By: Tommy Hall

The first ever successful captive holding program for Palauan Megapodes has concluded with a release of the birds to their home, Ngeanges Island. The success of the captive holding program is a major milestone for the restoration of the ecosystem on Ngeanges, and paves the way for future restoration work in Palaus stunning Rock Island Southern Lagoon.

The story began in May 2016 when we collaborated with the Koror State Department of Conservation and initiated the Ngeanges rodent eradication project. To safely carry out operations, we needed to house the islands sensitive native megapodes. To this end a planning committee was formed including Island Conservation, Palau Conservation Society, the Balau National Museum, and the Palau International Coral Reef Center. The group designed and built aviaries on a nearby island with careful consideration to create a habitat these birds would feel comfortable in. The Conservation Officers worked days and nights to capture megapodes from Ngeanges; they used a variety of different methods to safely trap the birds. Once they were transported across the lagoon on boat and placed in their aviaries, the birds were monitored and fed by the Koror State Rangers who worked around the clock to ensure the preservation of the Rock Islands.

During post-implementation monitoring, and on subsequent visits by our partners in Palau, the Department of Conservation and the Belau National Museum observed an apparent increase in the activity of megapodes on Ngeanges. There was no shortage of megapode sightings, and observers noted what they perceived to be more abundant signs of megapodes scratching through leaf litter and nest mound building activity. Although it is still too soon to confirm the long term success of the rat removal, these sightings could very well be due to the lack of competition from the invasive rats that abounded on the island only months before

There was no shortage of megapode sightings, and observers noted what they perceived to be more abundant signs of megapodes scratching through leaf litter and nest mound building activity.

Megapodes are fascinating birds; the subspecies we are working with is endemic to Palau and listed as Endangered. The name is descriptive of the massive size of their feet and legs in comparison to the size of their body. They use their powerful feet to build giant nest mounds on the forest floor by kicking soil and leaf litter into a pile that sometimes exceeds six feet in height!

The females lay and bury their eggs in a hole that they dig into the center of the mound. The egg is then incubated by the heat produced by the microbial decomposition of the leaf litter. When the chicks hatch, they dig their way out of the mound and are on their own to fend for themselves. They must forage for food alone and one day build nest mounds of their own.

Megapodes share their island home with a variety of wildlife; the forest is flush with songbirds, Palau Fruit-doves, terns, fruit bats, Emerald Tree Skinks, and the occasional nesting sea turtle.This project marks a huge success for Island Conservation and our work in Palau in both restoration and capacity-building.

This project marks a huge success for Island Conservation and with our partners in Palau in both restoration and capacity-building.

We are excited to keep the momentum going and we are already making progress towards planning a rat eradication on the main island of Kayangel Atoll in the North of Palau.

Featured photo:Micronesian Megapode on a branch. Credit: Island ConservationVersin en Espaol/Spanish transcript

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Restoration Allows Megapodes to Return Home - Island Conservation News

Victoria Advocate

Running through hoops for Restoration House Ministries Victoria Advocate The 1,000 5K Obstacle Challenge Run was the first 5K hosted by Restoration House Ministries, a home and restoration program to help women struggling with drugs, alcohol and abuse. The Christian-based program helps women get back on track to a ...

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Running through hoops for Restoration House Ministries - Victoria Advocate

New York State is providing $3.7 million to the organization which has led an ongoing project to restore what was once the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed summer home of Darwin Martin and his family.

WBFO's Michael Mroziak reports.

The Graycliff Estate, located along the Lake Erie shoreline in the Town of Evans, was acquired by the Graycliff Conservancy in 1997 and has undergone a slow restoration. The exteriors of the house and garage, the latter of which has a second-floor apartment, were returned to their 1930slook for about $6 million.

The Conservancy is now working to restore the interiors of both structures.

"We have some minor interior work going on during our busy summer tourist season," said Robert Wooler, the executive director of the Graycliff Conservancy. "When we get to the fall and during the winter and then all through next year, we're going to be going methodically through the two houses and restoring all the surfaces."

