Over 400 people attended a Forest Ecology Forum on Tuesday, November 19 at the College of Staten Island to hear presentations on severe damage to the health of Staten Island’s thousands of acres of woodlands, caused primarily by deer.
 
The Borough President and the New York State DEC held this forum to raise awareness about the impacts deer are having on native vegetation and forest animals, and also the broader issue that our forests are ecosystems with interdependent roles for native plants and wildlife.
 
The DEC has documented the damage on Staten Island by over-browsing of deer to the point where few new trees are surviving past the seedling stage. Oak trees, for example, were heavily browsed. With no new trees growing, the future of our Greenbelt and other forests is at risk.
 
Evidence was also presented about how deer over-browsing on native plants and berries on the forest floor can collapse the woodland ecosystem and invite unwanted invasive species of plants. We can halt this rapidly growing threat, but we are running out of time.
 
Many of the 400 attendees were members of Protectors of Pine Oak Woods and the Greenbelt Conservancy, two of Staten Island’s leading conservation organizations. Also in attendance were students and teachers from Staten Island schools and many concerned citizens.  This was the first major briefing for Staten Islanders on this topic.
 
We were fortunate to have three experts present their work at the forum. Dr. William McShea, Research Ecologist from the Smithsonian Institute’s Conservation Ecology Center, spoke about the pressures on forests in the entire Northeast/Mid-Atlantic from overpopulation by white-tailed deer, which reach unhealthy densities as natural predators like bears, cougars and wolves have been removed from ecosystems. 
 
Dr. Susan Elbin, NYC Audubon Director of Conservation and Science, followed with a presentation focused on the impacts on forest birds when native plants are over-browsed and supplanted with invasive species.
 
Ken Scarlatelli, NYS DEC Regional Natural Resources Supervisor, provided field evidence on the effects of over-browsing by deer in Staten Island’s forests – particularly on State lands. To view the PowerPoint presentations given by the listed presenters, please visit our website here.
 
The Borough President put together this forest ecology forum to educate and inspire Staten Islanders to join our call for action. To make a change, Staten Island residents who care about forests need to be active voices in future management decisions.
 
At the Forum, Borough President Oddo stated that we collectively want to hear ideas on addressing the problem: “I publicly have stated that I support a highly managed and monitored cull which is the only way to immediately and humanely reduce the deer population – an approach that is done effectively throughout New York State and the Northeast…but I also invited Staten Islanders to offer alternatives that will help reduce the deer population to safe levels and protect the forests.”
 
Borough President Oddo emphasized that we did not want to draw battle lines on this issue of deer management, but rather collectively discuss the options, using science-based facts as our guide.
 
A panel discussion followed led by the College of Staten Island’s biology and environmental science departments. Those on the panel included:
 

• James Oddo, Staten Island Borough President
• Dr. William McShea, Research Ecologist, Smithsonian Institute’s Conservation Ecology Center
• Dr. Susan Albin, Director of Conservation and Science, NYC Audubon
• Ken Scarlatelli, Regional Natural Resources Supervisor, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Region II)
• Cliff Hagen, President, Protectors of Pine Oak Woods
• Dr. Bonnie Johnson Fritz, Board President, Greenbelt Conservancy
• Neophytos A. Antoniades, Ph. D, Professor and Chair, Engineering & Environmental Science Department, College of Staten Island
• Chang-Hui Shen, Ph. D, Professor and Chair, Biology Department, College of Staten Island
• Patti Rafferty Chief, Resource Stewardship, Gateway National Recreation Area
• Dr. Susan Booth-Benczik, Wildlife Biologist, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• Kristy King, Director of Natural Areas Restoration & Management, Forestry, Horticulture, & Natural Resources, New York City Parks Department

 
Panel members answered audience questions about deer and the state of Staten Island’s forests, issuing a call to action to Staten Islanders to be active voices in future management decisions.

One important take-away from this forum is that -- to care about animals, we have to care about the ecosystems in which the animals live. Otherwise we are fooling ourselves. The animals will starve and disappear if their habitat is compromised. This is a complicated issue but clearly there is a great deal of passion to slow the steady denuding of our Greenbelt, our parks and our woodlands.

