Newsletter

Volume 5, Number 2
March - April 1988

At the Arboretum

We welcome the first signs of spring to
the Perennial Garden. The Education
Program offices overlook the garden,
and it is exciting for us to watch the
growth of so many species of plants ...
at this time of year there is something
new almost every day. During spring
and summer the lES Newsletter will
list some of the flowers, shrubs and
special beds that will be at their peak
over the coming weeks. We hope you
will visit often.

The lES Newsletter is published by
the Institute of Ecosystem Studies
at the Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum.
Located in Millbrook, New York,
the Institute is a division of The
New York Botanical Garden. All
newsletter correspondence should
be addressed to the Editor.

Gene E. Likens, Director
Joseph S. Warner, Administrator
Alan R. Berkowitz,

Head of Education

Editor: Jill Cadwallader
Design and Printing: Central Press

INSTITUTE OF
ECOSYSTEM STUDIES
The New York Botanical Garden
Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum
Box AB

Millbrook, NY 12545
(914)677-5343

Institute Staff Share Expertise

Economic growth and development bring
challenges to those concerned with
maintaining environmental quality. To
face these challenges in a rational and
knowledgeable way, local, state and
federal governments seek advice and
guidance from citizen’s groups. These
groups look for interested and informed
members of the community, willing to do
hard work and able to provide expertise.
lES staff members contribute their efforts
to environmental groups, and, in some
cases, form their own problem-solving
committees. Following are some
highlights of this behind-the-scenes work
in sharing our knowledge.

Issue: Environmental Quality

lES Director Gene E. Likens is a member
of Governor Mario M. Cuomo’s
Environmental Advisory Board. This group
meets with the Governor several times a
year to advise him on environmental
matters. Dr. Likens has twice briefed
Governor Cuomo on acid rain issues.

The New Paltz Environmental Conservation
Commission is an arm of the town
government. lES Aquatic Ecologist David

L. Strayer, a resident of New Paltz,
recently joined this group. The
commission advises the town government
on environmental issues including
proposed housing developments, solid
waste and recycling, and wetland
protection. The commission also manages
a hiking trail, and oversees a townwide
tree-cutting ordinance.

In October 1987, Institute scientists hosted
Nicholas A. Robinson, Professor of Law
and Director of the Center for
Environmental Legal Studies at Pace
University; Dr. Richard L. Ottinger,
Professor of Law, Pace University; and
Thomas C. Jorling, Commissioner, New
York State Department of Environmental
Conservation. The purpose was an open
discussion of lES research as it relates to
public policy issues. The dialogue will be
continued with relevant members of the
Department of Environmental
Conservation staff.

Issue: Landfill Siting

John S. Eaton, Gene E. Likens and Gary

M. Lovett are members of the Dutchess
County Environmental Management
Council (EMC) Roundtable. The
Roundtable was formed in fall 1986 when
the Resource Recovery Agency and the
Department of Solid Waste Management
issued a report that listed potential landfill
sites in northern Dutchess County. The
purpose of the group was to consider the
problems and offer solutions regarding the
report. lES was invited to provide
representation to the group, and the three
ecologists joined approximately 50
legislators and individuals from local and
state environmental, conservation and
special interest groups. An early

achievement: acting on the group’s
recommendations, the Resource Recovery
Agency decided to reject an inadequate
consulting report and hire a qualified
consulting firm to do a generic
environmental impact statement on the
landfill issue, including proposed sites.

The Roundtable’s work also forced the
county to take a serious look at recycling
as an alternative, and the Resource
Recovery Agency is redoubling its efforts
in public education with regards to
recycling.

Issue: Open Spaces

Alan R. Berkowitz, Gene E. Likens, Mark
J. McDonnell, Joseph S. Warner and
Raymond J. Winchcombe helped to
review the Town of Washington Master
Plan with an eye toward ensuring that an
ecological perspective be provided
regarding the town’s natural areas and
open spaces. A questionnaire distributed
by the Washington Master Plan
Committee indicated that local residents
are interested in preservation of rural land
and the lES ecologists urged that an
inventory of the town’s natural areas be
top priority.

lES Plant Ecologist and Town of Stanford
resident Gary Lovett serves on the
Stanford Conservation Advisory
Commission. This citizen’s group
discusses and makes recommendations on
local environmental issues and studies
some of Stanford’s critical environmental
areas, but its first goal is to prepare an
open space index and inventory. When
completed, the findings and
recommendations will be presented to the
Town Board to be reflected in Stanford’s
Master Plan. Each member of the
commission has leg work to do, to
contribute as much knowledge as possible
about the land. As a citizen who happens
to be an ecologist. Dr. Lovett applies his
general scientific background to the
questions at hand; his assignment is to
inventory prime agricultural soils and
current farm uses, and to gather maps of
the town’s water bodies.

