On Saturday, January 16, the Long Lake 19th Annual Winter Carnival saw major changes to the line-up and was able to host a modified version renamed Winter Carnival “Lite.”
The only coordinated event was the Cardboard Sled Races which were held with Covid-19 protocols in place. All participants and spectators had to register in advance for a maximum of 50 and there was no on-site registration. Everyone wore masks and kept a minimum of six feet between racers and families.
In a little over 12 months, the New York State Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law will take effect, requiring businesses that generate an annual average of two tons or more of wasted food per week to donate excess edible food; and recycle all remaining food scraps if they are within 25 miles of an organics recycler.
AdkAction and their newest project, Compost for Good, are hosting a Zoom event on January 20th from 10-11:30am. The event is designed to help municipal officials and community advocates understand the new law, and to introduce various options for composting. Representatives from NYS DEC will join us to discuss the new law as well as the Climate Smart Communities program. There will be a question and answer session after the presentation.
To register for this event, visit adkaction.org/event/municipal-
Cornell University has created a model that converts campus-generated organic waste into rich compost. It won a 2009 Environmental Quality Award from the U.S. EPA. – Cornell CALS photo/Almanack archive
The Lake Placid Center for the Arts has announced the winners of their Zoom Play Festival. The contest was held in late August for theatre artists to create and share a play over Zoom. LPCA plans to present a showcase of the winning pieces, as well as the honorable mentions on February 19.
Collaboration with Directors and Theatres has begun in order to produce the works, with LPCA having plans to produce several of the plays they received in-house. They received over 135 short plays that were submitted from all over the world, from New Zealand to Canada. The great number of submissions required help from several playwrights and artists around the country to help evaluate the plays, which were scored in areas like plot development, character voice, and adherence to the submission criteria.
After a cancelation in 2020, this year’s Speculator Craft Fair will be Thursday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ball field at 2834 State Route 30, across from the village beach here.
Sponsored by the Hamilton County Twigs, this juried craft fair features 150 booths of quality handmade goods. Fees are $50 for an outside spot and $60 for a spot in the pavilion. For a vendor application call Barbara Oakes at 518-548-5790 or email her at [email protected].
The craft fair is a fundraiser to support emergency medical and health care in the area. Last year $30,000 donated by the Twigs helped four non-profit organizations meet their needs: Speculator, Wells, and Piseco volunteer ambulance squads and the emergency “fly-car.”
The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program APIPP will be hosting 5 new education events over the course of January through April 2021. The events will be based around the threat of invasive species, habitat integrity, and the economies of the communities which make up the Adirondacks. The APIPP needs your help to combat invasive species on land and in water throughout the Adirondacks, and they are offering the opportunity to sharpen your skills and join the effort.
The discovery of two emerging forest pests within the Adirondacks, the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and the Emerald Ash Borer incited a race to understand and treat the scale of existing infestations across hundreds of acres. the APIPP’s Winter Learning Series reflects the rising threat of conservation, and challenges homeowners, recreationalists, local businesses, and all interested in citizen science to help prevent the spread of, and to help manage invasive species threatening the North Country.
Spend sometime this winter getting involved in the following learning opportunities provided by the NYS DEC. Do your part to help combat the ongoing threat of invasive species within the Adirondack Park.
Protecting Rare Species from Invasives (Finger Lakes PRISM) – Tuesday, January 12 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. – Join the Finger Lakes PRISM for their Invasive Species: How to Know, Observe and Report Webinar Series. This presentation will feature Steve Young, Chief Biologist from the NY Natural Heritage Program. Please register in advance.
Northeast Aquatic Plant Management Society Annual Meeting (NEAPMS) – January 12, 13, and 14 – View agenda and registration information on NEAPMS’s website.
The Power of Native Plants (SLELO PRISM and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saint Lawrence County) – Thursday, January 14 from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Join us for a free online class about the power of native plants, alternatives to exotic and invasive ornamental plants, and invasive species to watch for. Participants will also learn about nature-based community science opportunities they can contribute to from home. Register for this session on Zoom.
