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Wildlife

A Local Winter Wonderland Thanks to Westchester Land Trust

December 2, 2018 by The Inside Press

In 2009, through a partnership with Town of North Castle and the Village of Mount Kisco, Westchester Land Trust preserved a nearly 30 acre parcel next to Byram Hill Lake in Armonk. The stunning lake is used by recreational fishermen and boaters (Note: permits are required) during warmer months but during the winter it makes a magnificent backdrop for photographs. The preservation protects the drinking water supply for local residents. The conservation easement also protects significant wildlife habitat including forests and wetlands.

Photos courtesy of Westchester Land Trust

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: habitats, Mount Kisco, North Castle, Pictures, Preservation, snow, waterfall, Westchester Land Trust, wetlands, Wildlife, winter, Wonderland

Five Minutes with Beloved Local Bear Mr. Scrabbles

September 3, 2018 by Inside Press

By Stacey Pfeffer

With the start of school tomorrow, maybe there is a heightened level of stress in your house like mine. So Inside Chappaqua sat down with Mr. Scrabbles for an exclusive interview and some much needed distraction. Read on to see what this fascinating creature has to say about New Castle living.

  1. Inside Chappaqua (IC): Facebook is full of posts of photos with you and several residents. Everyone has photos with you. In fact Inside Chappaqua’s publisher Grace Bennett posted a picture with you and said that you are in a relationship after being ‘outed’ on Facebook’s Chappaqua Moms by a roving paparazzo. We’ve also spotted you with Rob Greenstein and Bill Clinton. How are you finding time to get to all these photo shoots?

    Photo By Peter Chatzky  See more of this paparazzo’s work on the public Mr. Scrabbles page on Facebook. 

Mr. Scrabbles (MS): First of all I want to say what a warm and welcoming town Chappaqua is. But unfortunately that is fake news! I may have a doppelganger somewhere in town but that is not me. I much prefer candid shots.

  1. IC: You seem to love hanging out by Hardscrabble Lake. What’s the appeal?

MS: Well the properties are big, so I have plenty of room to roam. Plus there is lake in the name and we’ve had quite a heat wave lately so I love any place where I can take a dip and cool off.

  1. IC: Why Chappaqua when there are so many other towns to go to?

MS: The natural beauty of this town is what really attracted me. There are great parks, yummy food options plus I’m looking for a little peace and quiet. The past few weeks in August the town has been really sleepy with everyone away on the Cape or the Jersey shore so all that’s left is my diehard paparazzi crew. My social media likes have been blowing up!

  1. IC: What’s the yummiest thing you’ve had since migrating here?

MS: Well let’s be honest. I follow a Paleo diet so the nuts and seeds on the bird feeders are delectable. Much better than anything I’ve had in Harrison. Plus many people have left out some delicious BBQ from Le Jardin du Roi – the smoked brisket is my personal favorite. Please don’t throw out any kale or spa tuna leftovers – I’m a bear folks and need some meat on my bones for the upcoming brutal winter.

  1. IC: We hear you have a Facebook fan page. How do you get all those miles in and still find time to update your page?

MS: It’s not easy trying to balance everything. After taking a mindfulness workshop with Chappaqua resident Jodi Baretz by Hidden Hollow Lake, I got much better at multi-tasking with purpose. I would like to work on my Facebook page more at the Chappaqua Library. I hear it is very peaceful there and a real community treasure but for some reason they won’t give me a library card. 

  1. IC: What’s your next step?

MS:  Photo-bombing Bill and Rob was grand, but I really want to get into a picture with Bill and Hillary Clinton. Do you know where I can find them? I don’t like to go to downtown where I hear they frequent the shops so am hoping to take a photo with them in a more natural setting. Perhaps Whippoorwill Park. She hikes there, right?

  1. IC: We hear you were recently spotted close to Roaring Brook Elementary School right before the new school year. Why?

MS: I hear that the Chappaqua Central School District is the crown jewel of the Westchester public school system so I decided to check it out myself. Plus they have a new principal starting, Doreen O’Leary. I had hoped to meet her but I am a bear non grata on school property so I’m meandering elsewhere. To follow my journey, check out #WhereIsMrScrabbles on Facebook created by my publicist, Peter James, the manager of Chappaqua Paint and Hardware.

