Spring Clean Up!

With spring upon us, many of us are starting to think about cleaning up around the home and garage. There are many opportunities to recycle and dispose of wastes in an environmentally friendly manner. In many towns, there are large trash pickups or drop off days. Here in the Town of Niles, we have an excellent program that collects larger trash items one Saturday a month April through September. Check with your town for more information.


Also please review the upcoming events sponsored by the Cayuga County Solid Waste office and visit their web-site for more information on waste removal and recycling.
Link  : http://cayuganet.org/hazwaste/


Also call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County for recycling details or questions at 315.255.1183


Cayuga County 2010 Recycling Events
 - May 1, 2010 North and South Collection Event
Collect home electronics, rechargeable batteries, compact fluorescent bulbs and tubes, propane tanks and small freon appliances at one northern and one southern municipality.


 - May 15, 2010 Earth Week Collection Event
Collect home electronics, rechargeable batteries, compact fluorescent bulbs and tubes, propane tanks and small freon appliances.


 - June 12, 2010 Tire Round-Up
Collect tires.


 - September 18, 2010 Electronics Collection Event
Collect home electronics, rechargeable batteries, compact fluorescent bulbs and tubes, propane tanks and small freon appliances.


 - October 16, 2010 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
Collect household hazardous waste. This event requires pre-registration to schedule an appointment.


 - November 13, 2010 America Recycles Day 2010 Event
Collect home electronics, rechargeable batteries, and compact fluorescent bulbs and tubes.

2010 Renewable Energy Forum in Auburn

Renewable energy information for home owners, farmers and rural landowners. 

WHEN: Saturday, March 20, 2010
WHERE: CayugaOnondaga BOCES
1879 West Genesee Street Road, Auburn, NY 13021
TIME: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
COST: $15/Person, includes materials and lunch
CALL: 315.255.1183 to pre-register
EMAIL: cayuga@cornell.edu

Topics to Include:
What it takes to be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Green Building
Geothermally Heated Greenhouses Powered by a Small-Scale Wind Turbine:
Considerations and Opportunities for Growing Willow on Central NY Farmland,
Green Job Opportunities

Sponsored by: Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County

Owasco Watershed Network kick-off this Friday at the APT

IAGT is holding the Owasco Watershed Network (OWN) kick-off celebration this Friday night February 26th, 6:30pm at the Auburn Public Theatre.

The evening includes a demonstration of the OWN web-site along with a special video and book signing by John Francis McCarthy!

See the OWN web-site for more information: http://www.owascolake.org/

Check it out!...............NEW Owasco Watershed Network web-site

The Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology at Cayuga Community College, Inc. (IAGT), under a grant provided NY State Senator Nozzolio, has created the OWN Internet portal. OWN (Owasco Watershed Network) was created to share information and connect people interested in the preservation and management of the watershed. To quote the web site further; "OWN is a portal that connects widely varied information and data of interest, importance, and influence to the protection of the lake". I was very impressed with the format and amount of information already available on the site. There are some pretty cool features like the Owasco Watershed viewer. Click our link below to see what OWN is all about.


Please note that the site is still under development and the developers are looking for people to try it out and leave their comments and suggestions. 


Check it out - link to OWN: http://owascolake.org/joomla/

The Moravia Central Schools - Stream Team!

There was a very nice article in the Auburn Citizen this week covering an innovative, hands-on environmental education program with children from the Moravia School District. The "Stream Team", left the classroom to work in the field with educators from the Moravia Middle School and Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES. The goal was to learn about science and conservation first hand. Another group of students will continue this program in the spring of 2010.

Our "hats are off" to seventh grade teacher Karen Camp and BOCES environmental educator Ann Moore for their efforts to get kids outside and involved in these innovative environmental education programs. These kind of programs are very important to exposing students to both the science and issues that impact our water quality.

Link to the January 29th, 2010, Auburn Citizen article: http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2010/01/29/lake_life/lakelife01.txt

Film on effects of Hydrofracking coming to APT February 5th & 6th

From the APT flyer:

Auburn Public Theater presents the film SPLIT ESTATE which documents the devastating effect that oil and gas drilling is having on the health of families and the environment in the Rocky Mountain West.

FRI • FEB 5 • 8:00pm - followed by a Q&A session about hydrofracking

SAT • FEB 6 • 7:45pm - followed by a Q&A session with Dr. Hilary Lambert, Cayuga Lake Watershed
Network and Helen Slottje, Shaleshock Action Alliance

Whistler Swans on Owasco Lake this past weekend

Did anybody see the Whistler Swans on Owasco Lake Saturday and Sunday?





Two groups totaling about 50, were spotted flying on to the lake both Saturday  and Sunday morning. They were seen on the east side of the lake across from Ensenore.

A few facts: The average weight of the female Whistler Swan is 13 1/2 pounds and males are 15 1/2. Their breeding area is the North American tundra. They are also bred in China. The Whistler Swans winter along both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts as well as in southern China. The Swans make their nests along shores of lakes or ponds, and occasionally on islands. The female lays from three to five white eggs, which take 30-32 days to incubate. These swans are white with a black beak and a yellow dot below the eye. Normally swans mate once a year and are very protective of their territory during this time. Whistlers mate with one partner for life and don't mate outside their own species.

The debate continues on hydrofracking - where does your elected representative stand?

There is an interesting article on where local representatives stand on hydrofracking in today's Syracuse Post-Standard. As the debate for and against hydrofracking continues across the state, people are trying to better understand the potential economic and environmental impacts. We encourage you to become informed and consider the potential environmental impacts on the Owasco Lake Watershed. Also, please contact your elected representatives and let them know your feelings on this issue.

Link to today's Syracuse Post-Standard article:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/central_new_york_lawmakers_str.html

Please see our previous blog on this very important topic:
http://owlanews.blogspot.com/2009/12/hydro-fracking-last-call-for-proposed.html


Link to the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Natural Gas Development Resource Center:
http://cce.cornell.edu/Community/Pages/NaturalGas.aspx

January 2010 Finger Lakes Institute Happenings - See the article on Owasco

January 2010 Happenings

Read the entire FLI Newsletter Here

Research

·         New Release: HWS Professor Brown Publishes Owasco Lake Research

Community Outreach

·         Finger Lakes Research Conference A Success

o   Congratulations to Sam Georgian for winning this year’s Best Student Presentation $100 Award!!

·         Watershed Reps United!

·         January FLI Events

o   January 21- The Geography of Wetlands

o   Save the Dates

Feb. 3- Enhancing Water Quality through Native Plants

Feb. 11- The Geography of Finger Lakes History

Read the entire January 2010 FLI Happenings Newsletter online at http://fli.hws.edu/pdf/2009/publications/January2010.pdf  

Sincerely,

Sarah A. Meyer

Community Outreach Coordinator

http://fli.hws.edu

Office: (315) 781-4382

Fax: (315) 781-4399

Finger Lakes Institute

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

601 S. Main Street

Geneva, NY 14456

Recipient of the 2009 ENERGY STAR Small Business Award