What’s the Buzz: Creating Pollinator Friendly Communities
When: Wednesday November 3rd from 6 to 8pm
Where: Cornell Zoom (Virtual). To register visit: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctdeyprTooHNUWWQwfP_ldns8prxymJVCe (call-in option available)
Who: Dutchess County municipal officials and volunteers (CAC, CSC Task Force, Planning Board, Town Board, ZBA) ,watershed groups and local residents.
Pollinators are a critical component of our ecosystem, fertilizing the plants in our yards and parks as well as on our farms and orchards. They play an integral part in our local food system and help us grow our local agricultural economy. However, pollinator populations are in sharp decline due to activities such as loss of habitat. Participants will learn about various native pollinator species and the benefits they bring, the activities negatively impacting pollinators, and best management practices for managing our local landscapes with pollinating insects in mind, at both a residential and municipal scale. Participants will hear from two Dutchess County communities about ongoing efforts to establish pollinator gardens and “pathways”, helping to restore habitat connectivity and biodiversity to the region using a collaborative approach.
Presenters include:
- Kerissa Battle, Community Greenways Collaborative
- Susan Karnes Hecht, Town of Poughkeepsie Climate Smart Communities Task Force and Conservation Advisory Commission
- Cathy Lane, Town of Hyde Park Visual Environment Committee and Dutchess County Master Gardener
- Joyce Tomaselli, CCEDC Community Horticulture Resource Educator
*Please contact Michelle Gluck (mg822@cornell.edu) if you have any trouble registering for this event or have accessibility concerns.
Online Mapping Tools for Local Conservation Planning
When: Saturday, November 13th from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Where: Cornell Zoom (Virtual). To register visit: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcoceGurD4jHdIb2NTYoA6q0WwgxOwfN9nu
Who: Dutchess County municipal officials and volunteers (CAC, Planning Board, Town Board, ZBA), watershed group members, local residents.
This training will provide an opportunity for guided hands-on learning of Dutchess County online mapping tools, as well as regional and statewide natural resource mappers. Members of Dutchess County conservation advisory councils, municipal planning and zoning boards and staff, watershed organizations, and interested citizens are encouraged to attend. Participants will practice using a number of the tools and will learn about the importance of conservation planning and communicating these values and knowledge to their audiences. Participants will be encouraged to follow-along remotely and will receive a video tutorial as a follow-up to the training to help guide them with using the tools later on in their daily duties.
Presenters include:
- Sean Carroll, CCEDC
- Nate Nardi-Cyrus, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program
- Devin Rigolino, Dutchess County Department of Planning & Development
- Julie Hart, Dutchess Land Conservancy
Dutchess County Environmental Management Council (EMC) 