Work on the interiors is estimated at $4 million. Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Hochulwas present to announce that most of it would be provided through Buffalo Billion II. She explained that by helping to complete the restoration, the Graycliff Estate would be ready to enhance the legacy of architect Frank Llolyd Wright and further secure Buffalo as a destination for tourists interested in Wright's work.

"Travel & Leisure named Buffalo as one of the top regions in the world for its premier architecture," Hochul said. "This is one of the gems. This is one of the jewels."

Tourism leaders echoed the Lieutenant Governor's thoughts. Patrick Kaler, president and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara, expressed his excitement at the increased draw a restored Graycliff Estate would be to those coming to enjoy Wright's other local works.

"With everything else that we have with the Darwin Martin House, with the boathouse, with the Blue Sky Mausoleum, this is truly going to make a very strong statement for those Frank Lloyd Wright aficionados, as well as people who come to Buffalo and Erie County for our architecture and history, to extend their stay," Kaler said.

The Darwin Martin House in Buffalo recently marked formal completion of renovations with the introduction of a replica two-sided fireplace. The restoration of Graycliff Estate is expected to be finished by November 2018.

Excerpt from:
Graycliff Estate to receive Buffalo Billion II money to complete restoration - WBFO

If you thought Christopher Nolans Batman movies looked good before, get excited because the director has confirmed that hes working on a 4K restoration of his The Dark Knight trilogy.Warner Bros. is in the thick of their new on-screen incarnation of the DC universe, butlots of folksare still loyal to Nolans Christian Bale-led version and rightfully so, its one of the best film trilogies of all time, so its a heck of a clever money-making move to get the director back on the Batman train for a new home video release.

Wth Dunkirk heading into theaters later this month, Nolan sat down for an interview with the folks atBadTaste.It(h/t Batman-News), where he discussed restoring his back catalogue to 4K and his enthusiasm process. His love for the cleaner images should come as no surpriseconsidering hes one of the last holdouts who stillinsists on shooting with film, and indeed, Nolan praises the new technology as a means of getting closer to the experience of a movie shot and projected on film.

Image via Warner Bros.

The wonderful thing about 4K technology is it gets closer to the resolution that we shot in film, he tells the outlet. Photochemically finished films of 35mm have at least 6K resolution, IMAX films, upwards of 18K. So as home video formats keep evolving, 4K particularly 4K with HDR, it allows us to give somebody at home an experience thats much much closer to what it was like to see the original film prints as projected on film.

Nolan also confirmed that he is very much personally involved with the restoration process, however, dont necessarily expect to see the 4K editions right away Its a long, complicated process that were doing right now, he said, but I think the results Im seeing are very pleasing and very spectacular. Watch what he had to say in the video below.

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Christopher Nolan Is Working on a 4K Remaster of 'The Dark Knight' Trilogy - Collider.com

The flood situation in the country continues getting worse. In 2016, the U.S experienced the worst floods yet and things are not looking up. There were 19 floods, a record high, and flooding is now ranked the top natural disaster in the country. Wherever you might be, you should know that no one is safe as the global weather patterns are expected to continue changing. After a flood, your safety and that of your family should be your priority, but afterwards, you have to start thinking about the safety of the property.

Many homeowners dont consider the risk of using a house that has recently been flooded. Such a house should undergo tests for structural integrity before being reoccupied. It is also important to hire a water damage expert for water extraction, mold and odor removal. Professional flood damage restoration makes your property safer to live in and you will also get additional services to protect you from the next flood.

With the demand for water damage services on the rise, there are many contractors who claim they offer the best services. As a homeowner who is desperate to reclaim their property, you might end up choosing the wrong people, which can lead to financial losses in future. To avoid this pitfall, below are some ideas to help you find the best flood damage service in your city:

You have to appreciate that flood damage repair is a technical project that should only be carried out by a licensed and certified contractor. The best contractor should be certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Look for an IICR- Cleantrust certified contractor for any kind of flood damage repair if you want to enjoy the best services. The IICRC is the gold standard for the industry and you can be assured of receiving the best services from the company.

