Program Cancelled- we hope to reschedule in the near future.

Discover the Hidden Life of Water with Declan McCabe

Join aquatic ecologist Declan McCabe for an engaging and interactive presentation featuring a slide show and live aquatic macroinvertebrates. This free program dives into the fascinating world of freshwater ecosystems, exploring:

• How the unique properties of water make life possible

• The differences between flowing and standing water—and the distinct species that inhabit rivers vs. lakes

• Life on the surface: the remarkable adaptations of creatures that live on top of the water

• Safe, practical ways to reduce mosquito populations around your home

• Budget-friendly tools and tips for exploring aquatic life close to home

• Simple actions anyone can take to protect watersheds and improve water quality

🧭 Please register for this free program by using the form below.

This program is presented in collaboration with the Biological Field Station and will be held at their campus -5838 State Highway 80, Cooperstown

About Declan McCabe
Declan McCabe sees the natural world with a biologist’s eye and a storyteller’s heart. To him, every patch of soil, fallen log, or puddle is a thriving microcosm waiting to be explored. A professor of biology at Saint Michael’s College and a regular contributor to Northern Woodlands, Connecticut Woodlands, and The Outside Story, McCabe is passionate about making complex science engaging for learners of all ages.

His newest book, Turning Stones: Discovering the Life of Water (Down East Books, 2024), invites readers to discover the unseen life teeming in our rivers—if only we take the time to look. Based in South Burlington, McCabe can often be found walking along the Winooski River, where, as he says, “slowing down and observing carefully reveals diverse life in unexpected places.”

8th Annual Susquehanna River Clean-Up, July 12, 2025
Fish Rd Boat Launch, Otsego Lake
24 Lake St, Cooperstown, NY 13326

The Susquehanna River Clean-Up, historically a joint project of the Cooperstown Lions Club, the Rotary Club of Cooperstown, Otsego 2000, and the Biological Field Station / SUNY Oneonta Dive team is expanding this year thanks to a grant received by OCCA. In addition to the Cooperstown clean-up, smaller clean-up initiatives will be held in Milford, Portlandville, Colliersville, and Oneonta.

Volunteers will be parking at the Bassett Parking lot behind Bassett Hall on Susquehanna St across from Walnut St. The gate will be open starting at 7:45am, and volunteers will be shuttled from there to the Fish Rd Boat Launch on Otsego Lake to help with clean-up efforts.

Volunteers are needed both in and out of the water. Tasks include working with the BFS Dive Team to pull trash from near the docks, guiding debris-laden rafts and kayaks back to the shoreline collection point, assisting with loading debris into trailers and transporting it to the transfer station, manning the refreshments table, and helping with documentation.

or email Kendall Jacob at volunteer@occainfo.org

Join us for a special day in the field doing Culvert Assessments in the Canadarago Lake Watershed!

We’re inviting volunteers to team up with our trained Lead Observers for a hands-on introduction to culvert assessments. Whether you're curious about the project or ready to commit to helping throughout the summer, this is a great opportunity to try it out, learn the ropes, and connect with others. These assessments inform if local culverts meet the needs of aquatic organisms and their habitats/migration patterns.

What’s happening:

• Small group culvert assessments guided by trained leaders

• Opportunity for new volunteers to observe, assist, and learn

• Choose a target watershed to work in, and decide if you want to join a volunteer team for future summer assessments

Summer-wide effort:

Throughout the summer, volunteer teams will be assessing culverts near the Canadarago Lake, Otsego Lake, and Butternut Creek watersheds.

Stick around after!

We’ll wrap up with a picnic celebration to thank our current team and welcome new helpers. Food, drinks, and good company provided! It’s also a great time to discuss availability, set goals and schedules for assessments, and enjoy the outdoors together. We will plan on picnicking at Baker's Beach, or the Richfield Springs Co-Op in case of rain.