The Dutchess Land Conservancy works to
preserve open space, agriculture and rural
character in the Hudson Valley in general
and in Dutchess County and surrounding
counties in particular. lES Agricultural
Ecologist Alan Berkowitz was elected to
the Conservancy’s Board of Directors in
October 1986 and to the Board’s
Executive Committee in October 1987.
The Conservancy achieves its goals by
encouraging people to place conservation
easements on their land, by advising
groups and agencies about land use
planning, and through education. Some of
this public education is accomplished
through special courses and workshops in
the Institute’s Adult Education Program.

continued on page 2

Environmental Expertise, /rom page 1

Legislation has been proposed by the
Regional Planning Association to
consolidate and preserve the string of
public and private parks, historical
landmarks and other open spaces that
interconnect along the Hudson River.
Terrestrial Ecologist Mark J. McDonnell
is the Institute’s contact with this Hudson
River Greenway project.

Issue: Environmental Law

A course in ‘Scientific and Technological
Issues in Environmental Law’ at Pace
University in White Plains draws the
expertise of Stuart E.G. Findlay, Gene E.
Likens, Mark J. McDonnell and Michael
L. Pace. These lES scientists speak on
ecology and relevant environmental
problems, each focusing on his specific
area of interest -- streams, acid rain,
forests and lakes, respectively -- to give
students the background they need to
make informed judgements. Institute
scientists are also working closely with
Nicholas A. Robinson, Professor of Law
and Director of the Center for
Environmental Legal Studies at Pace, on
various science and policy issues.

Issue: The Hudson River
Ecosystem

In 1987 a law was passed creating an
Estuarine District covering the Hudson
River. The Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) therefore must create
a management plan for the district. The
Hudson River Estuary Management
Advisory Committee, formed to develop
this plan, is made up of eighteen
individuals -- commercial fishermen,
environmentalists, representatives of
utility companies -- including lES Aquatic
Ecologist Stuart E.G. Findlay who was
invited to join by Thomas C. Jorling,
Commissioner of the New York State
DEC. A draft management plan has been
submitted to Commissioner Jorling who
will in turn submit it to the New York

State Legislature. The next step is the
implementation of a 15-year estuarine
management program for the river. The
committee convenes monthly in New
Paltz, and also meets with Commissioner
Jorling annually to address current issues
such as New York City’s proposal to
withdraw water from the Hudson River,
PCB dredging and residential and marina
development.

Issue: “Nuclear Lake”

In 1972, an explosion at a laboratory doing
research on nuclear fuels resulted in
nuclear contamination at a small artificial
lake in Pawling, New York. After
decontamination, the property was
purchased by the National Park Service,
and the Appalachian Trail was rerouted
through it. lES Aquatic Ecologist David L.
Strayer joined a citizens advisory
committee to ensure that the site would be
used in a safe way. The committee
evaluated the situation and made
recommendations; signs and brochures
now warn of the property’s history.

Issue: Pests

The Dutchess County Environmental
Management Council Gypsy Moth Task
Force was established by the Dutchess
County Executive during the last gypsy
moth outbreak approximately 8 years ago.
Its purpose was to deal with the problem
and to develop an education program to
advise local residents on what they could
and could not do to combat the insect pest.
Clive G. Jones, a chemical ecologist at lES
doing research on insects, was one of
approximately twenty people in the group.
The last gypsy moth outbreak was in
1981, and the Task Force will regroup
when the next outbreak occurs.

