Cost: $10 per family
Registration: call 315- 536-5123 or click here

Back by popular demand, Yates County Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Master Forest Owner Volunteers, and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation will host a workshop on understanding landowner liability issues.  This workshop will explore the responsibility and liability of landowners for the actions of a trespasser, hunter, invitee, and other types of people who may access your property.  This workshop will provide information about the laws of New York and give guidance on how to proceed with enforcement through local authorities.

This workshop presents an opportunity to have all your questions answered by qualified experts.

 Featured Presenters Include:

David Colligan, attorney at law at Colligan Law, LLP will cover the following topics:

• Current landowner liability case law;
• Posting your property;
• Providing permission to people to hike, hunt, or ride ATV’s on your land;
• Liability toward trespassers versus people who are allowed to be there;
• Right-of-ways; and
• Ponds, swimming, and attractive nuisances.

Josh Crain, Environmental Conservation Officer,

Ed Nemitz, Yates County Sheriff’s Department, and

Dave Mashewske, Yates County District Attorney’s Office will cover the following topics:

• What to do when you suspect a trespass;
• How to report a trespass;
• How to approach a potential situation on your property; and
• Personal experiences and lessons learned.

Workshop fee: $10.00 per person/family includes presentations, refreshments, and expert answers to your questions.  Pre-registration is required by clicking here or calling 315-536-5123.

Please call with questions and registration: Yates County Cornell Cooperative Extension 315-536-5123

Agenda

• Approve minutes – Katherine
• Treasurer’s report – Melissa
• Committee Reports
  • Trail Maintenance – Gene
  • Advertising – Katherine
    • Brochure – First Draft – Mark
    • Rack Card – First Draft
  • Trail Building – Rick
    • Sugarbush Hollow to Pardy Hollow
  • Hiking Group – Wendy
  • New Business
    • Fiddler’s Fair – Parking
      • Chairman
      • Signup Sheet
    • Bicentennial
      • Our role
      • Bicentennial committee communications

Volunteers are needed to assist in picking up roadside litter along a stretch of highway in the Town of Springwater that Springwater Trails is in the process of adopting.  We will meet at the Fire Hall parking lot at 9AM for a mandatory safety briefing presented by NYS DOT.  They will provide the required hard hats and safety vests. You will want to bring gloves.  NYS DOT will also provide the collection bags and pick up.  The plan is to work from 9AM-12PM, lunch at Sammy’s, and (if needed) work from 1PM-4PM.   Ask your friends to join us.  So NYS DOT can be given an approximate number of participants, please let Wendy know if you plan on helping out – wsteven@frontiernet.net .

Katherine J. T. Humphrey will present a discussion on what is new or current in home food preservation – like increased interest in fermentation, using less energy, using what is available locally and seasonally, deciding on what method of preservation would be best for a single person or for a household of many people, where to begin if a novice or an experienced home preserver, and the place to go for research based answers to questions, especially when it comes to safety and quality considerations.

Katherine was a full time Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator 1969-1991, and a CCE Livingston County Home Economics Program Leader. She has been a CCE Home Food Preservation Instructor since 1989.

A Through-Hike of the Colorado Trail

The Little Lakes Sustainability Network and Springwater Trails are pleased to co-host a program on the magnificent Colorado Trail on Thursday, October 27, 7:00 PM at the Jack Evans Community Center (old Hemlock school) on Main Street in Hemlock. Light refreshments will be provided and everyone is welcome, free of charge. Donations to defray costs are encouraged.

Hemlock resident Bill Cooke will present information about the trail followed by a 25 minute slide show with music showing photos from his 2011 “through-hike.” He will share his deep appreciation of the natural environment fostered from many years of experience in long-distance hiking.  Bill will also have copies of his book narrating the hike – Shades of Gray, Splashes of Color – A Thru-hike of The Colorado Trail – available for your perusal and purchase.

The 486-mile Colorado Trail wends its way through the Rocky Mountains of the Centennial State, traversing a landscape as changing and diverse as the swirling afternoon clouds presaging the daily summer thunderstorms.  A common expression among long distance backpackers is “no pain equals no gain.”  In this program, you’ll hear of the “pain” manifested in the struggle of acclimating to high elevations, of hiking long and steep ascents, of coping with a wide range of climatic conditions from freezing cold mornings to hot baking afternoons, to near daily thunderstorms and to long stretches of limited water.  And you’ll see the “gains,” the triumphs as Bill and his hiking companion Keith “Northern Harrier” Bance savor the many rewards of this enchanting trail:  alpine meadows whose wildflowers cover every range of the spectrum, bewitching groves of aspen trees resplendent with the morning glow of the sun, the glistening of snowy peaks, stately conifers including the massive Douglas firs, high mountain passes, dry foothills, sparkling mountain streams, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets where both the skies and the rocks shine like beacons from the low sun alpenglow, and much more.

