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CAYUGA LAKE WATERSHED NETWORK
Steward’s Report, April-May 2010
Cayuga Lake Watershed Network
Thanks very much to both veteran and incoming Board members who
have volunteered to help on various committees and with various
projects. Your input will make a big positive difference as to what
we can achieve.
Strategic Plan development
This is part of what I reported in my last ‘edition’:
“We are getting good things done on behalf of the Network
and on behalf of Cayuga Lake and its watershed. With spring come
many possible activities—but this year I have to focus on
developing a sustainable fundraising platform for the Network’s
next 5 – 10 years. This sustained effort will include educating
you about being an effective nonprofit Board, to work on behalf
of our organization and our mission.” Update:
The staff at River Network (http://www.rivernetwork.org) have allocated
$2500 to help pay for the strategic planning process to go forward,
with repeated consultations, a several-day trip here by the consultant,
and her followup and write-up of the plan for our implementation.
We would still have to come up with the balance of the total costs,
around $3500, and so I am looking into funding support to cover
that amount, with a funding support organization suggested by River
Network. Also, some of the costs can be covered by donations, etc.
Will report on this at next week’s Board meeting. More soon,
as this process unfolds.
Newsletter
The first 2010 issue of the Network News finally hit your mailboxes
about ten days ago. This week I am submitting the materials for
issue #2 to the layout folks at West Hill Graphics, so that we will
be on track with our publication schedule by mid-year. This next
issue will feature a (reprinted) article by Craig Schutt (Tompkins
Co. Soil and Water Conservation District) about the importance of
farmers to a healthy watershed. There will be an article by Niamh
O’Leary and much more, and lots of photos.
HOW YOU CAN HELP WITH ISSUES 3 and 4: Please commit to writing an
article for an upcoming issue, and or suggest substantive and interesting
topics for upcoming issues, with specific suggestions of authors
to approach. I have numerous small to medium-sized articles and
news, but NEED feature articles that fill two to three pages. I
could also use nice photos of Cayuga Lake and its tributary creeks
and landscapes. Photographers will receive credit for their work
– and my thanks. Due dates for all materials for issue 3:
August 1; issue 4: November 1.
NOTE: We do NOT pay for articles. Authors and photographers will
receive numerous copies of “their” issue. Articles must
be written, ready for publication with minor edits, and supplied
with high-quality images to serve as maps and photos, for which
permissions to use have already been given or can easily be obtained.
HOW YOU CAN HELP with mailings: Would you be willing, or can you
let me know of folks who might be willing, to help me stuff envelopes
and affix mailing labels, stamps etc for upcoming member mailings
such as membership renewals, special donor mailings, the annual
appeal in November, and other items that will emerge during the
year? If you even say MAYBE (Amy, David and John have – thank
you), I will put you on a list to contact when the work is coming
up. I would need help at the Wells College office for a few hours
for each such event.
Update on: Spring conference, April 10: “Our
Wetlands Protect Us – Help Protect Them”
Our Wetlands conference was really great – wonderful speakers
and fabulous morning field trip at the Tidballs’ property.
Look for a write up and photos in the next newsletter. There was
not a big attendance, and that may be due to Hilary not being on
the ball about advance publicity, or there may be other factors.
We’ll do a “What would you like to see public forums
and conference about?” survey, via our newsletter and email
listserv. Hilary is developing a “Checklist of tasks for CLWN
events” that we will use universally – will send out
a draft soon for your input.
Update on: Embrace the Lake: Creek and
lakefront cleanups – spring, summer and fall 2010
We have had numerous creek cleanups ‘sponsored’ by our
Embrace the Lake campaign, with more to come. Please let me know
if I am missing someone who wants to do one in their area. If not
this spring, then next fall – or spring ’11! HOW YOU
CAN HELP: Organize or take part in a cleanup near you. Let me know
of people who are interested. Suggest good locations for cleanups.
Support the Network by posting flyers, posters (available as an
email pdf, or snail-mailed on request), sending to area media for
publicity and to groups and organizations who might be interested
in taking part.
Sunset on Cayuga 2010: Will take place at the
Lakewatch Inn, on October 22! HOW YOU CAN HELP: Contact Ronda Fessenden
if you can help get this under way! ronda@fessendendairy.com –
Board members are of great value to this effort, to do the needed
volunteer tasks, help bring in great raffle and silent auction goodies,
and to sell tickets to all your friends and relations.
Upcoming events
· Board meetings: June 8; July will be a social event instead
– details soon; August will be a combined annual meeting/monthly
meeting. At our Wells College office, 7 – 9 pm.
· The Tompkins County League of Women Voters, Monday May
10, 2010 at 7:00 P.M. at the Salvation Army Service Center-150 N.
Albany St, Ithaca on “Two Views of the Future: Energy Alternatives
for Tompkins County”: There will be a dinner at 6:00P.M. and
a short LWV business meeting at 6:40. The public is welcome. Dinner
reservations ($15.00) must be made by May 5th. by calling Flo Smith
at 273-6147.