Stacey Pfeffer is the editor of Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk Magazines.

Editor’s Note: Although this article was in jest, we recommend all readers take caution with Mr. Scrabbles and read the handy guide “Reducing Human-Bear Conflicts” by the Department of Environmental Conservation at dec.ny.gov.

 

Filed Under: In the Know Tagged With: Bears, Chappaqua, Mr. Scrabbles, Wildlife

At Westmoreland, an Escape from Civilization (But Not from North Castle)

June 3, 2016 by The Inside Press

Inside Armonk June WM pond 3Article and Photos By Andrew Vitelli

It’s hard to hide 640 acres–roughly a square mile–in the woods of northern Westchester. But Westmoreland Sanctuary, located on the borders of North Castle, Bedford and Mount Kisco, is as close to a hidden gem as Westchester nature lovers can hope to find in their neck of the woods.

“It’s not well known,” Ann Paul, the director of the sanctuary, explains. “We don’t have a huge budget or bandwidth to promote a lot of our programming.”

Westmoreland, established as a not-for-profit nature center and wildlife preserve in 1957, isn’t completely undiscovered; there are approximately 30,000 visitors per year to the nature center or on the 7.5 miles of trails which wind around the property. But walking through Westmoreland’s woods gives the visitor a closeness to nature hard to find on some of the area’s more popular trails.

“You have a lot of wooded area, so you have extended, mature forests,” Ms. Paul, who grew up in the Bedford area, says. “We’re not well-groomed. It’s a lot more rugged than some of the other parks.”

At Westmoreland, you may not get the soaring views of the Hudson River or Bear Mountain Bridge that hikers a bit north experience. But the trails, surrounded by thick forest, offer a sense of wilderness that is hard to find elsewhere. Even a short trek into one of the sanctuary’s dozen or so trails feels like an escape from the world around.

“It gives you that wonderful feeling that you’re farther than you actually are from civilization,” explains Steve Ricker, the Director of Conservation and Wildlife Management. “We try to keep our trails away from the edges, too, so you do still get that deep forest wilderness feeling.”

Westmoreland Sanctuary was established in 1957, by Helen Frick, a millionaire philanthropist and the daughter of steel magnate Henry Clay Frick. Some of the property’s most interesting artifacts are much older; two graveyards on the site date as far back as the 1600s, while the building which now houses the nature center and museum is a reconstructed pre-revolution church.

“It’s one of the few buildings that were not burned during the burning of Bedford in 1776 during the Revolutionary War,” Ms. Paul notes.

Westmoreland features the picturesque Bechtel Lake (see above), just a short walk from the parking lot, as well as Lost Pond, which is deeper into the woods. A range of wildlife can be found in these woods, including a variety of birds (including wild turkeys), turtles, frogs, and snakes (this reporter survived two garter snake sightings during a brief walk along the Easy Loop trail). Even bobcats, coyotes and a bear have been spotted roaming the sanctuary. For solo or groups of hikers, the Westmoreland Sanctuary offers trails of varying lengths and difficulties, while the nature center gives hikers a starting point with clean bathrooms and trail maps. But Westmoreland Sanctuary is much more than a series of trails. The sanctuary hosts programming, events, and classes for all ages, part of their mission of connecting children, parents, and the citizenry at large with the world around them.

“In the society we’re in today, a lot of people don’t have this time to come outside and they don’t know what’s safe or not safe,” Stephen Sciame, the sanctuary’s director of education, says. “So if they feel too scared to come out here themselves, they’re not going to bring their kids.”

Westmoreland has an environmental education program that dates back 30 years, developed in conjunction with New York State standards. It’s staff, though small (there are three full-time workers and a part-time bookkeeper), consists of experts with deep backgrounds in their fields. Westmoreland sees around 10,000 students each year, offering summer camps and after-school programs and working with schools and scout groups to bring children to Westmoreland. The sanctuary also hosts birthday parties, and sometimes takes its show on the road to science fairs and community events.

In July, Westmoreland will host an interactive production of The Wizard of Oz, which will allow the entire audience to walk through the sanctuary’s own Yellow Brick Road and meet their favorite characters (auditions were taking place as this magazine went to press). Other programming and events planned for this summer include a Nature Immersion Camp, a Wilderness Survival Camp, and orienteering meets (for an up-to-date list of what’s going on, visit westmorelandsanctuary.org).