There are different sources of referrals if you are looking for the best water damage restoration service. Talk to other property owners in your city to find a highly recommended service. If the water damage is covered under a particular policy, your insurance agent or adjustor should have a recommendation because they have been in this industry longer.

When it comes to flood damage, timely response is a must. The best home restoration contractor should have a 24/7 response team on call. This response team saves you a lot of money through quick inspection, water extraction, mold remediation and odor removal.

Your home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make and as such, you need only the best team working on it. In case of water damage, look for an experienced restoration service with a proven track record among property owners in your city. Go online and read reviews and testimonials before making a choice.

Other than being certified by IICRC, the best water damage restorations service should belong to industry associations such as Society of Cleaning and Restoration Technicians (SCRT), Restoration Industry Association (RIA) and the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) among others.

Tim Koebler is a Miami-based home improvement expert with over 34 years experience in the construction industry. He is also a flood damage restoration consultant in the city. Tim also restores classic cars for resale.

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5 Tips to Help You Find the Best Flood Damage Restoration Experts - Times Square Chronicles (press release) (registration)

Evidence of the lightning strikes damage can be seen inside the Midgett House. Photo: Contributed

Reprinted from the Island Free Press

RODANTHE Sometime during the night of Sunday, July 2, one of the favorite structures at the Chicamacomico Historic Site, the 1907 Midgett House, was hit by lightning.

The lightning strike connected with the original wiring in the home, which is not in use but still runs through the structure. From there, the effects of the strike trickled throughout the house, damaging the original panel box, causing old paint to shake loose from the walls and, most noticeably, destroying the original chimney.

Though there was no fire, the result of the strike was pretty damaging. Dinah Beveridge, the site manager, was the first one to see the home on Monday morning, as she was showing a new employee how to open the property for visitors.

One of the biggest challenges in the restoration may be the chimney.

It was a mess, she said. Weve got some renovation to do, for sure.

Now, the team at this historic Rodanthe landmark is working to collect donations to restore this popular 1907 residence, and reopen it for visitors.

We do need donations for this project, said John Griffin, president of the Chicamacomico Historical Life-Saving Station Board. (A lightning strike) was not in our budget for this year.

The Midgett House was donated to the Chicamacomico Historic Site in 2006 by residents Bette Gray and Trish Midgett, who also used their own money to have the original 1907 home moved to the site.

The home was an original keepers house for Palmer Midgett, who served at several stations throughout the island, and eventually became superintendent of all the stations on Hatteras Island later in his career.

This was the house he lived in, said Griffin. We furnished it as it would have been furnished in 1907 or 1908, and its a period piece. When people go through it, we tell them that this is how a well-to-do family may have lived at that time.

The home has two floors, featuring a total of four bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room.

All of the rooms are very small, said Griffin. They did originally have running water, but no toilet.

A keeper was a high and well-paid rank, so this was a nice home for the time certainly not the home of an average Joe, he added.

As part of the five structures that are found at the Chicamacomico Historic Site, including the main 1911 Life-Saving Station, the original 1874 Life-Saving Station and two cook houses, the Midgett House is a favorite component for many visitors.

The damage to the electrical panel is shown. Photo: Contributed

Before the July 2 lightning strike, visitors could tour the intricate home, which has been outfitted with all original touches, and could step back in time to a Hatteras lifestyle of generations ago.

And more often than not, this brief time travel trip brought back memories for many visitors.

So many people just love that little house, said Beveridge. Its beautiful, and its like many of the houses from the old days. People go through there and say I feel like I just got out of my grandmas house!

For now, the home is closed as the folks at the Chicamacomico Historic Site start plotting out repairs. But hopes are high that it wont be too long before the little house that everyone seems to love is up and running again.

While cleanup is a big aspect of the coming renovation process, there are some repairs and changes that arent as easy as applying a new coat of paint.

One of the biggest projects in the restoration may very well be the chimney.

