May 19-21: 58th Annual Williamson Apple Blossom Festival

This year is the 58th Apple Blossom Festival in Williamson N.Y.  This festival is the longest continuous festival in New York. There are endless float ideas to inspire you, from tie dye to Woodstock. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to enter a float. Generous cash prizes will be awarded to three lucky floats but everyone wins by participating in one of Western New York’s biggest parades! Parade starts promptly at 2:00 on May 20, 2017.
More information and event times can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/Williamson-Apple-Blossom-Festival-133175249382/

 

(photo left: 1968 Williamson Apple Blossom Festival – this year’s theme is “Still Groovy After all these years”)

June 19th Great Gardens of Wayne County Tour

From our Cornell Master Gardener friends:

Master Gardeners Great Gardens of Wayne County Tour Tickets on sale now!

Do you love gardens of all shapes and sizes? Whether you have a green thumb or not, there’s a golden opportunity coming soon for you to see what your gardening neighbors are doing. On our self-guided tour, you can discover a diverse selection of wonderful gardens at your own pace.

Whether you enjoy woody plants, flower gardens, water features, or home food production, there’s something for everyone.

This year, our Master Gardeners have selected five gardens for you to tour in the Town of Ontario.

When: June 19th from 4 to 8 pm. Rain or Shine.

To purchase tour tickets send $10.00 per person to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County 1581 Rte. 88 N. Newark, NY 14513-9739 by June 14th or stop in our office – 830am -430pm Monday-Friday.

Please call (315) 331-8415 for more information. For special needs please contact us two weeks prior to the tour.

SUNY Morrisville Hosts 4R Nutrient Management Field Day!

You are cordially invited to attend the 2019 4R Technical Field Day at SUNY Morrisville.

4R is an approach to agricultural nutrient management and soil and water stewardship that emphasizes using the Right Source of Nutrients at the Right Rate and Right Time in the Right Place for the protection of New York’s waterways

But it’s more than just a catchy buzz phrase. The approach provides a science-based framework for plant nutrition management and sustained crop production while considering specific individual farms’ needs.

The 2019 4R Field Tech Day will highlight existing 4R Programs and technologies. The 4R Field day counts towards required 4R Training as required by 4R NY Nutrient Stewardship Certification and offers 5.5 hard-to-find CCA credits. Plus Free lunch!

Date: October 15, 2019
Location: SUNY Morrisville Campus, Morrisville, NY
Address: 80 Eaton St, Morrisville, NY 13408

Agenda:

All morning sessions will take place in Charlton Hall

* 8 a.m. Registration and coffee
* 9:00 a.m. Welcome, Jen Gilbert Jenkins SUNY Morrisville
* 9:15 The 4R Program, Sally Flis, TFI Director of Agronomy, NYSABA Pres.
* 9:45 NRCS programs available to support the implementation of 4R strategies, NRCS speaker
* 10:10 TNC, 4R, and Conservation, Gregg Sargis, TNC
* 10:35 Precision Ag Map- Extracting value from different map layers- Avery DeGolyer, WNY Crop Management, CCA
* 11:00 COFFEE BREAK and transportation to demo 1
* 11:30 Environmental Tillage Systems- Soil Warrior- demo
* 12:15 Lunch (including transportation to lunch and then back to demo sites after lunch)

* Afternoon Demonstrations will take place in fields around the Morrisville Dairy Complex
* 1:30 – 3:00 Rotating 20-minute demonstrations including soil sampling technology from Western New York Crop Management and Growmark FS, Sprayer Calibration and Drone imaging demonstrations by Cazenovia Equipment Company, INC, Cover Crop roller demonstration by SUNY Morrisville and more!
* 3:00 Transportation back to an original parking lot

CCA Credits- 1.5 NM, 3.0 SW

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register:
https://4rtechnicalfieldday.eventbrite.com

Muck Race – 25th Annual September 9-10th, 2022

The Muckrace is a “Big Day” birding competition within the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.Teams of some of the best birders as well as novice birders from across New York State and beyond, compete in the 24-hour event to see how many species they can identify. In addition to providing some good fun and excitement, the Muckrace raises money to support avian research and conservation within the Montezuma Wetlands complex.

For more information and registration visit: https://friendsofmontezuma.org/projects-programs/muckrace/

Regional Dry-Down Day in Seneca County on 9-3-21

The Cornell Cooperative NWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team will be working with Keystone Mills in Romulus, NY to put on a Dry-Down Day on September 3rd, 2021 from 10:00am to 2:00pm.  Farmers in the local area are encouraged to cut a bundle of 3 stalks from each corn field that they would like to be tested for dry matter, and bring them to the mill between 10:00am and 2:00pm on that day.

What:  Seneca County Regional Dry-Down Day
When:  September 3, 2021
Time:  10:00am – 2:00pm
Location: Keystone Mills
1975 State Route 336
Romulus, NY 14541

CCE NWNY team members will be there with a wood chipper to chip down the stalks and several drying options to determine the current dry matter of whole corn plants.  Based on the dry matter percentage of your corn stalks, we will be able to provide you with an estimate of your optimal harvest date.  There will not be a formal presentation, though information on best management practices for 2021 Corn Silage Harvest will be provided.  You do not have to wait around to get your results, but feel to take advantage of the opportunity to ask your questions and have some refreshments.  There is no cost for this program, and all are welcome to attend.

