Otsego Outdoors

Clarke Pond Frog-bit Pull with OCCA
2021-06-11 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | New York
In 2019, European frog-bit, a highly-invasive aquatic plant, was found in Clarke Pond in Springfield, next to Otsego Lake. Join the Otsego County Conservation Association to scour the pond in seek to remove this plant from the pond to keep it from spreading.
PLEASE NOTE wading in shallow water/deep mud is required. It is tiring, dirty work, but rewarding! Sign up using this form: https://occainfo.org/calendar/clarke-pond-frog-bit-pull/

Chop & Cheese with OCCA
2021-06-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Mohican Farm/OCCA offices, 7207 St. Hwy. 80, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
Get your hands dirty at Mohican Farm! Join us as we continue our efforts to eliminate Japanese knotweed at Mohican Farm in Springfield. We’ll spend time cutting back the above ground portion of the plant and digging up the rhizomes.
When we’re finished, enjoy some light refreshments in the garden. Bring gardening gloves, hand pruners, and a beverage of choice; we’ll provide the knotweed, grubbing tools, and the cheese! Please sign up using this form: https://occainfo.org/calendar/chop-cheese/

Paddle and Pull, Goodyear Lake
2021-06-06 13:00 - 16:00 | Portlandville Fishing Access Site, Route 28, Portlandville, NY, 13834, United States
Join the Otsego County Conservation Association and kick off Invasive Species Awareness Week by getting the jump on water chestnut in Goodyear Lake. We’ll paddle in the stump lot portion of the lake searching for and removing water chestnut (Trapa natans), a highly invasive aquatic plant. Bring your own canoe, kayak or paddleboard, or borrow an OCCA canoe and PFD. Note that we have limited numbers of watercraft. Please indicate on the registration form if you need a canoe. If signing up for a canoe, we recommend you sign up with a member of your household.
Sign up here: https://occainfo.org/calendar/paddle-and-pull-goodyear-lake-7/
We will require masking where social distancing can’t be observed. Bring water, sunscreen, a hat and dress to get wet and maybe a little dirty. Meet at the Portlandville Fishing Access Site on Route 28, just south of Canoe & Kayak Rentals and Sales.

Earth Festival Hike: Arnold Lake State Forest/Bilderbeck County Forest
2021-04-24 10:00 - 13:00 | Milford Central School, 42 W Main Street, Milford, NY, 13807, United States
Arnold Lake State Forest/Bilderbeck County Forest, Hartwick, 3.4 miles.
OCCA and the Susquehanna Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club will co-host three Earth Festival hikes to familiarize persons with trails in the local community. These hikes are easy-to-moderate in difficulty and are suitable for multiple ages. It is our goal to accommodate those who are in school or working by providing late day and weekend hikes for this event. Please note: We will meet in the Milford Central School parking lot 30 minutes prior to the posted time of each walk to provide driving directions to the trailhead for each event. Please bring a cloth mask/facial covering for use, regardless of vaccination status. To sign up for hikes, please contact Liza Mundy by text at (607) 287-4395 or email lizaegloff (at) gmail (dot) com. Space is limited to 20, so sign up early!

Trails can be wet this time of year! Please wear proper footgear and dress for the conditions! In the event of inclement weather, hike will be cancelled.

Earth Festival Hike: Star Field sunset hike and BYO picnic dinner
2021-04-23 17:00 - 20:00 | Milford Central School, 42 W Main Street, Milford, NY, 13807, United States
Star Field, Cooperstown, Sunset hike and BYO picnic dinner, 3.7 miles.
The Otsego County Conservation Association and the Susquehanna Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club will co-host three Earth Festival hikes to familiarize persons with trails in the local community. These hikes are easy-to-moderate in difficulty and are suitable for multiple ages. It is our goal to accommodate those who are in school or working by providing late day and weekend hikes for this event. Please note: We will meet in the Milford Central School parking lot 30 minutes prior to the posted time of each walk to provide driving directions to the trailhead for each event. Please bring a cloth mask/facial covering for use, regardless of vaccination status. To sign up for hikes, please contact Liza Mundy by text at (607) 287-4395 or email lizaegloff (at) gmail (dot) com. Space is limited to 20, so sign up early!
Trails can be wet this time of year! Please wear proper footgear and dress for the conditions! In the event of inclement weather, hike will be cancelled.

