News from the Noteworthy from Otsego County Conservation Association

Building Community through Membership

Over the past year, the Otsego County Conservation Association relaunched its membership program, and we are thrilled to now have more than 50 members standing with us. Each one represents the heartbeat of what OCCA is all about: community, connection and caring enough to act.

In recent years, we have focused deeply on building community by connecting people to place-based learning, to their local environment and to one another. Our hope is simple: that people will rediscover a love for the place they live and, in doing so, commit to protecting it.

Membership is the next step in that journey. It is not just about getting outside or talking about sustainability; it is about standing up to be counted as someone who goes the extra mile. It says, “I am OCCA. We are OCCA.”

We are incredibly proud of how far the program has come, and we know there is still much more ahead. There are so many people in our region who care deeply about conservation and are ready to be part of this growing movement.

To bring even more value to our members, OCCA is launching a Reciprocal Membership Program.

Here is how it works: Every OCCA member will now receive a membership card. Show it at participating local businesses to enjoy discounts, freebies or other special perks as a thank-you for supporting local sustainability. We are just getting started, and we are eager to welcome more local partners who share our values—businesses committed to environmental conservation, sustainability, and keeping it local.

We are looking to connect with businesses that care about our community, those who value sustainability, source locally, support local artists and makers, recycle and upcycle, or simply believe that shopping small makes a big difference.

And because we always try to think ahead,

we are exploring ways to connect our members with a larger regional network. The goal is to make your OCCA membership part of a broader web of reciprocal benefits with other conservation organizations across the country. More on that soon.

If you are a local business that embraces the “shop local, shop small” mindset, if you care about local food, sustainable practices, and community resilience, we would love to have you involved. Joining the program is free; all we ask is that you offer a small benefit or special recognition for OCCA members.

We are excited to bring this new initiative to life and will be sharing our first list of participating businesses and their member perks soon.

To become a member, visit www.occainfo.org/store. If you are a business interested in participating, reach out to shelbym@occainfo.org. Current participating businesses are: Cooperstown Coworks, Golden Swan Trading, Origins Café, Rigby Handcraft, Sybil’s Yarn Shop, The Local Bird, with more on the way.

Hope to see you out in nature soon!

Amy Wyant is the executive director of the Otsego County Conservation Association.