We dont have a lot of brick masons on the island for fixing the chimney, said Griffin, But a local guy who is a concrete contractor will take a look, and will hopefully be able to put it back together with the original bricks that got knocked off.

Another step that the site is planning to take is to address the wiring. Theres no electricity to the home, but removing the wiring is slated to be part of the restoration work.

It was a house that didnt have an electrical hook-up, but had wiring in it, explained Beveridge. All electrical wiring needs to be pulled out of it safety first.

Mike Daughtry, the local Chicamacomico Banks Volunteer Fire Department chief as well as the vice president of the board, helped secure the site from further damage. He placed a tarp over the open chimney to prevent further damage.

We havent been able to assess all of the damage were still in the early stages, said Beveridge.

In the meantime, the Chicamacomico Historic Site and all other structures are open for business. Additionally, fliers are being posted throughout the villages and on social media in the hopes that donations will come in for the work ahead for the Midgett House.

People are fascinated by the house. They go through and say, My grandmother had a stove just like that! said Griffin. Its closed now, and were not going to open it until its ready, but were starting the process to get it fixed.

In the meantime, folks can donate in one of three ways:

Please note Midgett House on your donation.

This story is provided courtesy of the Island Free Press, a digital newspaper covering Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. Coastal Review Online is partnering with the Free Press to provide readers with more environmental and lifestyle stories of interest along our coast. You can read other stories about Hatteras and Ocracokehere.

It costs about $500 to produce this and all other stories on CRO. You can help pay some of the cost by sponsoring a day on CRO for as little as $100 or by donating any amount you're comfortable with. All sponsorships and donations are tax-deductible.

Joy Crist is a Hatteras Island resident since 1998 and a writer and columnist with the Island Free Press. Her work has also appeared in a number of regional Outer Banks and statewide websites and publications.

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Effort On to Repair Damaged Historic Home - Coastal Review Online

Lexington Herald Leader

'Jarmageddon' in basement. Snake in attic. Restoring family home like 'reality show.' Lexington Herald Leader Many of the jars turned out to be rare, so the Gregorys emptied and scrubbed out 1,123 of them, about half of which have been sold to collectors to help fund the restoration. The Gregorys also had to clear a lot of trees and bushes from around the house.

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'Jarmageddon' in basement. Snake in attic. Restoring family home like 'reality show.' - Lexington Herald Leader

Posted: Jul. 2, 2017 12:01 am Updated: Jul. 3, 2017 1:55 pm

QUINCY Preserves has stepped forward to help homeowners do exterior restoration on properties in any of Quincy's seven historic districts.

A new Private Home Facade Renovation Funding Program will provide a $1,000 matching grant for exterior restoration other than roofing. It serves as an option for homeowners who previously did not have any local support programs to access.

Quincy Preserves President Vicki Ebbing hopes the restoration grants will help homeowners maintain historically significant homes. Grant applicants must have been members of Quincy Preserves for at least 12 months, and homes must have been built between 1830 and 1950.

Quincy Preserves was formed in the mid-1970s as an outgrowth of the Quincy Society of Fine Arts. The organization has encouraged owners of historically and architecturally significant structures to restore and maintain the buildings in their original condition.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Quincy Preserves first facade restoration project at the former Pix Photo building at Seventh and Maine. Other properties that have benefitted from the facade program are at 111 Jail Alley, 833 Kentucky and 117 Hampshire.

A donation program also has helped nonprofit organizations maintain the History Museum at 332 Maine, the Quincy Museum at 1601 Maine and Villa Kathrine at 532 Gardner Expressway. Other restoration work has helped the Washington Theater, Woodland Cemetery and the Dr. Richard Eells House.

In addition, the Quincy Preserves Plaquing Program has presented bronze plaques to the owners of more than 100 homes, churches and other significant structures.

Clearly, Quincy is blessed with many historic sites and architectural treasurers, and Quincy Preserves has played a significant role in helping to safeguard those resources.

