Central & Western NY Outdoors
 April 2005 

 ~~~ IN THIS ISSUE ~~~                                 

     Fawning Over a Loved One

     Local Photographer Heads to Africa

     Paddling With Your Pooch

     Disruption to Erie Canalway Trail 

     Go Looney for Loons

     Early Life of a Hummingbird

     Doctors Together

     Bike New York: Part II - The Champlain Bikeway

     Teen Whitewater Canadian Adventure

     Save the Seneca White Deer

     Picture of the Month

     Comments from Readers

     Presentations by Footprint Press

A lady found the fawn under her step (they think the doe might have been hit by a car) .. her Ridge Back dog is helping look after it. The family named the fawn Bella. 

Once she has regained her strength (she was not in good shape when the family found her) they are going to send her to some friends who (in the past) raised two orphan deer and released them to the wild. Right now she is being bottle fed. Their dog (Hogan) has basically taken over. The fawn even shares his bed.

       Local Photographer Heads to Africa

Reed Hoffman worked in Rochester for years for the local paper as a photographer.  In the last few years though Reed has worked independently shooting for the Discovery Channel all over the world for events like the EcoChallenge and more recently “The Contender”  

He is currently working as an instructor in the Nikon School around the country.  Next winter he will be taking over up to 8 people to shoot pictures in Africa.  He will be going on Safari, into Masii and Bushmen areas, near Kilimanjaro and  teaming up with Yusuf who was in the Rochester Area in December ’04 to visit local communities.  If you are interested in world class shots, try this site www.packpaddleski.com under "Photo Expeditions".

Our dogs are a reflection of our lives. As our stalwart companions, they share in our joys and comfort us in our sorrows. How many times have we seen those "sad doggy eyes" when we tell our furry friend that she has to stay home when we go out? Many paddlers don't experience this pain of separation, because they take their dogs along with them. The experience of taking their best friends to the water is well worth the wet dog smell in the car on the way home.

Here are a few things to consider if you want to take Fido paddling: Is there enough space in the boat? Many people with a big dog will paddle a relatively large boat, a canoe or a tandem kayak. In the canoe, a couple of rubber bath mats will give the dog a firm surface to grip. In the tandem kayak, Lassie can take the bow seat and travel in comfort. Smaller dogs have more options. In recreational kayaks with large cockpits, Spot sits right in front of the paddler. If the stern hatch has a rubber cover, dogs sometimes sit on top of it. Does Rover have a PFD (Personal Flotation Device)? Most dogs can swim, but the extra protection of a PFD is worthwhile. It also gives some warmth on cool days or in cold water.

Doggie wetsuits are available if Sparky likes to swim alongside the boat. Keep an eye on him, because dogs get hypothermia too! Keep the first few outings short. The experience of being on the water might be difficult for a high-energy dog. Ten or fifteen minutes might be all that either of you can tolerate at first. Use a consistent routine for entering and exiting the boat. This may help prevent unexpected departures when you and Penny are on the water. Reward her for good behavior and keep it fun!

Happy Paddling, 
Irene Bozogan
www.evergreen-outfitters.com

Come see the NEW Spring Stock that we are getting in every day.

P.S. Take a Paddle guidebooks offer lots of places to go paddling with your dog.

If you plan to hike or bicycle the Erie Canalway Trail this year from Lock 32 in Pittsford, west to Greece, you may encounter a blockage. 

The path will be repaved in segments between March and December, 2005. At times the trail will be closed with no designated detour routes. Maps of the canal pathway and more can be found in Take Your Bike - Family Rides in the Rochester Area

         Go Looney for Loons

You're truly blessed if you're enjoying the beautiful outdoors and you hear the call of a loon. Then, even more so if you see the loon. Visit www.adkscience.org/loons to learn all about these magnificent birds:
-about the 4 species
-track their migrations
-listen to their different vocalizations
and more...

        Early Life of a Hummingbird 

http://community-2.webtv.net/hotmail.com/verle33/HummingBirdNest/

This is truly amazing. Be sure to click on NEXT PAGE
at the bottom of each page; there are 5 pages in all. A lady found a hummingbird nest and got pictures all the way from the first egg to the last fledgling. It took 24 days from birth to flight. Because you'll probably never in your lifetime see this again, enjoy; and please share it with others.

      Doctors Together

What does a surgeon have in common with a spider? 

Answer: They both work with webs- at least these surgeons have! 

