The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
WINTERTIME FUN AND GAMES
“Events like this are important for the community. It brings people together to teach them about nature and the environment. We’ve only got a few nature centers in the area and this is the only one in Madison County.” — Brianne Wilcox, conservation educator
CANASTOTA, N.Y. >> People of all ages flocked to the Great Swamp Conservancy’s Winter Hibernation Festival and bonded over nature and its bounties.
GSC President Mike Patane and GSC Assistant Director Rusty Patane both said the Great Swamp has been doing well and were happy with the turnout, despite the sheer ice that built up the night before. Rusty said it didn’t seem likely they would be able to go on any cross-country skiing trips, but there was still plenty to do.
Outside, volunteers set up fires for children to warm up and roast marshmallows, while others went sledding or played with bubbles. In- side, games and crafts were on display with children able to learn a little while having fun in the process.
At one of the tables was Gerry Davies, the town of Fenner historian and his collection of homemade log cabins. Davies said he’s been coming to the Great Swamp Conservancy twice a year for the last six years.
“The people and the organization keep me coming back,” Davies said. “It’s one of a kind for the whole county. I used to go to Chenango County for the same kind of event at the Roger’s Conservation Center. I went there for five years.”
Davies builds the cabins out of dried cattails and pins, hammering it all together right there in front of interested children.
“I don’t sell them,” Davies
said. “I give them away to kids. I ask If they like it and if they do, it’s there’s. It’s the cheapest hobby you can find. The only cost is the pins and Walmart sells them for $2.50 and you can make six cabins. I defy you to find a hobby that’s cheaper.”
Davies said the only thing that takes time is drying the cattails. It takes three years for the cattails to dry completely, but Davies had bundles, some of them as old as 12 years.
“This hobby was given to me by my grandfather,” Davies said. “I love doing it and I just love giving the cabins away to kids. I remember this group of Amish kids who saw these. One little boy looked at it, picked it up and I asked him if he liked it. He said “Oh yes, can I have it?” I gave it to him. He went away and came back with his three brothers.”
E.A. McAllister Elementary School student Arianna Naegele, 6, was one of several children visiting. She enjoyed the reindeer games and seeing the animals from the Out of the Cage Wildlife Rescue.
Arianna’s favorite was the crested gecko because of just how good it was at climbing up her sleeve. She was hoping to have Out of the Cage visit her school and show the animals to her fellow students.
It was her first time working behind the scenes at the festival, but new Conservation Educator Brianne Wilcox was happy and eager to teach children about nature in winter.
“I was an intern here two years ago and used to come here when I was a little girl,” Wilcox said. “I’ve been the conservation educator for little over amonth and now it feels like it all’s come full circle.”
Wilcox majored in environmental science and said she’s always loved nature and the Great Swamp’s mission to educate the local community. Wilcox said she’s in the process of creating a program for pre-school students at the Great Swamp, to teach them about the importance of nature.
“Events like this are important for the community,” Wilcox said. “It brings people together to teach them about nature and the environment. We’ve only got a few nature centers in the area and this is the only one in Madison County.”
The Great Swamp Conservancy is a not-for-profit, so it can be difficult to budget everything they need, Mike Patane said. To help raise funds, the Great Swamp has been organizing a drive to collect worn, used and new shoes to help fund their mission.
“We’re collecting shoes for our environmental program,” Wilcox said. “We’re trying to get 2,500 shoes and we have maybe around 700 now.”
Funds2Orgs will pay the GSC based on the total weight of all the shoes the organization collects. All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs partners. Donating the shoes also keeps themout of landfills, where an estimated 600 million pairs of shoes end up in America, many of which are still wearable.
“We’re looking to get 2,500 shoes, which will get us $1,000,” Rusty said. “We started on Jan. 14 and we’ve got until March 14. If anybody wants to help, they can stop by the Great Swamp or any number of libraries. Oneida, Canastota, Fayetteville, Bridgeport and Sherrill libraries have been very generous helping us, along with the local YMCAs in Oneida and Fayetteville.”
Those looking to make a donation to the Great Swamp Conservancy or for more information can visit www.greatswampconservancy.org/, call 315-6972950 or email greatswampconservancy@gmail.com.
Formore information on Funds2Orgs, visit https:// funds2orgs.com.