📍 Location: Near Canadarago Lake (exact meeting point will be sent out prior to event)

📆 Date: July 8, 2025

🕑 Time: 10:00–1:00 PM assessments, 1:00–2:30 PM picnic

**Time subject to change due to rain forecast.

Bring: tall waterproof boots or waders, bug spray/sun screen, a rain coat

Sign up here or RSVP to Kendall Jacob at volunteer@occainfo.org to join or learn more. Let’s protect our watersheds—one culvert at a time!

To learn more about this program, visit www.occainfo.org/culvert-team

Join Us for a Summer Mushroom Foraging Walk with Expert Shane Gardner
Sunday, June 29 | 2:00 PM

Discover the fascinating world of wild mushrooms with foraging expert Shane Gardner on a guided summer walk through the woods. Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned mushroom hunter, this event offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of edible and medicinal fungi in their natural habitat.

Shane will share his extensive knowledge of local mushroom species, teaching participants how to safely identify key characteristics, understand habitats, and distinguish edible varieties from toxic lookalikes. You'll also learn about the health benefits and culinary uses of various medicinal mushrooms.

This hands-on experience is perfect for nature lovers, food enthusiasts, herbalists, and anyone interested in reconnecting with the natural world.

What to Bring:

• Comfortable walking shoes

• Weather-appropriate clothing

• A notebook or field guide (optional)

• Basket or bag for collecting (optional)

Location details will be provided upon registration.
Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot early!

Join Mohican Farm Manager Devin Merkley for an informative discussion about the Mohican compost system and learn how to apply these concepts to your backyard compost pile. The Mohican facility composts all the food waste from the Otesaga and the Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home on a weekly basis, diverting thousands of pounds of food waste.

The program will happen on Saturday, June 21 at 9 am at Mohican Farm (7207 State Route 80, Cooperstown). Use the form below to sign up.

Join us for a guided walk and reception “On the Trail of Art”

This free Arts festival in Basswood Pond State Forest is put on by the Butternut Valley Alliance. Reservations are required.

This family friendly event is an opportunity to take a lovely stroll in nature while seeing over 150 local artists installations that turn the trail into an outdoor gallery. We will follow our guided walk with a light reception of lemonade and snacks while we mix and mingle.

** Due to restrictions on how many people can be on the trail at once, reservations are required. **

Sign up using the link above, or email volunteer@occainfo.org

Japanese knotweed is one of the most difficult invasive plants to get rid of. Join OCCA and Mohican Farm as we continue our efforts to eliminate a patch of knotweed. We’ll chop, dig and pull, and then enjoy some light refreshments in the garden at Mohican Farm. Some tools are available. Feel free to bring gardening gloves and pruners of your own. Meet at Mohican Farm, 7207 NY 80, Cooperstown.

Please sign up using the link below, or email volunteer@occainfo.org

Love spending time in the woods? Want to give back to the places you love to hike and explore? Otsego County Conservation Association is seeking volunteers who want to help keep our local forests accessible. Join us for our Trails Team training and learn how to help care for the serene trails at Basswood State Forest and Arnold Lake State Forest. Once trained, you'll be able to "adopt" a section of trail at either State Forest to help maintain.

This hands-on training will teach you the approved techniques and safety practices for maintaining trails on state land, as well as what tools and methods are allowed. Once trained, you’ll be able to head out in small groups to keep the trails clear and enjoyable. Each small team "adopts" a stretch of trail and commits to helping maintain it throughout the year.

📍 Training Location: Basswood Pond State Forest, Town of Burlington, NY 

The meeting location will be the parking lot on Jacobs Road, https://maps.app.goo.gl/csSgSBtWEcuK1cjT9

What to Expect:

• Learn trail-clearing protocols and safety techniques

• Meet other outdoor lovers and potential trail partners

• Ability to volunteer independently year-round

• You'll leave with the option to adopt a section of a trail at either Arnold Lake State Forest or Basswood State Forest.

• Enjoy a rewarding way to give back to your community and nature
  

What to Bring:

• Sturdy boots and clothes suitable for brushy terrain

• Work gloves (if you have them)

• Water / snacks and your enthusiasm!

or email us at volunteer@occainfo.org to register or ask questions.

Join us to help protect the trails you love and become a steward of our local forests!

