Events

Come take a snowshoe hike with the NCTA Central New York Chapter! You will learn about the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) and its devastating effect on eastern hemlocks, and you’ll participate in an active survey of a hemlock stand in Nelson Swamp Unique Area.

The hike will be led by Steve Kinne, team leader for the Central New York HWA Hunters. This is a group of dedicated volunteers that perform surveys of hemlock stands in a multi-county region in central New York. The data they collect for the New York State Hemlock Initiative at Cornell University is vitally important for both monitoring the spread of HWA and detecting infections at earlier stages when treatment/management strategies can be of most value.

• Hiking distance: 2.5 miles
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Duration: Approximately two hours
• Meeting Time and Place: 1:00 p.m. in the parking lot at Nelson Swamp trailhead on Constine Bridge Road (a half-mile south of intersection of Ballina Road and Stone Quarry Road)

Contact hike coordinator Steve Kinne with questions at 315-882-3684.

Be sure to dress appropriately for the weather, and bring lunch and drinking water. Bring any medications you may need, such as for bee stings. Remember that the coordinators are volunteers: Please help them by staying with the group during the event. Of course, hiking involves risks; anyone participating does so at their own risk.