Wildlife - Rochester, NY area

RochesterEnvironment.com

Consider all the wildlife in our area and how they impact Rochester, New York's environment.   

Page Contents: Wildlife Newslinks | Wildlife/Animal Discussions | Wildlife Actions | Wildlife Education | Wildlife Resources | Animal Rights | Bird Resources | Coyotes in our area |

 

Kayla the dogThe Wildlife in our environment, because they are so intimate with it, are often indicators of our environmental health.  Animals were part and parcel of how our particular environment in this area developed by what plants they fed on and what other animals they preyed upon. 

Our way of life has change a lot of the dynamic between animals and plants.  How this interdependency has changed should be on our radar as an indication of present and future environmental health. How we treat our pets too is an indication of our sensitivity towards our environment. Added to this page is a sub-page with a directory for all humane societies within the Rochester area.

 

Also: Humane Societies & Animal Rescue societies in and around the Rochester Area Here is the most extensive and up-to-date list and contacts for all Humane and Animal Rescues in the Rochester, NY area. Also: Deer Problem and Geese Problem If you have information about suspected animal fighting, call the Animal Cruelty Hotline at 223-6500.

 

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Wildlife Discussions:

Online discussion on how wildlife in the Rochester, NY area affects and is being affected by our environment.

  • Protecting Endangered Species and their Habitat: It’s a peculiar position in our modern times that those with economic interests in our lands are OK with protecting endangered species, but don’t want to include the habitat they inhabit.  It’s a peculiar position because without its habitat a plant or animals species is merely an isolated artifact.  Saving wildlife cannot be done without saving the land the species came from because the species and the land it evolved on are one.  Not in a fuzzy progressive way. Those animals in a zoo, removed from their habitats, have no purpose and have lost their environmental importance. Plants and animals in a habitat co-evolved with each and changed each other, sometimes for millions of years.  If we don’t protect the lands that endangered species inhabit then there is no use in protecting the species.  Ultimately, the whole point of protecting endangered species is not pulling aside these species for preservation in a place where they serve no purpose but to entertain us.  The purpose of saving endangered species is to preserve our environment--that which sustains our existence.  Think of these endangered species as components in an engine called our environment: When you yank these components from their place in our environment, you have damaged the entire engine. This story should be on our radar: Timber industry wants out of wildlife rule - Times Union   more...
  • The Loss of Rochester’s Biodiversity The United Nations has declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a wake-up call because we know that biodiversity around the world is crashing, which is why our age is sometime referred to as either the Holocene Extinction or the Sixth Great Extinction. However, unlike the other five mass extinction events (caused by asteroids, volcanoes, or global warming), this one is human caused. more...
  • Bat News: One of the many reasons why I believe our present mainstream media are mostly dysfunctional concerns this story about a major decline in bats in our area.  Seems to the press that bats aren’t too popular and won’t bring in the big bucks the media wants.  So, connecting the dots about the major role bats play in our local environment (controlling insects, providing food for the predators we do like, etc.) and getting in the public’s face about this issue is not there.  We should care about this issue because it is a rapid change in our environment that may have grave consequences.  It has nothing to do about what the press might think the public cares about bats.  The public is becoming increasing removed from knowledge about the working of their environment—which we need to survive—because our media doesn’t know how to present environmental issues—which need to be continual, focused on connecting the dots, and investigative reporting on all the possible consequence of any change or potential change in our environment. More stories in the media about the decline in bat population would generate more interest in the public and perhaps more funding to get at the bottom of this issue and how it might change our environment here in the Rochester, NY region. DEC Survey Shows Bat Populations down 90 Percent in Caves Impacted by "White Nose Syndrome" - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Wide-ranging, Coordinated Research Effort Continuing; NY Gearing Up for Next Round of Winter Surveys Populations of some bat species have plummeted more than 90 percent in Northeast caves impacted by "White Nose Syndrome," according to an extensive investigation by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. (December 16, 09) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation [more on Wildlife]
  • Sharing A Vision What we gain vicariously from the keen vision of an eagle or the ultrasonic sight of a bat is but a glimpse of our world through the superior senses of other animals. Our surroundings become something more when we take the time and have the imagination to see our environment through their eyes. From mimicking the ultraviolet landscape that a honeybee sees, we know that a field of flowers presents a much larger and more dynamic color spectrum than the one we see. Creatures like our pet dogs can smell a world that reveals the past in dropped spores and a present more aromatically vibrant and enlightening than the one we can detect. Even the air around us becomes more extraordinary when we look at it from the miniatures’ viewpoint. For a fly, our atmosphere it is more viscous than the one we know. It is like an ocean of water where the mosquitoes and bees above us swim more than fly. Speaking of the ocean, a whale more massive than any dinosaur that ever lived is an agile acrobat and sender of distant messages we cannot hear. more...

