News from the Noteworthy from the Otsego County Conservation Association

OCCA Leads the Way in Local Conservation

Since its founding in 1968, the Otsego County Conservation Association has been a regional leader in grassroots environmental action. What began as a local effort to protect trees has grown into a dynamic nonprofit addressing a wide range of conservation challenges—from invasive species and habitat loss to climate resilience and public education.

One of the most engaging ways OCCA connects with the community is through its Community Science programs. These hands-on, volunteer-powered initiatives invite residents to help monitor and restore local ecosystems. Volunteers team up with OCCA staff to assess stream health, evaluate culverts for aquatic habitat connectivity, track shoreline algae blooms, remove invasive species, and more.

Whether testing water quality in the Butternut Creek watershed, paddling lakes to remove aquatic invasives, or surveying eastern hemlock trees for signs of the destructive hemlock woolly adelgid, participants gather real data that supports science-based solutions. Open to people of all ages and experience levels, these projects include training and help foster a deeper connection to the natural world.

“Involving people directly in the science of conservation doesn’t just protect the environment,” said OCCA Executive Director Amy Wyant. “It empowers communities, builds trust and shows people that their actions truly matter.”

This inclusive, action-oriented philosophy also drives OCCA’s “Community Connections” program. More than a calendar of events, Community Connections is a growing initiative designed to strengthen people’s relationships with nature—and with each other. Since its launch in fall 2023, the series has included a wide variety of offerings, such as a popular run of seasonal mushroom walks, all aimed at building community through shared environmental learning and hands-on experience.

Education has always been at the core of OCCA’s work. With Community Connections, education becomes more interactive and personal, designed to spark lifelong stewardship and a stronger, more connected community, one step at a time.

Each year, OCCA honors individuals who exemplify environmental stewardship and community involvement with its Conservationist of the Year award. This year’s recipients, Matt Albright and Holly Waterfield, have dedicated their careers to the protection and preservation of Otsego Lake and the upper Susquehanna River watershed through their long-standing work at SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station. Their efforts represent the best of what a collaborative, community-based approach to conservation can achieve. Over the decades, Albright and Waterfield have gone far beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, working tirelessly to advance environmental education and scientific literacy across all ages and backgrounds.

They have played integral roles in shaping and running the field station’s summer internship programs for high-school and college students, mentoring young scientists and providing them with hands-on experience in field research and water quality monitoring. Their outreach also extends to pre-college field trip groups, local schools, and community members, all of whom benefit from their approachable teaching style and deep knowledge of local ecosystems.
Albright, who has served at the station for more than 35 years, has led applied research on stormwater runoff, nutrient cycling and invasive species, providing vital data that informs local water management.

Waterfield, a staff member since 2007, has led critical studies on septic systems, fisheries and harmful algal blooms. After the major HAB event in 2022, she spearheaded toxin monitoring efforts and successfully guided the lab’s certification through New York State’s Environmental Laboratory Approval Program.

For the first time, OCCA is also recognizing a Junior Conservationist of the Year. This year’s honoree, Elias MacLeish, a senior at Cooperstown Central School, has revitalized the school’s LaCava Nature Center, rebuilt trails, volunteered at Earth Festival events, and led nature walks with OCCA. He plans to study geology after graduation.

From schoolyards to state forests, OCCA is building a conservation movement as diverse and dynamic as the ecosystems it protects. With volunteers at its core and science as its compass, the future of environmental stewardship in Otsego County looks bright.

You can hear from OCCA’s Conservationists of the Year and cheer them on at the Annual Dinner, taking place on Sunday, August 24 at 5 p.m. Tickets are available at www.occainfo.org or by calling (607) 547-4488.

To learn more, volunteer, or support OCCA’s work, visit www.occainfo.org.

Shelby MacLeish is the assistant director for the Otsego County Conservation Association.