- [Joleene] Tonight on "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories" with Canada Day and Independence Day just around the bend, what better way to celebrate than to test your knowledge on these beloved holidays?

And how well do you know your birds?

Mark Manske of Adirondack Raptor educates the public on the value of these unique birds of prey.

Also, the Thousand Islands Land Trust is a space for the public to enjoy fresh air and peace.

We'll tell you how.

Your stories, your region coming up right now on "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories".

(authoritative music) - [Advertiser] "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories" is brought to you by the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, the JM McDonald Foundation, and the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

Additional funding from the New York State Education Department.

- Happy Independence Day, everyone, and welcome to this edition of "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories".

I'm Joleene DesRosiers.

Just about everyone knows why we celebrate Canada Day and why Americans celebrate Independence Day, but there's more fun wrapped up in lesser known facts.

Get your pencils ready.

We're about to test your knowledge on both these holidays.

(bright music) (festive music) - Little known Independence Day facts number one.

Not only were John Adams, our second president, and Thomas Jefferson, our third president, founding fathers who were instrumental in the independence movement and obviously important in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, but they also both died on July 4th, 1826.

And that's not interesting enough for you, though we didn't then die until 1831, James Monroe, our fifth president, also perished on that same day, July 4th.

Little known Independence Day facts number two.

While we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day, actually, the Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2nd.

The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was essentially to justify their decision.

Actually, John Adams told his wife, Abigail Adams, that he thought July 2nd would be the day that Americans of future generations would celebrate.

Little known Independence Day fact number three.

On July 4th, 1776, it's very likely only two people signed the historic document.

John Hancock, who most people know as the guy who had the giant signature, was the president of the second Continental Congress.

He signed the declaration that day.

He was joined by the secretary, Charles Thompson, who signed it also.

That was basically confirming that it was Hancock's signature.

It was not until August 2nd that most, but not all, of the delegates signed.

Little known Independence Day fact number four.

Thomas Jefferson was actually an alternate delegate to the Continental Congress.

Though we know Jefferson as playing a significant role in the revolution, he was not one of the seven delegates selected from Virginia.

Virginia, his home colony, was not lacking in prominent representatives.

Jefferson was not at the first Continental Congress either.

And he was a late arrival as an alternate delegate at the second Continental Congress.

Of course, he did join the others and the rest is history.

(instrumental music) - Little known Canada Day fact number one.

The name of Canada Day was only officially adopted in 1982.

After several failed attempts to change the name of the day from Dominion Day.

The change finally passed through the House of Commons on a hot July afternoon when the members of the House who were present decided to push a private member's bill through all three readings.

Little known Canada Day fact number two.

Although Dominion Day was first proclaimed by Canada's Governor General in 1868, the year after Confederation, it didn't officially become a holiday until 1879, because members of parliament from Nova Scotia objected to the first bill that would've made it an official holiday, feeling that their province had been forced into confederation against their will.

A decade later, those feelings had been smoothed over and the day officially became a holiday.

Little known Canada Day fact number three.

For decades, Dominion Day was celebrated with picnics and fireworks displays across the country.

But it wasn't until 1958 that the federal government under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker decided to organize major celebrations on Parliament Hill, starting a tradition in Ottawa that has lasted almost uninterrupted until the present day.

One major exception was 1976 when the events were canceled as a budget cutting measure.

Little known Canada Day fact number four.

Longtime "Jeopardy!"

game show host, Alex Trebek, co-hosted Canada's birthday celebrations on Parliament Hill in 1965, back when he was working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

He was fluent in both English and French, which was important for the show, which aired on both the CBC and Radio-Canada, the national public broadcaster's French counterpart.

(festive music) - Did we test your knowledge?

We hope we have.

Take these facts to friends and family and see how much they know about each holiday.

For "WPBS Weekly", I'm Joleene DesRosiers.

Also tonight, a story out of Franklin County, where birds of prey are front and center of various educational programs throughout the Adirondacks.

It's called Adirondack Raptors.

Spearheaded by founder Mark Manske, his mission is clear, educate the public about the importance of the birds and manage and conduct research in local raptor populations in order to preserve the species and the environment.

(bright music) (crowd chattering) (bird squealing) - [Joleene] They're loud, they're intentional.

- There she goes.

