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Wild Parrots in New Jersey Need Your Help!

Please, folks -- it only takes a minute to send an e-mail message or make a call to one of the NJ reps listed below (many of whom already support the wild parrots but won't move without hearing a chorus of public support for our remarkable avian friends).

To All Friends of the New Jersey Wild Parrots:

Time is running out for Bill S1768, which seeks to de-list Monk Parakeets (aka Quaker Parrots) from New Jersey's list of potentially dangerous species.

There is only ONE date left in this session for the bill to be heard: January 6th! If it is not heard, the bill will die. The birds' status as "pests" will remain unchanged, meaning they can be eradicated at any time, and that their humane treatment is not ensured. It would also mean that we would have to start the legislative process all over again, beginning in the committees.

I have it on good authority that the bill may be heard, but the Senate Environment Committee needs to hear from us to make it happen.

Please take a minute of your time and send a letter to the Senators, whose names and contact info are listed below, and ask them to post Bill S1768 for a hearing.

Here is a sample letter you can copy and paste:

Dear Senator __________,

As a resident of __________, I urge you to post Bill S1768 for a hearing, and cast your vote to de-list Monk Parakeets from the potentially dangerous species list.

There is no evidence supporting their place on this list, and they bring many American citizens, like me, great joy.

As long as they remain on the list, humane treatment of the birds is not insured, and the birds can be indiscriminately killed. It is in your power to prevent this awful practice.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

__________

PLEASE send your letters and/or e-mail messages to:

Senator Richard Codey
Senate President
449 Mount Pleasant Avenue
West Orange, NJ 07052
Phone: (973) 731-6770
Fax: (973) 731-0647
E-Mail: SenCodey@njleg.org

Senator Bob Smith
Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee
216 Stelton Road, Suite E-5, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: 732-752-0770
Fax: 732-752-1590
E-Mail: SenBSmith@njleg.org

Senator Stephen Sweeney
Vice-Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee
Kingsway Commons
935 Kings Highway, Suite 400
Thorofare, NJ 08086
Phone: (856) 251-9801
Fax: (856) 251-9752
E-Mail: SenSweeney@njleg.org

Senator John Adler
1916 Route 70 East
Suite 3
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Phone: (856) 489-3442
Fax: (856) 428-1358
E-Mail: SenAdler@njleg.org

Senator Andrew Ciesla
852 Highway 70
Brick, NJ 08724
Phone: (732) 840-9028
Fax: (732) 840-9757
Email: SenCiesla@njleg.org

Senator Henry McNamara
191 Godwin Ave.
2nd Floor
P.O. Box 68
Wyckoff, NJ 07481
Phone: (201) 848-9600
Fax: 201-848-0378
E-Mail: SenMcNamara@njleg.org

Your letters and calls count! The Senators need to hear from you (even if you do not live in NJ) to determine if this bill is important to their constituents and other states with populations of wild Monk Parakeets, so please make the effort to contact them! Send an e-mail, a letter, a fax, or call today--before it is too late! Your voice matters!

Please forward this info to anyone you think may want to help.

Thank you, in advance, for your kind efforts to save Edgewater's wild parrots.

Alison Evans-Fragale RN, MSN, CFNP,CLNC
Founder
Edgewater Parrots.com
Phone: 646-345-3424
alison@edgewaterparrots.com

News and Events:

• NY1 News Story
• NBC News Story

Upcoming Tours - see below!

Our bill is now in front of the Senate as Bill S1768.

This audio clip is from a live broadcast on WVOX, hosted by Art Zuckerman of the Z Travel and Leisure Show.

Interviewed were Alison Evans-Fragale, Founder of Edgewater Parrots, Mayor Merse of Edgewater, Dr. Joanna Burger of Rutgers, Steve Baldwin of BrooklynParrots.com, Deborah Alperin with Beni, the Monk Parrot...on WVOX!

Check out the video from the 3/31/07 tour described below.