Issue: Beautification

Bradley Roeller, manager of the
Arboretum’s display gardens, serves on
the Village ofMillbrook Beautification
Committee. The purpose of this committee

This was an excellent spring for maple
sugaring, not only for the trees, which
produced sap generously during the cold
nights and warm days of early March, hut
also for the Institute’s maple sugar ecology
program. During the weeks of March 7th and
14th, 19 groups of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders
from local schools participated in separate 90
minute programs led by Lauren Parmelee.
The students and their teachers moved
through the four seasons, touring a “sugar
factory’’ - the maple leaf-- and then meeting
“Buddy”, a 7-foot tall fiberglass maple tree.
Buddy, designed and built by lES Research
Displays Coordinator Laury Zicari, had trap
doors, leaf buds and green (reverse-to-yellow)
felt leaves to explain the mysteries of
changing seasons and the related processes of
energy production and storage in the trees. In

is to make recommendations as to areas its
members feel could be beautified. To
accomplish this, the members serve as
consultants on local projects - develop-
ment of new properties, restoration,
work in any open village space -
so that their suggestions can be
incorporated into the work. The Town of
Washington Beautification Committee, on
which Mr. Roeller also serves, has a
similar role. Finally, Mr. Roeller is a
member of the Shade Tree Commission.
Millbrook is part of Tree City U.S.A., and
certain considerations regarding tree
plantings must be followed. The
Commission inspects trees on all Village
properties and recommends tree plantings
along streets. A number of these trees are
donated by the Arboretum.

Issue: lES Recycling

lES has recently begun its own program to
recycle paper products, glass and
aluminum. Each staff member has his or
her own box for recyclable waste paper,
and willingly peels labels off cans and
bottles to prepare those items for
recycling. Furthermore, because of the
harmful effects of the byproducts of the
styrofoam manufacturing process on the
ozone layer, the Institute is no longer
purchasing styrofoam products. The
recycling effort began at the Gifford
House Visitor and Education Center under
the leadership of Kass Hogan, lES
program leader in ecology education, and
is now coordinated on an Institute- wide
level by research assistants Jean Hubbell,
Ben Peierls and David Lints. Copies of the
Dutchess County Resource Recovery
Agency booklet “Recycling Is Returning’’
are available at the Gifford House, where
visitors will also enjoy looking at a special
illustrated guide about the Institute’s
recycling program.

the sugarbush behind the Gifford House
field, a giant mouse appeared. An eco-
detective, this mouse wanted to learn the
identity of a particular woodland creature
and asked the students to help solve the
mystery by working out ecological clues; six of
the students helped by playing the roles of
animals that live in maple forests. When the
culprit had been identified the mouse
retreated into the sugarbush. The students
then tasted sap fresh from the maple before
carrying buckets of it up to the evaporator by
the Gifford House barn. The program ended
with warm maple syrup over popcorn, and a
piece of fresh maple candy. Left: Fourth
grade students from Hyde Park Elementary
School with the Arboretum’s eco-detective
and the maple sugar program’s leader
Lauren Parmelee.

New Staff

VICKY KELLY, research assistant II,
helps Plant Ecologist Dr. Charles Canham
in the design and execution of a project to
monitor plant communities along utility
rights-of-way. Ms. Kelly attended San
Francisco State University where she
earned a bachelor’s degree in botany and a
master’s degree in ecology and systematic
botany.

ANTHONY E. RESTAINO, research
assistant II, has a bachelor’s degree in
meteorology from Lyndon State College
and a master of science degree in
atmospheric science from the State
University of New York at Albany.
Recently hired by lES Laboratory
Manager John Eaton, he is using his
special skills in the operation and
maintenance of the Institute’s Air
Quality/Meteorological Stations and in
meteorological data analysis and
management. (Incidentally, Mr. Restaino
will be providing the data for the “Local
Weather’’ articles now appearing in each
issue of the NEWSLETTER.) He is also in
charge of the operation, maintenance and
record-keeping of stream flow instruments
and data in connection with long-term
monitoring of the East Branch of
Wappinger Creek.

MICHAEL J. RUZICH, JR., research
assistant I, analyzes water samples,
primarily those from the Hubbard Brook
Ecosystem Study in New Hampshire, in
the lES inorganic chemistry lab. Mr.
Ruzich has a bachelor’s degree in biology
with concentration in ecology from Cornell
University, and is working for Laboratory
Manager John Eaton.