Earth Festival Hike: George Bouckles County Forest
2021-04-22 15:00 - 17:00 | Milford Central School, 42 W Main Street, Milford, NY, 13807, United States
George Bouckles County Forest, Hartwick, 2.5 miles.
The Otsego County Conservation Association and the Susquehanna Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club will co-host three Earth Festival hikes to familiarize people with trails in the local community. These hikes are easy-to-moderate in difficulty and are suitable for multiple ages. It is our goal to accommodate those who are in school or working by providing late day and weekend hikes for this event.
Please note: We will meet in the Milford Central School parking lot 30 minutes prior to the posted time of each walk to provide driving directions to the trailhead for each event. Please bring a cloth mask/facial covering for use, regardless of vaccination status. To sign up for hikes, please contact Liza Mundy by text at (607) 287-4395 or email lizaegloff (at) gmail (dot) com. Space is limited to 20, so sign up early!
Trails can be wet this time of year! Please wear proper footgear and dress for the conditions! In the event of inclement weather, hike will be cancelled.

Recovering Susan Fenimore Cooper's Environmentalism
2021-03-13 14:00 - 15:00 | New York
Join scholar Rochelle L. Johnson on a discussion of Susan Fenimore Cooper’s important contributions to environmental thought in this live Zoom lecture.

What does the work of a mid-nineteenth-century nature writer say to us today, in our era of climate change? This presentation by Rochelle L. Johnson discusses naturalist, author, and artist Susan Fenimore Cooper, daughter of James Fenimore Cooper, whose 1850 book Rural Hours was the first major work of environmental nonfiction written by a woman. Dr. Rochelle will discuss Susan Cooper’s early contributions to environmental thought, her devotion to Cooperstown, and her sensitive warnings about a nation that was damaging its very foundation: its landscapes.
Rochelle L. Johnson is a leading scholar of Susan Fenimore Cooper and, with her co-editor, has made Cooper’s environmental writings available to today’s readers. The current president of the Thoreau Society and a past president of the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment, her work has been supported by grants from several organizations, including the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is professor of American literature and environmental humanities, and director of the honors program, at the College of Idaho. Her lecture is from a book in progress. Learn more at: https://www.rochelleljohnson.com.
This Zoom lecture is co-sponsored by Otsego Outdoors, a collaborative project by Otsego 2000, Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA), and Otsego Land Trust. More info can be found at www.otsegooutdoors.org.
This is a live Zoom lecture. A question and answer session will follow. Zoom is required to view the lecture. A link will be provided to all registrants via the email used to sign up for the program, a day before the lecture. Registration is free of charge with a recommended donation of $10.00.

First Day Hike at Glimmerglass State Park
2021-01-01 10:00 - 11:00 | Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Highway 31, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
The hike will be a self guided hike along the Overlook Trail. Please check in at the park office between 10:00am and 11:00am. The first 50 people to check in will received a KIND bar and a commemorative button marking the 10th Annual First Day Hike! Please be prepared to wear a face covering during check in and when unable to maintain 6′ distance from other hikers.

The hike should take about an hour.

First Day Hike at Gilbert Lake State Park
2021-01-01 09:00 - 14:00 | New York
Mark the new year with a self-guided First Day Hike. Hike the Lake Trail any time between 9 am and 2 pm. The Briggs Fireplaces will be lit!

Race the Lake Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K
2020-09-19 08:00 - 16:00 | Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Highway 31, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
Join us for the 7th Annual Race the Lake Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K!
Register here: https://www.itsyourrace.com/event.aspx?id=1781
The race will circle clockwise around the picturesque Otsego Lake. Runners will travel through historic Cooperstown on their way to Glimmerglass State Park with views of the Lake almost all the way.
Rescheduled from June 6.
Awards:
Distributed to the overall best male and female times, as well as the top three male and female finishers in each age group. Awards will be presented for the following categories:
Teen: 19 years old & under
20–29 years old;
30–39 years old;
40–49 years old;
50–59 years old;
60–69 years old;
70 and above.

