Join Us at our Chapter Meetings!
EISENHART AUDITORIUM
ROCHESTER MUSEUM and SCIENCE CENTER
657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY
Click here for a map and directions
Our monthly meetings are open to the publicOur monthly meetings are open to the public. Non-members are cordially
invited to attend.
Our meetings are educational and entertaining. You will
hear about future activities and have the opportunity to talk to active members
(they are friendly) and ask questions about the club. The meetings are free to
all. Come check us out.
Meeting cancellations due to inclement weather will be announced here on our
website (www.gvc-adk.org), on our information line
(585-987-1717), on www.13wham.com, and on WHAM 1180 AM radio.
For more club information please call the information line at: (585)
987-1717.
Interpreter for Hearing Impaired
An interpreter for the hearing impaired will be available upon request at
this month's meeting. Please contact
membership@adk-gvc.org. The
deadline to request is one week before the Chapter Meeting. Upcoming Meetings
June 13, 2012It’s time for
Members Night ! Please join us at our Chapter Meeting at 7:30 pm,
Wednesday, June 13 at RMSC as we enjoy presentations by fellow ADK
members.
Eric Boxer will present: “Adventures in the Antiplano”
Trekking
and environmental NGO Volunteering in Peru and Bolivia. Eric volunteered
with an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) working with the Yurakaré
indigenous nation of the Bolivian Chaparé region. Eric will also tell of
his guided and unguided treks completed throughout the Andes over the
period October 2009 to January 2010.
John and Sally Atkins will present: “A photo tour of New Zealand”
Join John
and Sally for a photo tour of New Zealand, starting in the Bay of
Islands in the North Island and finishing in Milford Sound in the South
Island. Highlights include Cape Reinga, a Gannet Colony, White Island,
Abel Tasman National Park, The Coromandel Peninsula, the Pancake Rocks
at Punakaiki, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, and Fiordland.
Looking back to recent chapter meetings
April 2012LOOKING BACK TO APRIL
By Gretchen Schauss
At our April 11th Chapter Meeting, Tom Jasikoff, Refuge Manager of Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, gave an enlightened talk on Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. He started the program with a multimedia show highlighting various Wildlife Refuges with background music which he composed and sang. Wildlife refuges, unlike National Parks, are set up for the benefit of enhancing wildlife. Montezuma is an important stopover for migrating birds in the Atlantic flyway. Because of abundance of wildlife in Montezuma, the refuge attracts 150,000 visitors a year.
The majority of the work at Montezuma is to maintain, enhance and restore the wetlands. A project has identified the original wetland, and the agencies involved are now in the process of getting approval to acquire and restore the wetlands. Historically, there were vast stretches of wetlands in the area of the current refuge. When the Erie Canal was enhanced in the early 1900s, it lowered the water table 10ft. This effectively drained the wetlands.
In the 1930s Montezuma Wildlife refuge was established, and restoration began. Much of the original wetland is farmland today. When available, farms are purchased and restoration work begins. When the NYS Thruway was built, it bisected the wetland. It blocked the flow of water through the refuge causing sections of the wetlands to age faster. Invasive species must also be controlled. These are problems faced and dealt
with in the management of the wetlands.
Besides the managing of the wetlands, the refuge has been or is involved in the following activities: restoration of bald eagles to NYS, monitor and banding of bird, sponsoring researchers, and working with local universities and schools. Various agencies work together to run and sup- port the Wildlife refuge. The NYS DEC is responsible for part of the refuge. The Audubon Society has a visitors center in the northern part of the refuge. Ducks unlimited and the Nature Conservancy are also involved. Their combined effort will insure that future generations will be able to enjoy the wildlife supported by the refuge.
March 2012LOOKING BACK TO MARCH’S PROGRAM
By Bill Schweinfurth
At our March program entitled “Inspirational Stories of the Outdoors,” Leo Roth, who has covered a wide variety of sports teams and big events during his nearly 30 years with the Democrat and Chronicle, provided an entertaining program filled with unique stories of the outdoors. Leo, who took over the outdoor beat from Gary Fallesen in 2007, said he got the job because he was the only writer in the department at the time who owned a boat, a shotgun and fishing pole. Needless to say, after almost 300 “Do It” columns on Sundays in the Democrat and Chronicle, Leo had a lot of material to work with.
