Calendar Photo Contest

CALENDAR PHOTO CONTEST

© Emily Rechlin

Calendar Photo Contest

Designed for all of the talented photographers who like to capture the beauty and uniqueness of Tug Hill!

Everyone loves the Tug Hill Tomorrow Calendar and in addition to the calendar, these photos show up on our website, social media pages, and Greenings newsletters. It’s a great way to share your love of the Tug Hill region and inspire others with your talent.

Thank you to the following Sponsors who are making the 2027 Calendar possible:

Coughlin
Bob & Carol Keller
GYMO
The Enchanted Edible Forest at Cross Island Farms
RBC Wealth Management

Purchase your 2026 Calendar Here

Photo by: Tyler Clemons

Contest Rules & Deadline

The 2027 Calendar Photo Contest is closed.
Thank you to everyone who shared their incredible work with us.

Purchase your 2026 calendar here!

How to Submit:

You may submit up to 10 photos in total for consideration.
All photos must be taken in the Tug Hill region.
We need photos in all seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall).
When submitting your photos use the following naming format: Last_First_Location_Description_MonthTaken.
Email your photos to our Director of Operations & External Affairs, Emily Males at [email protected].

You can also share your photos with us by using the free file transferring site called We Transfer. Simply add your photos, add your email address, and email them to [email protected]. This site limits you to 2GB per transfer. If your files are over 2GB you may send them in batches or compress them. Here are directions for compressing files on a PC and MAC.

A note about resolution and dpi:

For your photo to be used as one of the main, large month photos it must be a high enough resolution to be printed without becoming pixelated. In general, printing terms this is 300 dpi, with a resolution of 2550 pixels x 3300 pixels.

Typically, iPhone photos do not achieve a high enough resolution – but they can be used for the smaller inset photos throughout the calendar.

By submitting your photo to our Tug Hill Photo Contest, you grant Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust the right to reproduce, distribute, and publicly display the photographs and the right to use your name in publications.

Bird Quest

Tug Hill Bird Quest

An Outdoor Classroom Right in Your Backyard

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Do you love to watch birds? Want to learn more?

The Tug Hill Bird Quest is a region-wide bird observation event held each year during May. It's a great way to have fun and learn more about the birds that visit your neighborhood and backyard.

We supply fun bird information, birding tips and learning resources January through May! Your observations add to a multi-year record of the types and number of birds that arrive in the Tug Hill region each spring!

The Tug Hill Bird Quest is open to everyone.

School classrooms, homeschools, youth groups, families, and individuals that live in the Tug Hill region are welcome and encouraged to participate.

It's free, it's fun, and it's a great learning opportunity!

Scroll down for details and to register

Filling the feeder

Female Grosbeak Oriole and Goldfinch

Homeschool Bird Quest

A female Cardinal at a sunflower seed feeder

Brother and sister bird together

Bird Watchers by Emmanuel Vaucher

The Tug Hill Bird Quest connects us with nature, inspires curiosity and is easy to incorporate into any classroom or home setting!

Here's How It Works:

1 - Sign Up As An Observation Team

Register as an Early Bird team by December 31st OR Register as a Spring Winger team by March 31st each year! Early Birds receive weekly emails January through March containing fun facts and learning activities.
All teams receive daily Bird of the Day emails with bird ID tips and photos April through May.
Schools, homeschools and youth groups in need can request to receive birdseed, a bird feeder and/or a Tug Hill natural history guidebook free of charge. All supplies are provided on a first come, first served basis as materials are available. Supplies are either delivered or picked up by teams in mid-April.

2 - Choose how you would like to observe birds - at a feeder or at another accessible place (yard, field, field border, park, natural area, street, or other place you can use each week). If you are observing birds at a birdfeeder, install (if needed) and/or add birdseed to your feeder(s) AT LEAST 2 weeks before the official observation week begins.

3 - Watch the feeder birds or the birds in your chosen accessible location for 15 minutes one day each week during May (May 4 - 29, 2026). Record the bird species and how many individuals of each you see.

4 - Enter your observations on the provided tally sheet and send the form to THTLT by June 6th.

