Things to do, places to eat, shows to see, places to stay in Madison County, NY      

Local online newspaper the Madison County Courier has a column written by self described "city slicker" Linda Haley.  This week's column highlights the great things happening at the Great Swamp Conservancy in Canastota.  Here is Linda's column as it appeared in the paper this week. 

(Lenox, NY) It started innocently enough: “Dear Linda, we’ve been told the City Slicker should come out and do a story on the Great Swamp Conservancy, when are you available?”

Uh, SWAMP? Did they write SWAMP? I don’t do swamps. Wet, dark, creepy, full of spiders? Wrong writer, I play farm, not swamp! Curiosity got the best of me: “Why do you want me at this Swamp? Why is it great anyways?”

“Because we’ve got a ton of stuff going on here, and no one knows about it! You like trying new things right? C’mon out, then tell folks so they’ll visit, too, and find out for themselves!”

Huh. OK, but NO SPIDERS, got me? I can take wet, cold, dark, snakes, critters and all the mud ya’ got, but I’m allergic to spiders! Laughing, they promised to keep me safe.

I readied my GPS for another adventure. Turns out it was RIGHT there off the Canastota exit, just past Dick & Bert’s Diner on North Main! There’s a swamp in the middle of Canastota? Who knew?

My GPS was still acquiring satellites. And yes, of COURSE I stopped at the diner – I was going to a swamp people. Can you say ‘last meal?’

Shockingly, it was bright, open, green, diverse and inviting. This is a swamp? What’s going on here? At the cheery visitor’s center I receive a hearty welcome from Mike and Rusty Patane, the visionaries behind the Great Swamp Conservancy or GSC.

There is stuff to look at and do inside and out, and I didn’t need my bug spray, boots or Benadryl! I had no idea where to start, so they gave me the grand tour.

Three hours flew by, and I hadn’t even scratched the surface!

There are so many current achievements and future plans for the swamp, it’s hard not to get excited. There is WAY too much for one column with word limits, so I’ll hit the highlights for now:

Currrent

* A visitor center inviting you to look, touch and ask questions – hello, parents and teachers!

* Scheduled speakers plus educational crafts to do as a family, no matter the weather

* 115-acre trail system for all to enjoy, mountain bikers in season and walkers year-round

* Bobwhite quail program now six years old with 1,500 babies this June alone!

* Swamp Snappers photography club – join in educating others while enjoying nature

* Revolving events calendar specific to each season exploding with dates not to be missed

Future

* An agricultural museum reflecting the contributions of the Canastota muck farmers

* Native American display of authenticated artifacts reflecting origins in Madison County

* 1840 Schoolhouse refurbished into educational complex with period schoolmarm!

* Repurposing the former farm silo into a wetlands observatory – how cool would that be?!

Aren’t you tired of the same old parks and outings with your family? Why not try something different?

Go to the GSC, walk their wide, well-marked trails, bring a cooler for the picnic area, stroll the grounds and gardens lovingly tended by Charlotte McManus, volunteer extraordinaire!

Attend a talk on dragonflies, join in on swamp creature day, learn about seashells, Walk for Recovery, attend the “Fall Migration Antique Show & Kids Konservation Days!”

Visit gscincny@centrqlny.twcbc.com, and LOOK at all the stuff coming up. If you can’t find something to catch your interest, you must be a Grinch. GSC is the only nature center in Madison County, and a hell of a resource for families to enjoy, especially now in tough economic times. What else offers so much for so little?

And guess what else? They want YOU! Your ideas, your creativity, your mental and physical skills! You got brains? They want brains! And STUFF! You got antique-y stuff from olden days? They want it! Especially with family names on it!

And time? You got time? To catalog, research, garden, plan, care for critters, contribute in some way? They’ll take that too! Be a volunteer, be a member, be a visitor, the biggest lesson to be learned at the GSC is to just “be.”

That’s something we all desperately need more of in these stressful times. The Great Swamp awaits YOU!