
ECO-BULLETIN Vol. 15, No. 2 – February 4, 2021
What’s included in this months bulletin: Chesapeake Bay Headwaters Educational Ecosystem Informational Webinar Naked Eye Astronomy Get Heat Smart! MWEEs for Teachers GJGNY Energy Study for Small Business and Not-for-Profit Invaders from…Earth? An Introduction to Invasive Species Heat Smart Office Hours Book Recycling Returns! Polystyrene Ban

2020 Annual Report
The OCCA 2020 Annual Report is now available online! Click the image below to view the pdf online.

OCCA programs for January 2021
Otsego County Conservation has announced a series of programs and activities for the month of January. Naked Eye Astronomy, Winter Edition—Are You Sirius? Friday, January 15, 7:00pm, Mohican Farm Join OCCA Vice President, Jim Hill for an evening of naked eye astronomy as we tour the

ECO-BULLETIN Vol. 15, No. 1 – January 4, 2021
ANNOUNCEMENTS Whats included in this months bulletin: Climate Action Panel Discussion Naked Eye Astronomy, Winter Edition- Are You Sirius? Why Zoning Shouldn’t Be Taboo GJGNY Energy Study for Small Business and Not-for-Profit Heat Smart Mohawk Valley Office Hours Chesapeake Bay Headwaters Educational Ecosystem Informational Webinar Salt

ECO-BULLETIN Vol. 14, No. 12 – December 1, 2020
Today is the day! #GivingTuesday Today is Giving Tuesday and this year and we are doing something a little different. Our goal this year is not around money. We are focusing our attention on the PEOPLE. We want to grow our OCCA community and include everyone

ECO-BULLETIN Vol. 14, No. 11 – November 2, 2020
Whats included in this months bulletin: Aquatic Invasive Species Webinar Get the Kids Out: A’Tree Part’ Series DOAS: Climate Action Webinar Heat Smart Mohawk Valley DOAS: Costa Rica’s Biodiversity webinar Clothing Donation and Textile Recycling America’s Conservation Enhancement Act Online Garage Sale Donations Needed -Amy and

ECO-BULLETIN Vol. 14, No. 10 – October 1, 2020
ANNOUNCEMENTS Whats included in this months bulletin: Non-Invasive Species Spotlight HeatSmart Mohawk Valley Launches new website Food Waste Bins Planning for a Changing Climate webinar We’re Hiring: Part-time Assistant Planner Highway Cleanup Leatherstocking Golf Course Nature Walk Trees for Tributaries Civic Engagement as an environmental advocacy

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: Otsego County Assistant Planner Job Description
Overview: Founded in 1968, the Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in the Town of Springfield, New York. OCCA is dedicated to promoting the appreciation and sustainable use of Otsego County’s natural resources through research, education, advocacy, planning and resource management and practice.

OCCA receives major funding for free training and support for local teachers
The Otsego County Conservation Association announced that it has been awarded funding through NOAA’s Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program for the Chesapeake Bay Headwaters Educational Ecosystem project. This three-year partnership between the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education & Training Program and OCCA builds capacity for environmental literacy and stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by building support at the district and

Congressman Paul Tonko Headlines Heat Smart Mohawk Valley Kickoff Event to Spur Clean Heating & Cooling Solutions
Heat Smart Mohawk Valley will be holding a kickoff event on Wednesday, September 23, at 6 p.m. headlined by Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), a leading voice in the national effort to leverage clean energy for job creation and economic growth. Donovan Gordon, Director of Clean Heating and

ECO-BULLETIN Vol. 14, No. 9 – September 1, 2020
Whats included in this months bulletin: Heat Smart Otsego is expanding! Spotlight on Invasives: Summer Summary Naked Eye Astronomy Butternut Creek Paddle Household Hazardous Waste: POSTPONED Leatherstocking Golf Course We are Hiring! Civic Engagement as an environmental advocacy tool For Business Owners: Please lend your voice

Part Time Curriculum Specialist
OCCA is currently in search of a Curriculum Specialist to join our team for a 3 year grant funded part time position. Job Description PT Environmental Curriculum Specialist The Otsego County Conservation Association (OCCA) is currently has two (2) positions open for Part Time K-12 Environmental Curriculum Specialists for our Chesapeake Bay Educational Ecosystem. This program builds

