From fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us Mon Jan 3 11:19:08 2011 From: fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us (Newsletter and Program Schedule Update Email Notification) Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:19:08 -0500 Subject: [Fiveriverstributary] Upcoming Programs at Five Rivers -- January 22 & 29 Message-ID: <4D21B0AC0200005A000494D1@gwsmtp.dec.state.ny.us> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, New York 12054 Phone: (518) 475-0291 FAX: (518) 439-8044 Website: www.dec.ny.gov Come to Five Rivers to enjoy time outdoors during the lengthening days of January. Join us for one or more of the programs described below, or explore on your own. For more information about these and other programs at Five Rivers, please call 518-475-0291. WEASEL STUDY A program on the natural history of weasels will be presented on Saturday, January 22 at 10:00 AM. At this program, Five Rivers naturalists will conduct an indoor overview of the weasel family, then lead participants afield to study the habits, habitats and prey of weasel species that can be found at Five Rivers, such as otter, fisher and mink. The program is open to the public free of charge. Participants are urged to dress for outdoor winter activity. If there is deep snow, snowshoes will be provided to those interested for the field foray. In the event of severe winter weather, this program may be canceled. Please call the Center at 518-475-0291 by Thursday, January 20 for more information. GIRL SCOUT SNOWSHOE OUTING A snowshoe outing for girl scouts will be presented on Saturday, January 22 at 2:00 PM. During this program, Five Rivers naturalists will demonstrate basic snowshoeing technique indoors, then lead snowshoers along Center trails in search of tracks, chewed cones, dens and other signs of winter wildlife. The program is open to girl scouts of any age and is free of charge. Scouts must be accompanied by a parent and/or scout leader. Participants are urged to dress for outdoor winter activity. If there is insufficient snow, staff will conduct the field foray afoot. In the event of severe winter weather, this program may be canceled. Space is limited. Please call the Center at 518-475-0291 by Thursday, January 20 to register or for more information. WILDLIFE STUDY An indoor/outdoor program exploring common misconceptions about wildlife be conducted on Saturday, January 29 at 10:00 AM. During this fact-or-fiction study, Five Rivers naturalists will present an indoor overview of common attitudes, beliefs and misunderstandings about wildlife, then lead an outdoor search along Center trails for winter wildlife to compare perception with reality. The program is open to the public free of charge. Participants are urged to dress for outdoor winter activity. If there is sufficient snow, snowshoes will be provided for the field foray. In the event of severe winter weather, this program may be canceled. Please call the Center at 518-475-0291 by Thursday, January 27 to register or for more information. SNOWSHOE OUTING CELEBRATES GLOOMIEST DAY A snowshoe outing will be conducted on Saturday, January 29 at 2:00 PM. During this indoor/outdoor program, Five Rivers naturalists will demonstrate basic snowshoeing technique indoors, then lead snowshoers along Center trails for some wholesome aerobic exercise, looking for animal tracks, chewed cones, dens and other signs of winter wildlife along the way. In 2006, British health psychologist Cliff Arnall developed a formula which identified January 23 as the gloomiest day of the year, citing, among other things, holiday bills coming due and the onset of seasonal affective disorder. Arnall recommended going for a walk in the woods to brighten the spirits. The program is open to the public free of charge. Participants are urged to dress for outdoor winter activity. Snowshoes may be borrowed free of charge. If there is insufficient snow, staff will conduct a field foray afoot. In the event of severe winter weather, this program may be cancelled. Please call the Center at 518-475-0291 by Thursday, January 27 to register or for more information. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a designated New York State Watchable Wildlife site, where wildlife viewing opportunities abound. Learn more by visiting Watchable Wildlife at www.dec.ny.gov. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us Wed Jan 5 16:45:45 2011 From: fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us (Newsletter and Program Schedule Update Email Notification) Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:45:45 -0500 Subject: [Fiveriverstributary] Programs at Five Rivers on February 5 Message-ID: <4D24A0390200005A00049836@gwsmtp.dec.state.ny.us> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, New York 12054 Phone: (518) 475-0291 FAX: (518) 439-8044 Website: www.dec.ny.gov TEACHER WORKSHOP -- Project WILD A teacher workshop on the award-winning curriculum-enhancement program Project WILD will be conducted on Saturday, February 5. From 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon, Center staff will lead a participatory training in Wildlife In Learning Design, an education initiative which uses wildlife themes to integrate environmental concepts into the core reading, writing and arithmetic disciplines. Participants will receive a free Project WILD curriculum guide full of stimulating activities for students