A Special Tour of Edgewater's
"Big Flock" of Wild Parrots:
Sunday, 12/16/07

Edgewater Parrots Team menbers Alison Evans-Fragale and fellow parrot partisan Steve Baldwin are guiding a tour of Edgewater's incredible big flock of wild Quakers this weekend.

If you're interested, please meet us at Memorial Park (aka "Parrot Park") at 12:00 Noon.

Memorial Park (AKA "Parrot Park") is located at the intersection of Route 5 and River Road in Edgewater, NJ directly across the street from the new Edgewater ferry landing.

If you are planning on driving and prefer to get your own directions or have GPS, the closest landmarks to Parrot Park are:
--Admirals Walk Condominium at 1055 River Road Edgewater , NJ 07020 and
--Pizza on the Edge pizzeria at 19 State Rt. 5, Edgewater , NJ 07020 .
Memorial Park (and parking) is across the street from both landmarks!

To get to this location from Manhattan , go to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and board NJ Transit Bus #158. The buses leave every hour on the half hour, beginning at 8:30 AM. The bus takes approximately 30 minutes when the traffic is light, as it should be on Saturday morning. The fare is $3.10 each way; you can buy your ticket at a machine or on the bus with no penalty. Ask the driver to let you off at the Edgewater ferry stop, just south of Admirals Walk Condominium.

NY Waterway does not provide weekend service to the Edgewater ferry landing; however, you can take the ferry from the Manhattan to Weehawken . The ferry departs from 39th Street at the Westside Highway and arrives at the Port Imperial ferry landing in Weehawken , located just a few miles south of Edgewater A one-way ticket costs $6.00 and includes free bus fare in Manhattan ! To see the NY Waterway ferry schedule to Weehawken , CLICK HERE. Once on the New Jersey side of the Hudson , you can catch the #158 bus (see above) or take a taxi to " Parrot Park ".

This tour is a free walking tour through downtown Edgewater. The distance covered is approximately 1/2 mile on flat terrain, suitable for people of all ages. Part of the tour does include climbing a flight of steps to the famed "Big W" tree, but access is also available by car, if necessary. There are rest room facilities provided along the way. When you RSVP for the tour, please let me know of any special needs you may have, and I will do my best to accommodate you.

Please RSVP , so that we have an idea how many people to expect. We may conduct more than one tour, if necessary. I hope you can make it!

Alison Evans-Fragale
Founder
EdgewaterParrots.com
alison@edgewaterparrots.com
646-345-3424

The phrase, "More research is needed" must never become a eupemism for failure to act!
Sign our petition at: www.petitiononline.com/njparrot/petition.html

URGENT!
Bill S1768 must be heard before May; otherwise, will have to start all over again beginning in the State Assembly!
Please contact the members of the Senate Environmental Committee listed below. Tell them that Monk Parakeets do not belong on New Jersey's list of "potentially dangerous" species and ask them to post Bill S1768 for a hearing before May!

Senator Bob Smith, Chairman
Senate Environmental Committee
SenBSmith@njleg.org
216 Stelton Road, Suite E-5
Piscataway, NJ 08854
732-752-0770

Senator Stephen M. Sweeney, Vice-Chair
Senate Environmental Committee
SenSweeney@njleg.org
Kingsway Commons
935 Kings Highway, Suite 400,
Thorofare, NJ 08086
856-251-9801

Senator Henry P McNamara
Senate Environmental Committee
SenMcNamara@njleg.org
P.O. Box 68,
Wycoff, NJ 07481-0068
201-848-9600

Senator John H. Adler
Senate Environmental Committee
SenAdler@njleg.org
231 Route 70 East,
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-2421
856 428-3343

Senator Andrew R. Ciesla
Senate Environmental Committee
SenCiesla@njleg.org
852 Highway 70,
Brick, NJ 08724
732 840-9028

Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Wild Parrots in New Jersey Need Your Help!
The wild parrots which live in New Jersey are a wild and impressive flock that has delighted many residents in the town of Edgewater, a borough just across the river from Manhattan's Upper West Side. But unlike their cousins in Brooklyn, the "Joisey Boids" live under a cloud created when the State of New Jersey labelled them a "Potentially Dangerous Species" back in the 1970's.