 

2010 International Year of Biodiversity2010 International Year of Biodiversity The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: biodiversity

 

  • The Coyote in Situ: Coyotes are surviving well within and outside our suburbs here in New York State. They are like those other creatures that have 'learned' to exist amongst us intolerant humans and sustain themselves: the raccoon, crow, pigeon, sparrows and (of course) insects. But, none of those creatures are as misaligned as the coyote (except, perhaps, the crows in Auburn, New York) so as so to spark a return to the killing contests of old. more...
  • Are Coyotes Too Close - Or Are We? This article “Coyotes Too Close” 3/09/07 by WHEC-TV—Rochester, NY is representative of a badly constructed article by the major media in our area about environmental issues in the Rochester area. Foremost, it assumes that coyotes are bad, which only continues the irrational discussion (and thus policy) on the role of the coyote in our area. No other North American animal has more misinformation perpetuated about it than the Eastern Coyote. Just the sight of a coyote gives most people an adrenalin rush that makes them think they have to 'do something' about the presence of this animal. more...

Wildlife/Animal Action

Things you can do or groups you can join to help animals/wildlife in the Rochester, NY area

  • Create a Wildlife Habitat - Garden for Wildlife - National Wildlife Federation Whether you have an apartment balcony or a 20-acre farm, you can create a garden that attracts beautiful wildlife and helps restore habitat in commercial and residential areas. By providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young--and by incorporating sustainable gardening practices--you not only help wildlife, but you also qualify to become an official Certified Wildlife Habitat™.   --from National Wildlife Federation
  • Urban Bird Studies What is URBAN BIRD STUDIES?  A group of projects to help us learn more about birds in cities.  Data are collected by citizen scientists across North America and in many other countries. Scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology use the data to answer scientific questions about urban birds. --from Celebrate — Celebrate Urban Birds
  • Volunteer at Lollipop Farms - Much of what we do depends on the help of volunteers.  Volunteering is fun and rewarding, and it is also a great way to help the homeless animals.  Just a few hours every week can make a big difference. --Lollypop Farm
  • Pet Adoption Network  -  Our Mission will be to rescue homeless pets, obtain veterinary care for them and make them available for permanent placement with responsible guardians. No adoptable pet will be euthanized solely for lack of a permanent home. We will strive for increased public awareness of the need to spay/neuter and vaccinate pets, and educate the public on the proper care of companion animals. This effort is intended to reduce the large population of homeless pets, primarily in the City of Rochester.

 

