Dorene Warner, Author at Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust

Conservation changing lives in the Utica area

January 17, 2023 by Dorene Warner

Conserving land has been a life-long goal for people like Richard Hughes, a Utica area landowner and farmer. “Our family has been here for almost 80 years, and we want to make sure that others can enjoy this beautiful area, like we have.”

Richard is not alone. Local enthusiasm is growing, with farmers asking for our assistance to conserve their land, community members providing funding for local trails, and families offering their land to host nature programs.

John Souva, Land Protection/Education and Outreach Manager for the southern region of Tug Hill has been listening to ideas on how our land trust can support additional land conservation and meet a growing desire for expanded community programs.

“I’ve been talking with local families who are very interested in conserving their farms and woodlands. Many have been here for generations, others are newer to the area,” explained John.

“There’s a lot of farmland at risk around the Utica area,” remarked John. “New farmers, and younger farmers, are looking to find ways to purchase farmland at an affordable price — and land conservation can help.”

Providing more opportunities to connect to nature

In the short time that John has been on staff, he has uncovered a lot of interest in providing safe and welcoming access to nature for everyone, including those in urban, rural, and suburban areas in the southern Tug Hill region.

One example was a recent partnership with the nonprofit organization, Midtown Utica Community Center (MUCC) at Camp Nazareth in Woodgate, NY.

MUCC (midtownutica.org) is an inclusive and multicultural community center in Utica, NY. The organization’s programming is designed to enhance the safety, health, and educational opportunities of their diverse community.

In addition to providing space for cultural and wellness events, MUCC provides programs for community members to adapt to their environment, heal from trauma, and chart their individual paths to success.

As a result of this partnership, more than 60 urban youth who otherwise might not have been able to experience swimming, canoeing, or fishing experienced nature first-hand.

“For many of these kids, it was a time when they could share their joy of being outside. It’s the sort of gift that makes a difference for years to come,” explains Kay Klo, Executive Director of MUCC.

In the coming year, we will be working with MUCC and several other community groups to offer complementary programs and assist in conserving locally important lands.

These community and conservation partnerships are made possible in part thanks to a three-year grant from the Land Trust Alliance’s New York Conservation Partnership Program, The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, and ongoing generous donations from community members.

Kathy Smith, a long-time resident in the southern Tug Hill region, recently commented, “I can’t tell you how exciting it is to have the Land Trust working with us. It has been an interest for many years. Now we can really get things done.”

Your love of Tug Hill shows…

December 21, 2022 by Dorene Warner

light coming in between trees in the snow

People like you are the engine behind what makes conservation happen in Tug Hill, and this coming year it’s more important than ever.

Eight farms, two new public conservation areas, and hundreds of acres of wildlife habitat are waiting to be conserved. Not to mention all of the programs we will be offering that will benefit youth, landowners, and community members.

Join other donors who are making smart giving choices. Many of our supporters are choosing to donate stock or contributions from their IRA this year. Year-end charitable donations will have a big impact on our conservation success and potentially help you save on your taxes.

There’s so much opportunity to conserve the lands we all love. And because of you, 2023 could be an extraordinary year. Feel free to call Mark Pacilio, Executive Director, or email him at mpacilio@tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org if you have any questions.

Kids are staying inside, even in rural areas

December 19, 2022 by Dorene Warner

You are helping to change that.

Your love of the land may seem natural to you, but it’s more at risk than ever before. That’s partly because children are now spending less time outdoors than the average prisoner. Sadly, the lure of technology is winning.

Thanks to community support, our programs are free, fun, and in nature. They’re a great way to inspire kids’ interests and passions in a way that connects them to the land and water, creating memories they will cherish.

Inspiring tales in the outdoors

Getting outside can sometimes be difficult, especially with youngsters who have high energy. We strive to offer programming that makes it easier. This past summer, we created story walks for youth that helped focus their energy, and encourage reading, family fun, and outdoor learning.

So when the North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council reached out to us, we partnered with them and the Lowville Free Library to install “The Listening Walk” by Paul Showers as a story walk at the Maple Ridge Center. At the kick-off celebration, the first 100 youth to complete the trail received a free book and ice cream cone.

Additionally, we hosted six weeks of storywalks at the Joseph A. Blake Wildlife Sanctuary in Rutland, installed by the Carthage Free Library as part of their summer reading program.

Programs and events for friends and families

When you have an afternoon and want to go on a paddle or snowshoe hike, where do you turn? Visit our website to check out a variety of experiences.

In the coming year we will be partnering with community groups from Utica to Watertown to bring a variety of nature-based programs for people of ages.

Want to get breaking news? Sign up for our eNews and social media on our website for program updates.

Winter Fun Challenge

December 5, 2022 by Dorene Warner

Want to get outside?

If you get restless during Tug Hill’s winter season, we have a challenge for you!