ECO-BULLETIN Vol. 14, No. 8 – Aug 1, 2020
Announcements This months Eco-Bulletin is jam packed full of great opportunities to join the OCCA Community out and about in a safe, social distance manner or from the comfort and safety of your own home with one of our many online learning sessions. We hope you

ECO-BULLETIN Vol 14, No 7 – July 1, 2020
Spotlight on Invasives: Not so Wild about Parsnip Wednesday, July 8, 12-1pm Wild parsnip has been taking over our roadsides and fields, where it crowds out native plants and poses a threat to our health and safety. Join OCCA Program Director, Jeff O’Handley, for this look at parsnip: where

Together we can make a change.
As a part of the environmental community, OCCA and its staff express profound grief at the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Systemic racism remains to be an ongoing blight in our country, and it is incumbent upon all of

ECO-BULLETIN Vol 14, No 6 – June 1, 2020
June 1, 2020: Vol. 14, No. 6 Water Chestnut Pull on Goodyear Lake: Facebook Live Sunday, June 7, around 10:30am. Join the OCCA team for a short trip on the Goodyear Lake “Stump Lot” in search of the invasive plant, water chestnut. In this short, live

The Power of Planning, During and after the Pandemic
Wednesday, May 20, 1-2pm The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to fundamentally change how our communities are planned for the future. Communities will have to learn to adapt current planning practices such as holding public meetings, amending zoning codes, and developing comprehensive plans to post-pandemic standards.

ECO-BULLETIN Vol 14, No 5 – May 1, 2020
May 1, 2020: Vol. 14, No. 5 Heat Smart Otsego Events Learn about clean heating and cooling technologies for your home or business through this series of free, 45-minute webinars. Join from your home computer, tablet or smart phone! • “Whole Home Retrofit” presented by Snug Planet. Tuesday, May 5,
GMU, Morris win recycling competition
(COOPERSTOWN) – Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Elementary and Morris Middle/High Schools were the top recyclers of film plastic in this year’s Otsego County Plastic Film Recycling Challenge. Students from eight schools participated in this year’s challenge, which was sponsored by the Otsego County Solid Waste Department and Otsego
ECO-BULLETIN Vol 14, No 4 – April 2, 2020
April 2, 2020: Vol. 14, No. 4 Due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19, we regret to say that Earth Festival as an in-person event has been cancelled. We’re very disappointed, as Earth Festival is an event we look forward to all year, but the health
Earth Festival goes digital
Due to the ongoing situation with coronavirus and COVID-19, Otsego County Conservation Association will be taking the annual Earth Festival online, organizers said. The event, originally scheduled for April 18, will instead be a five-day event taking place online. In its fifteenth year, Earth Festival is an event
March 20, 2020 Update
As our lives continue to change rapidly in response to COVID-19, we wanted to update you on things here at the Otsego County Conservation Association. As of right now, we have closed the office to visitors and will be working from home until further notice. We are
Exhibitors and vendors wanted for Earth Festival
(COOPERSTOWN) – The Fifteenth Annual Earth Festival is fast approaching, and spaces are still available for vendors/exhibitors. Founded in 2006, Earth Festival is a gathering of Otsego County’s environmental community for a day-long celebration that features exhibits, workshops, and products with an environmental theme. The event
ECO-BULLETIN Vol 14, No 3 – March 2, 2020
ANNOUNCEMENTS The ‘Bag Ban’ Is Here! Effective March 1, most stores are no longer be able to provide single use plastic bags at the checkout counter. This law was enacted to help reduce waste and pollution associated with plastic bags. There are a lot of questions
DATE CHANGE for Naked Eye Astronomy, Winter Edition – Are you Sirius? (NOW Friday, Feb 21, 7pm)
Due to the cloudy weather, our winter astronomy program will be moved to Friday, February 21st at 7 pm at Mohican Farms. There is still time to pre-register for Friday’s program by emailing Jeff O’Handley at programdirector@occainfo.org Hope to see you all there! Please Dress warmly and we will provide