DEC's First Outdoors Day on June 9

Ever wanted to learn how to fish or set up a tent? How about channeling your inner Robin Hood and shooting an arrow at a target or learning how to kayak without flipping fifteen times? Join us for this event to learn about lots of outdoor activities!  While the activities are free, normal Park entry fees will still apply.

DEC and NYS Parks are offering an Outdoors Day on June 9, 2018, from 10 AM to 3 PM at 11 sites across New York State, as part of Governor Cuomo's Adventure NY initiative. This free open house-type event will allow visitors to try out many outdoor recreation activities, and learn techniques from DEC and Parks staff. Activities will vary by site and may include:

• Fishing
• Paddling
• Hiking
• Bird Watching
• Archery
• Shooting
• Nature Photography
• Camping
• Outdoor Safety and Leave No Trace
• Adaptive Equipment/Opportunities

Free Fishing Days Coming Up

During Free Fishing Days/Weekends, anyone can fish the fresh waters of New York State, and no fishing license is required! All other freshwater fishing regulations still apply.

Upcoming Free Fishing Dates
June 23-24, 2018
September 22, 2018
November 11, 2018

Ideas for Free Fishing Days

• Try fishing for the first time.
• Haven't fished in a while? Experience the joy of catching a fish again for free!
• Become an ambassador to the sport; take a friend fishing for the first time.
• Invite a friend to New York to fish.
• Take a spouse or significant other fishing.
• Take the family fishing...and don't forget the grandparents!

 Watchable Wildlife:  Braddock Bay

Located in Greece and Parma, Monroe County

Braddock Bay WMA is a 2,125-acre shallow water bay/marsh complex on Lake Ontario that serves as an important habitat for songbirds, raptors, marsh birds and waterfowl. Songbirds forage in shrubs and forests, and field birds thrive in the grasslands. During the spring and fall migrations, thousands of raptors can be spotted in the area. Visitors may spy turtles, deer, foxes, muskrats and squirrels in the diverse habitat. White-tailed deer browse the woods and shrubs, coyotes and red foxes stalk small mammals, and raccoons search for crayfish.
Other amenities include walking trails, boating opportunities, wildlife observation platforms, fishing and hunting.

Hike of the Month: Partridge Run

Berne, Albany County

High on the Helderberg Escarpment, the trails at Partridge Run offer scenic views of the Catskills. Trails meander through pine forests, past small lakes and streams; some are part of the Long Path, a 343-mile “trail” from Fort Lee, New Jersey to Altamont, outside of Albany. The trails are old roads, mostly gravel and dirt, and are relatively easy, with limited change in elevation. Thacher State Park and Emma Treadwell Nature Center are nearby.

Partridge Run’s 4,500 acres include a diverse habitat of upland forests, wetlands, meadows, an apple orchard and ponds that supports a healthy population of white-tailed deer, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, gray squirrel, fox, raccoon, and an occasional black bear.

Celebrate National Trails Day on June 2

Head out on an organized hike or take a casual stroll on National Trails Day, June 2. The American Hiking Society initiated National Trails Day, and it is now one of America's largest trail and outdoor celebrations.

Check the following websites for scheduled events, trails and parks near you:

National Trails Day Events
DEC Destinations
DEC Hiking NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

 Nature Notes

The arrival of spring and summer also means the arrival of newborn wildlife and just-hatched nestlings. Often, wild animal parents stay away from their young when people are near. But every year, many people scoop up young wild animals in the mistaken belief that they are orphaned or neglected. Remember – “If You Care, Leave It There.”

In This Month's Conservationist

Don't miss the June issue of Conservationist! Paddle along to explore Boreas Ponds, and then go for a hike in this Adirondack property, recently opened to the public. Enjoy the wonder of twinkling fireflies, and find out what their flashes mean. Join DEC biologists as they study one of New York's rarest turtles, the Blanding's turtle. You can also read about the tradition of deep forest bee hunting, and connect to nature with a visit to Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area or the Bath Fish Hatchery.

There's all this and much more in the June Conservationist. Don't miss it!

Subscribe online or call 1-800-678-6399.

Upcoming DEC Events

Citizen Science: Bat Count Training, 6/7 at 7:00 PM, Five Rivers EEC

New York State Path Through History: Five Rivers Through the Years, 6/16 at 2:00 PM, Five Rivers EEC

Woods Walk: Summer Sounds, 6/16 at 1:00 PM, Reinstein Woods EEC

Birdwatching Walk, 6/20 at 6:30 PM, Reinstein Woods EEC

National Pollinator Week: Flowers of the Solstice, 6/21 at 7:00 PM, Five Rivers EEC

Full Moon Walk, 6/28 at 8:00 PM, Reinstein Woods EEC