Just a few of the 30 short stories Leo shared with us included a man who walked around the perimeter of Lake Ontario, a woman who swam the width of all 11 Finger Lakes, a man who continued to hunt after a devastating stroke left him locked inside his body, a couple who drove cross country and wrote about the state parks they visited and the birds they photographed, a man who is a double amputee and also an accomplished sailor, a man who built his own canoe going from Cooperstown to the Gulf of Mexico and hiking the Appalachian Trail for his return trip north.
"The expertise and passion people have for the outdoors in our city truly has no boundaries,'' Leo said. He expressed his gratitude for the help and expertise he’s received from the Genesee Chapter over the years to make his column a success. “Remember, if you have an interesting, inspiring, weird or wacky story, please pass it on.” If you have an idea, contact him at lroth@democratandchronicle.com.
February 8, 2012Stewart Weaver - Fallen Giants: The History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes.
Stewart Weaver has long been fascinated by mountaineering – specifically mountaineering in the Himalaya. As a teen, living in India with his family, he lived and trekked in the shadows of those majestic peaks. After the 1996 Everest disaster which claimed the lives of veteran mountaineering guides, Rob Hall and Scott Fischer (Fischer had been one of his instructors at the NOLS Outdoor Leadership school), he wanted to understand more about the history of Himalayan exploration and mountaineering. Stewart took us back in time to help understand why conquering these peaks were so important to the British, the Germans and others. And he talked about how many of today’s adventure-seekers of average skills, but above average wealth, have aspirations of scaling those peaks as well.
Following Stewart’s presentation, we met an amazing gentleman, Samba, who left Tibet in 1993. Samba, a wood carver by trade who has carved objects for the Dalai Lama, shared his details of his extremely dangerous walk to escape from Tibet to Nepal after being imprisoned for his activity in the Free Tibet movement. December 14, 2011December 14 - 7:00 Program - Images and Music of the Adirondacks Dan Berggren, Dan Duggan, Peggy Lynn and Casey Filiaci are seasoned solo performers with more than 25 albums among them. Their combined accomplishments include national public radio airplay, regional TV specials, documentaries, movies, TV specials, two Emmy nominations, awards from the Adirondack community and even music for Disney. With traditional folk roots and original songs, they perform with unique arrangements and striking harmonies. Dan Berggren ( www.berggrenfolk.com) is an award-winning educator and musician who grew up in the Adirondacks and has been entertaining audiences for more than 35 years while producing albums with his recording company, Sleeping Giant Records. His songs come from the stories of friends and neighbors and focus on human nature, love, hard work, failure and success. Casey Filiaci ( caseyfiliaci.com/home.htm) is an accomplished composer, arranger, pianist and producer who resides in Pittsford, NY, and whose credits include HBO's Main Movie Theme, NBC Olympic Themes, multiple Silver Mic and Telly awards for his jingles, and two Emmy nominations for “Best Sports Music.” His only goal is to create music in a variety of musical genres that will deliver memorable results. Dan Duggan ( www.esperanceproductions.com/index.html), a national hammered dulcimer champion and award-winning composer, is recognized from Maine to California for his wizardry on the instrument; his Esperance Recording Studio specializes in Acoustic Music. The Erie Daily Times calls the music produced by his studio as “timeless . . . the sort which restores your soul.” Peggy Lynn ( www.quercusmusic.com/index.html), singer, songwriter and arts educator, brings an infectious enthusiasm to all her endeavors. With a sultry, yet powerful alto voice, she gives a clear message of the passion underlying her songs: the contributions and burdens of women. Her music ranges from folksy to blues with equal ease, alone or harmonizing with others. Her honors include the Arthur E. Newkirk Education award from the Adirondack Mountain Club in 2005. “ I Am the Adirondacks" is Carl Heilman II's ( www.carlheilman.com) most recent, digital, multi-image production and is an evocative, visual journey that speaks of our relationship with wilderness and our spiritual connection with the Earth as we venture into the spectacular landscapes of nature and find wonder in the details. Carl has photographed the Adirondacks for more than 30 years, working to meld his passion for wildness into his landscape and panoramic photography ( www.naturepanoramas.com). His work has been presented on regional PBS stations and has been published in many national and regional publications, including his coffee table books: The Coast of Maine (2009), Lake George (2009), Backroads of New York (2007), The Adirondacks (2006), Our New York (2006), Wild New York (2005), and Adirondacks: Views of An American Wilderness (1999). His highly acclaimed, digital, panoramic presentation, "The Wild Adirondacks," is shown daily at The Wild Center Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks in Tupper Lake. This magical evening will conclude with sales of CDs from the musicians, plus DVDs, posters, books, Adirondack puzzles and calendars from Carl.