- And they're super popular with students in the north country.

They are raptors or birds of prey.

And there's a lot about these beautiful creatures you should know.

- A raptor is something that kills its prey with its feet, uses its feet.

So, when you think of a raptor, you think what?

Hawks, owls, eagles, falcons.

Birds of prey are spectacular anyhow.

They're the tops of food chains.

When you think about indicators, they indicate if the environment is having issues or not.

So, they're important to watch.

- [Joleene] Which is why Mark Manske, the founder of the educational service, Adirondack Raptors, is so passionate about teaching others why these often endangered birds need to be protected.

- Any raptor that feeds off rodents is limiting the population of rodents.

And rodents carry ticks.

So, that in itself is an important reason to have 'em.

And then, depending on the species, if people get frustrated, they're like, well, we're growing our food and we have all this chemicals on our food.

They say, with a barn now, we'll catch over a thousand mice annually if maybe we don't spray as much, but we leave a little habitat for the barn now.

The barn now's gonna be picking up the rodents that we're spraying the rodenticide on and it's more healthy for the environment, more healthy for us to do it naturally as opposed to using chemicals that we now got in our food and in the food chain.

Go like this.

You'd look okay with a patch.

(Joleene laughing) - [Joleene] Funny guy.

Mark moves to different schools and organizations, teaching students and adults alike the power of preservation.

Jenna Audlin is just one of many who are mentored by Mark.

Known in the world of raptor rescue as a Gaboon, Jenna shadows Mark to different events just as eager to help educate the north country on these beautifully intelligent creatures.

That is when they're not interrupting her.

- About their... (Jenna laughing) What are you doing?

(Mortimer croaks) - [Joleene] She's holding Mortimer, a Harris hawk.

Native to North America, Mortimer has a specific job when he goes out with Mark and Jenna, as an animal ambassador.

- Animal ambassadors are animals that help people learn more about their species.

So, Mortimer here helps people learn about Harris hawks.

Winnie, who we were looking at earlier, helps people learn about barred owls and what's unique about their species.

- [Joleene] Learning about these birds of prey and how important they are to the environment is key to keeping their population intact.

- Raptors in general, they say about 50% of raptors are having issues, are having issues, their populations are starting to drop, just like all creatures in the world right now.

If you look in Northern New York the short-eared owl is endangered.

Goshawks were starting to wander about.

Northern harriers are threatened.

So, there are certain species that are affected more than others.

- I think most people don't realize that animals like this, you can find it even in your backyard.

It doesn't take... You don't need to be a fancy ornithologist or anything to learn about animals like this.

- [Joleene] DDT, other harmful chemicals, the shutdown of farms, and urban sprawl all continue to lowering the population of these birds.

Right now, the kestrel population is in trouble.

Kestrel are grassland species.

To help them survive, volunteers like Mark and Jenna help build small houses or cavities for them to nest and distribute them throughout the forests.

Aside from that, they tag birds to monitor the population and rescue any that might be hurt or in trouble.

Beyond that, the rest is up to us.

Do you think when you're educating that they can carry the message to do exactly what you said?

To try to leave parts of our world intact for these species?

- We really gotta, we have to.

I mean, if we don't, if they're in trouble sooner or later, we're in trouble.

- In Franklin County for "WPBS Weekly", I'm Joleene DesRosiers.

For more information on Adirondack Raptors and their educational programs, please visit adirondackraptors.org and click on programs.

More nature tonight as we talk connecting with nature as critical to the health and wellbeing of every living thing on our planet.

Walking trails, taking in fresh air, enjoying the sunshine, these are all things we should be able to enjoy.

And thanks to the Thousand Islands Land Trust in Clayton, they're on a mission to make sure we can do all of these things.

(bright music) (birds chirping) (calm music) - TILT stands for the Thousand Islands Land Trust and we actually were started back in 1984.

And really, it was the result of a passionate group of year-round residents and part-time residents here in the Thousand Islands, specifically on Grindstone Island.

And they felt that there just was a need for an organization that would help our region strike a balance between the built world and the natural environment.

- So, we've worked really hard to conserve special landscapes in the Thousand Islands.

To us, that means areas that are critical in the environments and for water quality and air quality.

We also pay special attention to important plants and animals.

