Find Your Adventure - April 2023

Join us at an I Love My Park Day Event

Join us for the 12th annual I Love My Park Day event on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Parks & Trails New York (PTNY), in partnership with DEC and State Parks, hosts the annual event and invites volunteers from across the state in cleanup, improvement, and beautification events at New York State parks, historic sites, and public lands.

To encourage year-round stewardship, PTNY, State Parks, and DEC will launch additional volunteer opportunities throughout the summer and fall as part of the Love Our NY Lands campaign. The campaign goal is to help protect our natural resources by providing visitors with the knowledge necessary to reduce their impact, engage users to practice sustainable and safe recreation, and help all visitors feel welcome while visiting state lands.
Learn more and sign up to volunteer by visiting DEC’s website.

Be Bird-friendly this Spring

Looking for an easy way to take care of your bird friends this migration season? Did you know each year during spring migration, many birds that are navigating the night sky become disoriented from artificial building lighting? Not only does city lighting deter the navigational abilities of migrating birds, but it also leads to an increase in fatal building collisions, killing an estimated 1 billion birds annually.

Play a part in helping to help birds survive and thrive this season by taking these simple steps

• Make your windows safer by installing screens and breaking up reflections.
• Dim or turn off nonessential lights. Exterior security lighting is more bird friendly when directed downward rather than into the sky.
• Enjoy birds while helping science and conservation! Your observations will provide valuable information to show where birds are thriving or declining. Take part in the Third Breeding Bird Atlas.

New York State is also committed to helping a variety of bird species during the busy migration season to reduce bird collisions. To do our part, state-owned and operated buildings will turn off all non-essential lighting from 11:00 PM to dawn during peak bird migrations in the spring and fall. Learn more about the Lights Out initiative and more ways to support migrating birds by visiting DEC’s website.

Photo credits: Elisha M. Shaw (Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge)

It's Trout Time!

While catch and release opportunities for inland trout are now widely available year-round in New York, April 1st will always be a meaningful day for trout anglers and DEC is stocking 1.9 million trout in waters across the state.

Check out the helpful resources below to plan your fishing trip:

• 2023 Spring Trout Stocking Summaries
• HuntFishNY app now features the "Tackle Box" where trout stream access, regulations, and stocking information are now available within a map-based interface from the convenience of your smartphone.
• Management Categories for Specific Inland Trout Streams (PDF)
• Current Freshwater Fishing Regulations
• I FISH NY Brochures
  • I FISH NY Guide to Brook Trout Fishing in Adirondack Ponds (PDF)
  • I FISH NY Guide to Trout Fishing in Streams (PDF)
  • I FISH NY Guide to Trout Fishing with Synthetic Bait (PDF)

And in case you missed it, check out #TroutWeek on DEC’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that covered all things trout including species information, stocking, places to fish, and more!

If you are looking for a way to learn to fish, attend a free I FISH NY clinic! DEC, the City of Rochester’s Department of Recreation and Human Services are hosting an inclusive, family-friendly fishing event on April 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Cobbs Hill Park in Rochester, Monroe County. People of all ages, abilities, and experiences are welcome to attend. Adaptive equipment will be available for use.

Plan for the 2023 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge

Looking for something fun to plan for as the weather warms up? Why not take the 2023 Catskills Fire Tower Challenge?! Visit all six Catskill Fire Towers (Overlook, Hunter, Balsam Lake, Red Hill, Tremper, and Upper Esopus) between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. Once completed, submit an online or paper log along with a favorite photo or selfie of your hikes. Entries must be postmarked by January 7, 2024.

For a bonus entry, submit a photo practicing Leave No Trace™ while out on your hikes. With most of the year left, you can plan ahead and prepare by learning more about the challenge and hikes and deciding when the best time is for you and your family, friends, or hiking companions to hit the trails!

If you do head out this spring, be aware that mud season is upon us. When you encounter a patch of mud on the trail, do your best to stick to the middle and walk right through it. Walking around muddy sections can result in trampling of sensitive trailside plants and trail widening. Wear durable boots to help minimize your impact while on the trails.

Comment Period Open for the Draft Amendment to Sundown Wild Forest Unit Management Plan

DEC is now accepting comments on a draft amendment to the Sundown Wilderness Forest Unit (UMP) Management Plan (PDF). The proposed amendment is intended to improve infrastructure, increase public safety, enhance protection of natural resources, and enhance visitor experiences in the Peekamoose Valley riparian corridor. Comments will be accepted through April 21, 2023, and can be sent by email or mailed to: Ian Dunn, NYS DEC, 21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561.

Upcoming Events

Sat. April 15 at 10 a.m. – Five Rivers: Family Fun: Hop into Spring
Sat. April 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Belmont Spring Fishing Festival
Sat. April 15 at 1 p.m. – Reinstein Woods – Woods Walk: What’s Up and at ‘Em?
Sat. April 15 at 2 p.m. – Five Rivers: Family Fun: Partnering Like a Blue Jay
Sun. April 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Rochester Youth Fishing Event at Cobbs Hill County Park at Lake Riley Lodge
Mon. April 17 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Rogers Environmental Education Center: Monday Morning Ramble – Cush Hill Summit Trail
Thur. April 20, 27 & May 4, 11 & 18 at 7:30 a.m. – Five Rivers: I BIRD NY: Early Morning Bird Walk
Mon. April 24 from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Rogers Environmental Education Center: Monday Morning Ramble – Spruce Ridge & South Loop
Fri. April 28 – Mon. May 1 – Rogers Environmental Education Center: City Nature Challenge
Sat. May 6 – I Love My Park Day
Sat. May 13 at 2 p.m. – Reinstein Woods – Intro to Field Journaling
Sat. May 20 at 9 a.m. – Reinstein Woods – Warblers on the Wing
Sat. May 20 at 10 a.m. – Five Rivers: May Mindfulness Walk
Save the date: June 10th is Get Outdoors and Get Together Day