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.

Following the Sunday hike, join us for the Springwater Trails, Inc, annual meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to elect officers for 2017 and to plan for the upcoming year. Following the business portion of the meeting, Fran Gotcsik of Lima, NY, will share some of the experiences she has had during 26 years of working to launch new hiking and multi-use trails across New York. In 1991 Fran became the Local Coordinator for the Genesee Valley Greenway, and in 1996, she became the Executive Director of the Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway. In 2003, Fran joined Parks and Trails New York, where she is currently a Senior Consultant.

The Social and Annual Meeting is open to everyone interested in Springwater, trails and hiking. Your comments and advice are welcome during the meeting.  Voting for officers and other business brought up at the meeting is limited to members of Springwater Trails. Honorary memberships are awarded to hikers who have completed 20 group activities during the previous calendar year, to members of the executive board who have served for a full year term, and to individual who have served as a seasonal hike coordinator during one season. Membership forms will also be available at the meeting and memberships for 2017 can be purchased for $10 ($15 for a family).

There are six elected officers: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, VP of hiking, and trail master. We will be accepting nominations for all six offices during the annual meeting, and all members will be allowed to vote for one nominee for each office. The duties of each officer are described in Article IV of the By-Laws of the Springwater Trails, Inc.

Agenda

• Welcome to members and friends
• A review of 2016 and plans for 2017
• Nominations from the floor for Officers
• Election of Officers
• Trails of New York – Fran Gotcsik
• Adjournment

This event has been postponed again.  We are still trying to line up the equipment listed below.  Please stay tuned.

During our April 2 hike down Marrowback Rd, the many tires in the gullies below the road became a topic of conversation and concern. In addition to being an eye-sore, discarded tires are a convenient breeding site for mosquitos and can be a fire hazard.

Since that hike, we have talked with two major landowners and to the Town of Springwater about working to remove these tires and move them to a more appropriate place.

Our first day to work on this project will be May 23 at 10:00.  Please come as we develop methods for pulling the tires up to the road and transporting them to the Town highway barn for disposal.

What to bring:

1. Good work gloves.
2. Good hiking boots. If desired, traction devices to help climbing up to the road.
3. Rope to loop around tires.
4. Clothes that can get dirty while working around heavy, wet tires.

In addition to helping with your energy and your muscles, you may want to lend your farm equipment. We need the following equipment:

1. Power winches to pull the tires up the bank. If you have a vehicle with a power winch, we think that would be a great help in this project.
2. Trailers to transport the tires.
3. Trucks to pull the trailers. We will try to move the tires to the town Highway barn so the town Highway department can schedule disposal.
4. Ropes to help handling the tires and the winches.

If you can volunteer any of this equipment, please leave a comment in the Tire Forum or contact John at vp@springwatertrails.org.

One final comment. A $2.50 fee has been collected since 2003 on every tire sold in New York State. In addition, any Tire Service company is required to accept, on a one-for-one basis old tires for recycling when new tires are sold. As a result, you have already paid for the disposal of your old tires and you should be returning them when you purchase new tires. Please remember, you do not need to dump your old tires into our forests.

It is time again for the Springwater Trails, Inc. annual meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to elect officers for 2018, to inform our members about the activities of the group in 2017 and the handle any new business concerning the organization and the year ahead.

The schedule for the day will be: Hike the Springwater Center property at 2:00, Social setup at 4:00, Annual meeting at 4:45, Traveling in Europe at 5:15.

Following the business portion of the meeting, our own Vice President, John Larysz will share his pictures and experiences traveling in Europe. There will be an opportunity for the audience to ask important questions such as the camera that he uses, how to rent a car that Americans can drive in Europe, or how to pronounce his name. You may have seen some of his pictures on Facebook, so this will be a great opportunity to hear commentary about the best of the best.

The Social and Annual Meeting is open to everyone interested in Springwater, trails and hiking. Your comments and advice are welcome during the meeting.  Voting for officers and other business brought up at the meeting is limited to members of Springwater Trails, Inc. Honorary memberships are awarded to hikers who have completed 20 group activities during the previous calendar year or to 5 maintenance events, to members of the executive board who have served for a full year term, and to landowners who allow the Springwater Trail on their property. Membership forms are also available on line and at the meeting and memberships for 2018 can be purchased at the meeting or before for half price ($10 for an individual, $15 for a family).

If you are able to join us for the social after the hike, please bring a dish to pass and a non-alcoholic beverage or consider making a cash donation.  There is a complete kitchen to store and reheat the dishes as needed.  

Please bring slippers as shoes will  need to be removed at the door.

There are five elected officers: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and VP of hiking. We will be accepting nominations for all five offices during the annual meeting, and all members will be allowed to vote for one nominee for each office. The duties of each officer are described in Article IV of the By-Laws of the Springwater Trails, Inc.

Annual Meeting Agenda

Welcome to members and friends
The year 2017 in review
President’s report
VP of Hiking report
Treasurer’s report
Nominations from the floor for Officers
Election of Officers
Plans for 2018

Traveling in Europe 
pictures and commentary from John Larysz

Adjournment

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. 

It is time again for the Springwater Trails, Inc. annual meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to elect officers for 2019, to inform our members about the activities of the group in 2018 and to handle any new business concerning the organization and the year ahead.

The schedule for the day will be: Hike the Springwater Center property at 2:00, Social setup at 4:00, Annual meeting at 4:45, Gardening with Native Wildflowers  at 5:15.

Following the business portion of the meeting, Ellen Folts of Amanda’s Garden and one of the founding members of the Springwater Parks and Trails committee will present a talk about Gardening with Native Wildflowers. This will be an opportunity to see the beauty of our local plants and how they fit into your garden. 

The Social and Annual Meeting is open to everyone interested in Springwater, trails and hiking. Your comments and advice are welcome during the meeting.  Voting for officers and other business brought up at the meeting is limited to members of Springwater Trails, Inc. Honorary memberships are awarded to hikers who have completed 20 group activities during the previous calendar year or to 5 maintenance events, to members of the executive board who have served for a full year term, and to landowners who allow the Springwater Trail on their property. Membership forms are also available on line and at the meeting and memberships for 2019 can be purchased this month for half price ($10 for an individual, $15 for a family).

If you are able to join us for the social after the hike, please bring a dish to pass and a non-alcoholic beverage or consider making a cash donation.  There is a complete kitchen to store and reheat the dishes as needed.  

Please bring slippers as shoes will  need to be removed at the door.

There are five elected officers:

President
Vice President
VP of hiking.
Secretary
Treasurer

We will be accepting nominations for all five offices during the annual meeting, and all members will be allowed to vote for one nominee for each office. The duties of each officer are described in Article IV of the By-Laws of the Springwater Trails, Inc.

Annual Meeting Agenda

Welcome to members and friends
The year 2018 in review
VP of Hiking report
Treasurer’s report
Nominations from the floor for Officers
Election of Officers

Gardening with Native Wildflowers
Ellen Folts – Amanda’s Garden

Adjournment

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