Nearly 1,000 Participate in Chautauqua County Cornell Cooperative Extension’s 52nd Annual Field Day

June 6, 2018/Kelsie Raucher

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s 4-H Youth Development Program held Conservation Field Days on May 23rd and 24th at the Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center on Route 430 in Bemus Point.

4-H welcomed nearly 1,000 area fifth graders from 19 schools. Youth visited seven of 32 stations ranging from bluebirds to fly fishing, map and compass reading, and boating safety. The weather was perfect both days of the event and youth and instructors alike enjoyed being outside along the shores of Chautauqua Lake.

Conservation Field Days was created by 4-H agent Jim Gould in 1966 to get youth learning out of the classroom. The program was first held at the Sack Farm in the town of Ellery and in 1990 moved to Long-Point State Park. CFD has been held at the Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center since 2010.

The heart of the program are the instructors who put together interactive and engaging activities for youth. Many instructors look forward to the event each year and can’t wait to come back. Instructors for the event included representatives from 4-H, Allegany State Park, Alpacaville, the “Bluebird Lady,” Chautauqua Lake Association, Chautauqua County Beekeepers Association, Chautauqua County Health Department, Chautauqua County Master Gardeners, Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, Chautauqua County Soil & Water Conservation, Chautauqua Rails to Trails, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Eat Smart NY, Farm Credit East, Grape Discovery Center/Concord Grape Belt Heritage Association, Greystone Nature Preserve, Jamestown Audubon Center, Kids on the Fly, Mike Jabot from SUNY Fredonia, National Turkey Federation, New York State Department of Health, NYS DEC Forest Rangers, NYS Department of Public Service, Pioneer Forestry LLC, Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, SAREP Fly Fishing, and USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station.
Conservation Field Days 2019 is scheduled for May 22-23.

6.4.18 CFD 1
Forest Ranger Nathan Sprague demonstrates how to safely start a fire at the 52nd Annual Conservation Field Days held May 23-24 at the Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center.

Kelsie Raucher

Kelsie is from southwest Missouri and grew up on a 150-acre farm helping her family buy and sell horses and cattle. She credits FFA for finding her passion for agriculture and food issues and desiring a career as an “agvocate.” Since coming to Cornell, she has gained interest in local production, global food issues, and environmental impacts of and on agriculture. She joined the Cornell Small Farms Program in May of 2018 and is excited to gain experience to complement coursework in the Agricultural Sciences major and Communication major.
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