Kicking off TCS New York City Marathon week, BP Oddo joined with The Trust for Public Land, New York Road Runners, borough officials, students, teachers and families to open a new playground at P.S. 32 The Gifford School in Great Kills. The student-designed playground will give thousands of residents a safe, green space to exercise, convene, and recreate within a 10-minute walk of home. The P.S. 32 playground is made possible by a partnership with  New York City Councilman Joe Borelli, New York Road Runners, and The Trust for Public Land.
 
Before the official ribbon cutting, audience members were treated to special performances by the student chorus who sang "A Million Dreams" and the dance team who performed to "Can't Stop the Feeling."

“I am grateful for the chance to cut the ribbon on this new playground at PS 32, a project that will allow young people the ability to do what they need to in order to have success in the classroom: be active,” noted Borough President Oddo. “Play, and exercise, and recess, and breaks, are not obstacles to the education of our kids. They are not time taken away from instructing them, and thus time taken away from learning. Rather, they should be seen for what the science shows them to be: integral parts of improving cognitive function, and yes, of learning.”
 
The $1 million Staten Island playground will provide nearly 8,000 residents with a new park within a 10-minute walk of home and amenities including running track, turf field, basketball hoops, a volleyball court, benches, and play equipment. In addition to serving students, all playgrounds in New York City are open to the public on weekends, after school, and during school breaks, providing opportunities for both children and adults to be physically active.
 
The park was designed by students through The Trust for Public Land’s New York City Playgrounds Program, helping them gain valuable knowledge and life skills like budgeting, negotiation, and environmental science. Since 1996, working with the City, The Trust for Public Land has designed and/or built more than 200 school and community playgrounds across the five boroughs.
 
In addition to exercise and recreational amenities, the parks has green infrastructure elements like trees and pervious pavers that help build New York City’s resistance to major storms, capturing up to an inch of rainwater in storm event. These features reduce stormwater runoff that can flood streets and overwhelm sewer systems, allowing untreated water to end up in rivers and bays. Each playground absorbs hundreds of thousands of gallons of water annually and includes 20-30 new trees that bring shade and better air quality to their neighborhoods.

​Congrats, PS 32!
 

​Warnings by biologists that Staten Island’s forests are facing a severe threat from over-browsing and invasive species have prompted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Borough President James Oddo to partner with the College of Staten Island, the Greenbelt Conservancy and the Protectors of Pine Oak Woods to present a Forest Ecology Forum on Tuesday, November 19th, 2019. The free forum, which is open to the public, will take place at The Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island beginning at 7pm.
 
The State DEC has documented severe damage on Staten Island’s state-owned parks and natural areas from over-browsing to the point where few new trees are surviving past the seedling stage. With fears that Staten Island’s vaunted woodlands could be experiencing its greatest threat, Borough President Oddo is encouraging Staten Islanders to attend this educational forum.
 
Dr. William McShea, Research Ecologist from the Smithsonian Institute’s Conservation Ecology Center, will be a guest speaker at the forum, along with Ken Scarlatelli, NYS DEC Regional Natural Resources Supervisor, and Dr. Susan Elbin, NYC Audubon Director of Conservation and Science. A panel discussion will follow led by the College of Staten Island’s biology and environmental science departments.
 
In presenting evidence of the damage to our forests, the goals of the forum include: raising public awareness about threats to the health and survival of forests and native wildlife; learning from leading ecologists about the cause of decline in forest health; exploring a range of remedies and how individuals and groups can help develop and implement them; and engaging Staten Island residents who care about forests and will be active voices in future management decisions.

​Borough President James Oddo sponsored a Lyme Disease Awareness Forum on Monday, June 17th. This free event took place at 7pm at Wagner College (1 Campus Road) in a Spiro Hall lecture room. Over 150 Staten Islanders came out to learn how to protect themselves and their loved ones from ticks and Lyme disease. After having to reschedule in May due to inclement weather, we were extremely pleased to hold a standing room only event.
 
“Our quest to mitigate the growing number of Staten Islanders suffering from Lyme disease is being fought on many fronts, and educating the public about the disease and how it is spread is a vital step. We will continue to raise awareness on this topic because it is real and it is affecting Staten Islanders,” said Borough President Oddo.
 
