The Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute officially launched its 2023 Watercraft Inspection Program on Memorial Day weekend to help prevent the spread of invasive species in Adirondack waterways. The college was recently awarded a $13.2 million contract from New York State to continue implementing the goals of the Adirondack Region Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program. The 5-year contract allows AWI to continue its efforts to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species in regional waterways.
Posts Tagged ‘Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute’
APIPP and its Partners Release Invasive Species Strategic Plan for 2023-2027, Year-End Meeting Set for Dec. 1
ADIRONDACKS —The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) and its partners have charted a course for the next five years. The “Adirondack Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) Strategic Plan 2023–2027” outlines how APIPP and its partners will minimize the impact of invasive species on the Adirondack region’s communities, lands and waters.
“The 2023-2027 Strategic Plan highlights some of the innovative ways PRISM partners build knowledgeable and engaged Adirondack communities that are empowered to act,” said Peg Olsen, Adirondack Chapter Director of The Nature Conservancy. “The Nature Conservancy and APIPP share a vision for an Adirondack region where the diversity of life thrives, and our lands and waters are protected for future generations. As the climate continues to change and exacerbate the spread and impact of invasive species, APIPP’s foundational work as a leader in invasive species prevention, eradication and management, and as a convener of more than 30 diverse regional partners, is even more vital.”
New signs installed around Mirror Lake describe ecosystem, challenges, & protection efforts
WILMINGTON, NY — Pedestrians along popular lakeside routes in the Village of Lake Placid will find four new interpretive signs describing the Mirror Lake ecosystem, challenges to it, and protection efforts underway. The Ausable River Association (AsRA), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute partnered to design and produce the four educational signs.
The colorful and accessible signs provide information on the aquatic food web, the watershed, road salt impacts, and monitoring efforts on Mirror Lake. Jon Stetler of RPI developed the idea for the signs working with AsRA’s staff. They were designed by Andre Guilbo and produced with funds from the National Science Foundation through RPI and from the Lake Champlain Basin Program and NEIWPCC through AsRA.
Saranac Lake scientist, Lija Treibergs, being deployed to Antarctica for research project
Paul Smiths, NY (October 20, 2022) – The Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute recently announced that Lija Treibergs, research associate for the AWI, will be deployed to Antarctica for 3 months starting in late November to support the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research project.
During her deployment, which will be her second on Antarctica, Treibergs will be conducting field-based research on lakes in the dry valleys and participating in laboratory analysis at McMurdo Station.
The McMurdo Dry Valleys form the largest relatively ice-free area of the Antarctic continent. Funded by the National Science Foundation and collaboratively run by researchers worldwide, the McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research project began in 1992 to study the dry valley ecosystems. It is one of 28 LTER sites around the world where researchers are learning how different ecological systems function and change through time. With low temperatures and precipitation and lack of higher-order plants and animals, the Dry Valleys is a unique site in this network.
Adirondack Water Week celebrates the history of waterways
(Paul Smiths, NY, August 1, 2022) – Adirondack Water Week kicks off on Friday, August 5 and runs through Sunday, August 14 this year. The 3rd annual event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, historic legislation that protected our nation’s water resources. Adirondack Water Week is a collaboration involving several organizations and businesses and features more than two dozen programs across the Adirondack region.
The program is coordinated by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute and is funded in part by the Lake Champlain Basin Program. One of this year’s highlights is the Adirondack Watershed Challenge, a family event encouraging people to get outside and celebrate time spent on Adirondack waters.
“The challenge lets families work through a list of fun activities that they can do in their own town,” said Tom Collins, AWI’s education and outreach program specialist and the Water Week coordinator. “Visit a
local lake or pond, take a picture of wildlife, pick up litter from the shoreline, and eat local ice cream.”
Boaters required to obtain certification before launching motorized watercraft in ADK waterways
PAUL SMITHS – A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation law was recently enacted that requires boaters operating any kind of motorized watercraft in the Adirondack Park and within ten miles of the Park’s boundary to obtain and possess a certification that confirms their motorboat is free of harmful aquatic invasive species.
The new measure to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species went into effect in June 2022 and is meant to complement the existing Adirondack Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention Program operated by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute.
The public can learn more about this regulation via a new informational video and fact sheet, and can find locations around the region to get a courtesy inspection and a free boat wash at adkwatershed.org/clean-drain-dry.
The mission of the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute is to protect clean water, conserve habitat and support the health and well-being of the people in the Adirondacks through science, collaboration, and real-world experiences for students.
Photo at top: The easiest way for the public to ensure their boat meets the “Clean, Drain, Dry, Certify” standard is to visit a Watercraft Inspection Steward at a boat decontamination station. There are several located across the Adirondack region and a boat wash is free. Photo credit: Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute. Photo provided by Zoë Smith, Deputy Director of the Adirondack Watershed Institute.
Adirondack area organizations welcome new hires
Adirondack-area establishments including Pendragon Theatre, Adirondack Land Trust, Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute, Adirondack Mountain Club, and Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program recently welcomed new staff members.
Saranac Lake: Community events set for Invasive Species Awareness Week, June 6-12
New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) is Monday, June 6 through Sunday, June 12, with several community events planned in Saranac Lake.
Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species film screening set for June 8
A viewing of the film, Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species, will be hosted at the Hotel Saranac on Wednesday, June 8th at 6:30 p.m. The Great Hall Bar will be open and experts will be on hand to introduce the film and discuss local actions.
Co-sponsored by Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, and developed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the documentary is a professionally produced 60-minute film about the threat invasive species pose to food systems, water, public health, and ecosystems in New York State. See the trailer.
The event is part of New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week, June 6-12. For more information, visit adkwatershed.org and adkinvasives.com.
Photo at top provided by Zoë Smith, Deputy Director for Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute.
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