Inside Armonk June WM“The idea here for our mission is to get the kids outside,” says Ms. Paul. “For those kids who would not typically get outside and would not typically spend time in the outdoors and in the woods, we’re encouraging their interest in here.”

Westmoreland is looking to expand its adult education programs. Parents who bring their kids, Sciame notes, often know less than their children about the outdoors.

“Nature has a little bit of that fear factor nowadays,” Sciame, an Eagle Scout with a Master’s Degree in Education, acknowledges. He hopes to channel the interest generated among reality T.V. watchers by shows like Man vs. Wild and Naked and Afraid to get fans of these shows to the sanctuary to learn their own survival skills (visitors will not, he clarifies, be naked).

“We’ve been using the hype that’s been generated by society to create survival-based programs, learn a little bit about natural navigation, learn about what edible foods and medicinal foods are out there, and do a quick public program on that,” he says.

Westmoreland, a public charity, is always free to visitors (though donations are accepted). While it spans three towns, it’s not affiliated with any of them. There are 14 members on its Board of Directors, on which Ms. Paul served for 15 years before becoming director.

For the staff at Westmoreland, reaching as many people as possible and exposing them to all the sanctuary and the outdoors has to offer is the ultimate goal. Ricker, who has worked at Westmoreland for 20 years, even makes an annual trip to the Children’s Center of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility with the sanctuary’s animal ambassadors.

“I want people to come and be accepted for who they are, and I don’t know that everyplace you go around here that’s true,” Ms. Paul explains. “I want people to come and do what they want.”

Andrew Vitelli is the editor of Inside Armonk magazine and also an avid, occasional hiker.

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Inside Press, Nature, theinsidepress.com, trails, Westchester, Westmoreland Sanctuary, Wildlife

Love, Loss and Coyote Awareness

October 21, 2014 by The Inside Press

By Eileen Gallagher

Coyotes have emerged as a growing threat in some suburban communities. Photo by Jim Horton, wildlife professional.
Coyotes have emerged as a growing threat in some suburban communities. Photo by Jim Horton, wildlife professional.

Due to the attention generated by this article, it is being reprinted in its entirety. Coyotes are definitely news here in town. Since the story originally ran in September, there has been a continuing spike in reported coyote activity; whether due to increased awareness, actual activity or a combination of both may be debated. What is not subjective, however, is that several pets have fallen victim to coyote attacks in our town in the past year alone.

Many residents of New Castle were drawn to town by its bucolic setting, peaceful surroundings and abundant wildlife. People are captivated by the sight of a soaring eagle, nestling fawn or elegant swan. One member of the neighborhood, however, isn’t always a joy to behold. He is at once admired, feared, loved and dreaded… the enigmatic coyote.

Though opinions differ as to the origins of their habitat or their preferred food source, no one disputes the fact that coyotes pose a threat to our pets. This threat is clearly not ours alone, for coyotes are present in many towns across the country. Increasing numbers of reported incidents in our town over the past few years bespeak the danger they present.

Several residents have suffered the loss of, or injury to, their pet, and some have graciously shared their stories with Inside Chappaqua.

Joyce Wong knows all too well the life-threatening capabilities of coyotes. In October of 2013, her family’s Chihuahua, Papi, was believed to have been taken by a coyote around 8 a.m. on a school day following her and her husband’s departure for work. The family’s baby sitter heard barking after she let their two dogs out alone, something the family never did. After calling the dogs back to the house, the sitter said that the larger dog, Lena, returned alone–Papi never came back.

Oscar, the Silverman family’s fur-baby, is sorely missed by family and friends alike.
Oscar, the Silverman family’s fur-baby, is sorely missed by family and friends alike.

Already on her Manhattan-bound train, Wong received a frantic phone call from the sitter and, after instructing the sitter to call the police, immediately returned to Chappaqua.

The officer looked for signs of Papi around the home, located within 100 yards of Bell Middle School, but never found a trace.

