A presentation on "Winter Wildlife of the Port Washington Peninsula" will be delivered by Stéphane Perreault on Tuesday, February 10th at 7:00 PM at the Port Washington Public Library in the Lapham Room (Main Auditorium). Hosted by the Port Washington Watershed Biodiversity Coalition, the program will showcase the surprising diversity of wildlife active during winter months in the Port Washington peninsula, examining wildlife in the cold.
Perreault's presentation takes a visual approach to sharing the local winter diversity. It is a story told through photographs, citizen science surveys results, and research conducted locally from December to March. From waterfowl to mammals to surprisingly active invertebrates, the program reveals the hidden local natural world that exists even in the depths of winter. Winter biodiversity represents an often-overlooked aspect of our local environment. Many species have evolved specialized behaviors and physiological adaptations that allow them to not merely survive, but actively thrive during winter months.
Understanding these adaptations and the species that employ them helps us appreciate the resilience and complexity of local ecosystems year-round.
This presentation will showcase the waterfowl species present at well-known local sites during winter. Long Island is a winter destination for geese, dabbling and diving ducks, grebes, and loons. Perreault will take you around the Port Washington Peninsula and share waterfowl sightings from the base of Manhasset Bay to Leed’s Pond Preserve, Shore Road, Sands Point Preserve, North Hempstead Beach Park, and Roslyn Pond. Land birds are also thriving in winter. Perreault will discuss the reasons for the presence of land birds in the area during the coldest months. All-year residents, wintering bird that migrate every year from the continental northern forests, and irruptive species explain the make up of the bird diversity in winter.
The presentation will also examine wintering mammals and their adaptive behavior. Among those, are bats who are exclusively insectivorous, and yet remain active throughout the winter on warmer nights. The 2023 scientific discovery in western states that Silver-haired Bat can sing, is a behavior that was confirmed locally in 2024. Perreault conducts research in Manhasset to understand the context of the bats singing and feeding during the winter.
The program will also introduce specialist insects that are active on our warmer winter nights, explaining some of the extraordinary adaptations reached by these exothermic animals. What do they feed on? Why take on the challenge of being active in the winter as adults?
Stéphane Perreault is the Naturalist at Greentree Foundation, a Manhasset-based non-profit organization with a mission of peace, sustainability, and philanthropy. Perreault work within the framework of the Foundation’s sustainability program, which includes studying and documenting the property’s biodiversity across all seasons.
The Port Washington Watershed Biodiversity Coalition conserves biodiversity across the Port Washington Watershed by protecting, restoring, connecting, and enhancing habitats through science-based conservation including biodiversity assessments and natural resource inventories. The Coalition translates research into action through education, stewardship, and citizen science, with ten local community-based organizations working together to steward over 1,000 acres of diverse natural habitats.
If you would like to learn more about Port Washington's winter wildlife, local biodiversity, or get involved in local citizen science and participate in a variety of community programs regarding protecting biodiversity and the environment, contact the Port Washington Watershed Biodiversity Coalition at David.Jakim@gmail.com or meet Coalition members at the presentation.