in grades K-12. The workshop is open to teachers and youth leaders free of charge. In-service credit for this workshop may be available through the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center. Please call Five Rivers at 518-475-0291 by Wednesday, February 2 to register for the workshop. MEADOW ECOLOGY An outdoor study of the winter ecology of old fields will be conducted on Saturday, February 5 at 2:00 PM. This naturalists' tour will visit the broad meadows of the Center's Old Field Trail, home to rabbit, fox, bluebird, and deer. Areas managed as forever field will be compared to areas left wild to transition into brushland. The conservation values of both habitats and the impact of invasive species will be considered. The tour, which will traverse gentle terrain, is in celebration the 75th birthday of the National Wildlife Federation and also the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. The program is open to the public free of charge. Participants are urged to dress for outdoor winter activity. If there is deep snow, snowshoes will be provided to those interested for the field foray. In the event of severe winter weather, this program may be cancelled. Please call the Center at 518-475-0291 for more information. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a designated New York State Watchable Wildlife site, where wildlife viewing opportunities abound. Learn more by visiting Watchable Wildlife at www.dec.ny.gov. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us Mon Jan 10 15:48:39 2011 From: fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us (Newsletter and Program Schedule Update Email Notification) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:48:39 -0500 Subject: [Fiveriverstributary] DEC Summer Environmental Camps Prepare For 2011 Season Message-ID: <4D2B2A570200005A00049D85@gwsmtp.dec.state.ny.us> DEC SUMMER ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPS PREPARE FOR 2011 SEASON Several Changes Made For the Upcoming Season The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that registration for the 2011 summer camp programs begins this week. Applications from sponsors must be postmarked no earlier than Jan. 15. Parents may submit applications postmarked no earlier than Jan. 29. The Summer Camp Program offers week?long adventures in conservation education to children ages 12-17. DEC operates four residential camps for children ages 12-14: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake, Franklin County; Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor, Sullivan County; Camp Rushford in Caneadea, Allegany County; and Pack Forest in Warrensburg, Warren County. Pack Forest also features Teenage Ecology Workshop, a three-week environmental studies program for 15-17 year old campers. DEC is also encouraging sporting clubs, civic groups and environmental organizations to sponsor a child for a week at camp. Those groups who sponsor six paid campers will receive one free scholarship. Campers participate in a wide variety of outdoor activities including fishing, bird watching, fly-tying, archery, canoeing, hiking, camping, orienteering and hunter safety education. Campers also learn about fields, forests, streams and ponds through fun, hands-on activities and outdoor exploration. DEC counselors teach youth conservation techniques used by natural resource professionals, such as measuring trees and estimating wildlife populations. Changes for the 2011 camp season include:Camp fee for one week is $350. All four camps will run for seven weeks, beginning July 3. Children who have attended camp in the past may register for any of the seven weeks. Campers may attend for more than one week during the summer. The fee for the total number of weeks must be included with the application. Please note that campers will not be able to stay at camp on Saturday night, so parents should make alternative arrangements if two consecutive weeks are selected. Camp Rushford will no longer offer one week for 15 to 17 year olds. Older campers are encouraged to sign up for the Teenage Ecology Workshop at Pack Forest for one of the first three weeks of camp, beginning July 3. For information and applications visit DEC?s website: www.dec.ny.gov/education/29.html or call 518?402?8014. Interested parents may also sign up for DEC?s camps list serve at http://lists.dec.state.ny.us/mailman/listinfo/decenvironmentaledcamps or contact DEC in writing at DEC Camps, 2nd Floor, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233?4500. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 01-10-11 DEC Summer Environmental Camps Prepare for 2011 Season.