Alison Evans-Fragale, Founder of Edgewater Parrots and also one of the Brooklyn Parrot Society's boardmembers, has fought tirelessly alongside Edgewater's civic leaders to reform the laws in NJ to take account of the fact that these wild parrots pose no danger to human health or other animal wildlife, and after much work, she got the NJ Legislature to introduce a bill, A1237, which provides the removal of the monk parrot from the "Potentially Dangerous Species" list. On Monday, May 22nd, in a bi-partisan triumph, Bill A1237 was unanimously passed by the full Assembly.

Within the next few days, Bill A1237 will go before the Senate Environmental Committee as Bill S1768 (see: njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/S2000/1768_I1.HTM

Passage of this bill is not ensured (there are those who, for reasons of their own, find it convenient to label this gentle parrot "dangerous"). So please, if you'd like to do something nice for the wild parrots of New Jersey, please communicate your support for this bill to the following New Jersey Senators, all of whom are members of the Environmental Commitee:

On Monday, May 22nd, 2006, Bill A1237 was unanimously passed by the full Assembly!
77-0-0!

The March on Trenton - 3/10/06 The Edgewater Parrots crew and assorted experts, many of whom are one and the same, sat in on the NJ Assembly's Agriculture and Natural Resources committee hearing yesterday as they took up A1237. A1237 would remove Monk Parakeets from NJ's list of potentially dangerous species and give them the same protection afforded native species. I am THRILLED to announce that the committee approved the bill 5-0 and it will continue on its long journey to the Governor's desk. There was ample testimony in support of the bill, but the committee seemed most swayed by the chief argument that 30 years of experience have proven the birds don't belong on the list. That, and the committee was "obtunded" by letters and e-mails in favor of the bill. A functionary from the NJ DEP objected to the procedings on the basis that removing the birds was an administrative function, not a legislative one. He didn't get very far. Presenters were Assemblywoman Joan Voss, who introduced the group and guided it; Alison Fragale, who discussed efforts in Edgewater and gave the committee petitions with several thousand signatures; Michael Gochfeld, Phd, a Rutgers professor who studies Monks, who testified that they are neither an agricultural threat nor threat to other birds, and after 30 years are still mostly confined to Edgewater; Steve Baldwin, of www.BrooklynParrots.com and founder of The Brooklyn Parrot Society, who discussed how the law is different in NY and also described the potential for ecotourism; and Donna Dwyer, of www.CtQuakers.com who described the successful alternative nesting platforms constructed in Connecticut, as well using Connecticut's extermination campaign against the Monks as an example of what the NJ law would preven. The committee was interested and attentive. They asked questions. They viewed the photographs Donna brought along of the birds, the death squad carnage, and the birds using the platform in West Haven with interest and concern. They complimented the Edgewater Parrots team on doing their homework and on their informative presentation. They also congratulated Assemblywoman Voss for assembling such a great team. The vote to approve the bill was unanimous 5-0. Score ONE for the birds! We made it past hurdle # 1 in NJ. Thanks to all who helped and participated, whether by testifying or simply coming along for support! Bill A1237 now moves forward to the full Assembly for a vote.

Winter 2006

In a surprising last-minute compromise, reached between Public Service Electric & Gas and EdgewaterParrots.com, the utility company agreed to postpone planned nest teardowns in the town of Edgewater until March of 2006.

Pro-Parrot Cheers!

Wild parrots in Edgewater signalled their pleasure that their homes will be safe through the winter.

The teardowns, originally scheduled for this Thursday, would have affected pole-dwelling parrots living on River Road and on connecting roads in the Borough’s north end.

PSE&G, much to its credit, paid heed to Edgewater Parrots team member, Marc Johnson.