· Embrace the Lake creek and waterfront cleanups: several
creek cleanups have taken place over the past few weeks, and the
Cayuga Lake shoreline was cleanup in the Aurora area. Cleanups are
planned for May 8 and next fall. Is your family, community group,
etc interested? We can help you schedule a cleanup, provide posters,
flyers, gloves, and trash bags from American Rivers. If you can’t
do one this spring, there’s next fall, and spring 2011! This
is a cooperative venture with the Center for Environmental Sustainability
and the Floating Classroom. Contact: steward@cayugalake.org for
details.
· Emerald Ash Borer Educational Workshops, sponsored by Cornell
Cooperative Extension:
May 6, Thursday. Tompkins County CCE.
Contact: Monika Roth, mr55@cornell.edu , (607) 272-2292 x 126.
3 hr program, 5:30pm to 8:30pm at Tompkins County CCE office, 615
Willow Ave., Ithaca, NY.
Registration: Maria Christian, mjc72@cornell.edu, (607) 272-2292.
May 15, Saturday. Niagara County CCE.
Contact: John Farfaglia, jaf21@cornell.edu, (716) 433-8839 x 226.
3 hr program, 9am to 12 noon at Niagara County CCE, 4487 Lake Ave.,
Lockport, NY.
Registration: Karen Krysa, kmk27@cornell.edu, (716) 433-8839 x 221.
ALSO: Mark Whitmore will organize more info sessions about the Woolly
Adelgid if there is interest. Contact: Mark Whitmore – mark.whitmore@cornell.edu
Forest Entomologist Department of Natural Resources Cornell University
Ph: 607 280-4064
· Fall Creek Watershed Committee and Cayuga Lake Watershed
Intermunicipal Organization to Hold Public Information Meetings
on Fall Creek Watershed Management Plan. Dates and Locations (each
meeting start time is 7:00 PM): May 13 at McLean Fire Hall; Wednesday,
May 19 at Varna Community Center. Please contact Darby Kiley (phone:
607-273-1747 x150; email: dkiley@town.ithaca.ny.us) with any questions
or comments regarding the April/May Public Information Meetings
or more generally regarding the Fall Creek Watershed Analysis.
· Celebrating Water Week: Sunday May 16, Ithaca Farmers Market,
10 am – 3 pm. The public is invited to this great annual event!
Learn about clean water, lake water, drinking water, flowing water,
watersheds. There will be numerous displays and demonstrations,
presented by the organizations and public agencies that protect,
conserve and educate about our water resources. The CLWN will have
a display, and there will be Floating Classroom cruises at 11 am
and 1 pm (and much, much more!!).
· Community Cruise on the Lake, aboard the M/V Haendel of
Floating Classroom fame.
The cruise will be either June 3 or 4, 5:30 pm, from the Wells College
dock in Aurora.
A $5-10 donation will be requested, for Floating Classroom program
support.
Let us know if you are interested: steward@cayugalake.org - Details
soon!
· Josh Fox and his film, “Gasland,” are scheduled
for a 2:00 pm matinee on Saturday, June 12 at Cinemapolis, Ithaca.
This area resident made a nationwide documentary of how hydrofracking
is affecting communities and environments – won a prize at
the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
Please share other fun and interesting lake-related talks, events
that we might want to attend!
Grants
Thanks to John and Deb’s assistance, we submitted a grant
proposal request to the Park Foundation in early April. It would
go a long way to continue to support Hilary and the work and programs
we have under way at present. We hope to know soon – the money
would arrive in June.
We are in the early stages of developing a presentation package
of materials and setting up a schedule of visits to our county and
state legislators over the next few months, to let them know what
we do, etc. The Finance Committee is focused on developing this,
but expert help and advice is welcome from anyone!
Membership
John is focused on getting our member numbers up, and developing
our donor base. Jim Clark has made wonderful small versions of our
“Weeds” booklet that we published last year (will have
copies at next week’s Bd meeting), as a give-away for lakeshore
residents in a member drive that he wants to do this summer. We
are also targeting segments of our membership for renewals and new
donation requests. HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please send me names and addresses
of leaders, movers and shakers -- people who should receive a “comp”
copy of our newsletter for a few issues, so that they can learn
about what we are doing.
Next time: Community Visibility, Interns, Advocacy,
Program and Issues Committees, other….
Don’t forget… Suggestion and Request from Niamh O’Leary
The Environmental Studies major at Wells College has two main tracks,
science and policy.
Each student major must do one to two semesters of work that results
in a Senior Thesis, and are often seeking project ideas. Niamh O’Leary
has asked me – and I am asking you to help – suggest
items for a Wish List of Network projects that qualified Wells College
Environmental Studies majors, in either science or policy, could
take on as a thesis topic.
Thank you,
Hilary
Dr. Hilary Lambert
Steward, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network
POB 348
Aurora NY 13026
http://www.cayugalake.org
steward@cayugalake.org
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