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53rd Annual Outdoor Education Field Day

• Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Outdoor Education Field Day (OEFD) – An exciting event to introduce Seneca County 6th Graders to outdoor living, experiences with nature, and the importance of conservation.

Outdoor Education Stations

Station 1 - Know-Observe-Report!

Station 2 - Jeopardy

Station 3 - Learning about Protecting your Watershed

Station 4 - Local Management Techniques to Address Soil Health

Station 5 - Animal Sign, Tracks, and Scat

Station 6 – Outdoor Recreation/Leave No Trace

Station 7 - Pollinator Parade

Station 8 - Environmental Conservation Police Officers

Station 9 - Recycling 101

Station 10 – Logging Sports

Outdoor Education Workshop Descriptions

Know – Observe – Report! How to be an Invasive Species Detective – Nadia Harvieux, Finger Lakes Institute

Students will learn about aquatic and terrestrial invasive species commonly found in the Finger Lakes region, new invasives to be on the lookout for, and how to report potential sightings.

Jeopardy – Matthew Kautz, Fingerlakes National Forest

Students will participate in wildlife/conservation focused trivia game where teams will compete to accrue points and win prizes!

Learn About Protecting Your Watershed – Alaina Robarge, Ontario County Soil & Water

Students will experience a watershed model and will learn about different pollutants and how they spread to the lake when it rains!

Local Management Techniques to Address Soil Health – Dan Tighe & Alex McGraw, Seneca County Soil & Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Seneca County Soil & Water Conservation District with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service will be demonstrating proper stabilization and soil management techniques using their large-scale rainfall simulator and commercial hydroseeder along with other interactive soil health demonstrations to students.

Animal Sign, Tracks, and Scat – Chelsea Gendreau, FLCC Muller Field Conservation

Students will participate in a hands-on demo about recognizing animal sign, including tracks and scat of New York State animals. Students will examine track and scat replicas and use identifying characteristics to determine what species they belong to. They will also learn about different aspects of animal behavior and adaptations.

Outdoor Recreation/Leave-No-Trace – Will Roberts, NYS Forest Rangers

Students will learn about outdoor recreation safety techniques along with the Leave-No-Trace Principles

Pollinator Parade – Judy Wright, Seneca County CCE Agriculture Economic Specialist

Students will learn how pollination is an important aspect of the plant world. Students will explore flowers and the different pollinators who visit them.

Environmental Conservation Police Officers – Jacob Jankowski and JT Rich

Students will get an inside look at wildlife and environmental quality crimes and the investigations that help stop the poaching and polluters.

Recycling 101 – Ave Bauder

A hand–on approach to recycling in Seneca County. The message of reduce, reuse, recycle will be reinforced in how and what to recycle.

Logging Sports – Ryan Staychock, Seneca County CCE Environmental Educator

Students will get to observe a logging sports demonstration put on by the FLCC logging sports team.

Staff

Ave Bauder – Executive Director

Rachel Williams – 4-H Youth Development Issue Leader

Paige Podgorski – 4-H Youth Development Educator

Robin Houseworth – Afterschool 4-H Educator

Ryan Staychock – Environmental/Natural Resources Educator

Judy Wright – Agriculture Economic Specialist

Moira Tidball – Nutrition Issue Leader

Candace Riegel – Nutrition Educator

Patti Paine – Home Horticulture Educator

Seneca Lake State Park

John Thorpe – Park Manager

Thank you for joining us for the 2023 Outdoor Education Field Day!

Don't Litter! Pick up and place papers, cartons, etc., in garbage cans and recyclables in blue bins.

Be Safe! Watch your step in going from station to station.

No Running! If injury occurs, report to first aid station located near the shelter.

Location

Seneca Lake State Park
1 Lake Front Drive
Geneva, NY 14456

Last updated January 24, 2024