Join expert forager Shane Gardner for a guided spring mushroom walk through the Morris woods! This seasonal event offers a hands-on introduction to identifying wild mushrooms in their natural habitat, with a special focus on edible and medicinal species that emerge in spring.

Participants will learn:

• How to safely identify common spring mushrooms.

• Best practices for ethical and sustainable foraging

• Habitat clues and seasonal patterns

• Field tips from Shane's extensive foraging experience

This walk is suitable for all experience levels. Please wear sturdy shoes, dress for the weather, and bring a basket or mesh bag if you'd like to collect specimens.

Space is limited. Please use the form below to sign up.

With a mix of fields, woods, gardens and lakeshore, Mohican Farm is an excellent place for birding. Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Co-President, Becky Gretton leads this early morning walk at Mohican Farm in search of the early birds. This walk is suitable for beginners and experts alike. Bring binoculars, bird guide and be prepared for any weather (and plan for walking in wet grass). Program is free, but pre-registration is required using the form below Attendance is limited to 20.

Join us for an evening of outdoor crafting, conversations, meadow meandering and relaxation!

Thursday, May 15th any time between 6:00pm - 8:00 pm

Bring a craft that you can do outside such as yarn crafts, jewerly making, drawing and such (the facility has asked us to please leave paints at home)

Tea, cookies and coffee (decaf too) will be provided. The event is in the New Lisbon area and the address will be provided when you register.

Part of the conversation we hope to have include: what our next few activites will be, what our community needs right now, how do we support one another, and I’m sure we will talk about our pets, favorite foods and create a collection of favorite ways to relax in nature that we can share with the community at large!

Please Register Here for Location Details

Join OCCA for a beautiful spring hike through the Emmons Pond Bog trails! We will search for the first blooms of the season, discover a waterfall, and observe other signs of spring. Along the way, we'll learn about flower and tree identification. Please note that the trails are usually muddy in spring, so be sure to wear appropriate footwear. Use the form below to sign up.

The presentation will discuss the complex biology of New York's burying beetle community, and efforts to reintroduce a critically endangered species, the American Burying Beetle.

Join Dr. Carmen Greenwood an Associate Professor at SUNY Cobleskill whose research focuses on Insect Ecology and Conservation Biology. Arthropods play critical roles in ecosystem function and constitute about 80% of animal diversity on the planet today.

This program will take place in the meeting room (across from the rock wall) at the Clark Sports Center on Wednesday, May 7 at 7:00 pm.

Join Otsego County Conservation Association on May 3rd, 2025 between 10am-2pm to help clean up a 2 mile stretch of State Highway 80. Refreshments will be provided as well as everything you need to participate, including visibility vests, bags, and gloves. Together, let’s keep the northwestern side of Otsego Lake beautiful!

Or email our volunteer coordinator, Kendall Jacob, at volunteer@occainfo.org

Join Master Gardener Celia Oxley as she explores the value of native plants in our landscape.

Preserving our planet through the power of native plants is crucial for fostering biodiversity and supporting local ecosystems. By attracting butterflies, birds, and bees, we can enhance the beauty of our landscapes while promoting the health of the environment.

Use the form below to RSVP so we have an idea of how many people to expect. Walk ins welcome.

A Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) is a process culminating in a document providing descriptions and mapping of the location, distribution, type, and condition of particular natural resources. The resources are documented, recorded, and shared with the public for broader awareness of the current natural landscape of an area. In many cases, a municipality such as a village or town can utilize the NRI as part of their applications for state or federal grant funding. Otsego County’s Planning Department will introduce its new countywide natural resource inventory, sharing information about the initial impetus for creating the NRI, discussing the partner agencies/organizations that collaborated on this effort and the process, as well as the intended uses/benefits of an up-to-date NRI. Otsego County’s GIS Coordinator will walk through a mock scenario of a property inquiry using the online NRI to inform attendees how they can access it and utilize it themselves.

Join Otsego County’s Trevor Fuller, Kevin Musser and Levi Anderson for this informative presentation. Use the form below to RSVP so we have an idea of how many participants to expect.