Before each surgeon gets his ‘wings’ he has to help 29 other Doctors figure out how to pass through a metaphoric, large web.  Each hole represents an obstacle to medical training or a difficulty the group will have to pass through during the coming years.  The web cannot be mastered alone.  Unlike how many had achieved their position so far, they had to rely upon others to succeed.

They come from all over the world to spend 3 years at Rochester General Hospital to train in Internal Medicine.  The intense experience started by spending a “Day in the Woods” as it has come to be called.

Up to 30 people learned to rely on each other to make it through their training.   The lessons learned become part of the culture for 3 years as the group made its way through residency.  At the “White Coat” ceremony 3 years later (a ceremony where the graduating Doctors cloak the incoming interns in their white coats) mention was made of meeting, greeting and how the stage was set for the next three years with a “Day in the Woods”.  Now with hopes and fears the new “White Coats” head out to initiate their training by gathering “In The Woods.”

This June the web awaits again to pass on its message and challenges the Doctors to come together.  Like this experience Pack, Paddle, Ski (PPS) offers a wide variety of teambuilding opportunities.  If your organization, company, or team can benefit from spending some time together in the great outdoors why not give PPS a call? www.packpaddleski.com 

      Bike New York: Part II - The Champlain Bikeway     

Peaceful country roads, picturesque villages, breathtaking scenery,

 charming B&Bs, impressive historic sites…

You can experience all of this as we bike between small cities, towns, and historic villages, nestled within the tranquil, rural setting of the Champlain Valley.  The Champlain Bikeway is a 350-mile loop around the lake that is connected to a number of smaller branch loops in and around Vermont, New York and Quebec. Branch trails of five to 60-miles meander through natural, cultural and historic areas. We'll take advantage of opportunities to make shorter loops within the "larger" loop around the Lake, through a variety of bridges and ferry crossings, giving us a chance to experience the charms of both the Vermont and New York sides of the Lake. We will stay in pleasant, cozy lodgings, including hotels, bed & breakfasts, and charming country inns.  Why not take a break this summer and join us? 

Trip begins and ends in Schenectady
Saturday, June 25th - Friday, July 1st, 2005

*For pricing info go to www.packpaddleski.com

      Teen Whitewater Canadian Adventure

 Teens, are you ready for this?

It’s sure to be a week of cool fun and awesome adventure. Thrills are in store for eight teenagers on this wilderness whitewater canoe adventure on the Dumoine River. From a floatplane start, to the splash of white waves, to the sight of spectacular waterfalls, this is one incredible journey. Take part in a pre-trip prep in May to help tackle the challenges ahead.  No prior experience is necessary as we will start with basic flat-water skills and learn to paddle and read class 2 to 3 rapids. This trip is appropriate for teens ages 13-19 with a desire to see exciting new places. Teenagers should plan to enjoy active days with lots of swimming, paddling, and camping in store.  Now, who is up for the challenge?

Pre-trip
Mendon Ponds
Saturday, May 21st, 2005, 2:00PM - 4:00PM.

Trip
Departs and returns to South Lima
Monday, July 11th 7:00 AM to about 4:00 PM Sunday, July 17th

*For pricing info go to www.packpaddleski.com

      Help Save the White Deer at Seneca Army Depot By Dennis Money

Recently Lee Brun and I gave a presentation on the impending final decision on what is going to happen to the remaining land, approximately 6500 acres, at the former Seneca Army Depot. Nearly a 100 people jammed my conference room and were aghast at the possibility of losing this wonderful open space and the world’s largest herd of white deer.

A Master Land Use Plan will be presented to the Seneca County officials in May with recommendations on what will be allowable. Anything from a landfill, power plant, biomass plant, high priced deer hunting, wind generation, and our idea, ecotouring. We need your support in the form of letters or even money (tax deductible) to help in this 11th hour campaign. Stress the fact that Senator Nozzolio has done a great job of bringing more jobs to the Depot than there were when the base was fully operational. By employing "ecotourism" even more jobs would be added along with significant tourism dollars to the local economy at the price of very little impact to the base. Also stress that the Conservation Area of the Depot, that area we are focusing on, needs to have as many of those 6500 acres as possible to support the tremendous amount of wildlife found on the base.

