The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 6 is seeking volunteers for the 11th annual ‘I Love My Park Day’ event on Saturday, May 7, 2022. I Love My Park Day is a statewide event sponsored by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the nonprofit organization Parks & Trails New York to enhance parks, historic sites, and public lands by raising awareness and visibility of the State’s outdoor recreation assets. Registration is now open and New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for cleanup events planned statewide. This year, DEC Region 6 is hosting four opportunities for the public to volunteer:

St. Lawrence County

Conifer-Emporium Conservation Easement and Cranberry Lake Wild Forest: Lost Pond Trail

What: Cleanup and trail maintenance including blow down removal, side cutting, cleaning of water bars, turnpiking, and trash removal.

Cranberry Lake Complex - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Who: All ages

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What to bring: Work gloves, water, lunch, appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear, hand tools such as shovels, loppers, pruning shears, etc.

Meeting location: Participants should meet at the Lost Pond trailhead parking area, off from the Columbian Road, in the hamlet of Cranberry Lake. This large parking area is also known as the upper parking area for users of the Cranberry Lake boat launch and provides spill-over and long-term parking.

Directions: From NYS Route 3 in Cranberry Lake, take the South Columbian Road for 0.3-mile to the parking area on the right. 

Cranberry Lake Campground

What: Planting trees, leaf raking, campsite cleanup, and/or infrastructure improvement events.

 Cranberry Lake Campground & Day Use Area - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Who: All ages

Time: 9 a.m. to noon

What to bring: Rakes, shovels, and work gloves

Meeting location: Participants should meet at the campground entrance booth.

Directions: From the West: I-81 take Exit 45 (Route 3) at Watertown. Take Route 3 to Cranberry Lake Village. Turn right on Lone Pine Road, campground is one mile south. From the North: Take Route 56 south from Potsdam. At intersection with Route 3 turn right (west) and follow Route 3 to Cranberry Lake Village. Turn left onto Lone Pine Road, campground is one mile south. From the South: From I-90 (NYS Thruway) west take Exit 27 at Amsterdam to Route 30 north. Take Route 30 north to Tupper Lake Village, turn left onto Route 3 west. Take Route 3 to Cranberry Lake Village, turn left on Lone Pine Road, campground is one mile south.

Upper Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area (WMA)

What:  Hand pulling weeds from sandy turtle nesting habitat.

Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Who: 13+

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What to bring: Gloves. There will be some shovels, trowels, and rakes provided, however if you have your own, please bring them. Volunteers will be pulling weeds and setting up and turning on electric fences. This is event is fun for all and extremely beneficial in helping the region’s threatened turtle populations nest successfully.

Meeting location: Upper and Lower Lakes WMA shop on SH68 across from the Grasse River Boat Launch access. Meeting at Upper and Lower Lakes WMA Shop parking lot and heading to Jones Rd (gated road just south of shop on west side of SH68) to start weeding. There will be a post with pink flagging on the entrance to Jones Road for latecomers.

Directions: From Canton: located on left hand side of State Highway 68, 2.5 miles from SUNY Canton entrance (next road past Irish Settlement Rd on the left).  From Ogdensburg: Located on right hand side of State Highway 68, 12 miles east of the city of Ogdensburg (next road after Tully Road on the right).

Herkimer County

Nicks Lake Campground

What: Cleanup and infrastructure improvement events

Nicks Lake Campground - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Who: All ages

Time: 9 a.m. to noon

What to bring: Close-toed shoes and work gloves

Meeting location: Participants should mee at the Nicks Lake Campground garage across from the entrance booth.

Directions: From NYS Thruway, Exit 31 at Utica, Route 12 North to Alder Creek, Rte. 28 to Old Forge. Turn right at the Post Office and follow the Nicks Lake Campground signs 1.5 miles to the campground entrance, From Watertown take Rte. 12 South to Alder Creek, follow above directions, From Blue Mountain Lake take Rte. 28 to Old Forge, turn left at the Post Office and follow the Nicks Lake Campground signs.

Volunteers should sign up ahead of time at Parks & Trails New York :: I Love My Park Day (ptny.org). Volunteers should dress for the weather and wear proper footwear/work boots, and long pants. Sunscreen and insect repellant are recommended. A bagged lunch and/or snacks and water are appropriate. Please email information.R6@dec.ny.gov for more information if needed.