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Howl-Ween Pet Pawrade heads to Northport Village Park Oct. 26

by Press Release - October 15, 2024

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Mark your calendars! On Saturday, October 26th at 9 a.m., Suffolk County Legislator Stephanie Bontempi, Village of Northport Mayor Donna Koch, and the Northport Farmers’ Market will be hosting the Howl-Ween Pet Pawrade in Northport Village Park. No RSVP is necessary.

Bring your furry friends dressed in their best Halloween costumes to join the fun and have a chance to win a prize! The parade lineup will meet in the Village Park behind the basketball court. The parade route will proceed around the playground and will end by the Farmers’ Market, where vendors and volunteers will judge the pet costumes. Winners will receive prizes donated by local pet stores and will have their pets highlighted on social media.

In case of inclement weather, the rain date is set for November 2nd.

For further information, please contact Legislator Bontempi’s office at (631)854-4500.

Shelter Pets of the Week: Joy and Envy

by Heidi Sutton - October 15, 2024

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462600575_990199929817054_6645659078836561338_n — Joy and Envy

MEET JOY AND ENVY!

This week’s featured shelter pets are Joy and Envy, available for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. These charming, all-black, domestic short-haired, females are only nine months old. When these sisters arrived at the shelter as teeny baby kittens, they were both incredibly timid and shy. After receiving lots of TLC from the team at the shelter, these two have blossomed into affectionate, lovable little ladies ready to find their forever family.

Joy and Envy’s warm and loving nature is evident to anyone fortunate enough to make their acquaintance. Aside from being absolutely gorgeous, these two are extremely sweet and playful. Expect a double dose of purring, lap naps and snuggles while in the company of these fabulous fur babies. These sisters will entertain themselves for hours with a supply of kitty toys, providing one lucky family with an unlimited amount of laughter and amusement. Joy and Envy would thrive in most homes, including a family with other cats, calm dogs, and older children. They are sisters who have never been separated and would do best if adopted together.

If you are interested in meeting Joy and Envy, please fill out an application to schedule time to properly interact with your prospective soul mate in a domestic setting

The Town of Smithtown Animal & Adoption Shelter is located at 410 Middle Country Road, Smithtown. Visitor hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sundays and Wednesday evenings by appointment only). For more information, call 631-360-7575.

For more information regarding rescue animals available for adoption visit:. TownofSmithtownAnimalShelter.com

Port Jefferson Documentary Series to screen ‘Checkpoint Zoo’ on Oct. 17

by Heidi Sutton - October 12, 2024

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The Port Jefferson Documentary Series continues its Fall 2024 season with a screening of Checkpoint Zoo at the First United Methodist Church, 603 Main St., Port Jefferson on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.

In the early days of the Ukraine-Russian war, the Feldman Ecopark, a beloved animal refuge in Ukraine’s second largest city, found itself caught in the crossfire. With the invading Russian army on one side and the Ukrainian front line on the other, thousands of animals were left trapped with little food and water. Against all odds, a courageous team of zookeepers and volunteers risked their lives to embark on a seemingly impossible mission: bringing these innocent creatures to safety.

Followed by a panel discussion with the director, Joshua Zeman on Zoom, moderated by Juliette Passer, J.D., Lecturer, Political Science Dept., Stony Brook University.

Film Info: https://ghostrobot.com/work/checkpoint-zoo

Tickets are $10 adults, $5 students at the door or at www.portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.

Your Turn: In memory of Max

by TBR Staff - October 10, 2024

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Ellen Mason, a volunteer at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, has reported that Max, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum cat who greeted visitors at the gatehouse for years, has passed away. Below is a poem she wrote in his honor.

Our Max, the Vanderbilt Cat

A sad day has fallen,

Enshrouded in gray.

Cherished and honored,

Our Max passed away.

Max was our mascot,

Our Vanderbilt cat.

He lived on the grounds,

But was much more than that.

He greeted our patrons

From his perch near the gate,

By the Vanderbilt gatehouse,

Entrance to this estate.

His special companion,

A guard here named Ed,

Brushed Max and loved him,

Making sure he was fed.

He bought Max a house

For those cold wintry days,

Where he snuggled inside,

Staring with his cat gaze.

Max lived life to the max,

Living up to his name.

For the guards at the gatehouse,

It just won’t be the same.

— By Ellen Mason, Stony Brook

Shelter Pet of the Week: Let’s find a home for Bunny

by Heidi Sutton - October 8, 2024

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“The only limits in life are the ones you make.”