And obviously, most of these special landscapes are very beautiful.

What's really important here is that we are in the heart of the A2A which is the Adirondack to Algonquin migratory path.

We're also right in the middle of the Atlantic Flyway.

So, these landscapes are really important for numerous species as well as for our own enjoyment.

- [Narrator] The Thousand Islands Land Trust owns, manages, and conserves approximately 12,000 acres, a combination of fee ownership properties, and conservation easements.

- So, we have 10 signature preserves as part of the Thousand Islands Land Trust.

These preserves are open and free to the public year-round.

They consist of a variety of different landscapes from rocks and shoals in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, to the beautiful Zenda Farms Preserve behind me.

Our preserves include walking trails and there's often educational signage and pamphlets available to give you a really interesting perspective not only on the flora and fauna found at that preserve, but also the history.

- When you look at the organization's mission, while we focus on on the ground land conservation, public recreation is a really important aspect of what we do.

It gets people out on the land, engaging with the mission and nature.

And a perfect example of that is Potter's Beach.

Potter's is the largest naturally occurring sand beach on the US side of the Thousand Islands.

And in the summer season, it's visited by thousands of beachgoers and boaters.

- [Narrator] With so many boaters using the beach comes the challenge of keeping the property clean.

The Thousand Islands Land Trust, along with the Potters Beach Advisory Committee, consisting of residents of Grindstone Island, often clean up any debris or items left by beachgoers.

And in the fall, TILT holds their annual Potter's Beach Cleanup Day.

TILT also monitors the property to ensure that rules such as no overnight camping or campfires are being followed.

(transition music) - So, Zenda Farms is one of our more well-known signature preserve.

A signature preserve is a specific property that really embodies every aspect of our mission, from natural habitat to recreation, to protecting water quality, public access.

It really does capture and embody and represent the mission of the organization.

Zenda Farms itself was acquired by the Land Trust back in 1991.

And we originally acquired the property from LoisJean and John MacFarlane.

That came as a donation to the Land Trust with its iconic Jamesway buildings.

The Jamesway buildings are very unique and specifically on Zenda Farms.

This is the only complete set of Jamesway agricultural buildings specific to dairy left that we know of in the country.

And so, TILT worked with a group of individuals who specialized in the restoration of these types of barns.

(transition music) So, Otter Creek is one of our other signature preserves that's really well-known throughout the Thousand Islands.

It's actually located just outside of the village of Alexandria Bay, very accessible to not only the village and the community, but also to the schools.

That's one of the things that we really looked at when we began developing the Otter Creek Nature Preserve and Otter Creek Trail was accessibility to all people inclusive of our school systems.

And we felt it was important that while learning, living and learning in the classroom is critical to building knowledge of the next generation, but getting them outside and connected with nature and learning about the river ecosystem and why conservation in this region is so important.

- [Narrator] Visitors can expect to see a beautiful wooden overlook platform and a unique suspension bridge incorporated into the trail system.

Along the way, visitors are treated to incredible views of open grassland fields, wetlands, and Otter Creek.

The trails are, for the most part, rustic, but a portion of the trail is ADA accessible.

- And that was the other thing that we feel is very important to incorporate into all of our signature preserves and the trails that we build, especially moving forward, just making sure that they're accessible by all and that they're ADA compliant.

(transition music) - [Narrator] Fort Haldimand on Carleton Island is one of the more unique properties that TILT owns and conserves.

The British Fort was built in 1778 and occupied mostly during the American Revolution.

Between 150 and 700 British soldiers were stationed there at any given time until 1783.

- We don't provide public access to Fort Haldimand.

While we encourage public access to the majority of our preserves, especially our signature preserves like Crooked Creek, Otter Creek, Rivergate, Zenda Farms, and Grindstone Island, just this, the archeological significance of the fort.

We wanna be careful about any sort of disturbance that could damage or dislocate any of the artifacts that are currently there, whether subsurface or on the surface of the preserve.

Speaking with the archeological conservancy, it's actually one of the more untouched archeological sites in the Northeast.

(transition music) I think more and more, the importance of nature and natural properties, it's not just important to all the wildlife, the flora and fauna that call the Thousand Islands home.

It's also critical to the health and wellbeing, the overall quality of life of all of us who live here, humans.