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 54098 bytes Desc: not available URL: From fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us Wed Jan 19 15:31:19 2011 From: fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us (Newsletter and Program Schedule Update Email Notification) Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:31:19 -0500 Subject: [Fiveriverstributary] Mid-February Programs at Five Rivers Message-ID: <4D3703C70200005A0004A516@gwsmtp.dec.state.ny.us> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, New York 12054 Phone: (518) 475-0291 FAX: (518) 439-8044 Website: www.dec.ny.gov On February 12 and 18, birds and mammals will be the featured creatures at Five Rivers. The programs described below are open to the public free of charge. In the event of inclement weather, programs may be canceled. Please call 518-475-0291 for more information. SEARCH FOR BIRDS A field study of winter birdlife will be conducted on Saturday, February 12 at 9:00 AM. On this outdoor foray, Center naturalists will conduct a brief introduction to avian adaptations to winter then lead a search along gentle trails, looking for resident bird species as well as common winter visitors. Special attention will be paid to species whose winter range appears to be expanding recently, such as Carolina wren and yellow bellied sapsucker, often cited as indicators of climate change. FAMILY PROGRAM ON MAMMALS An indoor/outdoor introduction to mammals for children and their families will be conducted on Saturday, February 12 at 2:00 PM. Geared for parent and child interaction, this family-friendly study will use puppets, crafts, and an outdoor nature walk to learn more about the natural history of squirrels, rabbits and other common local mammals. Parent(s) and child(ren) must accompany each other. Space is limited. Please call 518-475-0291 by Wednesday, February 9 to register. FULL MOON OUTING An outdoor exploration of a winter's night under the light of the full moon will be conducted on Friday, February 18 at 7:00 PM. At this family-friendly study, Center naturalists will conduct an indoor show-and-tell briefing on the unique ways various creatures are adapted to life in the dark. Afterwards, Center staff will lead a walk along gentle trails, looking and listening for common creatures of the night such as the great horned owl, eastern coyote and opossum. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a designated New York State Watchable Wildlife site, where wildlife viewing opportunities abound. Learn more by visiting Watchable Wildlife at www.dec.ny.gov. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us Fri Jan 21 14:12:55 2011 From: fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us (Newsletter and Program Schedule Update Email Notification) Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:12:55 -0500 Subject: [Fiveriverstributary] Great Backyard Bird Count at Five Rivers Message-ID: <4D3994670200005A0004A9B0@gwsmtp.dec.state.ny.us> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, New York 12054 Phone: (518) 475-0291 FAX: (518) 439-8044 Website: www.dec.ny.gov GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT - February 19, 9:00 to 10:00 AM A Great Backyard Bird Count will be conducted on Saturday, February 19 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM at the NYSDEC Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar. At this indoor program, bird experts from Five Rivers and the Capital Region Audubon Society will conduct a survey of birds at Five Rivers bird feeders from the comfort of the bird viewing lounge. The survey is one of thousands of Great Backyard Bird Counts being conducted by volunteers of all birding levels in backyards and local parks across North America this weekend. Now in its 14th year, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a joint citizen science initiative of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and National Audubon Society to track the distribution and abundance of winter birds. The program, geared for the birding novice, is free of charge. Participants will learn how they can conduct their own Great Backyard Bird Count in their own home, neighborhood or park. Please call the Center at 518-475-0291 for more information. During the four-day count period last February, more than 97,200 backyard bird surveys were conducted by an estimated 63,000 volunteer bird watchers from across the United States and Canada, creating the continent's largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded. Theres simply no better way to collect information about all these birds so quickly across such a large range, said Janis Dickinson, Citizen Science director at the Cornell Lab. GBBC data become more and more valuable with each passing year, said Dick Cannings, program director for Bird Studies Canada. Over time well be better able to see significant changes that may occur in the numbers and distributions of birds which may be tied to climate change, habitat loss, disease, or other factors. ********* Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a designated New York State Watchable Wildlife site, where wildlife viewing opportunities abound. Learn more by visiting Watchable Wildlife at www.dec.ny.gov. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us Fri Jan 21 14:18:44 2011 From: fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us (Newsletter and Program Schedule Update Email Notification) Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:18:44 -0500 Subject: [Fiveriverstributary] Upcoming Workshops for Teachers at Five Rivers Message-ID: <4D3995C40200005A0004A9BC@gwsmtp.dec.state.ny.us> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, New York 12054 Phone: (518) 475-0291 FAX: (518) 439-8044 Website: www.dec.ny.gov PROJECT LEARNING TREE Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood A teacher workshop for early childhood educators on the award-winning curriculum-enhancement program Project Learning Tree (PLT) will be conducted on Saturday, February 19 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. At this interactive workshop, Center staff will lead a participatory training in