The Finger Lakes Land Trust and the Finger Lakes Institute sponsored the program “A Conversation with Pulitzer-Nominated Author Dan Egan About Phosphorus and the Health of Our Lakes” in March 2024. Dan Egan is the author of The “Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance” and “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes.” This program was moderated by Harold Van Es, Professor of Soil and Water Management at Cornell University. The conversation discussed the role of phosphorus in our daily lives, how it impacts our environment, and its role in shaping agriculture. This presentation is now available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz7pPuUB7nc.
Author: Michele Wunderlich
Cayuga County Electronics Recycling Event
Registration for the upcoming Cayuga County Electronics Recycling Event has officially been opened!! I invite you to join us on April 27th, 2024 from 8:30am to 12:30pm at the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES facility to recycle your old electronics. See this flyer for more details.
Whether it’s old printers gathering dust in your office, outdated laptops taking up space in your closets, or retired gaming consoles sitting idle in your living room, we welcome all your electronic castaways with open arms. Our dedicated team will ensure that these devices are recycled in an environmentally friendly manner, diverting them from landfills and reducing electronic waste. To secure your spot at this event, simply register using the link provided below. If you are unable to register online, please call Sunnking at the number listed in the flyer to register.
And, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the Cayuga County Planning Department.
2024 Bob Brower Owasco Lake Scientific Symposium “Our Lake Our Legacy”
The 2024 Bob Brower Owasco Lake Scientific Symposium will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at Auburn Public Theater at 8 Exchange Street in Auburn or virtually via zoom. The event runs from 9 am to noon (doors open at 8 am).
Resiliency and adaptation are key in adjusting to the impacts of climate change. Please plan to attend this Scientific Symposium in Plain English as the professionals touch on a variety of key issues!
Ken Kudla of OWLA will speak on “Our Regional Freshwater Resources.” Seth Jensen who is the Director of Municipal Utilities of the City of Auburn will speak on “Providing Safe Drinking Water.” Kirsten Workman a Nutrient Management & Environmental Sustainability Specialist with PRO-DAIRY will speak on “The Evolution of Agriculture and Water Quality in NY- A Path of Continuous Improvement.” Finally, Dr. Lisa Cleckner of the Finger Lakes Institute will speak on “What does the Buoy tell us about the Biology and Ecology of Owasco Lake Phytoplankton.”
To register for this symposium or for more information, please visit https://owla.org/bbss2024/.
Skaneateles Lake Nine Element Plan Public Meeting
The second public meeting for the Skaneateles Lake Nine Element Plan will be held on Tuesday, January 30th at 6:00 pm. You can participate in person at the Skaneateles Town Hall located at 24 Jordan Street in Skaneateles or via Zoom. Registration is required for the Zoom meeting and you can register online at https://bit.ly/48sLgQY.
A Nine Element Watershed Management Plan is a plan that describes a community’s water quality concerns and provides a strategy to address those concerns. Nine Element Plans are developed in partnership with people who live, work, visit, and enjoy the watershed and its water resources, with guidance from state and local agencies.
The Town is completing this plan with support from the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board (CNY RPDB) and in cooperation with a Watershed Advisory Committee.
The Nine Element Plan will focus on Skaneateles Lake’s long-term future and will identify measures to protect water quality throughout the entire watershed.
This planning process was initiated in 2022, with the first public meeting held in June 2022. At this second public meeting, we will discuss the Plan’s recommendations and how to begin implementing them in 2024.
Public participation is vital to this process! Please plan on attending this meeting to learn more about how climate change, development, and mitigation measures in the watershed are expected to affect the lake’s long-term future.
For more information on the Nine Element Plan, and for a video of the first public meeting, go to: https://skaneateles9e.cnyrpdb.org/get-involved/.
Trade-A-Tree
After Christmas this year, trade in your old tree for a free Colorado Blue Spruce seedling! The Cayuga County Trade-a-Tree for a Tree program offers residents an opportunity to recycle their Christmas tree in exchange for a conifer seedling. It’s fast, easy, and free!
WHAT: Trade-a-Tree for a Tree Program
WHERE: Cayuga County Natural Resource Center , 7413 County House Road , Auburn
WHEN: Tree pick-up for those who received coupons is at the Spring Annual Tree and Shrub Sale Pick-up. Please remember to turn in your coupon for a free Fraser Fir Seedling on May 10, 2024 at Soil & Water.
For more information, please contact the District office at 315-252-4171 ext. 4
Dates & Times for Recycling:
December 26-29, 2023 from 8 am to 3:30 pm
January 2-5, 2024 from 8 am to 3:30 pm
January 8-12, 2024 from 8 am to 3:30 pm
January 16-19, 2024 from 8 am to 3:30 pm
Hydrilla in Cayuga Lake
The Cayuga Lake Watershed Network will be hosting the Hydrilla in Cayuga Lake 2023 Annual Updates and Panel Discussion via zoom on December 18, 2023 from 12:00-2:00 pm. Please join us to learn and ask questions about Hydrilla and the challenges it presents to Cayuga Lake, as well as the current management strategies. Presenters include Sam-Beck Anderson from the Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management, Richard Ruby from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Cathy McGlynn from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. To register, click here .
