From decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us Wed Apr 6 08:14:17 2011 From: decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us (DEC Outdoor Discovery Bi-weekly Newsletter) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2011 08:14:17 -0400 Subject: [Decoutdoordiscovery] April 6 Outdoor Discovery Message-ID: <4D9C20D9.D567.00BD.1@gw.dec.state.ny.us> DEC Outdoor Discovery April 6, 2011 The Life of a Fish in a Hatchery Family Fun Upcoming DEC Events Long Island Capital Region - Five Rivers Environmental Education Center and Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center Western New York - Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center Subscribe to Outdoor Discovery or change your subscription options (http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decoutdoordiscovery) The Life of a Fish in a Hatchery A fish hatchery is a place where large numbers of fish eggs are hatched in an enclosed environment. DEC has 12 fish hatcheries that raise almost one million pounds of fish each year. Why? Fish are raised at hatcheries and released or "stocked" into streams and lakes for several reasons. Some are stocked for recreational fishing, while others are stocked to restore native species to waters where they used to live. Some fish produced at hatcheries develop from eggs taken from adult fish raised in the hatcheries. These adult fish are called broodstock. Another source of eggs is from adult fish in local waters. Hatchery staff catch the fish, collect the eggs and return the adult fish to the water unharmed. The eggs are incubated in special screen baskets, and, after the eggs hatch, the new fish (called sac fry) are moved into rearing units. Large fingerlings (fish less than one year old) and yearling fish (more than one year old) are moved to pond enclosures and are fed using demand feeders; i.e., food is dispensed when fish bump a rod under the water. Hatchery staff check the fish daily to make sure they are healthy and growing properly. When the fish are big enough, they are sent for stocking by truck, barge, helicopter or airplane. Each fish makes it to its proper destination, ready to provide anglers with a quality fishing experience. Send us an e-mail and tell us what you think about Outdoor Discovery. Let your friends know about Outdoor Discovery - forward this e-mail! Subscribe to Conservationist magazine (http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/65514.html)?New York's award-winning publication with astonishingly beautiful photography and captivating articles. Learn the best places to view wildlife at DEC's Watchable Wildlife (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/55423.html) pages. Back to top Family Fun Visit a Fish Hatchery Fishing is a popular pastime in New York; each year, hundreds of thousands of anglers head to the state's numerous lakes, ponds, rivers and streams with the hope of catching some fish. Many of the fish they catch were probably raised in one of DEC's fish hatcheries. The staff spend a lot of time and effort raising various fish species, including several types of trout, salmon, walleye, lake sturgeon and paddlefish. Want to experience it firsthand? Visit a DEC fish hatchery today! (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7742.html) Fish Memories Next time you are out fishing and catch a fish that you are proud of, preserve it with plaster to hang on your wall. Clean your fish, but leave the head on. Set it in a pan, and put it in the freezer overnight. The next day, roll out a slab of modeling clay bigger and thicker than your fish. Remove the fish from the pan and press it firmly into the clay. Gently lift the fish out of the clay, and put it back in the freezer. Mix some plaster of Paris in a container, following the directions on the package. Pour the plaster into the fish mold and let it dry completely. Remove the plaster fish from the mold, and, using the frozen fish as a guide, decorate it with acrylic paints. After the paint dries, you can spray it with a clear acrylic coating. Make sure to throw out the actual fish so that no one eats it. Now everyone will believe your fish story! Read Conservationist for Kids (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/40248.html) for more information and activities! Back to top Upcoming DEC Events Long Island Spring Fishing Festival at Belmont State Park Saturday, April 9 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Cost: $8 parking. Contact I FISH NY at 631-321-3510 for information and directions. Capital Region Five Rivers Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1835.html) Landscaping for Wildlife Saturday, April 9 at 10:00 AM Watchable Wildlife: The Bluebird of Happiness Saturday, April 9 at 2:00 PM Family Fun: Make a Bird House Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 PM Parent(s) and child(ren) must accompany each other. Please bring a hammer. Call 518-475-0291 to register by Friday, March 30. Family Fun: Squirrels for Kids Tuesday, April 19 at 10:00 AM Parent(s) and child(ren) must accompany each other. Call 518-475-0291 to register by Wednesday, April 13. Girl Scout Program: Birding by Ear Wednesday, April 20 at 9:00 AM For girl scouts age 12 and older, along with their parent(s)/troop leader(s). Call 518-475-0292 by Wednesday, April 13 to register your troop. Event Descriptions at Five Rivers (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1980.html#April) Albany Pine Bush Preserve Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.org/discovery_center/directions_hours_admission.htm) Discovery Hike Sunday, April 17 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Call 518-456-0655 to register. Cost: $3.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free. More events at Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.intelliclients.com/events/events.cfm?da=1&mo=4&ye=2011&eventTypeID=2) Western New York Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html) Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959. After-School Escape Thursday, April 7 and 14 at 4:30 PM For children in grades K-5. No registration required. Owl Prowl Friday, April 8 at 7:30 PM For adults and children ages 8 and older. Introduction to Geo-caching Saturday, April 9 at 10:30 AM For children ages 8 and older. Creative Arts in the Outdoors: Sketching and Painting Monday, April 11 at 6:00 PM Creative Arts in the Outdoors: Creative Writing Wednesday, April 13 at 6:00 PM Creative Arts in the Outdoors: Photography Friday, April 15 at 6:00 PM Waking Up Our Senses Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 PM Family Night Walk Monday, April 18 at 8:00 PM CSI: Critter Sign Investigation Tuesday, April 19 at 10:00 AM For children ages 6-10. Event Descriptions at Reinstein (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1977.html#April) Events at other Nature Centers throughout the State (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1826.html) Visit DEC's website for more information and programs (http://www.dec.ny.gov) Back to top This email was sent by: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233 We respect your right to privacy - view our policy (http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/27720.html). Having problems viewing this newsletter? View it on the DEC website (http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/43355.html). To unsubscribe (http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decoutdoordiscovery) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 61277 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/jpg Size: 6557 bytes Desc: not available URL: From decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us Tue Apr 12 08:51:01 2011 From: decoutdoordiscovery at lists.dec.state.ny.us (DEC Outdoor Discovery Bi-weekly Newsletter) Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:51:01 -0400 Subject: [Decoutdoordiscovery] April 20 Outdoor Discovery Message-ID: <4DA41275.D567.00BD.1@gw.dec.state.ny.us> DEC Outdoor Discovery April 20, 2011 Bursting Buds Family Fun Upcoming DEC Events Hudson Valley - Norrie Point Environmental Center Capital Region - Five Rivers Environmental Education Center and Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center Western New York - Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center Subscribe to Outdoor Discovery or change your subscription options (http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decoutdoordiscovery) Bursting Buds Before the leaves come out fully on a tree near your home, find out the tree's story by observing the twigs and buds. You can measure how much a tree grew during the year by looking for a ridge of lines around a twig. The distance from these growth rings (also known as bud scale scars) to the terminal bud (the last bud on the end of the twig) measures the yearly growth. Look for flat markings on the twig that look like scars. These are the leaf scars left after the leaves fell off the tree. Look closely at the leaf scars. Sometimes they look like faces. Tiny dots along the bark of the twig are called lenticels; they allow air to enter the cells of the tree. Lateral buds are found along the sides of the twig and contain new leaves. The tiny leaves are tightly folded and wrapped inside protective scales of each bud, waiting for warmer weather before opening. Send us an e-mail and tell us what you think about Outdoor Discovery. Let your friends know about Outdoor Discovery - forward this e-mail! Subscribe to Conservationist magazine (http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/65514.html)?New York's award-winning publication with astonishingly beautiful photography and captivating articles. Learn the best places to view wildlife at DEC's Watchable Wildlife (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/55423.html) pages. Back to top Family Fun Project BudBurst Project BudBurst (http://www.neoninc.org/budburst/_GetStarted_BudBurstObserver.php) is a citizen science program where people make regular observations of plants in their area and report their findings. People might observe a plant in their backyard, neighborhood, school, workplace or along a daily walk. Their findings help scientists understand changes in our natural environment. BudBurst Buddies(http://neoninc.org/budburst/buddies/) is a part of Project BudBurst designed specifically for children. To participate, kids pick a tree or shrub to watch. During the year, they make multiple observations about the changes the plant is undergoing. If they report at least four different observations, they will receive an official BudBurst Buddy certificate. Forcing Buds You can make spring come earlier by cutting branches from flowering trees and forcing them to bloom inside. Find a tree that has not bloomed yet, and cut off long branches with fat buds; these are the flower buds. Put the branches in a pail or vase filled with water, and wait until they open. Fruit trees like peach, apricot and cherry force very well. Read Conservationist for Kids (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/40248.html) for more information and activities! Back to top Upcoming DEC Events Youth Turkey Hunt?Upstate New York and Suffolk County Saturday, April 23 and Sunday, April 24 Visit the DEC website for more information about the Youth Turkey Hunt. Hudson Valley Norrie Point Environmental Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/37889.html) Fishing at Norrie Point Saturday, April 30 from 2:00 to 5:00 PM All equipment is provided. Capital Region Five Rivers Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1835.html) Family Fun: Birding for Kids Thursday, April 21 at 10:00 AM Parent(s) and child(ren) must accompany each other. Call 518-475-0291 to register by Monday, April 18. Family Fun: Earth Day Festival Saturday, April 23 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM Citizen Science: Woodcock Watch Thursday, April 28 at 7:00 PM Citizen Science: Frogwatch Friday, April 29 at 7:30 PM Waterproof footgear and flashlights are recommended. Call 518-475-0291 for more information. Cheep Thrills: Birding by Ear Saturday, April 30 at 10:00 AM Binoculars and bird guides are helpful but not necessary. Girl Scout Program: I Went to the Meadow Saturday, April 30 at 2:00 PM For Daisy Girl Scouts and their leader(s). Registration for this program is through the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York. Call 518-489-8110 for more information. A materials fee applies. How to Do It: Gardening for Wildlife Saturday, May 7 at 2:00 PM Space is limited. Call 518-475-0291 by Friday, April 29 to register. Event Descriptions at Five Rivers (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1980.html#April) Albany Pine Bush Preserve Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.org/discovery_center/directions_hours_admission.htm) Signs of Spring Friday, April 22 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM Call 518-456-0655 to register. Cost: $3.00/person, $5.00/family, children under 5 free. More events at Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center (http://albanypinebush.intelliclients.com/events/events.cfm?da=1&mo=4&ye=2011&eventTypeID=2) Western New York Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html) Advance registration is required. Call 716-683-5959. After-School Escape Thursday, April 21 and 28 at 4:30 PM For children in grades K-5. No registration required. Signs of Spring Saturday, April 23 at 10:30 AM Trees of Reinstein Woods Saturday, April 30 at 10:30 AM Event Descriptions at Reinstein (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1977.html#April) Events at other Nature Centers throughout the State (http://www.dec.ny.gov/education/1826.html) Visit DEC's website for more information and programs (http://www.dec.ny.gov) Back to top This email was sent by: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany, NY 12233 We respect your right to privacy - view our policy (http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/27720.html). Having problems viewing this newsletter? View it on the DEC website (http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/43355.html). To unsubscribe (http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decoutdoordiscovery) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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