For all event information, please visit: http://www.clarksportscenter.com/events/2020-race-the-lake-marathon-half-marathon/

Candlelight Hike at Glimmerglass
2020-02-29 17:00 - 20:00 | Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Highway 31, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
Take advantage of the extra day and join us for a candlelight hike! Approximately 1-2 mile, gently graded loop along the lakeshore and into the woods that will be lit by candlelight. Participants can hike or snowshoe. The Lakeview Room will be open with hot drinks and snacks. There will also be a roaring bonfire by the beach to warm you up!
Admission is free. However, we will be accepting donations to the Susquehanna SPCA. If you bring a donation, you will receive a raffle ticket to enter in one of our giveaways! The SPCA will be on site with more information about their organization and animals you can visit with or adopt.

Tubing at Glimmerglass
2020-02-22 11:00 - 16:00, 2020-02-08 11:00 - 16:00 | Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Highway 31, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
The tubing hill at Glimmerglass State Park will be open weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) from January 4 – February 23. Hours are 11:00am- 4:00pm. Admission is $5 per person. Tubes are provided. The warming hut will be open and hot cocoa and snacks will be available for sale.
Check in for snow conditions. Need to have a nice base of snow for tubing.

Naked Eye Astronomy, Winter Edition: Are You Sirius?**Date changed**
2020-02-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Mohican Farm/OCCA offices, 7207 St. Hwy. 80, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
***DUE TO EXPECTED CLOUDY WEATHER, THIS PROGRAM WILL NOW TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21***
Join OCCA Vice President, Jim Hill for an evening of naked eye astronomy as we tour the spectacular night sky of February. The winter sky provides a wonderful array of zero and first magnitude stars (the lower the magnitude, the brighter the star!). We will explore constellations including Orion, Gemini and Taurus; the magnificent asterism known as the winter circle; and the open star cluster, the Pleiades. If we’re lucky, we might get a glimpse of the most distant object you can see with the naked eye, Andromeda.
Meet at 7pm at Mohican Farm. Most of this program will take place outside, so dress for the weather and bring a chair so that you don’t have to sit on frozen or snowy ground. Binoculars are optional. Hot chocolate and a snack will be served.
In the event of cloudy/bad weather, program will take place on Friday, February 21. Program is free, but preregistration is appreciated. To sign up, visit https://occainfo.org/signup/.

Free Ice Fishing Clinic at Canadarago Lake
2020-02-19 09:00 - 15:00 | Canadarago Lake Boat Launch, 135 Dennison Road, Richfield Springs, NY, 13439, United States
Free ice fishing clinic for people of all ages!
Location change, instead of Glimmerglass State Park, this event will be held at
Canadarago Boat Launch
135 Dennison Road
Richfield Springs, NY 13439
DEC will supply most of the bait and tackle, but experienced anglers are encouraged to bring their own fishing gear. After a short lesson on the basics of ice fishing and filleting your catch, DEC and Parks staff will be on hand throughout the day to assist participants on the ice. Anglers can expect to catch yellow perch and chain pickerel.
Clinic will be lead by Tom Hughes, NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation in partnership with the DEC. For more information contact the Glimmerglass State Park office at 607-547-8662.

Get Out and Walk!
2020-02-09 12:00 - 14:00 | Clark Sports Center, 124 Co Rd 52, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
Take a brisk trail walk with OCCA and the staff of the Clark Sports Center at the Clark Sports Center! We’ll wind our way through hemlocks and hardwoods, along the river, and onto a floodplain. The exact route depends on trail and weather conditions. Please note that snowshoes may be helpful, but you must provide your own. Meet at noon in the main lobby at Clark Sports Center, 124 County Road 52, Cooperstown. Program is free, but registration is appreciated. Visit OCCA’s website to sign up.
This program is offered as part of the Cooperstown Winter Carnival. Visit the Cooperstown Winter Carnival web page for a full schedule of events.

