Wayne County Soil & Water Conservation District
7312 Route 31 Lyons, NY 14489 / 315-946-7200
Meet up on Earth Day for the Erie Canal Clean Sweep. New York’s largest Earth Day clean-up event.
Each year the NYS Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails New York hosts volunteer events along the New York State Canal System as part of the 12th annual Canal Clean Sweep.
April 22, 2017
In Lyons volunteers will clean from Geneva Street/ Route 14 bridge, along canal bank and dock area to Lock 27 and bike trail to Abbey Park. Meet up at 9:00 A.M.
FOLLOW THIS MAP FOR MORE EVENTS
More .. http://ow.ly/wOzq30ae16p
Exploring Beechwood State Park, Hosted by Genesee Land Trust
Walk with Bob Cooper who grew up near Beechwood State Park and knows its many trails and stories. Start at the lower parking lot close to Maxwell Creek as it flows into Maxwell Bay and then Lake Ontario – learning about fish, birds, wild flowers, and the history of Beechwood when it was a girl scout camp.
Beechwood State Park
7563 Lake Rd, Sodus, New York 14551
Sunday, May 20th at 9 AM – 11 AM
2017 Finger Lakes Research ConferenceThe BIG THREE in the Finger Lakes: Contaminants, Invasive Species, and Excess Nutrients
This year’s program will focus on the BIG THREE issues in the Finger Lakes and showcase research and strategies to combat them. Presentations will be made on emerging contaminants, invasive species, nutrient management and more. A poster session will also be held.
WHEN: Friday, November 17, 2017, 8:30am – 5pm
WHERE: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Scandling Center, Vandervort Room, 300 Pulteney St, Geneva, NY 14456
COST: $60 early registration through October 30; $65 through November 8; $75 through November 15
CONTACT: Hilary Mosher, mosher@hws.edu, 315.781.4385
Invasive Species Workbook
Wayne County Soil and Water and FL-PRISM will host a teacher meeting focusing on a newly created Invasive Species Activity workbook for the classroom. Grab a lunch and join by Zoom. Teachers that register will receive a printed workbook along with other invasive species educational materials.
Date: April 15th
Time: Noon – 1 P.M.
For Zoom information and registration please visit https://waynecountynysoilandwater.org/IS/
For questions and more information please email drew@waynenyswcd.org
This event has been canceled, however, there are ongoing activities where you can help out. Please read more to view the video.
Macyville Woods Nature Preserve
7474 Seaman Street Sodus Point, NY, 14555 United States (map)
https://www.geneseelandtrust.org/volunteer-events
Other ongoing activities at Macyville Woods:
Japanese wineberry is another invasive that you can safely remove with gloves. Thanks to support from the Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, we are removing this and other invasive plants from Macyville Woods Nature Preserve and have begun planting more beneficial shrubs and trees to improve bird habitat. Japanese wineberry looks similar to raspberry and blackberry plants, but its stem has more hairs and fewer thorns. Learn more about wineberry here and watch the short video below with Stewardship Assistant Will Macaluso.
TOOLS REQUIRED: Gardening gloves and trash bags
WHERE TO GO: Macyville Woods Nature Preserve
PLEASE REMEMBER: Stay safe, practice physical distancing, and dress appropriately. We would like to track when and where you volunteer for this project. Please call, text, or email Kevin Farrell at (585) 484-0250 or land@geneseelandtrust.org.
This is a great way to get outside, meet new people with similar interests!
American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day Macedon to Montezuma Bike Ride – June 3, 2017
Xerces Society is holding an online short course intended for NRCS staff, Soil and Water Conservation staff, Extension Educators, farmers and other agricultural professionals in the northeastern region of the US. This course is free to attend, but registration is required. Click here to register.
Presenters are Stephanie Frischie, Agronomist & Native Plant Materials Specialist; Jennifer Hopwood, Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist – Midwest; and Kelly Gill, Senior Pollinator Conservation Specialist – Northeast/Mid-Atlantic, and guest presenter Kyle Wickings, Associate Professor of Entomology at Cornell University, for this online course about soil animals and their role in governing microbial processes in agricultural soils.
Participants will learn about common soil invertebrates, their ecology and roles in soil health, scouting methods, and management strategies to increase beneficial soil animal populations.
In Dr. Wicking’s talk, he will review the primary pathways by which soil animals influence crop residue decomposition and organic matter cycling, first discussing recent research on the different ways invertebrates interact with microbial processes in soil. Second, he will talk about the impact of agricultural management practices on invertebrates and the processes they drive. Next, we’ll discuss how invasive earthworms muddy the concept of soil health. Lastly, we’ll explore how even plant-feeding insect pests can impact carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil.
Join Trail Works wildflower expert Mark DeCracker to hike a National Natural Landmark with a sphagnum bog and floating bog cradled between Wayne County drumlins. 
May 9th Preparedness Planning Workshops: Creating Watershed Resiliency in Your Community
A series of free workshops are being held at the Elks Lodge in Wolcott, NY to help homeowners, board members, municipal staff and anyone else who is interested to learn about easy ways to prepare for an uncertain future within their community.
Register now by clicking this link:
https://goo.gl/forms/8hMbRLQkUdW7JfJu1
Or register by phone: Kathy Forrest, (315)443-1131
When: May 9th, 2019, 6pm – 8:30pm
6:00pm: Hot hors d’oeuvres and registration
6:30-8:30pm: Programs
Where: Wolcott Elks Lodge
6161 W Port Bay Rd
Wolcott, NY 14590
May 9th, 6pm – 8:30pm
Jayme Thomann, Genessee/Finger Lakes Regional Planning Council
Land Use Tools for Stormwater and Floodplain Management
Who Should Attend:
Homeowners, municipal board members, business owners, elected officials, and municipal staff.
This work is supported by an agreement with New York Sea Grant, funds provided by the Environmental Protection Fund under the authority of the New York Ocean and Great Lakes Ecosystem Conservation Act.
The first of several free fishing days in New York State for 2017 will take place next weekend on Saturday, February 18 and Sunday, February 19.
During these designated days, New York residents and non-residents are permitted to fish for free without a fishing license.
Anglers are reminded that fishing regulations remain in effect during these days.
Free fishing days are the perfect opportunity for both beginning anglers that want to learn more about fishing and also those interested in getting back into the sport. Of New York’s 7,500 lakes and ponds and 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, exceptional fishing opportunities aren’t far away!
Additional free fishing days slated for 2017 include:
June 24-25th
September 23 (National Hunting and Fishing Day)
November 11 (Veterans Day)
Those new to ice fishing are encouraged to download the Introduction to Ice Fishing chapter of DEC’s new I FISH NY Beginners’ Guide to Freshwater Fishing for information on how to get started with ice fishing. Additional information, including tips on ice fishing safety and a list of waters open to ice fishing, can be found at DEC’s ice fishing web page.
For Governor Cuomo’s press release on the upcoming Free Ice Fishing Weekend visit https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-free-fishing-days-new-york