Surrendered to a local town shelter after being hit by a car and sustaining injuries, Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center stepped in to rescue Bunny, a two-year-old Pit mix. Once her healing was complete, the staff began working on her leash and basic training skills, soon realizing that Bunny was deaf in conjunction with some neurological deficits such as head tremors and incoordination. Up to the challenge, the staff have subsequently been able to introduce different methods and tools to help Bunny better adjust to her new surroundings, ensuring she feels safe, secure, and treasured while she waits for her forever home.

The best word to describe Bunny is ‘joyful’. Whether she’s spending time with her favorite people (and toys!) in one of the pens, or running free on the hill, she can often be heard enthusiastically voicing her appreciation and approval of a good time. Pure of heart, she is affectionate, loving, funny and playful. She is high-energy and high-spirited and is hoping for a family that can provide her with opportunities for exercise and adventure.

Despite her sweet natured demeanor, we’ve noticed that Bunny has significant food protection behavior with regard to other animals, possibly due to sensory loss or circumstances she may have faced in the past. For that reason, she requires a home without other dogs or cats. Also, because she plays with ‘joyful’ abandon and can’t always understand cues for correction, an adult home or one with older children would best fit her needs.

Bunny is blissfully unaware that she is any different from other dogs. Truthfully, in all the ways that matter, she is exactly the same: She has the same unequivocal loyalty, the same forgiving nature, the same optimistic attitude, and the same ability to love unconditionally. Bunny is a daily inspiration to live life without limits, always expect the best, and to embrace each moment.

Matching a dog with your family and lifestyle is a success story in the making. Could you be the one to write Bunny’s next chapter?

Little Shelter is located at 33 Warner Road in Huntington. For more information or to meet Bunny, call 631-368-8770.

Pet Supplies Drive heads to Emma Clark Library

by Press Release - October 6, 2024

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Pet supplies drive — Photo from Emma Clark Library

As part of The Great Give Back, a Suffolk Cooperative Library System initiative, Emma Clark Library, 120 Main St., Setauket will host a Pet Supplies Drive from Oct. 7 to Nov. 10. The library will be collecting new pet supplies (food, blankets, leashes, cleaning supplies, etc.) in the Library lobby to be donated to local organizations that help pets in need. All are welcome to donate (residents or non-residents) during Library hours. Questions? Email [email protected].

Sweetbriar Nature Center hosts 7th annual Taps and Talons fundraiser

by Jennifer Donatelli - October 5, 2024

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image1 (6) — A scene from Sweetbriar Nature Center's 2024 Taps and Talons fundraiser. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli

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By Jennifer Donatelli

Sweetbriar Nature Center, located in the heart of Smithtown, hosted its 7th annual Taps and Talons fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 29, from 2 to 6 p.m.

The event, which draws hundreds of people from the local community each year, featured live music, food, raffles and the main attraction: wildlife demonstrations.

Elizabeth Santosus, chairman of the board at Sweetbriar Nature Preserve, explained, “I came up with the idea for this event when I visited family in Alabama and attended something similar there. I took their concept, brought it to Long Island, and we held our first Taps and Talons fundraiser in 2017.”

“It’s a great community and everyone’s mellow and laid back. I just want to make the people happy, and this is our way of doing just that,” she continued.

A special perk of the event are the local breweries and beer clubs that come to donate their drinks and educate people on the art of homebrewing.

In addition to the beer, food is also a major draw. Volunteers and food trucks served everything from Alabama pulled pork and ribs to homemade lasagna.

Visitors were thrilled to see the center’s owls up close, take pictures and learn about the rehabilitation programs offered at Sweetbriar.

Sue Dawson, a resident of Smithtown who attended the event with her friend, said she has been coming to Sweetbriar Nature for over 40 years.

“I love this place and I love this event especially because I get thirsty and need a beer,” Dawson said with a laugh.

Sweetbriar Nature Center is situated on 54 acres of varied gardens, woodlands, fields and wetland habitats along the Nissequogue River. Hundreds of species of plants and animals call this land home.

All proceeds from the event will help the center in its mission to educate the public about native wildlife and rehabilitation. Through education and examples, they encourage responsible decision-making, appreciation and respect for the unique wildlife and ecosystems found on the Island. You can find out more about the nature preserve on their website, www.sweetbriar.org.

Shelter Pets of the Week: Johnny Cash and June Carter

by Heidi Sutton - October 4, 2024

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MEET JOHNNY AND JUNE!

This week’s shelter pets are the inseparable pair of Johnny Cash and June Carter, available for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter!

Johnny (male) and June (female) sport matching red and brown coats and are approximately four years old. They are both pint-sized meatballs, about the same size as a bulldog.