Geocaching
2020-02-09 10:00 - 11:30 | Pioneer Park, Cooperstown, 80 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
Part of Cooperstown’s Winter Carnival. Meet at Pioneer Park (corner of Main Street and Pioneer Street in Cooperstown) Adults & Children (Group of children must have an adult w/them). Free. Learn how to use a GPS device in this high tech global treasure hunt. Be prepared to travel by foot to various locations in all weather conditions. The Clark Sports Center will have GPS Units to share for this program.

Bob Smullens 5k/10k Run
2020-02-08 11:30 - 13:00 | Cooper Park/National Baseball Hall of Fame, 25 Main Street, Cooperstown,, NY, 13326, United States
The Bob Smullens 5k/10k is part of The Cooperstown Winter Carnival. The race is an out and back 5k and 10k that will start on Main Street and finish in Cooper Park. What better way to spend a Saturday morning then to run in a 5k or 10k race and then stay around for all the carnival events. The awards will be give to overall male/female in each race and to the top five male/female in each race. Day of registration will be in Cooper Park beginning at 10:30 so. Come out and race the oldest, continuously held race in Otsego County.
Sign up for this event online or by stopping by the Baseball Hall of Fame Library foyer from 10:30-11:15am for day of registration and race bag pick-up.$20/person $50 Family (max 5). Contact Doug McCoy for more information.

Hike at Gilbert Lake State Park
2020-02-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Gilbert Lake State Park, 18 CCC Rd, Laurens, NY, 13796, United States
The Susquehanna Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club will offer a guided hike at 10 am at Gilbert Lake State Park. See http://www.susqadk.org/ for details. All welcome.

The Club leads hikes in and around Otsego County every Tuesday at 10 am.

Tubing at Glimmerglass
2020-02-01 11:00 - 16:00 | Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Highway 31, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
The tubing hill at Glimmerglass State Park will be open weekends from January 4 – February 23. Hours are 11:00am- 4:00pm. Admission is $5 per person. Tubes are provided. The warming hut will be open and hot cocoa and snacks will be available for sale.
Check in for snow conditions. Need to have a nice base of snow for tubing.

Tubing at Glimmerglass
2020-01-25 11:00 - 16:00 | Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Highway 31, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
The tubing hill at Glimmerglass State Park will be open weekends from January 4 – February 23. Hours are 11:00am- 4:00pm. Admission is $5 per person. Tubes are provided. The warming hut will be open and hot cocoa and snacks will be available for sale.

Adirondack Mountain Club Hike
2020-01-21 | Crumhorn Mountain, Portlandville, NY
Join the club on Tuesday January 21, 2020 for a hike at Crumhorn Mountain.
Call Lucille Wiggin at 607.432.1022 for more information.

The Susquehanna Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club leads a hike every Tuesday, usually starting at 10 am. See http://www.susqadk.org/ for details. All welcome.
Jan 21 – Crumhorn Mt.
Jan 28 – S. Kortright-Hobart Rail Trail
Feb 4 – Gilbert Lake St. Park
Feb 11 – Stamford-Hobart Rail Trail
Feb 18 – Bloomville Rail Trail
Feb 25 – Franklin Mt.
Mar 3 – Lower Riddell St. Park
Mar 10 – Fortin Park
Mar 17 – Arnold Lake
Mar 24 – Greenway, Oneonta
Mar 31 – Wilber Park, Oneonta

Tubing
2020-01-18 11:00 - 16:00 | Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Highway 31, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States

ADK hike
2020-01-07 10:00 - 12:00 | New York
The Susquehanna Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club leads a hike every Tuesday, usually starting at 10 am. See http://www.susqadk.org/ for details. All welcome.
Jan. 7 Robert V. Riddell State Park

Jan 21 – Crumhorn Mt.
Jan 28 – S. Kortright-Hobart RailTrail
Feb 4 – Gilbert Lake St. Park
Feb 11 – Stamford-Hobart Rail Trail
Feb 18 – Bloomville Rail Trail
Feb 25 – Franklin Mt.
Mar 3 – Lower Riddell St. Park
Mar 10 – Fortin Park
Mar 17 – Arnold Lake
Mar 24 – Greenway, Oneonta
Mar 31 – Wilber Park, Oneonta

First Day Hike at Glimmerglass State Park
2020-01-01 10:00 - 11:30 | New York
Celebrate the New Year with an easy 1 – 1.5 mile hike at Glimmerglass State Park. The park will supply warm beverages and snacks following the hike. Registration is not required but preferred. (607) 547-8662
Call ahead if heavy snow fall is forecasted.

