River Wildlife can Count on Delaware Engineering

Every year, hundreds of volunteers help DEC scientists and naturalists collect data on the fish, wildlife and plants along Hudson River tributaries, and this year, Delaware Engineering Senior Environmental Scientist Tracey Ledder volunteered to aid in the annual Eel Count. Each spring, teams of scientists, students, and volunteers collect glass eels during their 8-week migration from the Atlantic Ocean onto the Hudson River watershed. Using specialized nets and traps, the tiny, young eels are counted, weighed, and released. The project is coordinated by the DEC Hudson River Estuary Program and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, in partnership with NEIWPCC and Cornell University.

The eels are a crucial part of the local ecosystem – the juveniles are a food source for many species and the adults grow to about two feet in length, becoming predators. Because of the American Eel’s sensitivity to environmental change, the data collected by volunteers like Ledder can be used by scientists as a bioindicator for the overall health of the watershed.

To learn more, or to become a Community Science Volunteer, visit NYSDEC at www.dec.ny.gov/lands.

Bonadio Takes Steps to Fight Heart Disease

Members of the Bonadio Group’s Syracuse office recently participated in the American Heart Association’s 2023 Syracuse Heart Walk, part of an annual nationwide effort which brings more than one million people together to support a single goal - a world free of heart disease and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of all Americans, and heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. At the same time, congenital cardiovascular defects are the most common cause of infant death from birth defects. The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer organization dedicated to heart health.

In all, Bonadio’s efforts raised $16,000, which will go a long way in supporting the American Heart Association’s mission to fight for longer, healthier lives by funding lifesaving research, CPR training and more.