Wildlife Education

Online and Offline Wildlife education opportunities in the Rochester, NY area

  • Get the facts on our Plants and Wildlife: Learning how our plants and wildlife are managed, how climate change and other factors affect our environment, check out this document by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  JOURNAL OF FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT A Quarterly Open Access Publication Developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "Welcome to the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management ! On behalf of the editorial staff and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I am excited to welcome you to the inaugural issue of the new Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management! This new online journal focuses on the practical application and integration of science to the conservation and management of North American fish, wildlife, plants, and the ecosystems upon which they depend." Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • New Web Page Guides Users to "Watchable Wildlife" - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Initiative Promotes Wildlife Viewing Opportunities and Eco-Tourism Nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts seeking tips on where to spot Peregrine falcons, river otters, bald eagles, Chinook salmon, Karner Blue butterflies and other animals can click on a new web page, dubbed "Watchable Wildlife," launched today by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).  Watchable Wildlife, which can be found on the DEC website, provides a user-friendly way to look up the best locales and settings to view wildlife - and helps promote eco-tourism opportunities in the state. (July 2, 09) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
  • New York Nature Explorer - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation A Gateway to Biodiversity Information  | New York Nature Explorer is an online tool for finding out about the animals, plants and habitats in your neighborhood or in your area of interest. As a gateway to biodiversity information, New York Nature Explorer is intended for landowners, land managers, citizens, municipal officials, planners, consultants, project developers, researchers, students, and anyone else interested in the natural world.
  • New York Wild "The mission of New York Wild is to bring to the viewing public, for the entire year, a diverse group of wildlife in their natural habitats within New York State. As habitat continues to be impacted by people, it is vital to recognize the habitat needs of so many species in order to minimize future impacts. New York Wild is the first animal cam website that will operate on a year-round basis throughout New York State. Animal cams will be established not only for individual bird nesting seasons, but also for mammals and amphibians, in an effort to offer new insights on animals not commonly seen on animal cam websites."
  • Wild Wings Wild Wings is a not-for-profit educational organization that houses and cares for permanently injured, birds of prey (raptors) which are unable to survive on their own in the wild any more. Our mission is to teach environmental stewardship through programs featuring our resident raptors as our teaching partners. We travel with our raptors to schools, scout meetings, and many other corporate and private events, and we also host educational programs and hikes at our facility at Mendon Ponds Park.
  • Up to the Gills: 2009 Update on Pollution in Great Lakes Fish This report examines fish consumption advisories in the Great Lakes between 2005 and 2009. Up to the Gills finds that levels of toxic chemicals in Great Lakes fish are alarmingly high, and are not improving. The major chemical contaminants that cause consumption advisories for Great Lakes fish include mercury, PCBs, pesticides, dioxins and furans. Health effects of these chemicals include damage to the nervous, respiratory and immune system, as well as cancer.

 


The American Black Bear "Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org".Glut of bear sightings around Rochester, NY

Rochester, NY’s local media is falling all over itself reporting on the whereabouts of bears in our vicinity. One pops up in Pittsford, another (maybe the same one), appears in Irondequoit. Everyday there seems to be a new sighting: they look for them here; they look for them there, those darn illusive black bears. I shouldn’t joke. The American black bear (Ursus americanus) once common to our area has been making a comeback. And because they are potentially dangerous, the public should be aware of them. To learn about the black bear, and what to do in case you come across one, go here Black Bear - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC). But it seems to me that if we were really serious about black bear sightings, we (government, media, a business) would hire a team of students, place monitors on the bears, and track them. This would provide jobs for students and increase public safety. And we’d learn a lot about living with wild bears.  more...

(Above scripts from Dynamic Drive)

Wildlife Resources

Go to these sites to get official or expert advise about wildlife in our area. 

Animal Rights

Several groups in our area have formed to protect animal rights.

  • ASPCA - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals exists to promote humane principles, prevent cruelty, and alleviate fear, pain, and suffering in animals.
  • People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with more than 2 million members and supporters, is the largest animal rights organization in the world.
  • Bugsy's Animal Network Homepage: Rochester, New York, Pets for Adoption, Animal Rights/Abuse,Dogs,Cats,Main Menu Choices Hi, I'm Bugsy and Welcome to my Network! My  mission, and that of our many contributors, is to promote the well-being and humane treatment of all animals, through our support of greater Rochester, New York, area shelters and rescue organizations.  
  • Animal Advocates of Western New York Animal Advocates of Western New York is an independent, non-profit, all volunteer grassroots community organization dedicated to the elimination of animal exploitation and abuse. Founded in 1985, we are issue and action oriented. We are working with other local, regional and national groups to help build this social justice movement.
  • PAR of CNY We are a local group that educates about animal rights and protecting the Earth. We host vegan meals, bring in speakers on a variety of topics, have a legislative network, produce a newsletter and other material, produce a cable TV program, and provide educational material and speakers to schools and others. Read further for details. If you are interested in joining or getting more information about PAR, please contact us:
  • Friends of Animals Friends of Animals, Inc. is an international, non-profit, membership organization, incorporated in the state of New York in 1957. FoA works to protect animals from cruelty, abuse and institutionalized exploitation. FoA's efforts protect and preserve animals and their habitats around the world. Our goal is to achieve an ethic of respect in people's relations with animals, wild and domestic, at home and abroad.
  • League of Humane Voters - LOHV The League of Humane Voters (LOHV) seeks to mobilize public concern for animals through the democratic political process. We campaign for the election of candidates for public office who will work to enact animal rights legislation. Recognizing that animal exploitation is a political issue and not just a moral one, we intend to make animal rights a mainstream political issue by building support among citizens, activists, political parties, candidates and elected representatives.