Permaculture is a design technique that includes the interaction and interdependence of plants, animals, humans, soil, water, infrastructure, and community in the shared goal of sustainability. Learn how to add one or more permaculture design elements to your garden to enhance food production.

Join Kat Chiba from Straw Bale House Herbs for this informative talk. Preregistration is not required but we would love to know how many people are coming.

Join Kelly Anne Davis of Fiddle and Frond Family Care for a drop-in craft session to create found object art.

This event is open from 12 PM to 2 PM.

Come and make something fun, and get ideas for projects you can do at home!

The Herbal Apothecary - The herbs and spices in your kitchen cabinet can add flavor, scent, and color to foods and beverages. In addition, herbs can gently nourish and sustain us as well as ease headaches, stomach ailments, and skin issues. Join herbalist Gert Coleman to learn how to use your herbs and spices in a number of healing ways.

Herbal educator, writer, gardener, editor, and herb enthusiast, Gert Coleman loves, grows, eats, and reads avidly about herbs. Retired professor of English, she lives on 100+ acres in Central New York, growing herbs, flowers, trees, and at-risk native plants with her husband and dog.

This talk/presentation will provide insights into the growing public health threats of ticks and tick-borne diseases in New York State. The talk will also focus on:

(1) how the Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory is at the forefront of monitoring and tracking tick populations through cutting-edge surveillance tools and research;
(2) the innovative tickMAP mapping tool, which tracks tick distribution and the spread of tick-borne pathogens across New York and beyond; and
(3) how citizen science surveillance is shaping our response to the rise of tick-borne diseases and improving public health strategies across New York State.

Join Dr. Saravanan Thangamani from SUNY Upstate Medical University for our Keynote presentation. This talk will be followed by a panel discussion from local tick experts.

We are excited to invite you to our annual event at the Milford School! This year, we will also host a drive-through drop-off at Wilber Park (located on Dave West Drive in Milford) on the same day.

We have confirmed over forty vendors and exhibitors, including NY Goat Yoga and Origins. Throughout the day, we will offer a fun mix of workshops and hands-on activities.

Join us at the Repair Café from 11 AM to 2 PM, where our expert coaches will assist you in repairing your treasured items.

We can't wait to see you there!

Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society (DOAS) announces a series of workshops to support Bird-Friendly Homes throughout their Chapter Region. The workshops will focus on helping homeowners make Acopian BirdSavers window treatments for up to three windows in their homes (for free while funding lasts) in order to reduce bird-window collisions at homes throughout our communities.

Homeowners in our communities are invited to attend one of the area workshops where they can learn more and make/take home Acopian BirdSaver window treatments for up to three windows at their residences to help prevent collisions. Pre-registration is required so that ample materials can be available.

REGISTER TODAY at https://mobilize.us/s/bh0wyu

**Get the Kids Outside - Mohican Farm**

Join OCCA Assistant Director Shelby MacLeish for a few hours of fun during Spring Break! As the sun shines, plants begin to grow, and animals return from their winter slumbers, it's the perfect time to celebrate the changing seasons and look for signs of spring. We will take a walk down to the lake to explore the grounds before participating in a fun activity. Use the form below to sign up.

This program has been postponed as the presenter is sick. We hope to get it back on the calendar as soon as possible. Stay tuned!

Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) is a common invasive riparian plant seen in the Catskills. It can shade out other streamside plants and establish monocultures, lower water quality, and even damage infrastructure. Management of this plant can be tricky, but it is doable! Join CRISP Terrestrial Invasive Species Manager Dan Snider-Nerp to learn about current best management practices for Japanese knotweed and its closest relatives, as well as experimental management methods, and the future of sustainable management for this species in the Catskills.

Last time we had Gilbert Lake on the schedule, we had to cancel due to excessive snow on the trail. Let’s give it another try! Join OCCA's Assistant Director, Shelby MacLeish, for a leisurely walk around Gilbert Lake. We will observe the transition from winter to spring and look for signs of the new season. Please dress appropriately for the weather. Use the form below to sign up!