Upcoming EventsAll events are free, for all ages, and at the District office - unless otherwise noted. Registration is appreciated; please call 518-828-4386 x 3 or email Chelsea Benson at least 24 hours before the program.
June Program
Incredible Insects Saturday, June 22, 2:00-3:00 pm In this fun and interactive program we will learn about insect characteristics and life cycles by observing insects in their natural habitat. Equipped with nets and collection jars, we will explore the wetlands and fields at Mud Creek and get an up-close look at a diverse array of insects. A limited number of nets and jars will be provided – please bring your own if possible. The District is on Facebook
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In the News2013 Hudson Valley Regional Envirothon:
The Mount Academy takes 1st & 2nd, Hudson is 3rd. The 2013 Hudson Valley Regional Envirothon took place Friday, April 26 at Sharpe Reservation in Fishkill, NY. Twenty-three teams from six counties in the Hudson Valley competed. The Mount Academy from Ulster County took the top two spots with Hudson High School (Columbia Co) claiming third. The Mount Academy's winning team has dominated the Hudson Valley Regional Envirothon for the last three years. The team of seniors are advised by Neal and Matina Horning and its members include Harmon Gattis, Carmen Maendel, Royce Durgin, Mailene Kleinsasser, and Kenneth Greenyer. The Mount Academy won the 2011 & 2012 New York State Envirothon and placed 5th at the 2012 North American Envirothon. Columbia County had a strong showing at the 2013 Hudson Valley Regional Envirothon with all the county teams placing in the top half of the competition. Hudson took 3rd, Chatham claimed 5th, Ichabod Crane came in 7th, Hudson's number two team was 8th, and Germantown was 11th. Winning teams from each of the six counties will be traveling to Morrisville State College in Morrisville, NY on May 30-31 to compete at the New York State Envirothon. Advancing to the New York State Envirothon will be Hudson (Columbia), Ketcham (Dutchess), Eldred (Sullivan), The Mount Academy (Ulster), Mahopac (Putnam), and Hastings (Westchester). Best of luck to our Hudson Valley teams at States! Download results from the Hudson Valley Regional Envirothon on our website. For more information about the New York State Envirothon, please visit their website: www.nysenvirothon.net. State Releases Funds for Flood Repairs
New York State and the Department of Environmental Conservation recently released grant money to restore and rehabilitate waterways damaged from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Columbia County received a portion of the $9 million state Flood Mitigation and Flood Control Grant. Ten local projects received funding from the state with Columbia County being awarded a grant of $302,500. Columbia County Soil & Water Conservation District is the sponsoring organization and is administering the grant throughout the county. Towns that have received funding include: Copake, Livingston, New Lebanon, Taghkanic, Austerlitz, and Claverack. 
Grant money will help fund the removal of debris from the Bash Bish Creek.
CCSWCD Awarded State Grant for Farm Water Quality
Columbia County Soil & Water Conservation District is the recipient of a grant awarded by the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee. The grant will assist Dutch Hollow Farm (Stuyvesant) with a water quality improvement project. According to Soil & Water Executive Director, Laura Sager, the funding will be used to purchase and install an improved filter system to prevent nutrient pollution from entering the Muitzes Kill Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River. The improvement project is being conducted as part of new conservation standards recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Mount Academy places 5th at the Canon Envirothon
Winners of the 2012 New York State Envirothon and the 2012 Hudson Valley Regional Envirothon, The Mount Academy (Orange Co.), placed fifth at the North American Canon Envirothon at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Competing against 54 teams from the United States and Canada, The Mount Academy, representing New York State, scored an impressive 526 points to place fifth. First place went to the team from Missouri. Congratulations to The Mount Academy on a successful event! Full results and pictures can be found at the Canon Envirothon website: www.envirothon.org. 
The Mount Academy - 5th at the Canon North American Envirothon.
Grant Highlights Green Infrastructure at Roe Jan Library
The District, in partnership with the Lower Hudson Coalition of Conservation Districts, was able to secure a grant from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. The grant was utilized to make a video highlighting green infrastructure at the Roe Jan Library in Hillsdale. The Roe Jan Library installed a porous parking area that allows rainwater to permeate through the concrete thereby reducing flooding. Additionally, the library installed a rain garden and bioswale that filter rainwater from roof runoff and the parking area. The gardens and porous concrete help to slow down, soak up, and filter rainwater that drains into the adjacent Roe Jan Kill. The porous concrete is the first of its kind in our region. To view the green infrastructure project, please watch the video: |
