New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Otsego County

Black History Historiographic Genealogies: Sources & Resources

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Water Color Honoring Harry Bradshaw Matthews, Class of 1974, by Xiaoyi Zeng, 2017, a visiual student artist at SUNY OneontaWith the arrival of Black History Month, the 2023 theme, “Black Resistance,” will certainly emphasize the standard bearers of freedom seekers. Most noticeable will be the attention devoted to Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. There will also be discussions about the 1619 Project and the Critical Race Theory. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ attack on the teaching of the AP course in African American History will surely be debated.

Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, were two personalities that Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson honored in 1926 with his launching of Negro History Week. He selected the second week of February as the time of the annual celebration since it coincides with the birthdays of Douglass and Lincoln. [Read more…] about Black History Historiographic Genealogies: Sources & Resources

Mohawk River Basin Grants Available

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Mohawk River Basin courtesy DECThe Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is offering $600k in Mohawk River Basin Grants to help municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, school districts, colleges and universities, and not-for-profit organizations to implement the goals and objectives of the Mohawk River Basin Action Agenda 2021-2026, a five-year plan advancing efforts to conserve, preserve, and restore the Mohawk River and its watershed. [Read more…] about Mohawk River Basin Grants Available

Otsego Outdoor Challenge Marks 5000th Trek

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winter octetAs Lee Ann and Rick Myers of Oneonta completed the Otsego Outdoors Fall Octet Challenge, it marked the 5000th trek Octet participants have completed. A collaborative program of Otsego 2000, the Otsego Land Trust and Otsego County Conservation Association, Otsego Outdoors connects residents and visitors with year-round recreational opportunities in and near Otsego County. [Read more…] about Otsego Outdoor Challenge Marks 5000th Trek

Whitetail Deer Rescued From Deer Swing, Soccer Goal Net

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Deer tangled in soccer net at Hartwick College in Otsego CountyAccording to a press release issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), on September 27th, Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Mead received a report about a deer with its head stuck in a swing set in Jamestown, Chautauqua County. The caller reported the animal was struggling to free itself for an estimated 45 minutes. [Read more…] about Whitetail Deer Rescued From Deer Swing, Soccer Goal Net

DEC: Animal Killed By Hunter In Cooperstown Was A Wolf

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wolf courtesy Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife On September 21st, 2022, after a second independent DNA study confirmed that the wolf killed outside of Cooperstown, in Otsego County, NY, was really a wolf, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reversed course and announced the wolf was indeed a wolf.

DEC had been calling the Cooperstown wolf a coyote since it examined the dead animal in December 2021 and conducted a DNA study in early 2022. DEC publicly called the wolf a coyote in July in many news reports, after the release of an independent DNA study by Trent University in Canada, organized by the Northeast Ecological Recovery Society (NERS).

The Trent University DNA analysis found that the Cooperstown wolf had 98% wolf genes. [Read more…] about DEC: Animal Killed By Hunter In Cooperstown Was A Wolf

38 Groups Call On DEC To Protect Wolves in New York State

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wolf courtesy Oregon Department of Fish and WildlifeThe plot continues to thicken around the killing of an 85-pound wolf near Cooperstown in December of 2021 and the response by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Under state and federal law, a wolf that wanders into New York State is protected under the Endangered Species Act. The wolf shot near Cooperstown by a coyote hunter clearly enjoyed no such protections. [Read more…] about 38 Groups Call On DEC To Protect Wolves in New York State

Under Threat: The Downtown Oneonta Historic District

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11 Ford Avenue in OneontaThe Downtown Oneonta Historic District is representative of more than two centuries of economic activity and urban development. The district remains largely intact, and contains an architecturally significant collection of commercial, converted residential, and civic buildings.

The downtown district characterizes broader trends in small urban areas where disinvestment and rural poverty are a direct threat to historic resources. Small cities like Oneonta represent important parts of the overall historic tapestry of New York State that without creative solutions could be lost forever. [Read more…] about Under Threat: The Downtown Oneonta Historic District

Central-Finger Lakes Segment of Statewide Birding Trail Opens

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bird watchers courtesy DECNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the grand opening of the Central-Finger Lakes segment of the New York State Birding Trail to highlight the state’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities.

The Central-Finger Lakes segment includes 54 locations throughout 15 counties, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy. [Read more…] about Central-Finger Lakes Segment of Statewide Birding Trail Opens

Otsego Outdoors Offers Spring Challenge

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Otsego Outdoors Spring Octet PatchOtsego Outdoors has announced their first-ever Spring Octet Challenge, a collaborative effort of Otsego 2000, the Otsego Land Trust, and the Otsego County Conservation Association, Otsego Outdoors, that connects residents and visitors with year-round opportunities to enjoy the outdoors throughout Otsego County. [Read more…] about Otsego Outdoors Offers Spring Challenge