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Holiday Social
Join ADKers for refreshments and conversation. As is always the case, ADKers will be on hand to describe the doings of our various committees as you exchange holiday greetings.
October 12, 2011October 12 – 7:30 – Program – Douglas Bassett: The Nature of LetchworthOur October Program will be presented by Douglas Bassett, Letchworth State Park Naturalist. His topic will be “The Nature of Letchworth” with a discussion of the history, geology, plants and animals of Letchworth State Park. Doug is a popular and accomplished speaker and is known for his in depth knowledge of his material and his dry sense of humor. We are so pleased that he has agreed to be our speaker at our October chapter meeting. 6:30 – Workshop – TBDNext meeting - September 14, 2011September 14 – 7:30 – Program – Tom Wemett: Trekking the Northville-Placid Trailor, How to spend your time with the beauty and the mud and the vistas and black flies while creating the newest ADK Chapter (almost single handedly)
Learn about the Adirondacks’ premier hiking/backpacking trail – the Northville-Placid Trail - from the self-proclaimed “NPTrail Fanatic” himself – Tom Wemett. Tom is formerly from Rochester and a past member of the Genesee Valley Chapter of ADK. He currently serves as the Chair of the NPTrail Chapter of ADK – the newest chapter of ADK approved in March 2011.
Tom also serves on the ADK Trails Committee and the ADK Board of Directors as well as the Webmaster for www.NPTrail.org, the website devoted specifically to the Northville-Placid Trail. In a narrated power-point presentation, Tom will be describing some of the history of the NPTrail as well as the various sections of the trail including where to stay and some of the scenic vistas and other landmarks to look out for along the trail. He will also answer your questions about the trail. 6:30 – Workshop – Margaret Reek: Preparing for Travel in the Third World
Are you thinking of traveling in the lesser developed parts of the world but not sure what it might be like or what you need to do to prepare, then come to this workshop and get some pointers. Margaret has spent most of her travel in the past five years going where you can’t drink the water either for pleasure on group tours or as a volunteer with a small foundation. Find out the similarities and differences in these kinds of trips, and how it can impact your travel preparations. Learn to pack light but still have the essentials and emergency supplies. May 11, 2011
May 11 – 7:30 – Program – Tim McDonnell: New York Waterways: Geologic Formation and How They Shaped Our History
As avid paddlers, hikers and
photographers, we treasure NY's extensive waterways for their beauty
and recreational value. Tim McDonnell previously gave us an overview
of the geologic formation of the major features of our NY landscape.
He's returning now to focus on its waterways - starting with their
formation, and giving particular attention to the role of the
Adirondack Mountains. From there, he'll show how those waterways
shaped New York's political, economic, religious, and social history;
and how strategic use of those waterways at critical junctures in our
history, (including the French and Indian War, the American
Revolutionary War, and later, the campaign to abolish slavery), were
crucial to the success of those early national struggles.
Tim could be described as a geography
activist. As co-coordinator of the New York Geographic Alliance
(NYGA), a partner with the National Geographic Society, and as a
teacher at MCC and OSHER Lifelong Institute for Learning at RIT, he
has dedicated himself to promoting
multi-disciplinary investigation of the connection
between the physical landscape and its people, history, religions and
economy, and the need for geographical literacy to meet the
challenges of today's world. He
teaches geography, geology, and astronomy at MCC in the
Chemistry/Geosciences Dept., and at OSHER, where he has also recently
taught courses in plate tectonics, evolution, and the Underground
Railroad.
