, and field guides to show participants how to use them for
identifying birds, plants, fish and frogs.
We will hold a training session on Tuesday, September 23rd at
the Millville Public Library in the Gant Room for members who are
interested in learning to learn to use these new tools. If you would
like to attend, please contact Renee.
As often is the case, Jane and Renee have attended a number of
gatherings with more on the agenda: South Jersey Bayshore
Coalition, National Heritage Area, Conserve Wildlife Open House at
Cape May Bird Observatory, Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory
Committee, Fish and Game Council and a Vineland land use meeting.
Elevate Program Members Sue and Dave Fenili, Sue and John
Leopold, Irene Bird and Mary Ann and Tim Russell, assisted with this
annual program of kayaking, helping with Paint a Landscape, and
birding with the youth. It is enjoyable to watch the youth each
year, and to see children who originally were unsure of their
interest return in subsequent years eager to participate!
CU was represented at the Millville Summerfest, July 12th.
The Fenilis, Laura Johnson, Becky Gilbert and John Betz, Doug
McMahon, and Barbara Nedohon all volunteered on this warm summer
day. Passers-by enjoyed our Paint a Landscape, as well as the new
additions to our booth that were made possible by the EENJ grant the
Enviroscape, a geological hydrology model, and microscopes.
Kayak Trip, Menantico Ponds On July 19 we were treated to a
fun-filled BYOB kayak trip on Menantico Ponds, led by CU members and
veteran kayakers Dave and Sue Fenili. A great time was had by all.
Citizens United hosts shorebird scientist logistics meeting.
On July 24 members of the '08 Delaware Bayshore Bird Study Team met
to debrief on the events of this past season's endeavors. Member Tom
McKee was in attendance at the meeting. Millville provided a central
location for Delaware and NJ scientists to exchange their ideas.
East Point Lighthouse Open House Our
thanks to Kaye T. Waltman and Al Federici for proctoring the Paint a
Landscape at this year's Open House!
Millville's Riverfest celebration introduced our new
Enviroscape model that provides people with a 3 D visual
representation of how nonpoint pollution enters our waterways.
Purple Martin -- This year's Purple Martin
migration was visible on August 15th and 16th. The kayak trips
offered by NLT were fully booked, and the Bodacious, out of
Fortescue, ran both evenings. Karen Johnson, CU and CMBO member, as
well as volunteering as a docent herself, also organized the
scheduling of other docents who volunteered, included David Lord,
Sandra Keller, Janet Crawford, Kathy Michel, Chuck and Mary Jane
Slugg, and Tony Klock.
QuickBooks -- Our bookkeeper has made it possible for us to
have a single license copy of QuickBooks so that we can more easily
view her reports. This should prove to be a valuable tool for the
organization.
First Data -- The ability for our members to pay dues or make
contributions via credit card will soon be a reality. Associate
Director Renee Brecht has completed back-end training for the
process, and our web site company, SMS, is currently implementing
the data necessary for this enhancement to be available online to
our members. We hope to have it up and fully functional within the
next couple of weeks.
Citizens United has lost a friend - Bromley
Palamountain
Bromley Palamountain was one of our most sincere members. Bromley
and his wife Michele have a home in Philadelphia and at Laurel Lake.
The members of the World Series of Birding Team will remember his
vigor in joining us at his very YOUNG age of 81 at midnight to seek
owls and rails during the wee hours. He hung in there right through
the morning. Until reading his obituary none of us would have
guessed his age correctly. He was deeply concerned about the future
of our area and especially of the forest expanses. In fact, our
president’s first encounter with him was from his emails inquiring
about the fate of the Holly Farm. He was first and foremost a true
gentleman and will be sorely missed by all who met him.
Bromley was co-founder of Syntr Ltd., a global logistics software
firm, in 1984 and he was senior VP at A.M. Best Co. 1966-1989. He
had 7 children, 14 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Our condolences are extended to Michele Palamountain and family on
the passing of Bromley Palamountain.
Calendar
July 5, 2008 Joint CU/NLT Manumuskin Creek at Cumberland
Pond, starting at noon; canoe trip exploration of pond and creek.
July 9, 2008 6:30
p.m. Bimonthly Wednesday meeting, Millville Public Library
July 11, 2008 Elevate Program
July 12, 2008 Millville Summer Fest
on the River
July 19, 2008 BYOB (Bring your own
boat) kayak trip, at the Menantico Ponds.
August 2, 2008 East Point Lighthouse
Open House
August 2, 2008 Joint CU/NLT Peek Preserve
kayak trip, starting at noon.
August 9, 2008 Joint CU/NLT 6 PM
Purple Martin roost kayak trip, meeting at Mauricetown Bridge. High
tide.
August 15 or 16, 2008 Joint CU/NLT 6
PM Purple Martin roost kayak trip, meeting at Mauricetown Bridge.
Low tide.
August 15 and 16, 2008 Purple Martin
Festival (Note: Date finalized)
August 17, 2008 Joint CU/NLT
Manumuskin Creek canoe trip, starting at 10:30 AM to see upstream
section.
September 6, 2008 Joint CU/NLT
Raybins Beach kayak trip up Oyster Creek, 2 PM. High tide.
September 10, 2008 6:30
p.m. Bimonthly Wednesday meeting, Millville Public Library
September 13, 2008 Joint CU/NLT
Raybins Beach kayak trip along the Delaware Bay beaches. 2 PM. Low
tide.
September 20, 2008 9 a.m. Cumberland Pond BYOB
October 9, 2008 Fall Historical
Recollections Campfire. Oct 10 raindate, location TBA
October 17 & 18, 2008 Alliance Beach
Clean-Up
October 25, 2008 6:30 p.m. Ah Why Knot
Awards Dinner, Union Lake Sailing & Tennis Club
November 12, 2008 6:30 p.m. Bimonthly
Wednesday meeting, Millville Public Library
Upcoming events: For more information please
contact Renee at 856-305-3238 or
rbrecht.cumaurice@yahoo.com