Sampling details:  Sample corn stalks should be from a representative area in the field, and should be cut the morning of September 3rd at the height you plan to set your chopper.  If you are unable to bring your stalks to the mill during the dry down timeframe, please reach out to Margaret Quaassdorff (585-405-2567) to make a plan before the 3rd to get your samples picked up.

Free coffee and baked goods will be provided by Keystone Mills.

 

Coastal engineers to Lake Ontario to work with property owners

As part of the Lake Ontario Rapid Response Team, NY DEC deployed a team of experienced coastal engineers to Lake Ontario to work with property owners to address erosion, conduct site visits, meet with owners, and offer technical guidance. The team will rapidly review all emergency permit applications received. DEC’s engineers stand ready to work with property owners so that protective structures can be repaired and homeowners can take appropriate actions expeditiously.  Follow this link for the location and times the DEC will be at the command centers to provide assistance with permit applications. Generally these applications can be approved the same day, but in some cases can take up to a week.

Please visit:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/76659.html

Owl Prowl! Montezuma Audubon Center

Jan. 20, Saturday, 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm  Owl Prowl   Get up close to live owls during an indoor presentation featuring KrittrKris and her feathered friends! Learn about the special adaptations these birds have that allow them to survive the winter season and be successful hunters of the night. Then, join Audubon staff to search for endangered Short-eared Owls and other raptors in the grasslands around Montezuma. It will be a real hoot! Fee: $6/child, $8/adult, $25/family.

 

Let’s Talk Lake Ontario Webinar Series – Green Stuff in the Water: No Day at the Beach

Let’s Talk Lake Ontario Webinar Series – Green Stuff in the Water: No Day at the Beach

Join the Lake Ontario Partnership for a one-hour webinar talking about Cladophora! Wednesday, November 17th Noon – 1:00 P.M.

What is Cladophra

Cladophora are those green mats of algae in the water that you may have seen on beaches and along shorelines in Lake Ontario. While Cladophora is necessary for a healthy ecosystem, when nutrient levels in the water are too high—i.e., from lawn fertilizers, agricultural and urban runoff, and septic and sewage treatment systems—we see too much Cladophora growth. This can present aesthetic and odor issues that impair recreational uses of the lake, as well, decaying Cladophora harbors bacteria that can pose health threats to humans, fish, and wildlife.

Link to join: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e2314291261b79dedf2f9a22a20369aa6

Event number: 161 404 9404

Event password: welcome1

Guest speakers
David Depew, Research Scientist, Environment and Climate Change Canada,  Mary Anne Evans, Research Ecologist, United States Geological Survey, Greg Ford, Great Lakes Water Monitoring Manager, Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative

Agenda
12:00 – 12:05 Welcome
Moderator: Emma Tahirali, MECP

12:05 – 12:15 State of Lake Ontario overview
Luca Cargnelli, ECCC; Kristina Heinemann, US EPA
12:15 – 12:25 Introduction to Cladophora in Lake Ontario – What is it and why it’s a problem
David Depew, ECCC
12:25 – 12:30 Nutrient management
Luca Cargnelli, ECCC; Kristina Heinemann, US EPA

12:30 – 12:40 Cladophora monitoring work
Mary Anne Evans, USGS
12:40 – 12:50 Community/citizen science profile: The Visual Assessment Survey Tool
Greg Ford, Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative
12:50 – 12:55 Audience Q&A
Moderator: Emma Tahirali, MECP
12:55 – 1:00 News you can use
Dr. Joan Kennedy, DEC; Emma Tahirali, MECP

Webinar Registration

 

21st Annual Muckrace coming September 15-16, 2017

Mid-September is a great time to be birding at the Complex.

The Montezuma Wetlands Complex is a globally-significant Important Bird Area and supports a million or more waterfowl of at least 30 species, thousands of inland migrating shorebirds, a myriad of ‘confusing’ fall warblers and many rare and endangered species.

The 242-square mile Montezuma Focus Area, which was highlighted under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan as critical migratory bird habitat, serves as the boundary for the Muckrace.

You will need these forms and rules

Christmas Bird Count

Photo Credit Audubon Society

Looking for a new holiday tradition? How about the national Audubon Christmas Bird Count?

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will take place at the Montezuma Audubon Center located at 2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146 at 5:00 pm on Monday, December 19.

This is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 100 years of citizen science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census where thousands of volunteers across the US, Canada and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period on one calendar day to count birds. As the Christmas Bird Count enters its 117th year, birders of all experience levels are encouraged to join us to count Montezuma’s wintering birds.

This event is free and open to the public but registration is required by calling 315-365-3588. http://friendsofmontezuma.org/event/montezuma-christmas-bird-count/

The Montezuma Wetlands Complex is a globally significant Important Bird Area (IBA), contains numerous intriguing habitats: Lake, River, Deciduous Hardwoods, Open Field, Coniferous Stands, Fresh Water Marsh, and Grassland.

The compilation will take place at the Montezuma Audubon Center located at 2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146 at 5:00 pm on Monday, December 19.

There is a specific methodology to the CBC, and all participants must make arrangements to participate in advance with the circle compiler within an established circle, but anyone can participate.

Each count takes place in an established 15-mile wide diameter circle, and is organized by a count compiler. Count volunteers follow specified routes through a designated 15-mile (24-km) diameter circle, counting every bird they see or hear all day. It’s not just a species tally–all birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.

If you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher. … more 

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