At the forum, researchers from NYC DOHMH presented an update on their surveillance measures with statistical updates on the incidence of Lyme disease cases in New York City and on Staten Island as well as information on the black-legged ticks that are vectors for the disease. Borough President Oddo was pleased to hear their tick surveillance has been increased from 14 to 24 sites in parks across our borough and that they will be implementing Met52 in their tick control measures, a fungus based approach that kills ticks without hurting any other invertebrates.
 
Maria Diuk-Wasser, Associate Professor and Researcher at Columbia University, presented information on how exactly ticks get around and where people are exposed to ticks. Can you guess how ticks ‘move’ around parks in New York City? That’s right – deer. Deer are where ticks meet and reproduce. She stressed that connectivity is key, as only parks close to other parks in NYC have ticks. Parks surrounded by vegetation and are more connected to others by habitat corridors have more ticks infected with the Lyme bacteria. We continue fight for ways to control the deer population to also reduce the tick numbers and Lyme cases on Staten Island.
 
Attendees also heard from Dr. Christopher J. Pappas, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Manhattanville College, who talked about what attracts the different types of ticks we have on Staten Island, how to avoid them and prevent tick bites, as well as do’s and don’ts on tick removal. Among many tips, one that stuck out: make sure to put clothes in the dryer, not the washer to kill ticks. Drying ticks out kills the ticks.

Dr. Ernest Visconti, pediatric infectious disease specialist, moderated a question and answer period with the audience following the pretensions.

Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School tabled at the event showing their school projects to educate Staten Islanders on how to protect themselves from ticks and Lyme disease. 
 
Here is the link to the PowerPoint presentations from the forum: http://www.statenislandusa.com/lymeforumslides.

Borough President James S. Oddo’s Office of Tourism and Cultural Affairs is pleased to announce the launch of a FerryAds campaign for VISIT Staten Island in partnership with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and Destination St. George. The campaign launched May 1 and is slated to run through June 2019.

In December 2018, VISIT Staten Island’s new brand was announced to encourage residents to explore their own backyard and take advantage of the programs and events that are found so close to home. Now, this brand can be seen in advertisements located on the Staten Island Ferry boats and the digital screens in the Whitehall and St. George Ferry Terminals along with images of Staten Island locations and cuisine.

Funding for this ad campaign was made possible from a Market New York grant from Empire State Development/I LOVE NY, awarded through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, in partnership with the Borough President’s Office of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and Destination St. George.

ThoughtMatter, a Manhattan-based branding agency, designed the brand and fully captured the essence of Staten Island as a place where people live, work, and play. As part of the re-branding campaign, a new web site was created, and a series of creatives were done for advertising.

“This is the first-ever marketing campaign for VISIT Staten Island with its new brand and we couldn’t be happier with the messaging and visuals created by this team. We worked with local photographers Michael McWeeney and Lance Reha to capture the best of Staten Island,” said Jennifer Sammartino, Deputy Chief of Staff for Borough President Oddo, who oversaw the branding project. “This campaign is designed to give people a glimpse of what’s here on Staten Island and beckons visitors to go to our newly redesigned web site to learn more. I’m excited to see what the impact is.”

The brand’s placement on the Manhattan side will allow visitors to discover Staten Island before they take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, which is one of the most visited attractions in New York City with 90,000 riders daily. Because of the development on the borough’s waterfront, this office expects ferry ridership to increase, therefore exposing the brand to a larger audience.

“It was fun for the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce to be a part of creating a brand specific to Staten Island, the Unexpected Borough.  We all know Staten Island has so much to offer and it’s important to get the word out.  The launch of this advertising campaign serves as a great opportunity to highlight our cultural attractions, world class shopping and accommodations, restaurants, and so much more. Led by increased ridership on the Staten Island Ferry, tourism continues to grow on Staten Island and that influx of visitors will further enhance our local economy. The extra spending will result in increased jobs, wages, and tax revenues here in the borough,” said Linda Baran, President & CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce.

“Millions of visitors a year take the Staten Island Ferry.  We are proud to introduce to them the newly opened Empire Outlets and the North Shore’s world class cultural institutions,” said Travis Noyes, Chairman of Destination St George.
​
New York State Executive Director of Tourism Ross D. Levi said, "The ferry and its terminals are synonymous with Staten Island, and we hope that the new campaign encourages visitors to experience some of the attractions highlighted during this trip or during a return visit."
 
The Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office, under the direction of Sammartino, was created by BP Oddo in June 2017 to expose the numerous parks and cultural attractions on Staten Island. Known as the Borough of Parks, Staten Island has an extensive arts and culture community featuring 30 museums and art galleries that cover the entire borough. VISIT Staten Island was created back in 2009 to highlight Staten Island as a fun, family-friendly and historical destination to visit. With the revival of this brand, this office will continue to highlight the cultural value all the organizations bring to the borough. 

Borough President James S. Oddo is excited to announce the dates and lineup for his 2019 Summer Sunset Concert Series. All concerts will take place at 7pm, with the exception of August 1st where the concert will begin at 6:30pm. The Thursday night concert schedule is as follows:
 
June 27th—Lemon Creek Park (Seguine Avenue & Johnston Terrace) featuring Grounded 4 Life and Freepass
July 11th—Historic Richmond Town (441 Clarke Ave.) featuring The Black Ties
July 18th—Snug Harbor Cultural Center (1000 Richmond Terrace) featuring Anthony DeRoss and Joan Caddell and the Midnight Choir
July 25th—Conference House Park (298 Satterlee Street) featuring The Resistance
August 1st— United States Coast Guard Appreciation Night at Fort Wadsworth (210 New York Avenue), with a special thank you to our Military service members, featuring 42nd Division Infantry Band. *6:30PM START TIME*
August 8th—Westerleigh Park (Neal Dow Ave. and Maine Ave.) featuring Julia Gargano and JD & the All Stars
August 15th—Silver Lake Park (Forest Ave. at Haven Esplanade) featuring Cause and the Effects
August 22nd—Wolfe’s Pond Park (Cornelia Ave. and Chester Ave.) featuring Whiskey Tango Four and Saints in the City
 
A special concert with headliners Vito Picone and the Elegants and guests will take place on Saturday, August 17th at 7pm at Midland Beach Splaza (Fr. Capodanno Blvd. at Seaview Ave). Additionally, Back to the Beach will take place on Saturday, July 13th and Sunday, July 14th.
 
“We at Borough Hall are excited to offer this free entertainment series to Staten Islanders for another summer, while giving some of our homegrown talent a chance to show off their musical skills,” said Borough President Oddo. “This is a wonderful way for people to enjoy our Borough of Parks and experience some of the homegrown talent Staten Islanders have to offer. Good music should be enjoyed!”
 
The Summer Sunset Concert Series is sponsored by Borough President Oddo and Councilmembers Debi Rose, Steven Matteo, and Joe Borelli.
 
For more information, visit statenislandusa.com/sunset.

Borough President James Oddo will joined with NYC Department of Parks to hold a beach cleanup event in honor of World Oceans Day 2019 on Saturday, June 8th. A call to action was issued for Staten Islanders who are interested in cleaning up our beaches to join us at Conference House Park for a cleanup of the 3.5 miles of shoreline from 10am to 1pm.

104 Staten Islanders volunteered their time to join us, including students from IS 75, Port Richmond HS, Tottenville HS, PS 22, and PS 51. 

Cooling stations and restrooms were available. The cleanup at Conference House Park will featured tables with information from different environmental education groups and City agencies.

Below is video of Deputy Borough President Ed ​Burke showing the tremendous work our volunteers put in.  

Borough President James S. Oddo is excited to announce his office will once again host “Kids Day at the Carousel,” a free event for children and their families, on Sunday, June 2nd from 12 to 5pm. The event will take place at the Carousel for All Children in Willowbrook Park.

“We invite all Staten Island families to come out to Willowbrook Park for a fun day that kids of all ages will enjoy,” said BP Oddo. “Last year, hundreds of Staten Islanders came out to have a great day at the carousel, so I am happy to continue the fun this year.”
​
Rides on the carousel will be sponsored by the Borough President’s office. In addition to free carousel rides, the event will feature inflatable attractions, chalk art, crafts, and music. The Rock-A-Silly band will perform from 12:30-1:30pm. The New York Public Library will host story time at 2pm.

For the duration of the event, the Staten Island Zoo will have a table of animal presentations and the NYC Parks Play Mobile will be present with games and activities for children of all ages.