Date: 4/15/24 7:27 am From: Astrid Jirka <astrid...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] Taughannock Falls light show?
Hi everyone,
I appreciate the care and attention being given to the peregrines and the
ravens in light of the lightshow being planned this weekend, as I've seen
expressed through the Cayuga Bird Listserve.
I also appreciate NYS Parks for all they do to promote recreation and
conservation of our natural resources.
And I appreciate the Chamber and Visit Ithaca for all they do to promote
tourism in our area which is so crucial to our local economy.
It is understandable to me that there is an interest in a celebration and
that Tgnk Falls should be (literally) highlighted due to its beauty and its
attraction to locals and visitors alike.
*Could one of the birders please explain exactly what they think the
repercussions would be to the bird nests that are of concern? * Are the
females likely to abandon their nests, eggs or chicks, and never return?
It is nice to see a community caring so much for our natural resources in
so many ways. Let's do our best to make it work for the birds and the
humans and all involved!
Take care,
Astrid Jirka
Director of Tourism Initiatives
Discover Cayuga Lake
Sounds like there is a lot of momentum behind this and it might be easier
to deflect than to stop unless the weather is like today. Celebrating the
100th probably is a huge deal for the agency, which certainly have manages
a lot of great habitat for birds. And they people behind this particular
event have put time, money, and effort into planning and executing it and
probably will be reluctant to abandon it.
Is there a way this could be done and disturbance minimized? What if they
lit up the falls from right below so the gorge itself wasn't illuminated,
and instead of hiking up the gorge they centered the celebration on the
overlook rather than hiking the gorge hike? Maybe there's a local
bird-loving food truck or caterer who would be willing to offer food at a
discount to the parks for the three nights up at the visitor center by the
overlook?
Is there someone on the list with contacts at the Regional State Park
office or at the Chamber who could sound them out on whether they are open
to alternatives? Does the bird club have any programming it runs in
partnership with any of the local state parks? We could try to shut this
down but there's a good chance that would fail and, whether or not it did,
trying to shut it down entirely will piss off a lot people which might not
be good for birds (or even birders) in the long run. Note the Chamber of
Commerce seems to be running the hikes so anyone on the list who is a
member might want to gently explain the issue to Jennifer Tavares, who
seems like a decent person. Not sure if Fred Bonn is still the Regional
Director of State Parks but he has been flexible in the past when
approached given actual evidence and alternatives - but whoever approaches
him should be prepared with published evidence or personal reports by
someone (maybe Tim G) who is an acknowledged expert on peregrines and can
show that the light show is going to disturb the peregrines. Keep in mind
that these folks know peregrines nest on urban bridges and buildings that
are lit at night so they will need to know why this is different.
On 4/14/2024 12:06 PM, Geo Kloppel wrote:
Below is the press release for the evening light shows at the great falls
in Taughannock Falls State Park later this week, which have potential to
disturb the Peregrine Falcons and Ravens that are currently on nests there).
Note that the event is jointly hosted by NYS Parks, Visit Ithaca, and also
the Tompkins Chamber, which is handling online registration for after-dark
hikes up the gorge trail to the lighted falls.
On Apr 14, 2024, at 10:16 AM, Tim Gallagher <twg3...>
<twg3...> wrote:
I heard some disturbing news last night. Apparently Taughannock Falls will
be brightly illuminated from 8:30 to 10:00 this coming Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday night (April 18, 19, and 20). I guess it’s some kind of PR
stunt to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the New York State Park
Service, but it couldn’t possibly come at a worse time, with the eggs just
about to hatch in the Peregrine Falcon eyrie and a pair of Ravens nesting
right beside the falls—not mention all the other wildlife in the park.
There certainly should be other, less potentially harmful, ways to
celebrate the Park Service. You can contact the Taughannock Park office at
(607) 387-7041. (Photo by Arthur A. Allen)