Along the way, you’ll hear of the delight bestowed by such simple pleasures as a refreshing swig of Rocky Mountain water or a wildlife spotting.  You’ll hear of fascinating near-daily cloud formations with their myriad shades of gray and ever-changing patterns.  You’ll meet “Trail Angels” who emerge at the right place and time, unplanned and unexpected, to assist hikers with their basic needs, such as rides into towns for re-supplying or offers of water and snacks.  And you’ll visit communities along the trail corridor, meeting the people in them, and enjoying the amenities that we all take for granted, such a hot shower, bed with linens, and meals of “real” food, all of which are especially appreciated by hot, dusty hikers.

Bill Cooke recently moved to Hemlock after living for seven years in Lexington, KY.  He has backpacked for nearly 40 years.  In addition to the Colorado Trail, he has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail, the Black Forest and Susquehannock Trails of nearby Northern Pennsylvania, and other trails around the country.

You need not be an experienced hiker to enjoy this program, as Bill explains much of the terminology and peculiar habits of long-distance backpackers.  Even those whose experience is confined to short strolls in the park will sense the challenges and the rewards of a trek in the Rocky Mountains.  Come and take a trip to the summertime Rockies!

The event is co-sponsored by the Little Lakes Sustainability Network and the Springwater Hiking Group, and is free and open to the public.

Volunteers from Springwater Trails are needed to pick up roadside litter along NY Rtes 15 and 15A in the Town of Springwater.   There will be a short information meeting at the Springwater Fire Hall parking lot at 9AM on Tuesday November 1, 2016 prior to getting started.   Bags, safety vests and hard hats will be provided.

Springwater Trails is relaxing after a busy 2016.

Please join the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park on New Years Day for a hike on the Greenway.  Or, check the rest of the calendar for organized hikes near Springwater.

What better way to kick off the New Year than by getting a jump start torching off those holiday calories in the great outdoors. Springwater Trails is leading one of the dozens of sponsored hikes held each New Year’s Day on public lands across the Empire State. 

Local volunteers and staff from DEC and State Parks will be leading family-friendly walks and hikes. The hikes range from one to five miles depending on the location and conditions. Check out the great hikes available.

Our hike will be along Canadice lake. The trail will be easy to moderate difficulty. There are approximately 14 miles of marked hiking trails on Hemlock-Canadice State Forest. The trip length will be family-friendly and determined by participants. 

Please dress appropriately for the weather. Bring snowshoes if there is snow. Bring hiking poles, wear good boots and carry water with you. 

Directions: v Springwater: Head north on NY-15A. In 7.6 miles, turn right into Purcell Hill Rd. Go up and over the hill (1.2 miles). At the bottom but before the lake, the parking is on the right. 

From Rochester and Hemlock: head south on Ny-15A. Go through Hemlock NY. In 3.5 miles, turn left onto Purcell Hill Rd. Go up and over the hill (1.2 miles). At the bottom but before the lake, the parking is on the right. 

Spring is here!, and it is time to get outside.  The Finger Lakes Land Trust is sponsoring a volunteer opportunity at Wesley Hill. This is an opportunity for Springwater Trails to say thank you to one of our popular hike locations.

Wesley Hill is one of FLLT’s most iconic nature preserves, and on Monday, May 20^th, it will be turning 20 years old!  If you have never visited our westernmost preserve, this is your chance!  Wesley Hill is full of beautiful vistas, gorges, and old growth trees. 

Please join me on Saturday the 18^th to help refresh the hiking trails and clear a short reroute, as well as conduct habitat management.  At the end of the day, we will raise a glass of something bubbly to a magnificent place that is protected forever.  Tools, work gloves, and refreshments (including N/A options), will be provided.  We will meet at 11:00am at the WESLEY RD. parking area.  Directions can be found here.

Original email from:
Jason Gorman, Nature Preserve Manager
Finger Lakes Land Trust
202 E. Court Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607.275.9487
www.fllt.org