Moreover, the grant program for private homes will expand the group's outreach into historic neighborhoods. It also will boost the local economy by matching owner investments in exterior restoration projects -- doubling the work that might be possible for property owners with a tight budget.

Quincy Preserves continues to seek out new ways to help preserve architectural gems. This latest partnership with residential owners should pay dividends for years to come.

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Private home restoration the latest Quincy Preserves effort - Herald-Whig

For years, Jude Plum had kept tabs on the tiny old house next to his childhood home near Bryn Mawr Hospital. He remembered the hermit with the long, gray beard who died in the backyard. And how Plum had once read a line in a local history book that suggested the dilapidated little parcel on Haverford Road had once been special.

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But when the Main Line cosmetologist bought the squat eyesore out of pre-foreclosure four years ago, and removed five layers of exterior, he was shocked by what he found: a log house, formed by two stories worth of oak logs notched together at the corners all rotting, but otherwise untouched since it was built in 1704.

This oddity adjacent to the far more ordinary house where Plum grew up was, he would soon realize, among the oldest surviving houses in Pennsylvania and one of the two oldest extant homes in Lower Merion Township. He embarked on a staggering restoration odyssey, creating a showpiece so out-of-sync with its surroundings on a bustling Main Line thoroughfare, its left passersby mystified by the sight of it among the concrete clutter of modern life.

This is the beginning of our country, Plum said last week inside the refashioned abode, whose two original stone fireplaces connect like a wishbone, and whose smoky brown log walls with white chinking resemble a chocolate layer cake. I want to put it on the National Register.

The structure was taken apart and rebuilt from scratch, each log hand-hewn using a 200-year-old broad ax to chisel the flat sides to perfection. Aside from a splashy kitchen, a motion sensor-activated toilet bowl, and a few other deliberately modern touches, Plum adorned the interior with period furniture, paintings, pewter, and other accoutrements, making it feel like the museum he hopes it will one day become.

He seems to have done it right, saidJerry Francis, president of theLower Merion Historical Society, whose group, uncharacteristically, had no say over the restoration because the house had been covered for centuries. Preservationists hope to add it to the local register.

How much it all cost, Plum wont say. But the end result is impressive.

Its a restoration thats substantial, Francis said, and should last a long, long time.

The mystery and history of this house has enchanted its 71-year-old Main Line cosmetologist owner, as well as strangers who have passed it.

The house pokes onto Haverford Road (County Line Road, officially) at Mondella Avenue from an odd corner lot across a multistory hospital parking garage. Of late, it also sits in the shadow of a towering crane thats been lifting steel for a glitzy hospital expansion project.

Since the log house was unmasked, motorists have done double-takes past the corner that, for decades prior, had been little more than the peripheral vision equivalent of white noise on a daily commute.

People were calling the township, me, the [Lower Merion] Conservancy, Francis said. Its skin was removed and suddenly, this log house appeared out of nowhere.

Plum, too, was tantalized by what he didnt know. He still isnt entirely clear on the propertys history and is cobbling it together with local historians and others, he said.

Although the few historic cabins in southeastern Pennsylvania were built by Swedes, with the oldest a few miles away in nearby Upper Darby, this one appears to have been built by aWelsh Quaker, Rees Thomas, their research suggests. It was among hundreds of acres of land he bought from William Penn in 1682 on what today areLower Merion and Haverford Townships in Montgomery and Delaware Counties.

The log facade was covered in clapboard around the time of the American Revolution, in the late 1700s, said Roland Cadle, who did the restoration through his Altoona-area business, Village Restorations & Consulting Inc.

In 1894, it was bought by Horace Cornog, whom Plum knew as a quiet recluse next door to where he and his siblings grew up in the 1950s. One day in 1954, Plum said, his mother found Cornogs dead body in the garden, put a blanket over him, and called police.

The Plum family home has remained in the family, providing Plum added incentive to buy the eyesore. A Monsignor Bonner graduate, hed already built a business from scratch, starting with a hair salon for some of the Main Lines wealthiest matrons, and adding through the years high-end wigs for women with cancer. Along the way, hed refurbished homes, too. Perhaps he could turn Cornogs old house into a cottage.

