The temperatures are dropping, the trees are putting on their annual color show, and Halloween is less than two weeks away. October is on full display, both in nature and in people’s homes. While I have never been someone who pulls out all of the stops for Halloween, I do make the time to ...

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy’s mission is sharply focused on protecting areas that have the highest ecological, hydrological, and scenic value in our region, as well as improving those values in areas that have been compromised by prior land uses. Recently we developed a Geographic ...

Human beings are deeply connected to the natural world around us. Whether we’re pet owners, gardeners, or farmers, this bond with nature is something we instinctively seek. Those who keep a connection to the natural world either physically, emotionally, or even spiritually understand that ...

We’ve come to that time of year when we must decide how to manage the leaves that are falling on our yards and grounds. We humans are the guests in our forest environment. The trees and wildlife preceded our disturbance and occupancy. Over time, we’ve learned that leaves provide valuable ...

Unstructured outdoor play, once a defining feature of childhood, has significantly diminished over recent decades due to societal changes of debatable degrees of logic. This decline has serious implications for our kid’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development, and as with so many ...

Here at Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, we protect the land that protects the water. Even though we are nestled on Chautauqua Lake, as a land trust, the lake is not our number one focus. There are so many ponds, creeks, streams, rivers, and even the headwaters of the Mississippi River in our ...