Their introductions to the public began when they were found wandering in Kings Park. It quickly became clear that this exquisite pair had been used for breeding purposes and later carelessly discarded. Despite their misfortune, Johnny and June are two incredibly sweet, loveable house hippos! They enjoy tons of attention and never miss an opportunity to shine in the spotlight. This stunning duo deserves nothing short of finding a great family to show them what a fairytale ending really looks like.

These two have been through a lot together and adore each other. The team at the shelter would be thrilled if they could live happily ever after together however, under the right circumstances they can be separated.

While June could possibly be placed in a home with other dogs, the only one for Johnny is June. They both would do well with children over the age of ten. They are young and healthy, however June has heat intolerance which needs to be managed.

If you are interested in meeting Johnny and June, please call ahead to schedule an hour to properly interact with them in a domestic setting, which includes a Meet and Greet Room, the dog runs, and a Dog Walk trail.

For more information regarding rescue animals available for adoption visit:. TownofSmithtownAnimalShelter.com

SBU’s Heather Lynch wins the 2024 Golden Goose Award

by Press Release - October 3, 2024

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0-9 — Heather Lynch with Emperor penguins. Photo by Evan Grant

Stony Brook University Professor Heather J. Lynch, PhD, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the first Endowed Chair for Ecology and Evolution at the university’s Institute for Advanced Computation Science (IACS) has been awarded the 2024 Golden Goose Award for Unconventional Research that Yielded Unexpected and Impactful Discovery.

Caption: Heather Lynch with an Adélie penguin. Photo by Ron Naveen

Professor Lynch’s project, “From Poop to Protection: Satellite Discoveries Help Save Antarctic Penguins and Advance Wildlife Monitoring” which was funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, looks at a way “to track penguin populations via satellite imagery, leading to the discovery of 1.5 million previously undocumented Adélie penguins and a whole new way to track wildlife.“ Professor Lynch shares this award with former IACS postdoctoral fellow Christian Che-Castaldo, PhD and Mathew Schwaller, PhD. Lynch also serves as the inaugural director of Stony Brook’s Collaborative for the Earth.

The Golden Goose Award celebrates federally funded research that may at first seem obscure or unconventional but has led to major breakthroughs in science and honors the importance of basic research, which aims to investigate unknown phenomena and advance current knowledge. The awards are hosted annually by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

“This is a tremendous honor for Professor Lynch. The Golden Goose recognizes that scientific discovery may not always follow a conventional path. Innovation is a hallmark of Stony Brook research, and Professor Lynch’s extraordinary research and dedication to addressing climate change is a stellar example,” said Carl Lejuez, Provost and Executive Vice President

“I’m hugely honored to have our work recognized in this way, and I remain as excited about the potential of satellite imagery as I was when we started this more than a decade ago,” said Heather Lynch. “I think we’ve only just scratched the surface of its potential for research and conservation.”

Professor Lynch’s research focuses on distribution and abundance of Antarctic wildlife, particularly on the development of remote sensing approaches to monitoring Antarctica’s penguin populations. She works closely with Antarctic policymakers to make sure they have the best available science at hand when deliberating measures for the area’s protection, and her discovery (with co-awardee Mathew Schwaller) of a major population of penguins in the Danger Islands directly led to the creation of a new Antarctic Specially Protected Area. She holds a doctorate in organismic and evolutionary biology from Harvard University and earned a master’s degree in physics from Harvard University and a bachelor of arts degree in physics from Princeton University.

To see more about Professor Lynch and her collaborators’ Golden Goose award-winning research, go to YouTube.

Living Lightly: Lights Out!

by John Turner - September 27, 2024

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A Column Promoting a More Earth-Friendly Lifestyle

By John L. Turner

Recent research has documented that birds are attracted to, but often disoriented by, outdoor lighting. There are many instances of migrating birds flying over suburban and urban areas becoming entrained in these areas, attracted by the glow of countless buildings and street lights. Unfortunately, this often leads to fatal consequences for birds as they collide with the windows that adorn so many modern urban and suburban buildings.

The death of more than one thousand birds flying into the glass facade of McCormick Place in Chicago in October of last year is a stark reminder of the danger that excessive lighting can pose to birds.

What can you do as a home or business owner? Very simple and straightforward — shut off excessive outdoor lighting to reduce your contribution to the upward glow that negatively affects birds. Before you automatically throw on the light switch controlling the outdoor lights give a thought about the birds flying overhead during their winged journeys.

A resident of Setauket, author John L. Turner is conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, author of “Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Nature Guide to Long Island” and president of Alula Birding & Natural History Tours.

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