I thought it would be a challenge, Plum said.

Then came the glorious and inglorious discovery. The logs beneath its facade were sodamagedfrom water and insects, it would have been reasonable to put a match to it, recalled Cadle, the Blair County expert who ultimately rebuilt it for Plum.

Im a very visual person, said Plum. I just thought, Im gonna make this work.

Cadle, an artisan himself, also believed it had potential. If it were me, the 67-year-old told told Plum, I would jack up your roof and I would start down at the first log, and I would replace everything thats bad.

Lets go for it, was Plums response, as Cadle remembered it.

Cadle bought an 18th-century log cabin from elsewhere in Pennsylvania because its white oak was of similar vintage and wear. He trucked down the logs to replace those beyond repair in Bryn Mawr. Period window panes also were tracked down and installed. Plum, meanwhile, scavenged salvaged wood from an 18th-century Maine farmhouse to throw into the mix. He topped off the project by designing a landscaped garden and stone parking area. Cadle spent something like a year working on it, he said.

My goal, said Cadle, was that when Im done it will look like its always been there.

Plum hopes to one day donate the house to Lower Merion Township so that it can live on as a childrens museum.

Cadle thinks its mere presence amid the concrete jungle is a powerful history lesson in and of itself.

This, he said,is the house that all that came from.

Published: July 3, 2017 3:01 AM EDT | Updated: July 3, 2017 1:50 PM EDT

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Bryn Mawr man finds 300-year-old log house beneath stucco facade - Philly.com

The homestead recently became the subject of a lawsuit filed against the historical society for its care of the home.

The Danvers Historical Societyrecently began an exterior restoration process of the Gen. Israel Putnam House restoration the family is calling "long overdue."

The restoration, which includes clearing the land, replacing an old fence and painting the homesteads exterior, was made possible by a $90,000 claim the society made to Liberty Mutual for damages to a fence that surrounds the property, according to President Thomas Page.

These plansfollownews of thenearly 370-year-old homestead becoming thesubject of a lawsuit filed by the Gen. Israel Homestead Trust against the Danvers Historical Society.

In the suit, the Trust alleges a breach of written contract to preserve the historical site on Maple Street. The claim, which was filed June 15 in Essex Superior Court, asks the house be conveyed back to the family and the trust be awarded for damages totaling more than $25,000.

"Thefamily taking the house back is the only way to ensure its survival," said Eric Emerson, a member of the family who grew up in the home. In 1991, the family gifted the house to the society for preservation.

Emersonsaid he would like for both the society and the house to "survive and thrive," but he doesn't thinkthe twocan do that if they remain together.

A hearing has been set for July 6, according to court records.

With so many unknownsfor the future of the homestead, Page said the society wants to focus its efforts on the home's condition in any way it can.

We know that [the suit is] going to be a heavy, heavy, heavy burden on the Danvers Historical Society and we are laying the groundwork to do extensive fundraising for the home, if need be, he said.

Page said prior to crews arriving to the homestead June 26, the Historical Society reached outto the Emersonsto let the family know theyd be on the property and to inquire if they had any concerns.

On Friday, Emersonstopped by the homestead to see how the restoration was progressing.

He said the property looked better, but the restoration was long overdue.

"It's a little like turning in your homework four semesters late,"Emerson said, describingthe workas "window dressing."

The homestead hasn't been open for scholarly reasons since 2004.He saida long history of of financial mismanagementwithin the society resulted in the deterioration of his family's home.

The care for the property requires financial and motivational resources, Emerson said.

"The family hasboth of those,"he said. "The society may have the intention, but it doesn't have the money."

Although he expressed frustration with management of the society, Emersonacknowledged the significance of the society to Danvers.

"I'd love to see the society straighten itself out,"Emerson said."I think they can doa lot of good for the town of Danvers, which does a mediocre job at publicizing its history, at best."

Read more:
Danvers Historical Society begins exterior restoration of Putnam House - Wicked Local Danvers