PLTs Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood initiative, which integrates forest-related themes into the curriculum through reading, writing, music and movement, math, art, and sensory experiences. Participants will receive a free Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood curriculum guide full of stimulating forest-oriented activities for students in pre-K and lower elementary grades. The workshop is open to teachers and youth leaders free of charge. Please call Five Rivers at 518-475-0291 by Wednesday, February 16 to register for the workshop. PROJECT WET (Water Education for Teachers) A teacher workshop on the award-winning curriculum-enhancement program Project WET will be conducted at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center on Wednesday, February 23 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. At this indoor training, Center staff will lead a participatory introduction to Project WET, a curriculum which integrates water resource themes into the core reading, writing and arithmetic disciplines, addressing qualities of water, water as a shared resource, and water management. Participants will receive a free Project WET curriculum guide full of stimulating activities for students in grades K-12. The workshop is open to teachers and youth leaders free of charge. Please call Five Rivers at 518-475-0291 by Wednesday, February 16 to register. ****************** Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a designated New York State Watchable Wildlife site, where wildlife viewing opportunities abound. Learn more by visiting Watchable Wildlife at www.dec.ny.gov. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us Fri Jan 21 14:22:28 2011 From: fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us (Newsletter and Program Schedule Update Email Notification) Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:22:28 -0500 Subject: [Fiveriverstributary] Birding for Kids at Five Rivers Message-ID: <4D3996A40200005A0004A9C4@gwsmtp.dec.state.ny.us> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, New York 12054 Phone: (518) 475-0291 FAX: (518) 439-8044 Website: www.dec.ny.gov BIRDING FOR KIDS - Tuesday, February, 22, 10:00 AM (during school winter break week) An elementary introduction to birds and bird life will be conducted at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, on Tuesday, February 22 at 10:00 AM. At this indoor/outdoor primer, Center naturalists will discuss concepts in bird anatomy, behavior, identification and conservation which parent and child can build upon in their own yard or park. Participants will study birds at the Centers feeders from indoors, then venture out along Center trails for a little field work. Simple but effective backyard bird conservation strategies will be discussed. This program is free of charge, but enrollment is limited. Parent(s) and child(ren) must accompany each other. In the event of unfavorable weather, the entire workshop will be conducted indoors. Please call 518- 475-0291 to register by Monday, February 14. *************** Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a designated New York State Watchable Wildlife site, where wildlife viewing opportunities abound. Learn more by visiting Watchable Wildlife at www.dec.ny.gov. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us Thu Jan 27 14:06:10 2011 From: fiveriverstributary at lists.dec.state.ny.us (Newsletter and Program Schedule Update Email Notification) Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:06:10 -0500 Subject: [Fiveriverstributary] Snowshoeing and Going Green at Five Rivers Message-ID: <4D417BD20200005A0004B09D@gwsmtp.dec.state.ny.us> New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Five Rivers Environmental Education Center 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, New York 12054 Phone: (518) 475-0291 FAX: (518) 439-8044 Website: www.dec.ny.gov SNOWSHOE OUTINGS AT FIVE RIVERS A how-to introduction to snowshoeing will be conducted on Thursday, February 24 at 2:00 PM, and repeated Saturday, February 26 at 2:00 PM. During these indoor/outdoor programs, Five Rivers naturalists will demonstrate basic snowshoeing technique indoors, then lead snowshoers along Center trails for some wholesome aerobic exercise, looking for animal tracks, chewed cones, dens and other signs of winter wildlife along the way. The programs are open to the public free of charge. Participants are urged to dress for outdoor winter activity. Snowshoes may be borrowed free of charge. If there is insufficient snow, staff will conduct a field foray afoot. In the event of severe winter weather, these programs may be canceled. Please call the Center at 518-475-0291 by Thursday, February 17 to register or for more information. GOING GREEN A program on how to go green at home will be conducted on Saturday, February 26 at 10:00 AM. At this indoor presentation, Center naturalists will discuss simple ways to reduce your environmental footprint with tips on energy conservation, water conservation, composting and other effective eco-friendly ideas. This program is open to the public free of charge. Please call 518-475-0291 for more information. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a designated New York State Watchable Wildlife site, where wildlife viewing opportunities abound. Learn more by visiting Watchable Wildlife at www.dec.ny.gov. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: