
A Swainson's thrush in spring.
Photo by Mick Thompson/Audubon
A Swainson's thrush in spring.
It has not been easy to work outdoors this winter thanks to the rain and melting snow. I am spending more time on social media, which I am not proud to admit, and have found several Facebook Groups – rather Facebook found them for me - that share information on native and invasive plants. The algorithm did good this time. I am rather hooked.
These groups include ‘Native plants of the Northeast’, ‘Native and Invasive Plants of the Eastern US’, ‘Propagating Native Plants’, ‘Invasive Plants ID and Removal in the US and Canada’,
‘Connecticut Native Plants’ and ‘New England Native Plant Seed Share/Trade’. Many within the communities are fierce advocates of native plants. They identify species almost competitively, the way someone might with the New York Times Spelling Bee, and offer suggestions on ridding invasive plants, propagating and planting native substitutes.
Recently, a community member shared a chart that put some data around a serious issue.
Berries of invasive plants do not offer the nutrition required by migrating songbirds. For birds that migrate south for the winter, a lot of fat is needed in their food to sustain them through their journeys. The research study behind this chart comes from a 2013 paper published in the scientific journal Northeastern Naturalist. Even though the study is now 10 years old the findings remain relevant and the issue it informs is more acute than when the study was published.
In addition to migrating birds, those that over-winter in our area require food with a high fat content to nourish them through the winter and into spring when they can rely on caterpillars (and, for the caterpillars to survive we need to plant the native plant they eat.) Sadly, birds in the wild are being malnourished due to the proliferation of non-native and invasive plants and their berries. Birdfeeders can only do so much.
According to the study, Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica thunbergii berries have less than 1% fat content. Compare this to northern bayberry, Myrica pensylvanica, a native shrub, at 50% fat. Remember tasting the sweet nectar from honeysuckle flowers as a kid? Perhaps the berry is similarly tasty to birds, but don’t eat a berry to find out; although the flowers are fine for human consumption, the berries are toxic to us. Japanese honeysuckle is basically junk food for birds.
The avian candy store includes berries from multiflora rose and buckthorn, with less than 1% fat, and autumn olive and oriental bittersweet at less than 3% fat. Compare with the native plants that co-evolved with local birdlife over millenia: gray dogwood has 35% fat, virginia creeper 34%, arrowwood viburnum and spicebush at 48%. These plants have been largely replaced in our backyards, fields and woodlands with non-natives and invasives, adding to the decline of our bird life.
When a bird ingests a berry it also ingests the hard seed or seeds inside the berry. The bird’s digestive system removes the outer part of the seed and excretes it coated in poop fertilizer, greatly increasing the seed’s chances for germination. This helps to explain the rapid spread of invasive species.
Some of the berries of invasive plants have healthful benefits, providing a few useful nutrients for the birds, and even for humans. Invasive Barberry, Berberis Thunbergii, is a relative of the Barberry, Berberis vulgaris, that is used in Persian cooking. Both types of plants have sour-tasting berries that contain berberine, an antioxidant phytonutrient that has been shown to lower cholesterol and help control blood sugar in humans.
Autumn olive, Elaegnus umbellate, which comes to us from Asia, is a shrub or small tree that can produce as much as 30 pounds of fruit from a single mature specimen. The fruit contains many more times the lycopene levels than our main food source of this carotenoid — tomatoes.
Lycopene has been shown to inhibit certain cancers and protects against diabetes among other benefits of its anti-oxidant rich pulp. Harvesting the prolific number of berries from the autumn olive will help to reduce seed dispersal by birds so, if you decide not to remove the plant it is a good idea to collect as many berries as possible when they are ripe. There are many recipes for autumn olive condiments and dishes to be found online.
The berries of the Amelachier genus are being touted as a superfood in Canada, where the tree is called saskatoon (here we know it as shadblow or serviceberry). According to Web MD and a few other sources I have checked, the berries have plenty of vitamins and minerals as well as the kind of flavonoids that can help prevent blockages in our blood vessels and can protect our heart and liver. They are ripe when purple; not red, or they will be too sour.
There’s only so far a bird feeder will go to solving this life and death issue for the birds in our area; still, it can’t hurt. Planting more native shrubs that produce fat-containing berries is the only long-term solution to the winter nutrition issue. A health food pantry to replace the existing sweet shops in our backyards.
Dee Salomon “ungardens” in Litchfield County.
PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains FFA Ag Fair brought a crowd to the high school on Church Street Saturday, Oct. 11.
Kicking off the day was the annual tractor pull, attracting a dedicated crowd that sat in bleachers and folding chairs for hours watching Allison-Chalmers, International Harvesters and John Deeres compete to pull the heaviest weights.
