Orleans County Soil and Water Conservation District

Happy cows, happy waterways, happy Monday!

Just doing our part to help protect our county's water quality!

Keep an eye out for any Spotted Lanternflies, and if you see any report the sighting to NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets. The health of our orchards and vineyards are at risk!

Can you find the Short-eared Owl in this picture? Our technicians spotted this cutie while laying out tile lines in a corn field! He was kind enough to pose for a couple pictures before flying off Have a great weekend!

The moment you've all been waiting for, our October Newsletter! You can either find it on our website or just click the link below. Be sure to eat some extra candy and listen to the monster mash while reading through it. Have a safe and spooky Halloween! https://orleanscountyny.com//u/2020/10/October_2020_NL.pdf

Last night during our annual project presentation the District had the chance to award the Orleans County Department of Public Works with the 2019 Partner of the Year Award (from a social distance of course). Our strong partnership with the DPW has played a big role in our mission to improve our county's natural resources, and we look forward to many more years of working with them!

TGIF! We had the pleasure of spending today with Genesee County Soil & Water Conservation District where they showed us how they do their water sampling program. What a great way to cap off the week, thanks for showing us the ropes!

Happy Monday! We had a very successful Shoreline Cleanup this past Saturday. With the help from our friends, family, and Girl Scout Troop 82007, we collected over 130lbs of trash! What a rewarding way to kick off the weekend

Help us keep our waters clean! Our annual shoreline cleanup is this Saturday! Normally we meet at the park and send our volunteers off to the cleanup sites, but due to the park being closed we are asking volunteers to email us if they are interested in joining so we can organize groups ahead of time. If you would like to participate or have any questions, send an email to [email protected]

The Spotted Lanterfly has, unfortunately, been spotted in NY. Hopefully this pest wont make its way up to us if it does it would reek havoc on our apple orchards and grapevines. If you think you see it, take a picture, squash it, and then report the findings to [email protected]

Help us keep our county clean! We are still holding our annual Shoreline Cleanup this year. If you are thinking about joining, please contact us ahead of time so we can prepare the proper safety measures!

Some devastating news from the DEC. If you plan on going camping (especially in the Adirondack Park) do NOT bring your own firewood! The ash borer can spread by carrying infested firewood to new regions. Instead, purchase firewood locally from wherever you are travelling to.

The Department is getting reports and questions from New Yorkers who have received unsolicited packages, appearing to be sent from China, that are marked as con...taining jewelry or other items but which actually contain plant seeds. Similar packages have been reported in other states and the United States Department of Agriculture is investigating. The USDA has stated that it currently does not have any evidence indicating this is something other than a brushing scam, where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales. People who receive seeds should not plant or handle the seeds. They should mail the seeds, the original packaging, contact information, and any relevant additional details to the USDA at: Office of the State Plant Health Director of New York c/o Christopher Zaloga 500 New Karner Rd Albany, NY 12205 Seeds properly imported into the United States are rigorously tested to ensure quality and prevent introduction of invasive species, insects and plant diseases.

Hay there! (Couldn't resist the pun) Have a great weekend!

Mark your calender's and make sure to leave room in your fridge!

Newsletter alert! Our July newsletter is now up, find it on our website or just click the link below!

Proud to see our local farms banding together to help our fellow New Yorkers during these difficult times!

Feedback Needed! Our annual Shoreline Cleanup is going to be much different this year, and in order to put together proper safety guidelines we need to know how many volunteers to expect. The cleanup is currently scheduled for Sept 12th. If you are interested in participating, or have any questions, email us at [email protected]