The same day, a neighbor was walking on the block with her toddler and beagle when a coyote came behind them. She blasted the air horn she was carrying, but the coyote just stood there. Another neighbor happened by and finally got the coyote to leave. “Something was wrong,” said Wong. “It could have attacked someone.”

Wong notified Bell Principal Martin Fitzgerald the day after the incident. Fitzgerald was very sympathetic, according to Wong, and was instrumental in getting attention to the matter.

Fitzgerald himself had encountered a coyote on two different occasions while out running by the Croton Reservoir. One had run off into the woods as Fitzgerald neared it on the trail, but, another time, a coyote stopped and stared at him from a distance as he passed by.

Kathleen Cape, a resident of the Orchard Ridge area, also lost her family’s pet to a coyote around the same time. Her two “outdoor” cats had snuck out the door as she left the house to take her daughter to school. When Cape returned within minutes, she found one of the cats shivering by the door, but no sign of the 10 year old Maine coon the family had named Lola.

Main coon cat Lola always stayed on her property and came when called.
Main coon cat Lola always stayed on her property and came when called.

“They always stayed on our property–they never really wandered,” Cape said of the cats, which always came when called. She grew very concerned, especially after their Labrador retriever puppy stood in the garden barking and howling for more than an hour. Cape created flyers with Lola’s photo and received a call with heartbreaking news that afternoon. A neighbor from the street backing Cape’s saw a coyote in his garden carrying a lifeless cat matching the photo on the flyer. When he mentioned seeing a blue collar, Cape knew it was Lola.

A rescued dog named Jarron was reported missing from the same area of town around the same time as Papi and Lola.

Jim Horton, a wildlife professional and owner of Quality Pro, was called by New Castle police later that month after one of the officers spotted a large and mangy looking coyote in the area. According to a statement then released by police Chief Charles Ferry, “the Police Department has always been prepared to use a trapper if a coyote situation became a threat to public safety. This unusually large mangy coyote was seen on school grounds by a police officer and there have been small pets reported missing in the area. These facts are what were considered in the decision to trap the animal.” Chief Ferry went on to say, “Coyote attacks on humans are extremely rare but when it comes to children we cannot take chances.”

Unfortunately, after obtaining the required permit, placing cameras, and subsequently setting up monitored, humane traps in the woods behind Bell, Horton was unable to trap the coyote, which had most likely “dispersed” by then.

Ann Brochstein’s Samson, shown recuperating from surgery and a multi-day hospital stay.
Ann Brochstein’s Samson, shown recuperating from surgery and a multi-day hospital stay.

This spring, a six-year-old Havanese named Samson was attacked by a coyote but managed to escape. Ann Brochstein described how her family’s two dogs, Samson and Cosmo, were out in the yard in late April of this year when she heard a scream. Samson ran to the door to be let in, and, according to Brochstein, ran around “crazed.” When she finally coaxed him out from under a console table, she found a large bulge on the side of his abdomen and bite marks on his back. Immediately taking him to an emergency veterinary office, she learned that the coyote, in grabbing Samson, had torn his abdominal wall and diaphragm. Samson required surgery followed by a multiple day stay in the hospital.

Piecing together evidence, both the police and the vet thought that 12-year-old Cosmo had distracted the coyote momentarily, saving Samson’s life. Noteworthy too–the attack seemingly happened on the stone patio, about ten feet from the door.

Most recently, the Silverman family lost their beloved Pekingnese, Oscar, to a coyote. Amy Silverman had returned to her home late in the afternoon on July 10th. Suffering from a migraine headache, she had gone to the doctor for blurred vision and light sensitivity. When she returned home, she went right to her room to rest. Oscar stayed with her as he usually did, sleeping under her bed.

A few hours later, Silverman and her four children noticed that Oscar was gone from their home. “He might have tried to follow my daughter to the car, thinking it was me,” Silverman said.The family and friends set out within minutes, searching the neighborhood with flashlights and calling for Oscar. By the early hours of the next morning, they returned home with hopes that someone had found him and taken him in for the night. When daylight came, they created flyers and distributed them to every house in the surrounding area.

While going door to door, Silverman recalled one of the neighbors telling her that she had seen a coyote near the swing set in her own yard the morning Oscar disappeared. The woman was new to the neighborhood and worried for her small child, but didn’t know of a way to notify anyone else. Another neighbor a block away later called in response to the flyer, reporting a recent coyote sighting in her yard. Unlike Silverman’s yard, neither of those yards back up to the woods.

