Outdoors Day 2021  Join us during the months of June and August for Outdoors Day!
Outdoors Day is a free, open-house style event held in conjunction with National Get Outdoors Day. Try a new outdoor activity or introduce your family to old favorites like hiking, archery, paddling, and fishing. Bring the whole family and spend the day on an outdoor adventure! Join us at events across the state throughout the months of June and August to celebrate Outdoors Day 2021, with many activities being held on Saturday, June 12 to celebrate National Outdoors Day. Check out photos from previous events on our Flickr album or view the event video on our YouTube channel. Kick off Outdoors Day on Facebook Live! joined by DEC Education staff, Wildlife Biologists, Forest Rangers, and Foresters to discuss many ways to enjoy recreation this summer on DEC lands and trails. Tune in on Wednesday, June 2, at 10:00 a.m. and Tuesday, June 8, at 11:00 a.m.
Love Our NY Lands  There are tens of thousands of acres of State lands to visit and thousands of miles of trails across the state for hikers of all abilities, whether you want to hike the Adirondacks or take the family and friends out for a short excursion to a scenic view in the Catskill Park.
All New Yorkers and visitors should be able to access, enjoy, and feel welcome on State lands. These lands belong to all of us, our families, and our neighbors. While enjoying these shared spaces, be respectful of other visitors. Share trails, treat people with kindness, and leave things as you found them for others to enjoy. All of us have a responsibility to protect State lands for future generations. Follow the Hiker Responsibility Code, practice Leave No Trace principles, and consider visiting trails less traveled. Use the DECinfo Locator to find a DEC-managed resource near you.  DEC staff are stationed across New York to help keep you and our natural resources safe. Visitors can expect to interact with DEC stewards or Forest Rangers at trailheads, rest areas, information stations, welcome centers, or campgrounds, as well as out on trails and at summits.
You can find formal information stations at the following locations. Stations will operate from May 28 through Oct. 11: -
Mid's Park, Lake Placid: Fridays from1 p.m. - 7 p.m. -
High Peaks Rest Area Northbound, Route 87 (right before Exit 30): Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. -
Catskills Visitor Center, Route 28, Mt Tremper: All week (except for Wednesdays) from 10 AM - 3 PM
Expansion Sites -
Glens Falls northbound rest area on Route 87 - TBD -
Once the US/Canadian border opens, a station at a southbound rest area on 87 to capture visitors coming from Canada - TBD For more information, including how to become a steward and how you can help protect New York's lands, visit DEC's website.
Volunteer with DEC's Adopt-a-Trailhead Program If you love volunteering and spending time outside, we have the perfect opportunity for you!
Recently, DEC launched a new initiative to assist with the stewardship of trailheads across the state and educate trail users before they enter the backcountry. The Adopt-a-Trailhead program gives the public an opportunity to support State-led efforts to care for State lands and educate fellow visitors on the value of responsible recreation.  Adopt-a-Trailhead volunteers will educate trail users about hiker preparedness and bolster ongoing efforts to reduce litter problems at trailheads and encourage proper disposal of human waste while in the woods. Volunteers and DEC staff will continue to encourage hikers to Hike Smart NY and follow the seven principles of Leave No Trace while hiking.
After applications are approved, groups and individuals will be assigned to a trailhead in their area. Individuals can apply if they are up for the time commitment, or they can email volunteer.stewardship@dec.ny.gov to get connected with a volunteer group in their area. For more information or to get involved with the Adopt-a-Trailhead program, visit DEC's website.
Accessible Recreation at Wildlife Management Areas  Getting outdoors and connecting with nature is a great way to help maintain our mental and physical health. Scientific studies show that time spent outside in nature significantly reduces stress and anxiety; lowers blood pressure; improves mood, energy, and sleep; and boosts the immune system. There are several Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) where people with disabilities can find accessible features. The WMAs listed below all have accessible parking areas and are within 30 miles of larger cities, listed in parenthesis:
- Braddock Bay WMA has an accessible wildlife observation and fishing platform on Salmon Creek (Rochester).
- Hamlin Marsh WMA offers an accessible hunting blind and a separate accessible observation deck with benches, overlooking Hamlin Marsh. The deck is built near a vast marsh that contains waterfowl in migratory seasons. The hunting blind is located on open water and features a 600-foot wooded access path (Syracuse).