Tally sheets are emailed to teams with the first Bird of the Day email in April and can be downloaded from this page.
THTLT compiles the team tally sheets and provides a report to all teams in mid-June.

REGISTER HERE

Download:

Bird Quest: How to Watch & Count Instructions (PDF) »

Bird Quest: Tally Sheet (PDF) »

Have questions or are interested in participating:
Please contact Executive Director Heidi Sourwine at 315-779-8240 or email her at [email protected].

Learn More... Download these activities and visit these online sites...

Tug Hill A Four Season Guide to the Natural Side

Want to watch birds live on camera?

The bird feeding station at Cornell University’s Sapsucker Woods facility near Ithaca, NY is live with sound!

Go see who's there now: allaboutbirds.org/cams/cornell-lab-feederwatch/

Looking for a specific bird?

Learn out more about the birds you see using the North American Bird Guide online at: www.audubon.org/bird-guide

Special thanks to these local businesses who have generously provided bird feeders and seed for the Bird Quest:

Joseph A. Blake Wildlife Sanctuary

Open year-round to the public for hiking, biking, snowshoeing and XC skiing, the Joseph A. Blake Wildlife Sanctuary is the perfect place to visit with kids.

The sanctuary is forever protected by THTLT, and free public programs are offered year-round for everyone to explore and learn about nature.

Thanks to a donation by the North Country Bird Club, we were able to acquire this property and expand the trail system to continue providing important wildlife habitat for beaver, fox, and songbirds.

We are constantly working to improve access and expand the trail system and host guided programs free and open to the public.

We are always looking for help keeping the trails maintained. If interested, let us know.

Check out our Event Calendar for scheduled programs

Enjoy your visit!

homeschool program

Location Map

Trail Map

What’s at Stake

WHAT'S AT STAKE...

the very essence of what makes us special

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Imagine a Tug Hill without it’s rolling fields and farms, those deep woodlands, or the rivers and streams that define so many of our communities.

Imagine, if Tug Hill lost the very essence of what makes it special; our relationship to the land, each other, and our history.

That's what's at stake.

Located between the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Ontario in upstate New York, the Tug Hill region is one of the most rural and remote areas of the state. Approximately 2,100 square miles, it consists of 41 towns in portions of Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego and Oneida counties.

While you may not see massive residential and commercial developments, like you might see in other parts of New York State or the country, development is chopping up lands every year. This steady, “death by a thousand cuts”, could destroy the farms, wildlife habitat, and recreational lands of Tug Hill if we don’t balance development with land and water conservation.

And that’s what we are doing, in partnership with local towns, organizations, community groups and individuals like you.

We are here to support families and communities alike to conserve the special places of Tug Hill; the very places that are the heart and soul of our region.

Learn More About Where We Work

Conservation for the long-haul

You would think that balancing development and the conservation of farms and natural areas would be enough to do. But it’s not.

Research from Yale has documented that increasing numbers of children and adults, even in rural areas like Tug Hill, are increasingly disconnected to farms and nature. And that spells trouble for long-term conservation.

Why?

Because, to quote Steven Jay Gould, a renowned scientist and writer, “We will not fight to save what we do not love.” In other words, we need future generations to care about conservation just like you do so that they will support these efforts for years to come.

Whether hunting, fishing, walking, hiking, skilling or snowmobiling; kayaking, canoeing, tubing or swimming, the recreational experiences of Tug Hill are unparalleled.

By conserving these lands we are conserving a way of life as well as a central part of the local economy.

By offering free programs, conserving lands for the public to enjoy, or protecting the region’s working farms and forestlands, together we are creating a future for Tug Hill that will ensure clean water, jobs, great places to experience the out-of-doors and a sense of place for generations.

Accreditation

Accreditation Promotes Public Trust, Ensures Permanence

“Going through the rigorous accreditation renewal process demonstrates that Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust upholds the highest standards of a not-for-profit organization and is committed to permanently protecting land throughout the Tug Hill region,” explains Bob Quinn, a board member of the land trust.