Come out with us, or go out on your own this winter, to explore the region on snowshoes, skis, sledding tubes, and more.

We’re putting together a list of great places to have fun — many are included in the Tug Hill Recreation Guide that you can find on our website’s Explore section. We’ll also include some additional places throughout the region.

There’s a lot to do, no matter your age or experience.

If you submit a list of eight or more different experiences you’ve enjoyed with related photos using the Winter Fun Challenge form on our website, you can receive a patch or decal that signifies you are a Tug Hill winter winner.

I’m delighted to join the team

December 5, 2022November 23, 2022 by Dorene Warner

I am very pleased to join the team at the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust as the new Executive Director. This region has meant a lot to me over the years, as I have lived on the edge of these treasured lands for most of my life.

I confess that as a child growing up near Utica, I took the region for granted — it was not covered in our geography class in school, nor did anyone talk about the Tug Hill region, back in the 1970s.

Yet we spent countless days going into the Tug Hill to swim, camp, and hike. My relatives owned farms in the southern region and we looked forward to visiting those areas in the summer, in awe of the vast fields we drove past en route to their farmsteads.

Soon after I graduated from college, I moved away from upstate New York — from these beloved lands — but somehow, I knew I would be returning.

And I did in the late 1990s, moving to the North Country, this time on the northern edge of the Tug Hill region. By then Tug Hill had begun to receive national notoriety on the Weather Channel for its tremendous snowfalls.

fall leaves surround ravine — Kaiden Steria

A life-long love of the region

Living in an area affected by lake effect snow was a new experience and I have since grown accustomed to the Tug Hill winters. As a weather buff, the sight of modulating snow bands in the sky and the prospect of heavy snow is rather exciting to me. It is all part of the glorious experience of living in this great region.

These lands are part of who I am. They are part of my heritage. Like many of you, I care deeply about the land and the need to protect it. Leading the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust will be my way of seeing to it that this region continues to be cherished. Tug Hill feeds us, allows us to enjoy the great outdoors — the water and wilderness — and shapes our lives in so many other ways.

Your support and engagement ensure that we can continue to inspire the next generation to care about Tug Hill, as you do. Together we can foster a desire to care for and conserve the lands that matter locally, as well as throughout the region.

As a locally supported conservation organization, we are able to assist local families to conserve their lands and establish new public conservation areas for all to enjoy because of you.

There’s so much opportunity ahead. Already in the short time I’ve been here, there are several new land conservation projects and community programs waiting for us to take action in the coming year.

I’m proud to be a part of this important organization and this wonderful community. I look forward to meeting you, the people of the Tug Hill region.

Mark Pacilio
Executive Director

200 Years and Counting

August 3, 2022 by Dorene Warner

A remarkable man conserves his family’s land

“Our family came to this area in 1800, just after the Town of Norway was formed. My great, great, great, great grandfather served in the French & Indian and Revolutionary Wars and purchased the farm with pension money, or possibly in lieu of pension money,” explained Bob Burt.

The 431-acre farm is fairly flat, with long views towards the southern Adirondacks. In fact, it’s directly adjacent to the Adirondack Park and serves as an important part of the wildlife corridor from the Adirondacks to Tug Hill and to the Mohawk Valley. Because of its proximity to West Canada Creek, it’s part of an area that has long been a conservation priority due to the river, wildlife, history, and agricultural lands.

The farm’s legacy

Over the years the farm was primarily a dairy operation.

Now, Bob, the last in the Burt family lineage to farm here, plants primarily oats and soybeans, and hays the fields. He also manages about 400 maple taps and produces maple syrup the traditional way, collecting sap with buckets with a crew of volunteer friends and neighbors. Long hours outside, in all kinds of weather, has made Bob a fan of watching wildlife and sharing what happens in the region.

“People get excited about a ‘Century Farm’, but this is way more than that,” reflected Burt. “This land has been home to five generations of Burt’s, and we all were involved in farming, to some degree. We see this farm as part of the community, which is why it’s so important to conserve it. There just aren’t farms like this much anymore.”

In November 2015 he agreed to host a weather station on the north end of the farm to provide data for The New York State (NYS) Mesonet Early Warning Weather Detection System (#32 of the 126 sites across NYS). Bob’s goal, after 83 years of being connected to this place, is that the farm will remain intact for future generations to farm and enjoy.

“This is a magical place. The thought of losing it to development is too much to bear. When you’re at the farm, you notice things. You notice the seasons and the passing of time. Early spring is when the sap starts flowing and the migrating geese stop in the fields.

“In the summer, you can hear fox and coyotes calling. Then, in the fall, with the changing colors of the maples and oaks, the skyline comes ablaze against the blue sky. Finally, in winter, as the wind whips over the land, the snow stacks up against the barns and sparkles in the sun. It’s no wonder my family has called this place home for over 200 years.” Bob pauses and looks around the farm.

