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Nature

2023: A Year Of Change And Action

As we close out one year and look forward to another, let’s look back at 2023 and the accomplishments of the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy. In 2023, we learned from days of suffering from wildfire smoke that we here in western New York can’t hide from the deleterious impacts of climate ...

Going Off-Trail In The Winter

The bare branches and dormant plants of winter may seem like a one-note experience with just a cursory glance, but they also provide a window into an otherwise hidden world if you take time to look in the trees and search between the brambles and dead grasses. Look up into the tree branches ...

Impacts Of Road Salt

As we approach the cold, beautiful winter here in Western New York, I was taken aback as a transplant to the area to find out that salt was still being used on our roads, especially since there is such an abundance of freshwater lakes, streams, and tributaries that play a crucial role in our ...

Ripples In The Water

I have always been fascinated by ripples in the water. As a child, I loved to throw pebbles in puddles and ponds and watch the patterns created by the ripples as they overlapped. The surface became an ever-changing kaleidoscope of shapes as the ripples bounced off the edges of the puddle and ...

A Watershed Approach To Landscaping

As we find ourselves bundling up, heading outside, and putting our lawns and backyards to bed for the winter, it may be difficult to think about how our basic yard care and landscaping habits can affect our environment, let alone our planet. We know that our individual yards and landscapes play ...

Watching The Water Come Alive

Expect to see some increased activity in the downtown Jamestown area over the next several weeks as the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, together with the Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District, will be addressing severe bank erosion issues in the Chadakoin River basin and ...