AdkAction’s Compost for Good Project is hosting a series of Compost Café chats this winter. Join John Culpepper and Katie Culpepper, co-founders of Compost for Good, to discuss any questions or ideas that you have about composting. We’ll be focusing on different topics each session, but all composting questions are welcome and anyone can attend.
This New Year’s Day, the 10th anniversary of First Day Hikes is taking place in New York State parks, historic sites, wildlife areas, trails, and public lands across the North Country (With some minor limitations for COVID-19).
The event includes options for hikes ranging from self-guided to small staff and or volunteer-led hikes on Friday the 1st, or the following Saturday or Sunday of January. The extended hiking schedule is to allow hikers time and space to social distance while enjoying nature.
All hikes are family-friendly, ranging from one to five miles dependant on location and conditions. Hikes are being offered at 61 state parks, historic sites, DEC state lands, wildlife areas, Forest Preserve trails and environmental education centers.
A full listing, including details and pre-registration requirements, can be found at parks.ny.gov and dec.ny.gov.
Recycling Bin “Do’s” and “Don’ts” – Holiday Edition
NYS DEC provides some important recycling tips so you can have a waste-free seasonal celebration! Check out all the following tips and information, as well as events offered this season in order to help spread information and reduce waste this season.
Throughout the winter weekends on Friday and Saturday evenings, the Wild Center is hosting Wild Lights, presented by Merrill L. Thomas, Inc., a dazzling display that transforms the campus into a winter wonderland. he Wild Center, which will remain open throughout the winter season, will also offer familiar activities, such as Winter Wild Walk and snowshoeing, as well as new ones like kicksledding and the outdoor winter otter play yard.
Let’s face it, there’s not much going on for events this holiday season. So every more reason to head out for a drive to check out some socially distance lights displays.
Here are a few taking place around the Adirondack region:
The Howl Story Slam is back with an evening of live stories told online. The team behind the Howl has worked to revamp the program as it is so important to hold space for stories in a time when we can’t physically be together. The beloved program will take place virtually for everyone to enjoy from home on December 18, 2020 at 7:00pm
Anyone is welcome to tell a true, five-minute story on the theme “Holidays: The good, the bad, the ugly” using no notes.
The first 15 storytellers to sign up will be included in the lineup. Registration required for storytellers and audience members, sign up here bit.ly/decvirtualhowl. Free to tell stories and to attend.
The Howl Story Slam team is a partnership between Adirondack Center for Writing and North Country Public Radio, two organizations that believe in the power of stories.
Gretchen Koehler tells a story at the Howl Grand Story Slam, December 2019. Photo credit: Baylee Annis, Adirondack Center for Writing
A new series of workshops is launching from the Adirondack Center for Writing, designed for teens by professional performance poets and educators. The workshops are online and are open to all teen writers and a great extracurricular for college apps.
There is no cost to attend. Students can join for one or all of the workshops for the best experience. Registration is required at bit.ly/acwunmute and Zoom link sent via email after registration. Follow @adkctr4writing for updates.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos has announced the start of the DEC’s Annual Arbor Day Original Artwork Poster contest. This contest is held by the DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program yearly in order to commemorate Arbor Day. The public is invited to submit original photos and artwork celebrating the immeasurable value of trees.
The contest is sponsored by the New York State Arbor Day Committee, and the DEC will be accepting photographs and artwork submissions for the committee through December 31, 2020. The photos and artwork submitted must include trees within New York State, and can be sent to [email protected]. Participants will be limited to five submissions and each submission should include a completed artist information form available on DEC’s website.
To obtain past New York State Arbor Day posters, contact any local DEC forestry office or call 518-402-9428.
On Saturday, December 5 from 7-9pm, the Ausable River Association (AsRA) will be hosting a virtual “Wild & Scenic Film Festival.”
Inspired by the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City California, it is designed to celebrate the beauty of wild places and the work being done to protect them.
For December 5, AsRA has chosen 12 films which will be showcased on their virtual platform. AsRA’s Executive Director Kelley Tucker, along with Donor Outreach Associate Tyler Merriam will introduce the films and establish their connection to the local natural world.
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