There's more and more studies being produced that document the importance and the value that nature has on our state of mind.

And so, with everything that we have going on in the world, especially after the last couple years with COVID, it's really critical for people to be able to get outside, connected with nature, exercise, and just experience and benefit all the positive that nature can bring into our lives.

So, over the last three to four years, TILT has put a great deal of focus on ensuring that our trails are stewarded, that they're safe, that they're accessible, but also building out our trail systems.

The perfect example of that is the recent completion of the Rivergate Trail.

We actually took seven miles of old rail bed and converted them to all pedestrian trail, and even restored a 180-foot old train trestle.

- The thing that I love the most about my job is watching magic happen every day.

It's when I get to see a family engage with the landscape and you see the spark of wonder in children's eyes.

And parents see that spark within their children, and then they realize what a special place they have here.

- And you ought to see the people that are getting out there exploring it and just utilizing it for a peace of mind.

So, I think more and more, we're going to see people recognizing the importance of conservation, the outdoors, protecting the sensitive systems that we have, but also getting outside and enjoying them.

- To discover more about the Land Trust and how you can visit, type tilandtrust.org into your browser and begin planning a local trip today.

Finally, tonight, fresh to the music scene, Kingston's Luella curates soulful dream pop sounds, crisp vocals, and honest lyrics, tackling themes of love, loss of self, and lunar eclipses.

This father-daughter duo produced this next heartfelt original, "Old Conversations".

Enjoy.

(drum music) (participant clears throat) (footsteps pattering) (music faintly playing) ♪ I know outgrowing is just part of life ♪ ♪ But we've known each other since junior high prime ♪ ♪ I've turned a bit duller no longer crisp white ♪ ♪ But old conversations, now whats not to like ♪ ♪ I told you I have fine and I meant it ♪ ♪ But only sometimes ♪ ♪ 'Cause we both know that I can't lie ♪ ♪ This is a knot I can't untie ♪ ♪ Her sole is sweet, but so is mine ♪ ♪ Do you think of me when you look in her eyes ♪ ♪ This is a knot I can't untie ♪ ♪ I sit in the corner you leave me behind ♪ ♪ She's polished and pretty, yeah, your new friend shines ♪ ♪ And everyone loves you forget that I tried ♪ ♪ I guess old conversations can go out of style ♪ ♪ I told you I was fine and I meant it ♪ ♪ But only sometimes ♪ ♪ 'Cause we both know that I can't lie ♪ ♪ This is a knot I can't untie ♪ ♪ Her sole is sweet, but so is mine ♪ ♪ Do you think of me when you look in her eyes ♪ ♪ This is a knot I can't untie ♪ ♪ Little bit I'm told, but I can't fly ♪ ♪ This is a knot I can't untie ♪ ♪ Her sole is sweet, but so is mine ♪ ♪ Do you think of me when you look in her eyes ♪ ♪ This is a knot I can't untie ♪ ♪ I can't untie ♪ ♪ The shoe didn't fit ♪ ♪ The shoe didn't fit ♪ ♪ I can't untie ♪ - Before we head out for the evening, here's a look at different events happening in your region on both sides of the border.

(bright music) (crowd chattering) (upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) That does it for us this Tuesday evening.

Please join us next time for a fresh look inside the stories.

A reminder to small boaters out on the waterways, tips to keep you safe if you find yourself in trouble.

And some in our elder population may be dealing with Alzheimer's disease.

We'll let you know what signs to look out for.

Also, Kingston rock band, Kasador, shares their colorful lyrics about youth, memory, and relationships.

Meantime, if you have a story idea you'd like us to explore, we are all ears.

Drop us an email at wpbstv.org, and let's share it with the region.

That's it for now, everyone.

Have a great night and we will see you soon.

- [Advertiser] "WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories" is brought to you by the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, a free resource offering confidential business advice for those interested in starting or expanding their small business.

Serving Jefferson, Lewis, and Oswego counties since 1986.

Online at watertown.nysbdc.org.

Additional funding provided by the JM McDonald Foundation, the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation, and the New York State Education Department.

♪ Is mine ♪ ♪ Do you think of me when you look in her eyes ♪ ♪ This is a knot I can't untie ♪ ♪ I can't untie ♪ ♪ I sit in the corner you leave me behind ♪ (bright music)