Tuesday, May 8 --  Happy Half Hour 7 - 7:30 General Meeting 7:30 - 9:00

Amherst Community Church

77 Washington Highway, Snyder

NOTE: Please park in rear and enter through back door.

Technology and the Outdoors

Our guest speaker will be Budd Termin, recreation studies coordinator at NCCC. Budd is a world renowned researcher and holds more than a dozen patents for testing equipment in recreational pursuits. He will be showing us some of his inventions and exploring the application of technology to enhance our skills in outdoor activities.

Make a difference in your community and state. Take action and become a part of the solution! Join the Conservation Committee the third Tuesday of the month, everyone is welcome. We will meet at Art Klein's home on Tuesday, May 15. Call 716-693-1082 for directions.
 

ADK State Wide Conservation Committee Meeting (5-5-12)

An update from the May meeting will be in the June newsletter with details on how the NY state budget will impact conservation issues in New York State.

Conservation Chair

My term as Conservation Chair will expire in August. Jay Wopperer and Art Klein have volunteered to co-chair the Conservation Committee for the next two years. Voting will take place at the annual picnic in June. We are looking to grow the committee membership and invite you to check us out at the next committee meeting in May.

Adopt-A-Highway Clean-Up

Show your support to help clean up a local community. Join us for the annual spring clean-up at Tillman. See newsletter write-up for details.

Conserve Water 

It is estimated a trillion gallons of water are wasted in the USA due water leaks inside the home. Simple fixes such as replacing worn faucet washers and checking for leaking toilets can make a big difference. Go to www.epa.gov/watersense for information on how to find and fix leaks. You will be conserving water and saving money by reducing your water bill.

Lynn Rehfield-Kenney

View from the Adirondack Chair

Outings and Events - Participate and Contribute

At the recent EMS Club Days, I had the pleasure of meeting some Chapter members who are unable to attend our monthly meetings, but volunteered their time at our club's table. I would like to thank everyone who volunteered to staff and organize that event. In addition to Club Days, the ideal way to get together with some of our members that we don't see at monthly meetings is to come out for our outings, whether as participants or leaders. Spring came early this year, and our outings are becoming more numerous as the temperature rises. Make the time this year to attend a few of our local outings or weekend trips. Here's hoping all of our Niagara Frontier Chapter members will hike, bike, pack, or paddle with us.

Allegany Border

Our Chapter's work in Allegany State Park resumed in April with a small crew beginning to clear brush on a section of the PA border that was signed last fall. We will schedule more work days and ask for your help with posting signs and cutting brush as the state surveyors continue flagging the border west toward the reservoir. Those requests are typically e-mailed 1 to 2 weeks ahead of time, so if you don't use electronic communications but want to help us, please call me or send a note to let me know your availability.

Trails

Our trails committee has been inactive for some time now and we no longer maintain the Conservation Trail, but with the interest in working on the Allegany S.P.-PA border, I'm hoping that we can form a group of volunteers who are willing to respond to requests for trail work in WNY, wherever that may be. My idea is to have an informal list of people who we can contact when the need for any type of trail work arises; sort of a response team of members with pruners, saws, hiking boots, and the desire to keep our local trails in good shape. If you'd like to help me with this, call or send me a message.

Wilderness Weekends in WNY

As most of you know, our Chapter publishes a handbook that lists many activities to do in western New York. A small committee is currently working toward updating that book, and we hope to have it revised by the end of this year. Meanwhile, we still have copies of the current edition available to buy from our librarian, Joe Rebisz, as well as from Russ Crispell at the University of Buffalo (contact info for both is in this newsletter).

Bob Van Hise
716- 628-0355

HELP!

We're asking 1 or 2 chapter members to help with refreshments and hospitality at the next four meetings, February through May. Sandy Paine has been doing it all herself this year, but will be unable to be here after the January meeting. Sandy has a source that makes many of the tasty treats that we enjoy during our "Social Half-Hour", and will provide that information to whoever decides to help us finish out the year. Please contact Sandy at sandra_cm56@yahoo.com or call 400-6917.

Volunteers may also contact me at adkpaddles.bvh@gmail.com or 628-0355. -- Bob Van Hise

Director's Report

The ADK Board of Directors meets quarterly in Lake George; here is my report from the March meeting:

Our professional trail crew's first project of the season will be to build a footbridge over Marcy Brook near the current rock hop called the "squirrel crossing". The Marcy Dam bridge washed-out as a result of Irene's damaging flood waters, and this will replace it as the main crossing of Marcy Brook in that popular camping area.

This spring will see 4 new guidebooks to replace the current series of 6. This revised series of 6"x9" ADK publications will align with the National Geographic-ADK Adirondack series of maps.

ADK's new website is scheduled to launch in June, and is expected to include member portals offering special information not available to the general public.

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY is June 2. To sponsor a trail project or underwrite other activities of the day,
call 518-668-4447 x42

ADK's annual Black Fly Affair is June 9. This year's event will be a "Hiker's Speakeasy", celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Adirondack Mtn. Club's founding in 1922 http://www.adk.org/events/Black_Fly_12.aspx

After much discussion and many amendments, the latest version of "Rules and Recommendations for Chapter Outings" (Document A-19) was approved and distributed to all Chapters. It will appear on our website soon. Meanwhile, trip leaders and other members wishing to receive the full document should send an e-mail to me. These guidelines address planning, trip size, and leadership. Also safety, trip descriptions and participant qualifications and conduct. It is asked that all trip leaders have a properly filled out and signed liability waiver before an outing begins, and write a brief trip report after each outing that can be retained with the waiver form for a minimum of 3 years. Every Outings Co-Chair and trip leader should become familiar with these rules and recommendations

As our Chapter's Director, I receive quarterly reports about the club finances, operations, conservation & advocacy issues, and other information. Any current NFC member may contact me to make an appoint to review this material.

ADK Officers for 2012 once again include President Jim Bird and VP John Gilewicz
 

Communications

In addition to our electronic newsletter, website, and weekly updates, we maintain a FACEBOOK page called "ADK-Niagara Frontier Chapter". To join, simply go to that page and request membership. Requests will be reviewed within 3 days.

We also have a Yahoo Group for biking. To join, contact Ron Dorr at 716-693-6832 or ilikeoutdoors@gmail.com and you will be sent an e-mail invitation to join. If e-mailing Ron, please give your name and ADK membership status. A less convenient way to join is by going to Yahoo Groups, search for ADK-NFC-Biking and click the "Join This Group!" button. Your membership will be approved in several days or less.