Johnson, a wild parrot expert and the Director of a Boston-based parrot-rescue called FosterParrots.com, suggested that the most humane way to control Edgewater's wild parrot population is for the utility company to remove nests in March, after the cold weather has passed but before the breeding season begins.

The victory is testament to the extraordinary efforts of EdgewaterParrots.com, who lobbied long and hard for a postponement, local political officials, and an enlightened management at PSE&G, which approached this difficult issue with an open mind.

Bill #A1237 is on the desks of New Jersey Lawmakers as we speak!

Alison Evans-Fragale, Founder of EdgewaterParrots.com, is hoping for another victory in the State Assembly this fall, when the NJ Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will hear bill # A1237. The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Joan Voss and Assemblyman Robert Gordon, seeks to remove the parrots from New Jersey’s list of “potentially dangerous” species.

This bill would provide that the Monk Parakeet (aka Quaker Parrot) shall not be considered or listed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), or any other state agency, as a “potentially dangerous species". The bill would also provide that any wild Monk/Quaker, including any nest or egg thereof, must be protected by the DEP, any other state agency, and any local government entity in the same manner, and to the same extent as any non game species of bird indigenous to the state.

EdgewaterParrots.com has an on-line petition in support of Voss and Gordon’s bill. The petition can be found on the home page of the Edgewater Parrots website: www.EdgewaterParrots.com

Letters in support of this Bill should be sent to:

The Honorable Assemblyman Douglas H. Fischer Chairman Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee 14 East Commerce St.
3rd Floor
Bridgeton, NJ 08302

See the "updates" section of our website for more info and a sample letter that you can copy and paste and send!

For more info, contact Ms. Evans-Fragale by e-mail at: Alison@EdgewaterParrots.com

    January 16, 2006

Bill is in 'Da House'

Bill #A1237 Which Seeks to Remove

Monk Parakeets (aka Quaker Parrots)From NJ's list of"Potentially Dangerous Species"

Has Made it to the Agriculural and Natural Resources Committee!

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE-coming soon!

   January 19, 2006

Alternative Nesting Platform is a Success!

Following a massive attempt by UI to

eradicate the wild Quakers along the

south shore of Ct., the survivors have

taken up residence in the "pre-fab condo" portion of the platform designed by Marc Johnson of Foster Parrots.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE-coming soon!

   January 20, 2006

Edgewater Parrots Founder gives Lecture in Local High School to Participants of Jane Goodall's "Roots and Shoots" Program 

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE-coming soon!

   January 21, 2005

Want to Help?

Write a Letter in Support of Bill #A1237!

Here is a sample letter you can copy and paste to send to the Chairman of NJ's Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee:

Sample letter:

The Honorable Assemblyman Douglas H. Fischer Chairman Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee 14 East Commerce St.
3rd Floor
Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Re: Bill #A1237

Dear Assemblyman Fischer:

This letter is to express my support for Bill #A1237, asking to remove Monk Parakeets (aka Quaker Parrots) from the list of  potentially dangerous species in New Jersey.

In the 1970's, when feral Monk populations became apparent in the United States, lawmakers became concerned that these populations would pose an agricultural threat, and a threat to other birds, so the parrots were placed on the list of “potentially dangerous species” for the purpose of monitoring their effects on crops and indigenous bird species. 30 years later, we now know that the wild Monks are neither agricultural pests nor menaces to indigenous wildlife populations.

Although the Monk Parakeet may be classified as an invasive species in warmer climates like Florida, this classification cannot be extrapolated at this time to the Monk parakeets of New England or northern climates in general.  Populations in northern geographic regions like New England and Chicago suffer from high annual winter mortality (death) rates due to severe winter weather.  Thus, while their numbers may increase significantly during the breeding season, they usually decline to a more or less stable baseline population number due to extreme winter mortality.