A large collection of food was on offer from the Pine Plains FFA and each one of the classes in the Pine Plains Central School District. The football team was selling pickles.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd enjoyed a dip in the dunk tank to raise money for the Pine Plains teachers’ union-sponsored scholarship.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd got dunked several times during his half-hour shift in the dunk tank. Proceeds from the throws benefitted the Photo by Nathan Miller
The Rev. AJ Stack, center right, blessing a chicken at the pet blessing event at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia on Saturday, Oct. 4.
AMENIA — After serving more than five years as Priest-in-Charge of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia, the Rev. AJ Stack announced Tuesday, Oct. 7, that he will resign from the church and Food of Life/Comida de Vida pantry. His last day at his current post will be Sunday, Nov. 2, the conclusion of the Feast of All Saints.
The news was shared in two emails from Stack — one to Food of Life pantry subscribers and volunteers, and another to parish members.
“I write tonight with difficult news, and I wanted you to hear it from me as soon as the Vestry and I had a chance to meet,” he wrote. “After much prayer and careful discernment, I have submitted my resignation to the Vestry as Priest-in-Charge of St. Thomas, and therefore as Executive Director of Food of Life/Comida de Vida.”
Stack provided few details about his departure. At time of publication, he had not announced his next steps but said the decision was “not sudden,” and followed careful consideration over a period of months. He will not be leaving the area or the diocese.
An announcement about his path forward and the transition process is expected soon. In the meantime, Stack said he remains “fully present” at the church, and the food pantry services will continue without interruption.
Stack expressed gratitude for the community and the growth of St. Thomas’ mission during his tenure. “Together we have welcomed new neighbors and strengthened our outreach in meaningful ways,” he said. “I trust that good work will continue.”
He joined St. Thomas in March 2020 and guided the church and community through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent interview with The News about the food pantry, Stack estimated that it serves 653 individuals from 156 households each week, highlighting a significant contribution to the community.
The announcement was met with messages of reassurance from pantry volunteers. Jolly Stewart, a Vestry member and volunteer, wrote to the community with words of reassurance following the announcement. “I have complete faith in the strength of the parish of St. Thomas,” she wrote. “Our history shows how we have done this time and again, each time becoming more than what we were before. We can, without a doubt, do this now.”
MILLERTON — Ten candidates for office in the Nov. 4 election will answer questions from Dutchess County voters at a candidate forum on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Annex at the NorthEast-Millerton Library located at 28 Century Blvd.
The forum, which is sponsored by the library, will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Candidates for local and county offices will answer questions from residents in attendance or from residents who have submitted questions in advance.
“We’re excited to keep the tradition of the candidate forum going,” said Rhiannon Leo-Jameson, director of the library. “Some years we can’t always get candidates together.”
This year’s forum will include:
Rachele Grieco Cole, a Democrat, and Chris Mayville, a Republican, who both are running uncontested for the North East Town Council;
Casey McCabe, a Democrat, also running uncontested for North East Justice.
Among Dutchess County races:
Tracy MacKenzie, who is endorsed by Republicans and Democrats, is running uncontested for Dutchess County Family Court Judge;
Kara Gerry, a Democrat, and Ned McLoughlin, a Republican, are in a contest for a Dutchess County Court judgeship currently held by McLoughlin.
Chris Drago, D-19, and Tonya Pulver, a Republican, are competing to represent Dutchess County’s19th District seat currently held by Drago.
Democratic incumbent Dan Aymar-Blair and Will Truitt, the Republican chair of the county legislature, are competing for the Dutchess County Comptroller position currently held by Aymar-Blair.
Leo-Jameson is encouraging questions for the candidates to be submitted in advance, which will not be revealed to candidates beforehand. Dutchess County residents may pose questions during the forum. To submit a question on the library’s website, go to the calendar at nemillertonlibrary.org and find the link in the Oct. 24calendar entries.
The format calls for opening statements from the candidates, followed by questions from residents, and candidates will be able to stay after the forum to answer questions personally.
The residence at 35 Amenia Union Road in Sharon was damaged after being struck by the Jeep Grand Cherokee around 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.
SHARON, Conn. — Emergency crews were called Saturday, Oct. 11, to Amenia Union Road in Sharon for a report of a vehicle into a building with entrapment.
Connecticut State Police reported Charles Teti, 62, was driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on Amenia Union Road when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle veered across the southbound land and exited the roadway where it struck a tree and home. Airbags deployed.
Teti and front seat passenger Aidan Cassidy, 63, sustained serious injuries. Teti was airlifted to Hartford Hospital and Cassidy was transported by ambulance to Sharon Hospital for treatment.
Back seat passenger Shea Cassidy-Teti, 17, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on scene. Cassidy-Teti was a senior at Kent School. He played on the football and tennis teams.
The residence that was struck is located at 35 Amenia Union Road.
The case remains under open investigation. Witnesses are asked to contact Trooper Lukas Gryniuk at Troop B 860-626-1821.