Papi was believed attacked and taken from her home near Bell Middle School last October.
Papi was believed attacked and taken from her home near Bell Middle School last October.

A conversation with the animal control officer, James Moore, gave Silverman very little hope that Oscar was alive. “He mentioned sightings on a nearby street and said that a coyote probably took Oscar, and that there would be no remains but the collar.” Believing that to be the case, she sent her children into the woods to look for Oscar’s collar, but instead they found the partial remains of their beloved companion. “I hate that this is their last memory [of Oscar]. It is despicable.” Silverman also expressed extreme frustration that there was no alert* such as Nixle to inform people of coyote sightings.

Oscar was a special friend to the Silverman family, and known widely as a friend to both other dogs and people. “Everyone loved Oscar,” recalled Silverman. “I’m devastated. He was my fur-baby. He came everywhere with me. He even rode in the wagon in stores like Homegoods on top of my jacket so he wouldn’t shed or hurt his paws.” With brimming eyes, she continued, “I made him homemade gourmet food. He slept on my bed. He was totally special to me.”

Amy’s son Joshua, a senior at Greeley, described his loss. “I didn’t just lose my dog, I lost my best friend.” He continued, “They live in our homes, sleep in our beds. Coyotes take these precious pets from our lives.” He proudly shared many of the beautiful photos he had taken over the years, along with a video presentation set to music to honor his friend. He told about the toys Oscar had, and his three different beds. He also pointed out a paper prominently displayed on the refrigerator–the permit obtained from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to trap the coyote plaguing their yard. “My last memory of Oscar was seeing him licking Josh’s face.”

These women and their families experienced great sadness and pain, and shared their stories to help increase awareness of the potential danger to pets in the community. Wong’s daughter wrote a story, “Two Lives, Two Hearts, Two Memories,” to express her love and loss. “In Lola’s memory, anything I could do to help out,”

Cape said of her desire to spread the word about ways to prevent coyote attacks. Josh Silverman began working on an app to track coyote sightings. All of the families responded to Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein’s Facebook posting asking for volunteers as part of a taskforce he was forming to deal with the seemingly growing coyote presence.

* Since the original interviews and publication of this story, Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein has been hard at work on new and improved methods of communication. 

Eileen Gallagher has lived in Chappaqua for 11 years with her husband, two sons and two dogs. She is a freelance writer, community volunteer, former PTA chairperson, and avid animal lover. Originally from Long Island with virtually no experience with coyotes, she became interested after encountering one in her backyard.

—————–

Ann Brochstein highly recommended the tips provided by the Colorado Division of Wildlife:

If a Coyote Approaches You:

  • Do not run or turn your back
  • Be as big and loud as possible
  • Wave your arms and throw objects
  • Face the coyote and back away slowly
  • If attacked, fight back

Protect Your Pets:

  • Keep pets on a short leash
  • Use extra caution dusk through dawn
  • Avoid known or potential den sites and thick vegetation
  • Do not allow dogs to interact with coyote

 

Be Prepared!
If You Have Concerns About an Encounter With A Coyote:

  • Recreate during daylight hours
  • Walk with a walking stick
  • Keep a deterrent spray handy
  • Carry noise makers or rocks to throw

 

Your Home & Coyotes:

  • Never Feed Coyotes
  • Remove attractants from your yard, including pet food, water sources, bird feeders, and fallen fruit
  • Secure trash in a container with a locking lid or put trash out on the morning of pick up
  • Deter coyotes with a 6 foot privacy fence
  • Never approach wildlife – if a coyote approaches, yell, throw rocks or sticks at it, spray with a hose, or bang pots and pans

 

Your Pet & Coyotes:

  • Keep pets on a 6-foot leash when walking
  • Never allow your pets to “play” with a coyote
  • Pick up small pets if confronted by a coyote
  • Always supervise your pet when outside, especially at dawn or dusk
  • Never leave cats or dogs outside after dark
  • Don’t leave pet food outside
  • If you must leave your pet outside, secure it in a fully enclosed kennel

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: coyotes, Threat to pets, Wildlife

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