Local Weather

The lES Weather Station is located behind
the research field at the Arboretum. Data
collected here not only provide
background information for ecological
research at the Institute but also serve as a
standard against which long-term trends
in weather and air quality are compared.

In response to our reader’s requests, we
will report recent weather data in each
issue of the lES Newsletter.

January and February, 1988

Highest temperature:

14.2 °C (58 “F) on January 31

Lowest temperature:

-27.1 °C (-1 ° F) on January 15

Number of days temp, fell to -17.8°C (0°F)
or lower:

11

Precipitation:

15.05 cm (5.93 in.)

Average rainfall pHL
4.49

Strongest wind gust:

47 km/hr (29 m.p.h.) from the
West-Northwest on January 6

Average wind direction:

Southwest (224°)

Average wind speed:

11 km/hr (7 m.p.h.)

1. Degrees of acidity or alkalinity are indicated
using a logarithmic pH scale. On the scale
of 0-14, vinegar -- an acid - is
approximately 3 and “neutral” is 7.0. The
pH of “normal” rain is 5.6 or higher. Rain

BARBARA MANNING, part-time
receptionist, greets visitors to the Plant
Science Building on weekday mornings.
Her other duties include operating the
switchboard and office support as needed.
She was educated at the University of
British Columbia, and before moving to
Dutchess County two years ago was
assistant to the director of the La Napoule
Art Foundation in France.

and snow at the Arboretum have ranged in
pH from 3.31 to 5.67 during the past year.

Extended Hours

So that visitors to the Mary Flagler Cary
Arboretum can better enjoy our outdoor
attractions, we have extended Arboretum
hours for visitors from May 1 through
September 30:

Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. •

The Greenhouse will continue to close at 4
p.m. The Gift Shop will stay open until 5
p.m. Visitor permits are required for
access to all areas and are available free of
charge at the Gifford House until 5 p.m.

>(c >tt % )f( «

While we’re on the subject of visitor
permits, regular visitors will note that we
have a new system -- one that we hope will
be much more efficient. At the Gifford
House, each visitor is given a ticket
stamped with the date. Separate dated
tickets are used for vehicles. No longer are
visitors asked to fill out permits in
triplicate, and those who wish to be added
to our mailing list can do so by means of
special postcards.

Perennial Garden
Highl ig hts
April - May - June

The Perennial Garden at the Gifford
House Visitor and Education Center was
dedicated in June 1987. With 800 different
species and cultivars, this garden exhibits
the largest collection of herbaceous
perennials to be seen in any public garden
in the northeastern United States -- almost
4,500 plants in all.

After a long winter of dormancy, the
perennials are starting to celebrate
spring. The garden will continue to grow,
bloom and attract visitors until well into
fall. Following are a few of the highlights
visitors can expect to see during the
spring:

Late- April Pulmomria saccharata (Lungwort)

‘Highdown’ and ‘Mrs. Moon’ cultivars
Primula vulgaris (Primrose) ‘Bluten Kissen’
Primula sieboldii (Primrose) ‘Geisha Girl’
Bergenia cilata (Winter Begonia)
Epimedium species
Annual beds: Tulips and Daffodils

Mid-May Rhododendron species and cultivars in white,
yellow and shades of pink and purple
Syringa (Lilacs) ... many cultivars
Geranium species

Chrysogonum virginianum (Golden Star)
Amsmia tabemaemontani (Blue Star)
Polygonatum odoratum (Solomon’s Seal)
‘Variegatum’ and ‘Falcatum’

Phlox species (Creeping Phlox), and cultivars
Iris cristata (Dwarf Iris)

June Paeonia (Peony) ‘Burma Ruby’, ‘White
Innocence’, ‘June Brilliant’, ‘E.G. Hill’,
‘Many More’

Papaver (Poppy) ‘White King’, ‘Raspberry
Queen’, ‘Helen Elixabeth’, ‘Carnival’,
‘Bonfire’

Mid-to Astilbe species and cultivars
late-June Aruncus dioicus (Goat’s Beard)

Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’
Iris sibirica ‘Ottawa’ and ‘Skywing’
Rose bed
Hosta bed

Asian/North American bed
Herb bed

Spring Calendar

SPECIAL WORKSHOPS

May 7th: Ecological Design and Landscape
Restoration

Presenter: Carol Franklin, Associate Professor
of Landscape Architecture and
Regional Planning, Univ. of
Pennsylvania, and Partner,
Andropogon Associates

May 14th: Planting and Transplanting Trees and
Shrubs

Presenter: Bradley Roeller, Manager of Grounds
and Display Gardens, Institute of
Ecosystem Studies

May 25th: Airphoto Interpretation and Land Use:

An Introduction to Basic Techniques.

