Friends of Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, Inc.
So many birds on Long Island and so many are here in summer raising a family! It makes summertime so much fun! Using fun facts and wonderful photos, Dianne Taggart, long time LI birder, will tell us all about the amazing nesting birds of LI.
Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.
In the Visitors Center at the
Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, 340 Smith Rd., Shirley, NY 11967
631-286-0485
$5.00 admission
Free for FOW members and children under 12
A spring bird walk will be held on Saturday, May 17th, 2025, from 9:00 am – 11:00 am at Wertheim NWR. Join MaryLaura Lamont on the White Oak trail and bring binoculars! *Rain cancels program
Join us on May 24th, 2025, at 10:00 am for a presentation by James Daniels on the Must See Hiking Destinations of Long Island.
*MEMBERS ONLY*
Join Friends of Wertheim in a Walk for the Wild and show your support by donating to our efforts. Each step and every dollar helps protect vital habitats and preserve our wildlife. We hope to see you on October 14th and October 19th for our guided walks and special events! Of course, you can take the 5K challenge anytime during National Wildlife Refuge Week of 10/13-10/19/24. Sign up now!
On Nov. 18th, FoW held their annual meeting at the Visitor Center.
1. Acting President June Champion’s Report: While Covid sidelined us for a while, we are confident in the process of revitalization and will be better able to serve the Members and the Refuge. New candidates for the board Judy Garbato and Don Lanham were introduced. She thanked the many front desk volunteers and Eileen Oakes for her continuing efforts on behalf of the Nature Store.
2. Budget Vote: Treasurer Ada Graham presented a comprehensive outline of expenditures. She also explained that the monies previously collected for a Wall Mural project (sidelined due to Covid) is currently in a money market account and is still dedicated to being used for some type of display.
3. Summer Camp Program Update: Melissa Parrott has retired from running the program and left us in good hands with Tim Motz, the new Camp Director.
4. Votes: the 2024 budget was approved, as were the new board members. The slate of officers was also approved: June Champion, president; Annelies Kamran, vice president; Ada Graham, treasurer; and Joann Zurlo, secretary.
5. Refuge Update: Ann Marie Chapman, Visitor Services Manager, gave a comprehensive update on Refuge activities (too numerous to list!)
6. Guest Speaker: Thomas V. Schultz, co-founder and Director of Water Operations for the Friends of Bellport Bay, Inc. He spoke of the diminishing shellfish population in L.I. bays due to overharvesting and pollution. FoBB’s main mission is to collaborate with communities, municipalities, and environmental organizations to rehabilitate and restore lost shellfish populations. They are accomplishing this by building sanctuary reefs, supporting aquaculture, and seeding oysters. FoBB, FoW, and the Refuge are in the initial stages of planning for a sanctuary reef at the mouth of Carmans River.
Hat tip to board member Ernie Lewis for sharing this! The visualization presents monthly global temperature anomalies between the years 1880-2021. These temperatures are based on the GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP v4), an estimate of global surface temperature change. Anomalies are defined relative to a base period of 1951-1980.
For more on this data visualization, go to the NASA Scientific Visualization Studio.
Please welcome our new newsletter team members, Tara Murphy and Phil Rosner!
Tara Murphy is a native of Staten Island, NY but is no stranger to the beauty of Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. In 2015, she served as a Visitor Services Intern with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and assisted both Refuge staff and the Friends of Wertheim in educational programming and hosting International Migratory Bird Day. Tara holds a B.A. in Ecosystems & Human Impact from Stony Brook University and recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Planning from American Public University. She has applied her passions for wildlife and education to a career with NYC Parks as an Urban Park Ranger and later, as a Wildlife Field Technician monitoring urban wildlife trends for policy development. Tara has returned to Brookhaven and resides with her husband and their leopard gecko, Lenni, in Center Moriches. She looks forward to kayaking, wildlife viewing, and connecting with you!
Phil Rosner is a proposal manager for engineering firms. He brings to the team a decade of experience in graphic design and copy editing. A local resident, he is passionate about photography, with a particular interest in photographing flowers and birds, and is an avid gardener. Phil can often be found hiking with his camera at Wertheim. He holds a degree in US Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior from Rutgers University.
To register a child for the Barrens to Bay Summer Camp, click the “2022 Camp Flyer” button below to download the pdf form.