Population studies in Chicago report typical yearly figures that illustrate the point: In April 1992, Hyman and Pruett-Jones counted 64 birds and a total of 26 nests on power poles and one antenna tower in Hyde Park, a suburb west of Chicago. After the nestlings fledged in July, they counted a total of 143 birds, but after the winter of 1992-3, they counted only 95 birds in the same area (Hyman and Pruett-Jones 1995). The following websites provides more information on this species http://invasions.bio.utk.edu/invaders/monk.html, http://www.brooklynparrots.com/.

Given this information, Monk Parakeets cannot be unambiguously classified as an invasive species in the northern reaches of their distribution at this time.

If Bill #A1237 is passed, it will allow the Borough of Edgewater and other communities with wild Monk Parakeet populations to develop alternate nesting arrangements for the birds that they are currently prohibited from doing. It will also lead to a more productive relationship with the utility company, PSE&G, since PSE&Gs only recourse currently is destruction of the nests, eggs, and unfledged birds. Finally, and most important, it will prevent the indiscriminate, unnecessary killing of the birds that recently happened in Connecticut.

I ask only that you and your Committee please re-examine the classification of the Monk Parakeets in light of what is now known about them 30 years after they were placed on the list of “potentially dangerous species”.  

Thank you very much for your consideration, and I hope you will support Bill #A1237.

Want to Help Save the Wild Quakers in Ct?

Feel free to use any part of our open letter to UI (below).

Join us in the fight to save Connecticut's wild Quakers by signing the petition linked below.

Big News: Legislation Introduced in NJ Assembly!   Wild Quakers to be removed from Dangerous Species list and protected by DEP! Assemblywoman Joan Voss has come to the rescue of Edgewater's wild Quakers by introducing legislation in the Assembly on June 23rd, 2005 to remove the parrots from a state list of potentially dangerous species. The bill, which is now before the Assembly's Agriculture and Resources Committee, will not be considered until the fall because the legislature is moving to its summer recess. The legislation, also sponsored by Assemblyman Robert Gordon, states, "This bill would provide that the Monk Parakeet (aka Quaker Parrot) shall not be considered or listed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), or any other state agency, as a potentially dangerous species". The bill would also provide that any wild Monk/Quaker, including any nest or egg thereof, must be protected by the DEP, any other state agency, and any local government entity in the same manner, and to the same extent as any non game species of bird indigenous to the state.   Some other info - Coming Soon!

Permit from NJ F&W Should Arrive Soon! Allows Us to Rescue Birds Caught During Nest Teardowns Our permit from NJ F&W should arrive soon. Recently, we received a letter from New York State F&W, stating that they are willing to accept any live birds inadvertently captured during nest teardowns done by PSE&G! The letter was the final piece of information we needed to obtain the permit we need to allow Edgewater Parrots and our volunteer sanctuary, Arcadia Bird Sanctuary, to accept any live birds from PSE&G! Hopefully, the permit is forthcoming! Some other info

PARROT RESOLUTION PASSED IN EDGEWATER   Mayor and Council Ask for Humane Treatment of Edgewater's Quakers A resolution regarding the humane treatment of Edgewater's Quakers was unanimously passed at the last Mayor and Council meeting on June 20th! Thanks to the keen insight, intelligence, and compassion of Edgewater's Mayor, Nancy Merse, as well as the six Council members, Maureen Holtje, David Jordan, Neda Rose, Lois Fein, James Moriarty, and Valory Bardinas! The resolution reads as follows: WHEREAS the Borough of Edgewater Mayor and Council are concerned about the safe and humane treatment of our wild monk parakeets/aka Quaker Parrots; and WHEREAS these monk parakeets have been making nests in and around transformers located within the Borough; and WHEREAS PSE&G has menacingly removed these parakeet eggs and nests from local transformers without any consideration to the well being or humane treatment of these parakeets; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of Edgewater urges the New Jersey Fish &Wildlife to reclassify the Monk Parakeets and remove them from their dangerous species list: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Edgewater are reaching out to the Commissioner of the Board of Public Utilities requesting that PSE&G: 1) Treat the removal of these wild parrots/parrot eggs in a more humane fashion, including, but not limited to, activity during nest teardowns and 2) Include the monk parakeets with other avian in their fair treatment by Public Utility Companies in allocating resources researching methods to limit avian nesting on utility poles. Some other info