- Spicer Creek WMA has an accessible trail and two hunting blinds/observation decks (Buffalo).
- Three Rivers WMA has an accessible duck blind (Syracuse).
- Tillman Road WMA contains approximately 300 feet of accessible boardwalk with a viewing platform. It is located at the northern end of the WMA, adjacent to the parking lot off Shisler Road (Buffalo).
- Vosburgh Swamp WMA has an accessible waterfowl hunting and wildlife viewing blind at the north end of Vosburgh Swamp. A trail and short boardwalk to this blind originates from the middle parking lot off of Four Mile Point Road (Albany).
Visit our Accessible Recreation Destinations webpage for more locations to visit.
DEC and State Parks Encourage Campers to Use Local Firewood While Enjoying the Outdoors DEC and New York State Parks are encouraging campers to use local firewood and follow State firewood regulations to help prevent the spread of invasive species. Untreated firewood--firewood that has not met the State's heat treatment standards--can contain invasive pests that kill trees. To protect New York's forests, untreated firewood should not be moved more than 50 miles from its source or origin.  Many people take campfire wood from their backyards or neighborhoods as they head out to a favorite camping spot, not realizing the wood may be hiding the eggs, larvae, spores, adults, or even seeds of invasive threats. Hitching a ride on infested or infected firewood allows these pests to spread faster and farther than they otherwise could have on their own.
The New York State firewood regulation:
- Prohibits untreated firewood from being brought into New York State from other states or countries;
- Prohibits untreated firewood grown in the state from being transported more than 50 miles from its source or origin; and
- Requires that people carry source, origin, or treatment documentation whenever transporting firewood.
The origin of the wood is where it was grown. Anyone who cuts firewood for personal use is required to fill out a Self-Issued Certificate of Origin (PDF) available on DEC's website. Producers of untreated firewood for sale must obtain wood grown within 50 miles of their business, but may then declare the business as the source of the firewood. Firewood that meets the State's heat treatment standard (160 degrees Fahrenheit core temperature for 75 minutes) needs to be labeled "New York-Approved Heat Treated/Pest Free," and can be moved without restriction. Heat-treating to this standard has been proven to kill insects and diseases that may be in firewood. Kiln-dried only means the wood was heated to dry it out, so it will burn well, but it may not have reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 75 minutes. Pressure-treated firewood should never be burned. Quarantines for individual invasive species, such as oak wilt and the Asian longhorned beetle (leaves DEC website), may further restrict the transport of firewood in specific areas. For more information on firewood and invasive insects or to see DEC's Public Service Announcement, visit DEC's website or email DEC's Forest Health team.
Nature Notes Did you Know... The Asian longhorned Beetle (ALB), is a wood boring beetle from China that was first detected in New York State in 1996. This pest bores holes into the heartwood of living hardwood trees (especially maples), weakening them and eventually killing them. ALB is currently present in parts of three states - New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio.
Upcoming Events Interested in getting back to the outdoors? Be sure to check out DEC's wide selection of outdoor activities on our events calendar. View events for the upcoming month or all the planned events available, including public hearings and meetings. For specific information about upcoming events at DEC's Environmental Education Centers, see the following links: Five Rivers Environmental Education Center Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve & Environmental Education Center Rogers Environmental Education Center Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center
Check Out Our Facebook Live Events As always, be sure to visit our Facebook page for updates and to view our Facebook Live offerings. From adventures at the fish hatcheries, nighttime hiking, and Q&As about black bears, there is always something to see and learn.
Conservationist  Spring is the perfect time to get outside. In the April/May 2021 issue of Conservationist, you can read about spring adventures, including fishing, and learn about the long-distance Finger Lakes Trail, a great hiking destination. Also, check out articles on river otters and the pumpkinseed, a popular freshwater fish. Kids will surely enjoy the latest issue of Conservationist for Kids, where they can learn about how New York's is working to protect our planet, by phasing out fossil fuels and promoting clean electric vehicles. This and more in the latest issue of Conservationist.
To order a Conservationist subscription, visit DEC's website or call 1-800-678-6399. | 
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