That’s the sentiment of other board members as well, echoing the organization’s commitment to nonprofit excellence as well as long-term conservation.

Bob Keller, another board member, put it this way, saying, “Saving the working lands and waterways is a way to create a brighter tomorrow for us, our children and our grandchildren. Upholding the standards of Land Trust Accreditation has made us a stronger organization, and we will continue drawing upon this strength to make the Tug Hill region and surrounding area an even better place for everyone to live and play.”

Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust was among 39 land trusts across the United States to achieve accreditation or to have accreditation renewed through 2022.

Joining a national commitment to excellence

We are part of the more than 350 accredited land trusts who demonstrate their commitment to professional excellence, helping to maintain the public’s trust in their work.

“It is exciting to recognize Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust with the distinction of Accreditation,” said Tammara Van Ryn, executive director of the Accreditation Commission. “Accredited land trusts stand together, united behind strong ethical standards ensuring the places people love will be conserved forever. This network of land trusts has demonstrated fiscal accountability, strong organizational leadership and lasting stewardship of conservation land.”

Each accredited land trust must apply for renewal every five years and undergoes a comprehensive review as part of its renewal application. The process is rigorous and strengthens the land trust so they can help landowners and communities achieve their conservation goals.

To find out more

Accredited Land Trust The Accreditation Commission is an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization. The Commission recognizes conservation excellence by awarding the accreditation seal. More information about land trust accreditation can be found at www.landtrustaccreditation.org

Martha Deming

“I’m thrilled they recognized what I already knew. It’s so important to save the land we have; once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. Our community would never be the same.

With this recent accreditation, I’m hoping that more landowners will be motivated to protect their land with Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust. It sounds like accreditation is a testament that Tug Hill Tomorrow is a strong, professional, organization—ready to work with people who love the land.”

Martha Deminglandowner and local artist

RELATED INFO:

Our Mission

Our Staff

Our Partners

Financials

©Jeff Brady

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A Year of Impact

Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is proud to share a snapshot of our collective accomplishments in 2024. Thanks to your support, we expanded conservation efforts, engaged hundreds through education, and celebrated the vital role of volunteers in preserving the Tug Hill region.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we reflect on the achievements of 2024, I am filled with pride in our collective conservation efforts, both in terms of the land we’ve protected and the educational outreach we’ve conducted.

This past year, through strategic land acquisitions and new conservation easements, we have successfully added over 1,200 acres to our portfolio, bringing our total conserved land in the Tug Hill region to an impressive 23,725 acres. Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust has remained steadfast in its mission, making a significant impact on our beloved Tug Hill landscape.

Our outreach efforts exceeded expectations, reaching 800 individuals through educational workshops, environmental outings, and various initiatives. One of the highlights of the year was our inaugural community picnic held at the David S. Smith Public Conservation Area in the Town of LeRay, which fostered a sense of community and connection to our natural surroundings.

We remain passionate about preserving the environment, with a particular commitment to maintaining the Tug Hill region as a pristine area characterized by healthy land, clean water, and unpolluted air. This is the essence of Tug Hillers—working hand-in-hand with THTLT to conserve our landscape today, ensuring a brighter tomorrow for all.

portrait Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our mission. Together, we are making a lasting difference.

Warm regards,

Mark Pacilio
Executive Director

Whetstone Reservoir by Katheleen Roberts

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Support Our Programs

Read Past Annual Reports

Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Summary

Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust concluded its most recent fiscal year, 2024, guided by a strategic focus on the delivery of our mission and a responsible stewardship of resources.

Our revenue for 2024 primarily came from grants and contracts focused on conservation easements and stewardship initiatives. Additionally, donor contributions played a crucial role in supporting our mission.

Responsible investments from our stewardship fund, along with various other revenue sources, also contributed significantly to our overall income.

A substantial portion of our funding was allocated directly to our land protection efforts, aligning with our grants and contracts.

Our mission also encompasses educational and outreach programs, for which we dedicated a significant amount of revenue.

General operational expenses—including personnel, rent, insurance, and other office costs—represent about 27% of our total expenditures. We maintained fundraising expenses at a responsible 10% of our overall budget.