Rochester area Bird Resources

There are many groups in the Rochester, NY area focuses on saving, counting, and watching birds. 

  • Olga Fleisher Ornithological Foundation, Inc. (OFOF). is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1979 for the preservation of habitat for birds and other wildlife. The philosophy of our foundation was conceived by an awareness of the need to sustain our fragile environment. Our mission has been to protect vulnerable wetlands, lead in wildlife and conservation education, and to facilitate in ecological research.
  • RochesterBirding: Welcome to the Web Home of the Rochester Birding Association, located in Rochester, NY. Our mission is to enable residents of the Greater Rochester Area to gain a fuller appreciation of the region's birds and its birding.
  • Braddock Bay Raptor Research educating the public and learning more about birds of prey. Braddock Bay Park is about located about 20 minutes northwest of downtown Rochester, NY.
  • Birding Western New York: The mission of this site is to provide information to visiting and novice birders about birding in Western New York. It features an extensive site guide, an annotated checklist of where to locate specific birds, and site recommendations based upon the season. Additional information is provided to round out the birding in Western New York.
  • The Cayuga Bird Club (CBC), founded in 1913, provides its members and the community at large with opportunities to learn about birds, local birding localities, and the environment. CBC membership is composed of a diverse group of people from various professions and backgrounds, whose common bond is a keen interest in the observation and preservation of bird life. CBC field trips and monthly meetings offer members a chance to meet socially and to focus on a topic or locality of interest. Most field trips visit areas within the Cayuga Lake Basin, although the club regularly visits places farther afield, such as Amherst Island, Ontario; Niagara Falls, New York; and Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania. Lectures and presentations offered at the monthly club meetings draw from the great variety of professional and amateur researchers at the Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, and Ithaca College, as well as the local community.
  • Genesee Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever Our mission statement is to improve pheasant populations via habitat restoration projects in the six county area surrounding Rochester, NY.
  • The Bird Coalition of Rochester is dedicated to environmental education, service learning, and migratory bird conservation in the Greater Rochester, New York Area. BirdCOR is a nonprofit program of the Genesee Valley Audubon Society.
  • American Bird Conservancy Conserving Wild Birds and Their Habitats Throughout The Americas
  • BirdSource
  • American Birding Association: we're about birds, birding, birders The ABA represents a whole range of birding interests, from identification and education to listing and conservation. We actively promote the economic and environmental values of birding, and we encourage the conservation of birds and their habitats. If it's about birding, it involves ABA.

Resources on the Eastern Coyote

Much has been rumored about the coyote in our area.  Get the facts. 

  • Living With the Wiley Coyote - E-Files - Sierra Club The Navajo call the coyote "God's dog" and, in some ways, this member of the dog family does seem to enjoy divine benefaction. While virtually every other North American predator has seen its numbers decline, the coyote has managed to increase both its range and numbers during the past century -- despite a long history of trapping, poisoning, and hunting by humans.
  • The Coyote in New York State - From the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry... The coyote has been present in New York state for about 85 years. As with its western cousin, the eastern coyote has been the object of much controversy as well as curiosity.
  • The Coyote in New York The Eastern Coyote - at a glance Description: The Eastern coyote looks like a medium-sized German shepherd dog, with long thick fur. The tail is full and bushy, usually carried pointing down. Ears are erect and pointed. Length:4 to 5 feet (including tail) Weight: 35 to 45 pounds (males usually larger than females.) Color:Variable, from blonde or reddish blonde to dark tan washed with black. Legs, ears and cheeks usually reddish.
  • Fox Wood Wildlife Rescue, Inc --- Fox Wood Wildlife Rescue is a Wildlife Rehabilitation facility, Education Center and Sanctuary located in East Concord, NY.
  • The Humane Society of the United States The human-animal bond is as old as human history. We cherish our animal companions for their unconditional affection and acceptance. We feel a thrill when we glimpse wild creatures in their natural habitat or in our own backyard. Unfortunately, the human-animal bond has at times been weakened. Humans have exploited some animal species to the point of extinction.