***UPDATE: THIS PROGRAM IS FULL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!***Butternut Creek is one of Otsego County's most scenic waterways. Join OCCA and the Butternut Valley Alliance for a relaxing and informative morning paddling down the creek through forests and valleys. The four+ mile paddle starts at the Bailey Road bridge in Morris and ends at…
OCCA kicks off Invasive Species Awareness Week with a water chestnut pull in the Stump Lot portion of Goodyear Lake. OCCA and the Goodyear Lake Association have been partnering for a decade on removing the highly invasive water chestnut (Trapa natans) by hand. Come enjoy the results on a leisurely paddle, and we’ll pull any…
Come on a leisurely walk around the SUNY Oneonta College Camp with Dr. Jeffrey Heilveil, Chair of the Biology Department at SUNY Oneonta and resident entomologist, and catch, observe and learn about many of the late summer insects that reside in Otsego County. Insects are fascinating creatures: some are vital to the foods we eat…
Help in the fight against invasive species and enjoy a pleasant day on the water! Join OCCA and the Goodyear Lake Association as we paddle around in the "Stump Lot," the northernmost portion of Goodyear Lake in pursuit of water chestnut, an aquatic invasive plant. You may reserve a space in an OCCA canoe by…
Modern, updated technologies such as ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, and pellet stoves and boilers can reduce heating and cooling costs, reduce emission of greenhouse gases, and can reduce the release of dangerous volatile organic compounds and particulate matter. This program will introduce you to the technologies available, the environmental and economic…
Join Otsego County Conservation Association board member Patricia Riddell Kent and Steve Kent, who donated the land for the state park, on this early evening walk around the northern portion of Robert V. Riddell State Park. Visit historic structures, walk through fields, forests, and along Schenevus Creek, and learn about the interesting history of the…
Street trees provide far more than pretty scenery. Join OCCA Program Director, Jeff O’Handley on a pleasant stroll around Cooperstown and learn how we benefit from our trees. The walk also includes some basics of tree anatomy and identification, and will highlight how the Village is looking to protect this important resource. This walk is…
Help pick up litter along a two-mile section of NY State Route 80 in Springfield. Safety vests and helmets, gloves, bags will be provided. Meet at OCCA’s office at 7207 State Route 80, Springfield.
Did you know Otsego County owns over 3,600 acres of forest property? Join Joe Sweeney, Forest Technician with the Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District on a walk through the John W. Chase Memorial Forest in Middlefield and learn about sustainable forest management, best management practices, forest pests, invasive species, and multi-use land management.…
OCCA Executive Director Leslie Orzetti leads this walk along Willow Brook from Doubleday Field to Otsego Lake in Cooperstown. The walk will talk about trees as a vital part of the stream ecosystem, their benefits, and programs that help restore riparian buffer ecosystems. Other stops on the walk include Lakefront Park and ending at Council…
Need something to do with the kids on Columbus Day? Join OCCA at Mohican Farm and explore the world of trees. We’ll search the property and learn how to tell different kinds from each other, understand the role trees play in our world, and have fun! Meet at OCCA’s office at Mohican Farm, 7207 State…
New York State Forester Nathan Funk will lead an informative walk through Basswood Pond State Forest. He will talk about the forest’s history, planned forestry actions, and recreational opportunities at the forest. Program is free. Meet at the Basswood Pond State Forest parking area on Conservation Road, Burlington Flats. Free
***DUE TO IMPENDING POOR WEATHER, THIS EVENT IS CANCELED*** Sorry, for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, no alternate dates are available at this time. We'll be doing a snowshoe walk in early 2019, and a Mud Lake hike in spring, 2019. Join OCCA and Steve Kent for an invigorating walk to Mud Lake in Robert V.…
Strap on the snowshoes and hit the trails at the Clark Sports Center. Look for signs of animal life in the snow-covered woods and enjoy some fresh air with Jeff O'Handley of OCCA and Jim Diliberto of the Clark Sports Center. Open to all ages and all skill levels. You must provide your own snowshoes.…
Forget the sales–celebrate our nation’s history with a walk in Robert V. Riddell State Park with Trish and Steve Kent! The Kents donated the land for the park in 2005 and will share some of the property’s interesting history on an invigorating snowshoe hike on the park’s northern–and more forgiving–side. Bring your own snowshoes, water,…
Want to have some winter fun? Join OCCA at Robert V. Riddell State Park for a kid-friendly scavenger hunt looking for signs of life in the cold. Meet at 10am at the main parking lot of Robert V. Riddell State Park, Route 28, just north if I-88 Exit 17. Dress for the weather. Free. Sign…
Not an outdoor activity, but something anyone who enjoys the outdoors should attend! Otsego County Conservation Association and Mohican Farm start off their 2019 Be Informed Lecture Series by repeating this popular talk from last year. Lyme disease is a serious public health threat spread by the bite of the black-legged (deer) tick, (Ixodes scapularis).…
Lyme disease is a serious public health threat spread by the bite of the black-legged (deer) tick, (Ixodes scapularis). Dr. Carmen Greenwood, Associate Professor at SUNY Cobleskill, will discuss the biology and ecology of ticks. Following this, Otsego County Communicable Disease Coordinator, Theresa Oellrich, RN, will discuss the specifics of Lyme disease, including its health impacts,…
Join OCCA for a special kid-friendly program. Do you know what it takes to survive in the wilderness? We’ll cover the basic needs of human survival and learn how to build shelter, find water, and stay alive until help arrives. Dress for weather. Meet at 10am at Mohican Farm, 7207 State Route 80, Cooperstown.
Water chestnut (Trapa natans) persists in the Stump Lot portion of Goodyear Lake. Meet OCCA staff at the Fishing Access Site in Portlandville, take to the water, and help keep this highly-invasive aquatic plant under control. Bring water, sunscreen, a hat and dress to get wet and maybe dirty. You may bring your own canoe…
Witness the results of thousands of years of geologic processes in action on this walk at the Robert Woodruff Learning Center at Owen D. young Central School in Van Hornesville. Rain falls and seeps into rocks, dissolving them. The water finds its way to the surface and forms the Otsquaga Creek. As it flows, it …
Can you find the North Star? How about Arcturus? Can you find constellations, like Cygnus the swan, Ursa Major, Draco, Pegasus or Andromeda? What about Jupiter and Saturn? All these celestial objects will be in the evening sky this autumn, and you can learn how to find them! Join OCCA Vice President Jim Hill for…
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…
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…
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…
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…
***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…
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…
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…
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…
