OCCA has some big things coming at you this spring. From the return of old-favorites like Earth Festival and Drive-Thru, Drop-Off Recycling to new entries in our lecture series, we’ll keep you busy all season long.
Our popular Drive-Thru, Drop-Off Recycling event is BACK at Brewery Ommegang this year. You can find a list of items we will be accepting, as well as the registration form for time slots by clicking the button below.
Drive-Thru, Drop-Off Recycling
Upcoming Events
Be Informed-OCCA and Mohican Farm Lecture Series- Growing and Maintaining Plants in the Presence of Deer
Wednesday, March 22, 7pm
Clark Sports Center, Community Room
Is there such a thing as deer-proof gardening, and how can deer affect the health of our forested landscape? Dr. Paul Curtis of Cornell Integrated Deer Research and Management Program, Devin Merkley of the Clark Foundation’s Mohican Farm and David Cox of Cornell Cooperative Extension team up to introduce the effects deer pressure can have on both gardens and forested areas and methods available to mitigate them. Cox will also introduce types of plants that are deer resistant. Paul Curtis is a professor and leader in the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell. He has spent the last thirty years working in the wildlife damage management program, publishing over eighty papers. Devin Merkley is a Cornell Master Forest Owner Volunteer and supports environmental projects at the Clark Foundation in Cooperstown, New York. David Cox is an Ag Program Leader and Educator at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, where he supervises the Master Gardener program.
This program is free, but registration is required. Sign up using the link below. If you have questions, contact Education Specialist Shelby MacLeish at education@occainfo.org.
Get the Kids Out-School Vacation Hike
Wednesday, April 5, 2023, 1-3pm
Mohican Farm, Springfield
April vacation is the perfect time to hike and by Wednesday, we will all need to get out of the house! The trail at Mohican is rich in diversity which will give us a chance to notice the winter season melt away with the promise of spring. Our hike will take the group through several habitats, including an open meadow, wetland, forest, and lake edge. We will keep our eyes open for animal tracks, shells, feathers, and other signs of the natural world. Dress for the weather and plan for mud.
The program is free and open to everyone. If you want more information or to sign up for the program, contact Education Specialist Shelby MacLeish at education@occainfo.org. We will meet at 7207 State Highway 80, Cooperstown
Homeschool Nature Day
Friday, April 14th, 12-1:30pm
Texas Schoolhouse State Forest
Let’s take a hike at Texas Schoolhouse State Forest and explore the early signs of spring (we hope)! We will look for signs of animals foraging for food, buds on trees and see if we can find the local beaver. As we make our way along the blue trail, We will identify flora and fauna and play nature games.
The program is free and open to everyone. If you want more information or to sign up for the program, contact Education Specialist Shelby MacLeish at education@occainfo.org. The trailhead is located on Jones Rd. in Mt Vision, about .4 miles west of the intersection of Jones and Texas Roads on the south side of the road. We will meet at the trailhead.
OCCA Earth Festival
Saturday, April 15th, 10am-4pm
Milford Central School
Earth Festival is back for a fully in-person festival at Milford Central School this year. We have a wide variety of programming in the works. From gardening workshops with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners to short films in collaboration with Glimmerglass Film Days, we’ll have something for everyone. If you are interested in being a vendor for the vendor fair in the gym or sponsoring Earth Festival as a donor, please click this link to learn more. Contact Anna at 607-547-4488 or coordinator@occainfo.org for more information.