Bird Quest

Tug Hill Bird Quest

An Outdoor Classroom Right in Your Backyard

Have you been watching birds?

The Tug Hill Bird Quest is a fun way for anyone to learn more about the birds that visit our neighborhoods and backyards. It also provides a yearly record of the types and number of birds that are present at bird feeders during the third full week of May in the Tug Hill region.

The Tug Hill Bird Quest is open to everyone. K-8 classrooms, home schoolers, 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 all the details and to register!

Taking a break from indoor activities and turning our attention outside to watch birds can refresh us, reconnect us to the natural world, inspire curiosity, and help us become life-long learners. Your observations during this community science event also contribute to our multi-year collection of data about bird activity in our area!

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 kids with nature and is easy to incorporate into any classroom or home setting!

Here's How It Works:

Early Bird registration before December 31st allows teams to choose to receive emails containing fun facts and learning activities weekly January through March.
Don't want to be an Early Bird? All teams can sign up online or by email any time before March 31st to participate. Both Early Bird and regular teams receive Bird of the Day emails in April and May providing pictures and bird identification tips.
Teams 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.
Teams install and add birdseed to their feeder(s) at least 2 weeks before the official observation week begins.
Teams watch each day and record the bird species and how many individuals of each they see during the official observation week.
Teams download and complete THTLT's tally sheet and submit the form to THTLT no later than one week after the end of observation week.
THTLT compiles the team tally sheets and provides a report to all teams in June.

Here's How To Participate..

Register your team here:

Tug Hill Bird Quest REGISTRATION

Download:

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

Bird Quest: Tally Sheet (PDF) »

Have questions or are interested in participating:

Please give Lin Gibbs, our Community Programs Director a call at 315-779-2239 or email her at lgibbs@tughilltomorrow.org.

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

nature preserve

wildlife sanctuary

nature preserve

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

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©Jeff Brady

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2022 Annual Report Highlights

Thanks to you...

We wanted to share some of the highlights from 2022 that you made happen. As a community-supported conservation organization, you, our donors, partners, landowners, and volunteers are what makes it all possible. Here are some highlights:

Farms

Worked with eight farm families on state farmland grants to conserve 2,791 acres in Jefferson and Oneida Counties.
Farmers reinvest to improve or sustain their operations while conserving the land.
14 farmland protection projects underway.

Wildlife

As of 2022, a total of 22,008 acres are conserved, including farms, woodlands, wetlands, and waterways. The majority are managed and owned by local families.
Several projects underway in Herkimer County, including one to conserve 700 acres in partnership with a rod and hunt club.

Conservation Areas and Trails

Finished clearing and marking the initial 10 miles of the Tug Hill Traverse Trail. Began trail improvements at the French Settlement Road Public Conservation Area.
Two public conservation areas were initiated in 2022, bringing the total to four.

Volunteers

Volunteers ranging in age from 6 to 87 donated 234 hours of time and talent. Thanks to them, new trails, new friends, and new memories were made.

Education

Expanded educational programs in the southern part of the Tug Hill region to include partnerships with local schools, community organizations, New American farming programs, youth development, and 4-H.
35 of the 52 birding teams registered for the 2022 Tug Hill Bird Quest were new to the event; 41 species of birds were observed at feeders during the Tug Hill Bird Quest.

Community Programs

Hosted programs for the general public ranging from walks, hikes, bird watching, and canoeing.
Expanded programs to include urban areas, youth and elders.

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Support Our Programs

Read Past Annual Reports

2022 Financials

As a nationally accredited land trust, we believe in building an organization that is here to stay.

Your gifts are investments in the future of all who visit Tug Hill — as well as the wildlife and community members who call it home.

Our success is your success.

For a more detailed financial report call Mark Pacilio to request our 990s. Together, we are leveraging thousands of dollars of state and federal funding to conserve the lands that matter most.

*Based on Audited 2022 Financial Statement. Conservation Easement Grants reflect state and federal government grants received for the purchase of the easements.