Candlelight Hike
2019-12-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 County Highway 31, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
Join us for the first candlelight hike at Glimmerglass State Park. Follow the luminaries and see the forest by candlelight. The trail starts at the Lakeview Room by the beach and makes its way to the accessible Beaver Pond Trail. Approximately 1 mil long along flat even terrain.
Admission to the park and the hike are free. Afterward, dinner is available for $5 in the Lakeview Room

Up and Over -- Mud Lake
2019-10-27 13:00 - 16:30 | Riddell State Park, NY 28 off I-88, Davenport, NY, 13750, United States
Climb up and over South Hill in Robert V. Riddell State Park with Steve Kent. This 3.5-hour, 4.5-mile hike traverses woods rich in beauty and history, makes a stop at a spectacular, 30-foot waterfall, swings by Mud Lake, a bog at the top of the hill, and continues down to the Pine Lake Campus of Hartwick College. Along the way, Steve, who donated the land for the state park with his wife, Trish Riddell Kent, will share stories of the property when it was part of the Riddell family farm. Meet at the Pine Lake Environmental Campus of Hartwick College, 1894 Charlotte Creek Road, Oneonta, and carpool to the Robert V. Riddell State Park entrance, hike up and over the hill, and end up back at Pine Lake. Bring sufficient water and a snack or light lunch.
Free, but pre-registration is appreciated.

Get the Kids Out--Trees!
2019-10-14 10:00 - 11:30 | Mohican Farm/OCCA offices, 7207 St. Hwy. 80, Cooperstown, NY, 13326, United States
Need something to do on Columbus Day? Come to Mohican Farm and explore the world of trees. We’ll search the property and learn how to tell different kinds from each other using science and our senses, will understand the role trees play in our world, and we’ll have fun! Meet at OCCA’s office at Mohican Farm, 7207 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. Free. Pre-registration appreciated.

Hawkwatch Open House
2019-10-05 10:00 - 14:00 | New York
Join us, Saturday, October 5 from 10 am to 2 pm, when the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society will host an open house at the DOAS Sanctuary and Hawkwatch on Grange Hall Spur Road, Oneonta.
The day will include live birds of prey, a hawk ID workshop, bird mask making and a trail walk. The event is free and open to the public.
Refreshments will be available throughout the day. Visit www.doas.us for details.

Hit the Links--Leatherstocking Golf Course Walk
2019-10-02 08:00 - 10:00 | New York
Enjoy the Leatherstocking Golf Course without the frustration of trying to hit out of the rough! Golf Course Superintendent Mike O’Neill will lead a tour of the grounds showcasing its beauty and will share projects and management practices designed to keep the links “green” as well as green. In addition to the lush scenery and spectacular views of Otsego Lake, we’ll see sediment retention ponds, lake bank stabilization efforts, and more. Meet at 8 am at the golf course maintenance shop. Program is free, though

Enjoy the Leatherstocking Golf Course without the frustration of trying to hit out of the rough! Golf Course Superintendent Mike O’Neill will lead a tour of the grounds showcasing its beauty and will share projects and management practices designed to keep the links “green” as well as green. In addition to the lush scenery and spectacular views of Otsego Lake, we’ll see sediment retention ponds, lake bank stabilization efforts, and more. Meet at 8 am at the golf course maintenance shop.
DIRECTIONS: Turn off NY Route 80 at the sign for the Cooperstown Country Club (across from the Farmers’ Museum). Proceed carefully, you are on the golf course! Bear left at the tennis courts and follow the drive to the parking area by the workshop. GPS coordinates 42.711815, -74.924378.pre-registration is appreciated.

DIRECTIONS: Turn off NY Route 80 at the sign for the Cooperstown Country Club (across from the Farmers’ Museum). Proceed carefully, you are on the golf course! Bear left at the tennis courts and follow the drive to the parking area by the workshop. GPS coordinates 42.711815, -74.924378.
