Schoharie Watershed Month 2017

8^th Annual Schoharie Watershed Month

May 2017

Celebrating the beauty and natural resources of the Schoharie basin through activities for the whole family!
All events are free and open to the public.

Volunteer Tree Planting
Saturday, April 29, 2017 (9:00am-12:00pm)
Carr Road, Jewett, NY
We're kicking off Schoharie Watershed Month early this year! Come out and take action to improve the Schoharie watershed! GCSWCD will be teaming up with Trout Unlimited for a volunteer tree and shrub planting event. This planting will enhance a riparian buffer (streamside) area along the Schoharie Creek with a goal of improving trout habitat. Volunteers will learn about the importance of planting trees along streams. Volunteers should bring a water bottle and dress for the weather, with gloves and clothing/shoes that can get muddy! Registered volunteers will receive a small native tree or shrub to take home for planting. Registration required.

Opening Reception - Student/Amateur Art Exhibit
Friday, May 5, 2017 (4:00pm-6:00pm)
Mountain Top Library
6093 Main Street, Tannersville, NY
Each year, students from schools around the mountaintop are invited to display their films, sculptures, photographs, and other artwork for this annual art exhibit. This year's theme, "Now Streaming: Life in the Schoharie Watershed," is intended to represent the beauty of the mountaintop region and the life-giving and sustaining role that water plays in our lives. Join us at the opening reception on Friday, May 5th, for a chance to meet the student artists, view the art exhibit, and learn more about the Schoharie watershed. Exhibit runs through the month of May and is open to the public during normal operating hours for the Mountain Top Library.

Guided Hike to Acra Point
Sunday, May 7, 2017 (10:00am-4:00pm)
Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness
Big Hollow Road, Maplecrest, NY
GCSWCD is teaming up with the NY-NJ Trail Conference to lead a guided hike to Acra Point. Hikers should dress for the weather, wear comfortable hiking shoes or boots, and bring a lightweight backpack with an unrefrigerated lunch, plenty of water, and snacks. This hike is easy to moderate in difficulty, with a total length of 5.2 miles. Registration required. Limited to the first 12 hikers who register.

**THIS HIKE HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO 5/14 DUE TO WET TRAIL CONDITIONS. **

Volunteer Potting-Up Event
Tuesday, May 9, 2017 (9:00am-12:00pm)
GCSWCD Plant Materials Center
Maplecrest, NY
Join GCSWCD staff for a potting up event. We'll be potting up bare root trees and shrubs in plastic containers at our Plant Materials Center. These riparian trees and shrubs will be used in future stream restoration projects. This event is rain or shine (except in the case of severe weather or heavy rain). Volunteers should come dressed for the weather, as this event is outdoors, and don't forget to bring your work gloves! For more information, or to sign up as a volunteer, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at 518-622-3620 x104.

"Schoharie Passage: From Mountain to Manhattan"
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 (7:00pm)
Hunter Public Library
7965 Main Street, Hunter, NY
Liquid Assets author Diane Galusha will trace the Schoharie Creek's journey from the flanks of Indian Head in the Catskills High Peaks to the faucets of New York City. This illustrated talk will describe the construction of the Schoharie Reservoir (1917-25) and the taking of Old Gilboa to slake the thirst of a growing metropolis.

Invasive Species Day
Saturday, May 13, 2017 (10:00am-3:00pm)
Mountain Top Arboretum
4 Maude Adams Road, Tannersville, NY
Weeds and invasives overwhelming you? The Mountain Top Arboretum is hosting an Invasive Species Day to help! Dan Snider, of the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Parternship (CRISP), and Dr. Mark Whitmore, of Cornell University, will lecture and lead a walk to ID invasive plant species. Attendees should bring an unrefrigerated packed lunch, gloves, and a trowel. After lunch, we will put new knowledge to practice for a group weed pull focusing on specific removal methods. Registration requested, but not required.

Guided Hike to Acra Point
Sunday, May 14, 2017 (10:00am-4:00pm)
Windham-Blackhead Range Wilderness
Big Hollow Road, Maplecrest, NY
GCSWCD is teaming up with the NY-NJ Trail Conference to lead a guided hike to Acra Point. Hikers should dress for the weather, wear comfortable hiking shoes or boots, and bring a lightweight backpack with an unrefrigerated lunch, plenty of water, and snacks. This hike is easy to moderate in difficulty, with a total length of 5.2 miles. Registration required. Limited to the first 12 hikers who register.

**THIS HIKE HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WET TRAIL CONDITIONS. **

"Hometown Habitat" Film Screening and Q&A
Friday, May 19, 2017 (7:00pm-9:00pm)
Orpheum Performing Arts Center
6050 Main Street, Tannersville, NY
Hometown Habitat, Stories of Bringing Nature Home is a 90-minute environmental documentary that highlights the importance of planting native plant species, selecting plants that support habitat for wildlife and attract pollinators, and promoting the natural beauty of our local ecosystems. Following the film, there will be a 30-minute Q&A session with local garden experts from the Mountain Top Arboretum and the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia-Greene Counties' Master Gardener Volunteer program. Registered participants will receive a small native tree or shrub to take home for planting. Advance registration is required to receive the free native plant.

Opening of the Expanded Kaaterskill Rail Trail
Saturday, May 20, 2017 (check MTHS website for time)
Mountain Top Historical Society
5132 NY-23A, Tannersville, NY
Join us for a "Spring Fling" at the Mountain Top Historical Society as we celebrate the opening of the expanded Kaaterskill Rail Trail. Visit www.mths.org/events for more details about this program.

Volunteer Invasive Species Removal Event
Saturday, May 20, 2017 (1:00pm-4:00pm)
Mountain Top Arboretum
4 Maude Adams Road, Tannersville, NY

Due to the rain and cold weather we experienced last weekend, we're offering a second chance to come out to learn about invasive species at the Mountain Top Arboretum! We will learn about invasive plants, with a focus on the invasive ground cover called lesser celandine. Lesser celandine crowds out native woodland wildflowers, especially spring ephemerals, such as trillium. We will learn how to ID the plant, learn about the plant's growth habits, and get a first-hand look at removal and management methods, including replanting with native species. Participants who are interested in volunteering should come ready to dig! We will be removing a section of lesser celandine and replanting with native plant species.

Registered participants will receive a free small native tree or shrub to take home for planting.

Note: Attendees should dress for the weather as this program will take place entirely outdoors. We encourage you to wear comfortable shoes/boots and clothing that can get muddy. Please bring a filled water bottle, work gloves, and a trowel.

Schoharie Watershed Month provides a chance for you and/or your organization to take ACTION. Whether it’s planting trees along our streams, cleaning streams, building a rain garden, or monitoring your local stream, participating in Schoharie Watershed month will give you the opportunity to protect, preserve, or restore our local waterways. Schoharie Watershed Month is a community- and family-oriented event that will provide a host of fun educational activities on water quality for the entire Mountaintop. Watershed Month activities and events will offer something for everyone. Please join us, host an event, pitch your idea to our committee, or volunteer to help.

For more information, contact 518-622-3620.

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