Tim
has his own personal website “Geography of New York”
(http://www.nygeo.org).
His message is “Geography is not an indoor sport”; you
have to get out and explore, and he provides interactive maps and
geological guides designed to do so.
6:30 – Workshop – Steve Tryon: ADK-GVC website tour
Join webmaster Steve for a tour of the chapter website -- one of the best in the state if we do say so ourselves. Find out where he hides things and how you can how you can help un-hide them. Questions, comments and, especially, suggestions are welcome.
The biggest change in the past few months is the way we handle the various trip schedules. Come see how the new calendars work, and how you can view the schedules in your personal calendar.
April 13, 2011April 13 7:30 – Program – Neil Woodworth: Can We Protect our State Forests and the Finger Lakes Trail?
Neil Woodworth, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), will discuss the threats posed from a new state proposal to lease our DEC managed state forests in Western and Central New York to energy companies to extract natural gas using high volume hydraulic fracturing gas exploration and exploitation. He will speak at a meeting of the ADK Genesee Valley on April 13. He will discuss the potential threats to our ground and surface waters as well as the surface impacts to the state forests that are the setting of the Finger Lakes Trail and the North Country National Scenic Trail.
Woodworth, who is also a renowned environmental attorney, will also discuss ADK’s recent efforts to protect Allegany State Park and other wild areas from gas exploration using high-volume hydraulic fracturing. He will show aerial photography of hydrofracturing sites southwest of Rochester in the Allegheny National Forest. He will discuss what ADK and each of us can do to protect our public lands, state parks and state forests from this highly intensive, destructive industrial activity on lands legally set aside for watershed protection, wildlife habitat and public recreation.
Neil Woodworth, Executive Director and Counsel of the Adirondack Mountain Club works directly with the Executive Chamber and Legislature in New York, and Congress to advocate for the acquisition, preservation and wise management of the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserves, New York’s state parks and for public lands and open space throughout New York.
Mr. Woodworth has been an instrumental advocate in numerous land projects that have taken place over the last few years. In 1998, the Whitney acquisition brought New York over 14,700 acres of land that would otherwise have been developed into corporate summer homes on Little Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks. Mr. Woodworth advocated for both state and federal money for the acquisition and creation of Sterling Forest State Park, Orange County, New York. He also lobbied Governor Pataki for the preservation of Schunemunk State Park near Woodbury, NY, a new 2,400-acre state park that’s also within an hour’s drive of New York City. And every year, as part of the partnership, Mr. Woodworth lobbies extensively for increases in New York’s Environmental Protection Fund and the federal Forest Legacy appropriation, the state and federal budget funds that make such land acquisitions possible. These efforts have helped make the recent acquisitions of Tahawus/Upper Works, International Paper Lakes, Sable Highlands and Champion Rivers possible.
Mr. Woodworth, is an environmental lawyer who has served in many official capacities in conservation affairs, including service on the Congressional Northern Forest Lands Council, the Empire State Task Force for Land and Water Conservation Funding, New York Open Space Advisory committee, Governor's Task Force on Military Overflights and the Governor's Task Force on the Adirondack Park Agency.
He has worked on a variety of legal cases involving wilderness protection of the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve, public navigation rights on rivers (Moose River case) and presents ADK in a pending legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to repeal recent EPA regulation that would weaken the acid deposition prevention provisions of the Clean Air Act. The case is currently pending in the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Mr. Woodworth spent ten years as a litigation lawyer before assuming his duties with the Adirondack Mountain Club in 1989. He is a graduate of Hobart College (1975) and Albany Law School of Union University (1978). He is Martindale Hubbell Peer Review rated for Legal Ability with an AV Preeminent rating of 5.0 of a possible 5.0.
The Adirondack Mountain Club, founded in 1922, is the oldest and largest organization dedicated to the protection of New York’s Forest Preserve. ADK is a nonprofit membership organization that helps protect the Forest Preserve, state parks and other wild lands and waters through conservation and advocacy, environmental education and responsible recreation.
6:30 – Workshop – Dave and Lisa Mundie: Leave No Trace
Dave and Lisa Mundie will be presenting an ADK Leave No Trace Workshop. The Genesee Valley
Chapter sponsored the Mundie's attendance at the Leave No Trace workshop offered by the main club.
Now they will share this valuable information with us. Learn methods of being in the wild and having
no one know you were there ~ Isn't that the way you would like it after the last wild lover enjoyed that
special spot? March 9, 2011Looking Back: March Program
Have you ever wondered what to do if you run into a black bear when you are hiking on a trail? ”Do I really need that bear canister or to hang that bear bag” when on a backpack or a canoe camping trip? Or…”does it seem like we are having more sightings of black bears in our area recently”?
Ron Newell, Level III Fish and Wildlife Technician assigned to the DEC’s Black Bear Research Team in the Region 8 office, presented an informative program on the conservation efforts to deal with the growth of the black bear population in NYS over the last 20 years. Ron gave tips on ways to prevent habituation of black bears in our area. As we all know, ‘a fed bear is a dead bear’! Ron saved plenty of time at the end to answer many questions from the lively crowd of hikers, paddlers, backpackers and active outdoors enthusiasts.
February 16, 2011February 16 – 7:30 Program – Wayne Gall: The Deer Tick & Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is the most frequent tick-borne infection of humans in the
United States. During each of the last ten years approximately
4,000-5,600 cases of Lyme disease have been diagnosed in New York State
alone. Lyme disease, and the deer tick that transmits the causative
bacterium, historically have been most prevalent on Long Island and in
the Hudson Valley. However as part of a recent statewide effort, the New
York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) initiated field surveillance
for the deer tick in the western 17 counties of New York State. Wayne
Gall, Western Regional Entomologist for NYSDOH, will present the results
of surveillance conducted during Fall 2008 and 2009. These results
demonstrate not only the presence of deer ticks in a number of the
western counties, but infection rates for the Lyme disease bacterium in
those ticks that range as high as approximately 31-44%. In addition to
discussing the epidemiology of Lyme disease and the biology of the deer
tick, Wayne will relate protective measures that you can take to reduce
your risk of acquiring this tick-borne illness during your outdoor
activities.
Wayne Gall has been Western Regional Entomologist for the NYSDOH
in Buffalo since 2001. Prior to that he served on the staff of the
Buffalo Museum of Science for nearly 19 years, first as Administrator of
the Museum's Tifft Nature Preserve (1983-1987) and then as Research
Fellow and Curator of Entomology (1987-2001). Wayne earned his Ph.D. in
Zoology at the University of Toronto, M.S. in Entomology at the
University of Wisconsin at Madison, and B.A. in Biology at SUNY Buffalo.
Wayne and his wife, Susan, have three children and are long-time
members of the Niagara Frontier Chapter of ADK.
6:30 Workshop – Outdoor Cooking with Erv Tschanz
Food you eat on backpacking trips does not have to be boring! Erv Tschanz will
show us how to prepare backpacking meals that are out of the ordinary! He will
share his cooking and dehydrating techniques utilizing a variety of goods
available in a local grocery store. You will learn to make meals that are very
tasty. Come join us ~ Erv offers this workshop only about once every 3 or 4
years ~ so you won't want to miss it!! See you there!
IMPORTANT NOTE: The date of the February meeting will be February 16 rather
than the usual second Wednesday of the month due to a conflict with another
RMSC event. January 12, 2011Looking back to the January 2011 Chapter Meeting
November 2010Looking back to the November 2010 Chapter Meeting
November's program treated the audience to a splendid prelude to the
upcoming outdoor Winter hiking season. Len Pratt, ADK Winter Mountaineering
School instructor, and elected member of the school's advisory committee
started the presentation by talking about the school's history (50 years
running), program offerings, and what to expect when you sign up for winter
instruction at the ADK Mountaineering School. Len also shared some incredible
winter photos of the students and instructors climbing High Peaks, practicing
self arrest skills and enjoying the rustic and cozy ADK Loj accommodations. He
followed the presentation with a more personal, hands-on, discussion and
demonstration of gear necessary when hiking and climbing in the winter. Len's
enthusiasm, educational and organizational skills, as well as, his love of the
outdoors captivated the audience. Judging by the many questions after the
presentation, I suspect there will be many hikers on the trails this coming
winter season.
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