News
2019 Bare Root Tree & Shrub Sale
Each spring, the District offers an annual bare root tree and shrub sale for local landowners. Seedlings and transplants are being offered in bundles of 10 or 50. Transplants available include balsam fir, white pine, and white spruce. For seedlings, we have American cranberry, arrowwood, black cherry, elderberry, red maple, red osier dogwood, red oak, river birch, silky dogwood, sugar maple, sycamore, tulip tree, and white oak. We are also offering raspberry and strawberry bundles of 10. Wildflower seed mixes, compost, tree tubes, and fertilizer tablets are also available. The order deadline is Friday, April 12th, 2019.
Click here for more information about the Bare Root Tree & Shrub Sale
Upcoming Events
April 13, 2019 (10:00am-12:00pm)
Mountain Top Library
6093 Main St., Tannersville, NY
Did you know the land along the stream, known as the riparian buffer zone, can improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat? The Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District (GCSWCD) is offering an educational workshop for Streamside Landowners at the Mountain Top Library in Tannersville on Saturday, April 13th, from 10:00am-12:00pm. This workshop is geared for individuals who own streamside property in Hunter, Tannersville, Windham, Ashland, Jewett, Lexington, and Prattsville. Attendees will learn how to establish and increase the riparian buffer zone on their own property by planting native trees and shrubs. Participants may be eligible for Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative (CSBI) program funding and will have the opportunity to inquire about CSBI resources at this workshop. Click here to view the event flyer.
To register, or for more information, please contact Laura Weyeneth at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 518-622-3620.
April 27, 2019 (9:00am-2:30pm)
Windham Mountain Resort
19 Resort Drive, Windham, NY
The 13th annual Schoharie Watershed Summit is scheduled for Saturday, April 27th, 2019 at the Windham Mountain Resort. This year's morning presentations are focused on Digging Deeper: Understanding how geology affects the Schoharie Basin. The presentations will take the audience on a journey through geologic history, focusing on both bedrock and glacial geology, and concluding with information about how the geology affects modern streams and our stream management strategies. Afternoon workshops may count towards municipal credits. For more information about the morning presentations and afternoon workshops, click here.
This program is for all water resource stakeholders, including municipal officials, planners, engineers, watershed managers, regulators, and property owners. This summit is a forum to bring diverse interests together to learn from one another and to network as we seek to understand each other’s roles in this living watershed
New venue this year! This FREE event will take place at the Windham Mountain Resort on Saturday, April 27th, 2019 from 9:00am-2:30pm. Come early! Doors open at 8:00am for sign-ins, networking, and morning refreshments. All registered attendees will receive free morning refreshments and lunch (please indicate if you are staying for the buffet lunch during online registration).
Registration is required by Tuesday, April 16th, 2019. For more details, or help with registration, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 518-622-3620 x104.
Programs Available
Catskill Streams Buffer Initiative (CSBI) is Currently Accepting Applications
The CSBI program works with streamside landowners in the Schoharie watershed to plant native trees and shrubs in the riparian buffer area along the stream.Are you a streamside landowner with property located in the Schoharie watershed? Schoharie watershed landowners with property within a riparian buffer (streamside) area may be eligible to participate in the CSBI program. Participants of this program work with GCSWCD to develop a planting plan for native trees and flowering shrubs to be installed within the riparian buffer zone.
What is a riparian buffer? Riparian, or streamside, buffers are vegetated or undisturbed natural areas along a stream. There are many benefits to installing a riparian buffer or increasing its size along a stream, including:
- Improved water quality: Riparian buffers serve as natural biofilters, protecting aquatic environments from polluted surface runoff. Riparian buffers reduce the amount of sediment flowing into streams by slowing surface water velocity and capturing sediment before it enters the stream. Riparian buffers reduce nutrients (i.e. nitrogen and phosphorous), pesticides, and other chemicals by slowing surface water velocity and allowing water to soak into the ground (infiltration) or be absorbed by the plants, which are able to naturally break down some of these pollutants.
- Increased habitat: Riparian buffers are extremely complex ecosystems that help provide optimum food and habitat for stream communities. The habitat provided by trees and shrubs also doubles as a corridor for species that have had their habitat fragmented by various land uses. Both aquatic and terrestrial species benefit from riparian buffers that have been protected or restored. The leaves and woody debris that fall into the stream provide food and habitat for even the tiniest of aquatic creatures, which are critical for the food chain.
- Stabilized streambanks: Native plants form extensive root systems that help hold the soil in place and slow the process of erosion.
- Water temperature control: By providing shade over the streams, trees and shrubs are able to help regulate the water temperature. They can even have a significant impact on moderating the effects of climate change on aquatic ecosystems, particularly in our headwater streams.
- Improved flood control: Riparian buffers encourage infiltration of stormwater by slowing the speed of the water running off the land and increasing the amount of water that is absorbed into the ground. Groundwater enters the stream at a much slower rate than surface water, which helps control flooding and maintain stream flow throughout the year.
For more information about CSBI, click here or contact Laura This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 518-622-3620.