Addresses of key people for the disposition of the Seneca Army Depot

Governor George Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224

Senator Michael F. Nozzolio
119 Fall Street
Seneca Falls, NY 13148

Glenn Cooke
Executive Director
Seneca County Industrial Development Agency
1 DiPronio Drive
Waterloo, NY 13166-1681

Next presentation of the Seneca White Deer Team: April 18, 7 p.m. Webster, at The Knights of Columbus building. (called WEBSTER Columbus Center, located at 70 Barrett Drive in the Village of Webster) 

For more information, visit: www.senecawhitedeer.org. 

          Picture(s) of the Month

  

Photo by Scott Andrews

 

     Comments from Readers   

Thank you for a great book with useful information.

Ness Wazny 

____________________________________________

Rich & Sue:

I enjoy your newsletters I like to see what is going on east of us.
Just thought I'd let you know the kayaking with friends video in your
newsletter is a Coca Cola commercial in Japan. They took video of the
kayakers & then a video of the whale and mated them.

Yours in paddling,

Oren Barris
Paths Peaks & Paddles, Inc.
1000 Ellicott Creek Rd.
Tonawanda, NY 14150

         April & May Presentations by Footprint Press

April 26, Tuesday, 7-9 PM, $21.00

Birding for Everyone presented by Norman E. Wolf
Greece Adult Education, 1785 Latta Rd., Greece 14515
(585) 621-1000 ext. 7411

This course will have the essential information needed for birding,
including: how to attract birds, how to identify birds, nesting and habitat of birds. Plus tips on enjoying nature, butterflies, insects and photography. The instructor is Norman E. Wolfe, nature photographer and author of "Birding in Central and Western New York."

April 28, Thursday, 7-8:30 PM, $21.00

Garden-scaping for Nature presented by Norman E. Wolf
Greece Adult Education, 1785 Latta Rd., Greece 14515
(585) 621-1000 ext. 7411

Are you a gardener who would like to see an abundance of nature's
animals, or a bird-watcher, who would like to see more birds in your yard? Then this course is a must. Habitat is the biggest factor in attracting nature and birds. Learn the right way to establish or complement an existing garden that is inclusive of their needs. Understanding and knowing their requirements, plus the correct process of planting makes for a functioning garden to attract all nature's animals. At the same time you have fun creating and watching it all evolve. Believe it or not, there is a right way to do this without impacting or degrading the environment with invasive or unwanted plants. Norman E. Wolfe, author of "Birding in Central and Western New York," instructor of birding for everyone, nature photography and experienced outdoorsman will give you the "do's and don'ts" of proper landscape gardening that will work in this part of the country.

April 30, Saturday, (April 31 rain date), 9:00 - 11:00 AM, cost $25 (RIC members $20)

Nature and Photo Hike presented by Norman E. Wolf
Mendon Ponds (Devils Bathtub)
Rochester Info-Courses, 1150 University Ave, Rochester, 14607
585-256-1960 ext 201

Are you looking for a fun and learning experience with nature and
photography? Then this is the course that will put it all together. You will do this at Mendon Ponds which is one of the best areas and parks around as you hike for nature and photography.

May 5 & May 12, Thursdays, 7-8:30 PM, (2 sessions), cost $48 (RIC members $42)

Nature Photography presented by Norman E. Wolf
Rochester Info-Courses, 1150 University Ave, Rochester, 14607
585-256-1960 ext 201

Why Pay Top Dollar for Beautiful Nature Photos When You Can Take Them Yourself? There are plenty of stunning landscapes and exciting wildlife in the Rochester area, and vacation spots add even more visual splendor to our memories. You can learn how to preserve these moments in photos once you learn some of the basics of nature photography. This 2-session course has all of the essentials of nature photography using conventional and CD formats, including:
.. How cameras and other equipment work
.. How to set up and take great nature photos
.. Tips on printmaking and enlarging
.. Enjoy nature even more through photography
Bring Your Camera and Enthusiasm!

May 13, Friday, 7:30 PM

Bird Collisions talk by Norman E. Wolfe
Braddock Bay Park, Greece Lodge
Learn about the problem of bird collisions and how to avoid them from bird expert Norman Wolfe, author of “Birding in Central & Western New York.” Part of the International Migratory Bird Day festivities. http://www.eecg.org/imbd/mission_i.htm 

May 14, Saturday, 10 AM

Nature & Photo Hike by Norman E. Wolfe
Braddock Bay Park, Greece Lodge
Take a short walk and learn the secretes of nature photography from Norman Wolfe, author of “Birding in Central & Western New York.” Part of the International Migratory Bird Day festivities. http://www.eecg.org/imbd/mission_i.htm

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