^{The view from Mohican Farm. (Photo courtesy of Otsego County Conservation Association)}

OCCA To Hold Meet, Greet Event

SPRINGFIELD—The Otsego County Conservation Association will host its “Mohican Meet and Mingle” on Friday, June 9 from 6-9 p.m., adjacent to the historic Ellen Biddle Shipman Garden at Mohican Farm in Springfield. OCCA Executive Director Amy Wyant, board members, and staff will be on hand to talk informally about the organization’s projects and initiatives in areas such as clean energy, environmental education, planning, conservation and more.

“We believe that coming together for a meal, meaningful conversation, and camaraderie will be a fantastic way to keep our amazing supporters informed and involved in all we do. We also want to use this time to invite new supporters and people who are interested in environmental conservation to see what OCCA is all about. We hope you will join us on the 9th,” Wyant said.

“Guests will be able to view the gardens as part of the event and the Mohican grounds and gardens should be lovely at that time in the evening,” said Shelby MacLeish, OCCA project coordinator. “As part of the ticket price of $25.00, guests will enjoy dinner, dessert and drinks. Red Shed Brewery is donating beer and we will have award winning ice tea from B Blossom Catering.” 

Along with the return of the organization’s annual gathering event comes reinstatement of the OCCA Conservationist of the Year award, which goes this year to Milford Central School teacher Kim Burkhart. The Conservationist of the Year award goes to individuals who have made an outstanding, positive impact on Otsego County’s natural resources, either through direct action or by educating citizens about conservation. The award has been given out since 1989, with a brief pause in the program due to COVID. Nominations are accepted throughout the year, and the award is presented at the annual dinner.

“The award has not been given out for the past several years and we are excited to revive the tradition in 2023,” MacLeish added.

Burkhart was nominated by Kevin Kelly and Tom Trelease of the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited specifically for her work with the “Trout in the Classroom” program.

OCCA Board Member Trish Riddell Kent said, “Kim Burkhart has built an entire curriculum around the “Trout in the Classroom” program. She is teaching the next generation environmental stewardship.”  

Burkhart joins the ranks of an impressive list of previous Conservationists of the Year: 1989, Frederick V. Mecklenburg; 1990, Ellen Luchsinger; 1991, Martha Clarvoe; 1992, Irene Mozolewski; 1993, Rufus Thayer; 1994, Giles Russell; 1995, William Gengenbach; 1996, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert; 1997, Bonnie Canning Hofmann; 1998, Otsego Lake Watershed Council; 1999, Earle Peterson; 2000, Moira Goldfarb and Thomas Gergel; 2001, John Davis; 2002, Otsego County Burn Barrel Education Committee (Mary Ashwood, Chair; Kathy Abernathy, Gayle Austin, Arthur Clarke, Martha Clarvoe, MaryLou Ganio, John May, Ferd Thering, Dick Thompson); 2003, Harry Levine; 2004, Nina Hart, Joe Hart and William Brosseau; 2005, Patricia Riddell Kent and Steven Kent; 2006, Ted Peters; 2007, Edward Lentz; 2008, Henry Kernan; 2009, Jean and Robert Miller; 2010, James Herman; 2012, Lou Allstadt and Ron Bishop; 2013, Dave Hutchison and Rich McCaffery; 2014, Canadarago Lake Improvement Association Inc.; 2015, Martha Clarvoe and Ben Guenther, 5-Star Subaru; 2016, Tom Salo; and 2017, Bob Sutherland.

See https://occainfo.org/conservationist-of-the-year-past-recipients/ for more details on past award winners.

Tickets for the Mohican Meet and Mingle are $25.00 and can be reserved through the OCCA website or by calling Project Coordinator Shelby MacLeish at (607) 547-4488. 

Founded in 1968, Otsego County Conservation Association is a private, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to promoting the appreciation and sustainable use of Otsego County’s natural resources through education, advocacy, resource management, research, planning, and practice. For more information on OCCA, or to donate, visit www.occainfo.org.