Kraai Preserve – woodlands and the stream corridor along the Ganargua Creek, photo credit Trail Works

In keeping with the season’s theme of gratitude, why not start a new tradition? Build some lasting memories by going outside with family and friends for a “Walk in the Woods” on Thanksgiving day.  The fresh fall air along with a trail hike has restorative and stress-relieving power. The joys of nature are the simplest form of gratitude.  Plus, one hour of hiking burns between 430 and 460 calories. Paint a memorable family rock and hide it in the woods and find it again, year after year. Remember to bring the camera.  For added fun, consider an outdoor treasure hunting activity using GPS-enabled devices. There are hundreds of geocaching locations right here in Wayne County. Geocaching is an outdoor activity, where participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” at specific locations marked by coordinates. Pick up a trail passport from the Trailworks at any public library, Wegmans, or visit   https://trailworks.org/category/geocaching/ for Geocaching trails at various locations around Wayne County.

So go ahead – take the dog with you and start a new Thanksgiving tradition, just remember, we’re still in a pandemic so please practice good social distancing, even outside.

The District office will be closed on November 26 and 27th in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

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”)

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.

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

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

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