NEW BOOK ABOUT WILD PARROTS!   Tango In America Alison Evans-Fragale (founder of EdgewaterParrots.com) and Steve Baldwin (founder of BrooklynParrots.com) proudly announce their new book, Tango in America, available at Amazon.com. To purchase the book, click HERE. Based on real life events, Tango in America is a coming of age tale of a young female parrot, Tango, as she searches for her father, who disappeared years before in an avian mishap at JFK airport. According to one reviewer, it's "North By Northwest meets The Godfather, starring parrots!" Buy the book on Amazon

ARTIFICIAL NESTING PLATFORM IS A SUCCESS!   Quakers Building Nests in Phony Roost! Current NJ laws list Quaker Parrots as a "potentially dangerous" species, so they are not protected by law, but Alison was determined to work with PSE&G to time nest teardowns during a period when cold temperatures would not kill the birds and when eggs or young would not be present in the nests. PSE&G agreed to work with Edgewater Parrots, and nest teardowns were postponed. Local media coverage of the issue brought many volunteers who were willing to help, and Alison was invited to present the blight of Edgewater's parrots to Edgewater's Mayor and Council. Edgewater's Mayor, Nancy Merse was sympathetic and appointed Councilwoman Maureen Holtje to work with Edgewater Parrots, to insure the continued support of the local government. Edgewater Parrots devised a plan to save eggs and babies, victims of nest teardowns. We found a sanctuary in NJ, the Arcadia Bird Sanctuary, that was willing to be present at teardowns. We promptly applied for the permit that would allow us to receive baby birds rather than send them to the shelter to be euthanized. That permit is still pending at this writing, but we are hopeful that we will receive it soon. We held out asking for teardowns as long as we possibly could, still waiting for our permit, but after witnessing mating behavior in the Quakers, and knowing eggs would be present 21 days later, we called upon PSE&G to perform their nest teardowns on Monday, May 16th, when we knew babies would not be present in the nests. As hard as it was to make that call, we knew teardowns had to be done as soon as possible, since we had not received our permit, and we could not afford to wait any longer, since a delay in teardowns would mean that any eggs or babies in the nest would be destroyed. Ultimately, the best hope we have to prevent nest teardowns, destruction of eggs, and euthanization of babies is to create new legislation. We have enough evidence to create new laws that would protect our feathered friends and accommodate the interests of the power company. Edgewater Parrots is presently working with NJ officials and activists from other urban areas, with large populations of wild Quakers, to do just that.   Some other info

TOURS   Take a Tour to See Our Wild Parrots! If anyone is interested in taking a guided tour of Edgewater Parrots, contact Alison. You will get a rare glimpse into the lives of the wild ones at work and at play in many locations throughout Edgewater. Great photo ops, too! email Alison here

PARROT MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE FOR SALE! ONLINE STORE OPEN NOW!   Buy Online or in Some Local Stores! Edgewater Quaker paraphernalia is finally available for sale on-line! Some of the featured items are t-shirts, baseball caps, sweatshirts, mouse pads, buttons, bumper stickers, and coffee mugs! 100% of the profits will go toward funding the Edgewater Parrots campaign and providing a safe haven for our beloved green birdies. E-mail Alison at EdgewaterParrots.com to suggest items that you would like to see available for purchase, and she will do her best to make it happen! Visit our Store at CafePress.com/EdgewaterParrot

THANKS!   Without Your Support We Would Not Have Made It This Far! One more thing before we fly off! Thanks to all of you for your support and dedication! As Margaret Meade once said, "Never underestimate the ability of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world. Indeed, that's the only way it's ever happened". With your continued help and support, we will create new legislation in New Jersey to protect Edgewater's wild Quakers and set precedence to help enable other states with strict Quaker laws to do the same! email Alison here