Several years ago, the Trustees initiated the weekly surveying of the salt marsh at Accabonac Harbor, spearheaded by former Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, in conjunction with Suffolk County Vector Control, to determine where mosquito larvae were present each summer season.
Instead of a helicopter that sprayed pesticide over the entire salt marsh, Trustees John Aldred and Susan McGraw-Keber coordinated with the Department of Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy, and “citizen scientists” who volunteered to help survey the salt marsh to determine where mosquito larvae were located.
The earlier the mosquito larvae are discovered in their growth, the better for the helicopter to target the exact location with pellets, not the standard pesticide spray. The specific locations were provided by the teams who surveyed the polygons and when done, were sent back to Vector Control for scheduling the exact locations to be treated with the pellets by helicopter.
This was a novel approach to the pesticide application that harmed the wildlife, avian, and marine species indigenous to the salt marsh. After several seasons of surveying and using the pellet treatment, the osprey, eagles, dragonflies, indigenous marsh plants, and marine species returned.
Residents who lived on or near the salt marsh reported seeing a resurgence of a healthier salt marsh environment and the success of using targeted pellets instead of spraying pesticides to reduce mosquitoes.
The efforts made by Suffolk County Vector to eliminate the spraying of Accabonac’s salt marsh have proven to be successful over the years. The Trustees continue to monitor and survey the salt marsh, and in the last couple of years, have granted permits for East Hampton High School students to install oyster reefs in the thriving bottomlands the Trustees own.
The East Hampton Shellfish Hatchery under the guidance of Director John “Barley” Dunne, has also participated in the project, and has established an oyster farm location for community “oyster farmers” in the harbor.
Dr. Nicole Maher, a coastal marine scientist with The Nature Conservancy, was an integral partner of the original “citizen scientist” effort, walking the salt marsh with the Trustees, Director of the East Hampton Department of Natural Resources, Kim Shaw, Legislator Bridget Fleming, Kevin McDonald, senior policy advisor of the Nature Conservancy in East Hampton, and members of the East Hampton Town Planning Department.
Recently, Dr. Maher was granted permission by the East Hampton Town Board to lead a new team at Accabonac Harbor that could help the small but essential salt marsh bird thrive if a reduction in the amount of pesticide is applied to marshes by Suffolk County Vector Control.
Over the last three years, Dr. Maher has been banding salt marsh sparrows on property owned by the Nature Conservancy at Accabonac Harbor.
To find out more in detail, click on the tab below to read the full article by Christopher Gangemi.