“I’m so thankful that I’m now able to conserve this land. I’ve never taken it for granted—and neither did my ancestors. I think they would be proud of what I am doing.”

New public conservation area in the works

July 27, 2022 by Dorene Warner

Partnerships take flight

If you’re looking for a place to immerse yourself in nature, surrounded by birds who depend on healthy grasslands, wet meadows, and forested wetlands, you’ll soon find a beautiful place to walk in West Turin, Lewis County.

Thanks to a partnership with Ducks Unlimited (DU), the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust will soon own an 85-acre parcel of restored wetland habitat that will be managed by DU for the next 10 years.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s State Wildlife Action Plan notes a number
of important birds live in or migrate through the area. These birds need quality habitat to flourish, including the endangered blue-winged teal; the threatened eastern meadowlark, bobolink, and scarlet tanager; and the American kestrel, northern harrier, ruffed grouse, and American woodcock (a species of special concern).

Those sightings don’t factor in numerous other birds and wildlife that are increasingly facing a loss of wetland and grassland habitat in the region.

To help address this challenge, DU has spent several years restoring the land for wetland-dependent wildlife, including planting hundreds of trees. The restoration will also help slow down climate change by storing carbon in the roots of trees and wetland plants and soils.

This summer and fall we will be working to raise $25,000 to initiate the first phase of establishing trails and related signage.

We hope to install at least one bird watching platform and benches (funding permitting) this year, as well. Because of the generosity of people like you, this special place will become a haven for wildlife as well as people of all ages to enjoy wetland birds and their habitat.

beautiful wetland field — Ducks Unlimited

Thanks to a partnership with Ducks Unlimited (DU), the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust will soon own an 85-acre parcel of restored wetland habitat that will be managed by DU for the next ten years.

Impact of climate change and habitat loss on birds

Research by National Audubon, the American Bird Conservancy, and others has documented that we have lost over three billion birds in the last 50 years. That’s over 20% of the North American bird population due to loss of habitat, pesticides, and climate change stress.

National Audubon’s research, Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink, reveals that of the remaining birds, as much as 67% are at increased risk of extinction due to climate change stress. Protecting critical habitat and transitioning to compatible renewables to slow down climate change is instrumental for the survival of these birds.

You can read the study on Audubon’s website: www.audubon.org/climate/survivalbydegrees.

Can a backpack save the day?

July 18, 2022 by Dorene Warner

Did you know that kids spend more time on their phones and electronic devices than ever before?

According to a study by the nonprofit research organization Common Sense Media, as reported by the New York Times, screen use went up among tweens (ages 8 to 12) to, on average, five hours a day between 2019 and 2021.

This increase of 17% is likely due, in part, to the pandemic as families grappled with lack of childcare, remote schooling, and the challenges of isolation and reduced in-person interaction.

Yet, as noted by Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, it’s a trend that’s been on the rise for a while. It’s not all bad. Yet more and more studies are raising childhood psychologists’ concerns that this level of screen time may be altering the brain… and not in a good way.

Enter nature. And Nature Backpacks.

Thanks to a new partnership with local libraries in Poland, Westernville, and Remsen, with initial funding by the Casimir S. Butnoris Fund of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, Inc., the Nature Backpacks pilot program will provide nature backpacks for loan starting this summer.

Nature, curiosity, and partnerships

The backpacks are designed to inspire nature exploration and curiosity — and provide an alternative to screen time inside.

“Our community members will put these to good use in our wonderful outdoor spaces we are so fortunate to have in our area,” explained Mary Jo Miller, the librarian at the Western Town Library. “We appreciate the land trust’s partnership and continued effort to provide meaningful resources for our patrons. So many families are looking for opportunities to engage kids in new ways outdoors.”

Each backpack contains equipment, activities, and local trail information for their use specific to each theme beginning with Animal Tracks and Signs, and Birds. The activities are designed for all ages and will suit any family.

Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust will present demonstration programs, and work with the libraries to maintain and replenish the backpacks, ensuring they are in good condition and fully supplied.

It costs approximately $110 per backpack, fully loaded. If you’d like to sponsor a backpack and expand the program, let us know. While kids are more “plugged in” than ever, this is a tool to help empower parents and caregivers to bring the joy of nature to life.

It’s all about the trees

July 11, 2022 by Dorene Warner

New forest conservation program announced

There’s good news for New York’s forests. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York office of the Land Trust Alliance (the Alliance) recently announced they will provide conservation funding
to forest owners.

The 2022 Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts Program offers competitive matching grants of up to $350,000 to fund the acquisition of conservation easements on forestland in New York State (NYS). The grants will be awarded to qualified New York land trusts, to partner with landowners and communities to increase the pace of forested land conservation to combat climate change.