Presenter: Dr. Stephen D. DeGloria, Associate
Director, and Arlynn W. Ingram,
Principal Airphoto Interpreter,

Cornell Laboratory for Environmental
Applications of Remote Sensing
(CLEARS), Cornell Univ.

For registration information, visit the Gifford House
on Route 44A, or call the Education Program Office
at the number below.

ECOLOGICAL EXCURSIONS

A few spaces remain for the lES excursion to The
Garden in the Woods, the botanical garden of the
New England Wild Flower Society in Framingham,
Massachusetts. This day-trip will depart the Gifford
House at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 9th, and
return at approximately 8:30 p.m. Bradley Roeller,
Manager of Grounds and Display Gardens, will lead
the trip. Call the number below for more
information, or to register. Deadline: May 25th.

SUNDAY ECOLOGY PROGRAMS

Free public programs are offered on the first and
third Sunday of each month. All programs are from
one to two hours long, and begin at 2:00 p.m. at the
Gifford House on Route 44A unless otherwise noted.

Tentative schedule (please call (914) 677-5358 to
confirm the day’s topic):

May 1: The Fish of a Small Woodland Stream
(David Strayer) - Walk
May 15: How Plants Defend Themselves
(Clive Jones) - Walk

June 5: A Stream Walk (Stuart Findlay) - Walk
June 19: Current Status of Lyme Disease (Jay
McAninch) - Talk and Demonstration
For ecology walks, wear long pants and sturdy.

waterproof footwear with socks; long-sleeved shirts
or jackets are also recommended. In case of
inclement weather, call (914) 677-5358 after 1 p.m.
to learn the status of the day’s program.

GREENHOUSE

The lES Greenhouse performs double duty: it is a
year-round tropical-plant paradise as well as a site
for controlled environmental research. The public is
invited to explore both aspects during Arboretum
hours. There is no admission fee, but visitors should
first stop at the Gifford House for a free permit.

SCIENTIFIC SEMINARS

The Institute’s weekly program of scientific
seminars features presentations by visiting scientists
or Institute staff. All seminars take place in the Plant
Science Building on Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Admission
is free. For a schedule, contact Julie Morgan at (914)
677-5343.

ARBORETUM HOURS

May 1 - September 30: Monday through Saturday, 9
a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Gift and
Plant Shops are open Tuesday through Saturday 1 1
a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 - 5 p.m. October 1 -
April 30: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4
p.m.; Sunday 1 - 4 p.m. The Gift and Plant Shops are
open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
and Sunday 1 - 4 p.m. (The Greenhouse and
Plant Science Building continue to be closed to
visitors at 4 p.m. during summer hours.) Closed on
public holidays. (Also closed during the deer hunting
season and when roads are snow-covered.) All
visitors must obtain a free permit at the Gifford
House for access to the Arboretum. Permits are
available up to one hour before closing time.

MEMBERSHIP

Become a member of the Mary Flagler Cary
Arboretum. Benefits include a special member’s rate
for lES courses and excursions, a 10% discount on
purchases from the Gift Shop, six issues of the lES
Newsletter each year, free subscription to Garden
(the beautifully illustrated magazine for the
enterprising and inquisitive gardener), and parking
privileges and free admission to the Enid A. Haupt
Conservatory at The New York Botanical Garden in
the Bronx. Individual membership is $25; family
membership is $35. For information on memberships,
contact Janice Claiborne at (914) 677-5343.

For more information, call (914) 677-5358 weekdays from 8:30 - 4:30

INSTITUTE OF
ECOSYSTEM STUDIES
The New York Botanical Garden
Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum
Box AB, Millbrook, New York 12545

Newsletter

Volume 5, Number 2
March - April 1988

Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID

Millbrook, N.Y.
Permit No. 16

100% Recycled
Paper