John Confer received support from the New York State Wildlife Grant Program and from New York State Electric and Gas for two avian studies for summer 2004.
This is a multiyear research award from New York State Electric and Gas. Research was submitted by Vincent Frary (biology 2004), Elizabeth Silvia (environmental studies 2004), and John Confer (coordinator, environmental studies). Electric utilites manage about 150,000 acres of shrubland in New York, about 12 times as much as all other organizations combined. Utility rights-of-way support many declining plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates that utilize shrubland habitat. This grant will test if removal of invasive, non-native shrubs on utility rights-of-way will lead to an increase in avian diversity. During summer 2004, Frary and Silvia surveyed the nesting density and used a GPS system to map the shrub patches; bird territories were mapped with a GIS unit; and non-native, invasive shrubs were removed by NYSEG in August. This baseline data will be compared to subsequent surveys, testing for an increase in density of nesting birds.
SWG funding will support Mark Hager (environmental science 2006), Rebekah Weck (biology 2006), Eleanor Lahr (bioiology and anthropology 2005), and Kimberley Albrecht (environmental studies 2006), who will help monitor the nesting success of golden-winged warblers in a pretreatment experimental year to test if nesting density can be enhanced by the restoration of shrubland habitat. Rob Porter from the Department of Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure Services helped develop informational signage to be placed on trails near the restoration sites, and Michael Rogers, with the assistance of three physics majors, helped develop two 600 x 500 m grids so that wildlife can be mapped and monitored in experimental and control areas.
The multicomponent $30,000 grant was submitted by student coauthors, Vince Frary (biology 2004), Elizabeth Silvia (environmental studies 2004), Kristina Plath (environmental studies 2005), and Ryan Mauk (communications 2006), with faculty sponsor John Confer (environmental studies) and cosponsors Susan Swensen (biology), Jason Hamilton (biology), Peter Melcher (biology), and Rob Porter (outdoor recreation).
The grant helps support several initiatives to sustain our natural environment, including a student-managed radio program on environmental studies of the effectiveness of deer enclosure fences on forest regeneration; development of plans for a proposed wind power tower on the Ithaca College South Hill; assessment of ecological units on South Hill for education, research, conservation, recreation, and sustainable yield of forest products management of fire-adapted communities on South Hill; and creation of a GIS-based map of the ecosystems and plants on the developed and natural areas of campus and modules for class use.
The award will be formally presented in May on the capital mall in Washington, D.C. This is one of only 66 such awards nationally. This is the preliminary phase of a competition to select a small number of national winners for major support of the development of sustainability initiatives around the world. Student participation in the components of this grant are urgently needed.
