For decades many Queens and Brooklyn birders have known that the Ridgewood Reservoir's 50 acres is an incredible birding hotspot. Unfortunately, it's wetlands and emerging forests are now in danger of being destroyed because of an incorrect classification as a "Class C, High Hazard Dam" by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. I've been working with a dedicated group of individuals at the Highland Park/Ridgewood Reservoir Alliance for nearly 8 years in an attempt to protect this amazing place from development. While birders have been fighting to close a breach on the West Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, the HPRRA is now in a struggle to prevent multiple breaches and a roadway from being constructed at the Ridgewood Reservoir (and at a huge expense to taxpayers).
Please take 30 seconds to sign our petition to the NYSDEC here: http://tinyurl.com/nwlcv2h If you've never birded at the Ridgewood Reservoir, I'll be leading a trip for the Newtown Historical Society on August 17th. Otherwise, here is a link to a Google map: http://tinyurl.com/cjl53nq Good birding, Rob PS - Here's a link to the eBird species list for Ridgewood Reservoir: http://tinyurl.com/l2wel79 http://citybirder.blogspot.com @thecitybirder -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