The program is funded through the state Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) and will be administered by the Alliance, a national conservation organization that supports land trusts across the country with conservation policy initiatives, technical assistance, trainings, and best practices.

The grant program comes at an opportune time given the importance of local forestlands.

Forest and woodlands are widely recognized as key players in helping to:

Reduce flooding from extreme weather.
Provide critical habitat for woodland-based species like bobcat, red fox, and great-horned owls.
Slowly release water through dry periods into neighboring streams and rivers —critical components to the health of our region’s waterways.

According to the 2020 NYS Forest Action Plan, privately owned forestlands cover 13.62 million acres and represent 74 percent of New York’s forests. Over 10 million acres are family-owned or non-corporate forests. Nearly 700,000 private forest landowners provide the public with the benefits of clean air and water, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, and a forest-based economy.

The program is similar to the current state farmland protection program: landowners are compensated when they permanently conserve their woodlands based on a conservation easement appraisal.

Our land trust is working with several local landowners to apply for grant funding in 2022, and we hope to work with more in 2023 should funding be allocated again as part of the Environmental Protection Fund.

For more information please visit the Land Trust Alliance website under the Forest Conservation Easement Program for Land Trusts in the New York program area >>

See Four Quick Facts About Conservation Easement >>

Critical habitat is protected thanks to a team effort

June 20, 2022 by Dorene Warner

An unexpected special place helps save threatened and endangered bats

If you were driving down Route 11, you might be hard-pressed to know that you were almost within walking distance of a rare, and special, conservation area.

Tucked behind Walmart, Candlewood Suites, and Taco Bell, and not far from Fort Drum, in Jefferson County, there lies over a hundred acres of woodlands — home to a variety of wildlife, including the threatened Indiana and northern long-eared bats.

Now, 101 acres of at-risk lands have been conserved thanks to a partnership between the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust and Fort Drum — through the Army Compatible Use Buffer program (ACUB) — as well as Ducks Unlimited. The land is connected to an additional 15 acres of important bat habitat, owned and protected by the Ontario Bays Initiative.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes that these bats typically roost under the bark or in crevasses of trees three inches or more in diameter. The area currently has little in the way of public conservation lands.

With Fort Drum housing not far away, this new conservation area will provide a place for families to go to enjoy the sounds and sights of birds like turkey, owls, and hawks, like the northern harrier.

map of bat habitat — The new conservation area will be managed for endangered bats (shown above with yellow dots) and other pollinators like the fritillary butterfly.

butterfly on milkweed — Fritillary Butterfly by Laurie Frykholm

Bats play an important role in the overall health of the ecosystem, including eating hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes every year. Yet bats, as a species, have had a challenging time of late.

Due to habitat loss, increased stress from white-nose disease and a changing climate, all bats have plummeted in population. Studies have reported over a 90% decline of the Indiana and northern long-eared bat species in the northeast. The protection of this area will help provide a secure place for bats to find food and roost, while also protecting habitat for other wildlife, like the pileated woodpecker.

Conservation of these lands also provides for important water absorption areas. Northern New York is experiencing greater intensity of rainfall, with that pattern expected to increase over the next several decades.

This is particularly true in this area near Ft. Drum, where development and paved surfaces are expanding.

Yet for some, it’s the proximity of having a nice place to visit nature that has the strongest allure. “So many people are scared of bats,” commented Leslie DiStefano, who lives near Fort Drum. “But I know they eat thousands of mosquitoes, and they won’t hurt you. Personally, I love seeing the bats. I can’t wait to bring my family out here.”

Bats are also pollinators for local farms and are important to overall success in agriculture. There are a number of protected farms within five miles of this new conservation area, creating a block of conservation lands that provide habitat to a variety of wildlife, produce local food, and support a network of agriculture-related businesses.

Over the coming year, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust will be working with project partners to secure approximately $35,000 in funding needed to establish the first phase of trails in the new conservation area. Improvements will include a parking area and the design and installation of educational and related signage. If you’d like to donate to this project, please contact Emily Males at emales@tughilltomorrow.org.

David S. Smith Public Conservation Area

A tribute to NYS DEC Region 6, Regional Forester

David Smith spent his 40-year career at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation helping others care for the forestlands and waters they loved.

He had a gift for listening to local landowners, industry leaders, and community officials — and helping make decisions that benefited land and people. David was an inspiration to many throughout Tug Hill. Sadly, he passed away last December after battling pancreatic cancer.

This new conservation area is now dedicated in his honor.

On April 22, 2022, a small gathering of family, friends, and colleagues celebrated his life and all he has done for conservation with the dedication of the nature area. It was a perfect way to commemorate his talent for looking out for both the lands and people of the North Country. He is dearly missed, but his legacy will carry on.