Sarah Coney, CRISP Aquatic InvasiveSpecies Manager, to speak about invasive species threats in Catskill streams.
Aquatic ecosystems around the world are facing threats from a variety of sources such as pollution, climate change, and invasive species. The Catskills are no exception and encompass three major watersheds on the east coast; the Delaware, the Susquehanna, and the Hudson. The freshwaters in the Catskills are almost synonymous with trout and many headwaters still host healthy populations of native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Introduced brown (Salmotrutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are also found throughout these watersheds, but all three species face challenges in warming waters and habitat degradation due to a multitude of factors.

Invasive species in and around the water are having impacts on our rivers and streams by altering their ecosystems, increasing bank erosion, degrading riparian habitat, and other negative effects. Sarah will be discussing some of these invasive species, how they impact the Catskills, trout, and other stream biota, and how we can prevent their spread.

Sarah Coney is the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Manager for theCatskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership (CRISP). She joined the Catskill Center staff in 2022 but has been working in the Catskills since 2017. Shortly before graduating from SUNY Oneonta in 2017, she began working with the CRISP Watershed Steward Program and has helped to oversee and grow the program in the following years.

Sarah is passionate about aquatic ecosystems, helping to preserve them, and spends much of her summers above and below our NY waters. She has participated in several studies involving aquatic invasive species and has worked with native pearly mussels. Her master’s thesis revolves around the reintroduction of the American eel and its effects on native pearly mussel populations.

Note: Meeting to be held at the Residence Inn by Marriott, not our regular location at the Marriott Courtyard.

Marriott is still remodeling our regular meeting site, so we are meeting across the street at The Residence Inn.

Those wishing to access via WebEx can do so using the link below.

https://catskillmountainstu.my.webex.com/catskillmountainstu.my/j.php?MTID=m1cafc86568b6bcc4d9350a6adcecc858

Meeting number (accesscode): 2632 197 4573

Meeting password:wildesopus (94533767 from phones and video systems)

JOIN BY PHONE +1-650-479-3208

United States TollGlobal call-in numbers https://catskillmountainstu.my.webex.com/catskillmountainstu.my/globalcallin.php?MTID=me375907d6e114142f4efee91a9e4dc35

CMTU Chapter Elections this month

We will hold our annual elections during this month’s meeting. Here is the list of positions that are up for reelection. all current officers and board members up for re-election have accepted nominations for re-election.

All Officer Positions

· President: Ted Hoover

· Vice-President: Art Christensen

· Treasurer: Mike Malloy

· Secretary: Mike Grundfast

Board positions up for election

· Board Members: Ryan William (2023), Don Stauss (2023), Ron Urban (2023),

Any additional nominations will be accepted at the meeting.