Friends of Buttonhook Forest Inc.

06/07/2026

06/05/2026

World Environment Day ‼️Today Friday, June 5. With temperatures reaching 90F today, please talk to your friends and family about the many climate actions we need to push for - from saving our local ecosystems like Buttonhook Forest, protecting clean water, curbing plastic pollution to lobbying our government representatives to uphold and expand renewable energy.
The official 2026 campaign is focusing on the urgent need for Climate Action to combat rising global temperatures and accelerate the green energy transition.
Global Climate Action: Emphasizes pushing past climate delays and focusing on positive tipping points, such as renewable energy expansion and urban redesign.
Ecosystem Restoration: Highlights the interconnected relationship between conserving biodiversity, preserving nature-based sinks, and reaching net-zero.
Sustainable Living: Promotes everyday eco-friendly practices ranging from energy-saving home modifications to reducing waste and plastic pollution.

Thank you to our student ambassador Charlie Van Schaick .vanschaick for the creation of these images.

05/23/2026

Buttonhook Forest celebrates International Day for Biological Diversity. 22 May is a reminder to the world that we cannot survive without biodiversity. This year’s theme, ‘Acting locally for global impact’‼️
With this in mind it is so important to identify our local forests and wetlands that house and protect our local biodiversity‼️
Climate change is a major driver of biodiversity erosion, and loss of biodiversity also accelerates climate change processes, as the capacity of degraded ecosystems to assimilate and store CO2 tends to decrease. Humanity therefore has a global responsibility to address these two challenges and the interactions between them.

With 1 million animal and plant species threatened with extinction International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) becomes more vital with each passing year.
But it’s not just about protecting the huge variety of species on Earth. Biological diversity, or biodiversity, forms the web of life that we depend on, says the United Nations (UN). Over 80% of our diet is provided by plants; 3 billion people get 20% of their protein from fish, while 8 in 10 people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on plant-based medicines.
The loss of biodiversity is therefore a direct threat to human health.

05/22/2026

Buttonhook Forest celebrates International Day for Biological Diversity. We cannot survive without biodiversity. This year’s theme is ‘Acting locally for global impact’‼️
With this in mind it is so important to identify and protect our local forests and wetlands that house our local biodiversity‼️
With 1 million animal and plant species threatened with extinction, International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) becomes more vital with each passing year.
But it’s not just about protecting the huge variety of species on Earth. Biological diversity, or biodiversity, forms the web of life that we depend on, says the United Nations (UN). Over 80% of our diet is provided by plants; 3 billion people get 20% of their protein from fish, while 8 in 10 people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on plant-based medicines.
The loss of biodiversity is therefore a direct threat to human health.
Thank you to our student ambassador Charlie Van Schaick .vanschaick for the creation of this post images.

05/22/2026

‘Tis the season! Quick source for a wildlife rehabber is https://www.ahnow.org

05/20/2026

Buttonhook Forest provides important habitat for bees and other pollinators.
A new study estimates that one-third of our native bee species are forest specialists, heavily relying on the canopy, leaf litter, and spring ephemeral wildflowers. These vital pollinators generally fall into solitary ground-nesting, cavity-nesting, and social bumblebee groups, emerging in early spring to forage and reproduce.

Mining Bees (Andrena): These are vital early-spring pollinators. Many, like the Spring Beauty mining bee, are forest specialists that emerge in March and April specifically to forage on spring ephemerals, nesting in the undisturbed soil beneath the trees.
Bumblebees (Bombus): The most recognizable social native bees. Forest bumblebee queens overwinter in natural cavities or beneath deep forest floor leaf litter, later emerging to establish colonies in abandoned rodent burrows.
Mason Bees (Osmia): Solitary, cavity-nesting bees that lay their eggs in hollow twigs, beetle burrows, or dead snags. They are extremely efficient pollinators that collect pollen on their bellies.
Sweat Bees (Lasioglossum): A diverse family of metallic and dark bees. While many are habitat generalists, some species thrive in the mature, shaded canopy of Northeastern forests.
Carpenter Bees (Ceratina and Xylocopa): Small and large carpenter bees that construct their nests in pithy stems, dead branches, and decaying wood.

Thank you to our student ambassador Charlie Van Schaick .vanschaick for the creation of this post images.

05/19/2026

An Event to Share:

Past, Present & Future of Our Forests and What We Can Do for Them
Location: Siuslaw Model Forest, 6055 Rt 23, Acra, NY
Date/Time: Sunday, Jun 7 from 1 pm to 3 pm
Cost: $25

Join us for a woodland walk at the Siuslaw Model Forest with a sensory immersion that deeply observes slow processes happening within the forest, while considering the relationship between our own lives, communities, and the forest. We will explore how this relationship can be mutually healing through simple hands-on tasks we can do in our local forests. We'll focus on awareness and the nuances of issues such as invasive species, deer, and forest pests and diseases. This walk will be led by Annabel Roberts-McMichael of Tend & Gather Forestry Practice.

Register at Eventbrite:

Join us for a woodland walk with a forester. Explore the relationship between humans and the forest.

05/15/2026

On Friday, May 15, and throughout the month of May, Buttonhook Forest celebrates the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Buttonhook Forest homes 2 endangered bat species: the Northern Long Ear Bat and the Indiana Bat.

The Tricolored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus) has also experienced severe population drops (around 98%) and has been formally proposed for endangered status by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Passed in 1973, the ESA provides protection for thousands of vulnerable species and the habitats they need to survive. The Act has been an incredible success: it has prevented the extinction of more than 99% of the species under its protection and facilitated the return of icons like the Bald Eagle and the American Alligator. However, despite its success, the ESA has long been targeted by politicians who oppose goals to protect wildlife.

Thank you to our student ambassador Charlie Van Schaick for the creation of this post’s images.

05/10/2026

🌷 As we celebrate Mother’s Day this month, the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network is honoring, celebrating, and standing hand-in-hand with mothers and matriarchs around the world rising up and caring for communities, the planet, and our collective future!

🌎 We also honor and appreciate Mother Earth, for all her life, care, nourishment, and beauty that she provides. Protecting our collective home and recognizing ourselves as part of Nature are essential as we work to build a liberated and flourishing world!