Chautauqua County Community Source 5/26/23

Audubon Nature Photo Contest is Opportunity for Youth to Shine

COMPOSTING IS NATURE’S WAY OF RECYCLING

-BY SHANNON RINOW, MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM COORDINATOR

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (May 16, 2023)

-- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Master Gardeners are celebrating — “National Learn About Composting Day”, on May 29th!

It is important to determine the right type of bin or compost system for your household. Steve goes on to explain that [the] “…scale of the composting method chosen by an individual will be first tied to their property size and location. City dwellers or those in suburban or rural areas will select a method best suited to their locale…”

To learn more about composting on a small scale please visit https:// chautauqua.cce.cornell. edu/gardening/compostresources

With a total of $1,600 in prize money, Youth and Adults have their own categories in the Audubon Community Nature Center 2023 Nature Photography Contest. Pictured is the 2022 Youth Fauna (animals) winner, “Spring Peeper” by Benjamin Genter of Columbus, Indiana. It can also be seen in two places on the 2023 contest website, GoGoPhotoContest.com/ACNCPhotoContest2023.

Jamestown, N.Y. – Youth ages 8 to 18 can win the same prize money as adults who enter the Audubon Community Nature Center 2023 Nature Photography Contest. In fact, since more adults usually enter, odds may be even better for youth.

A panel of judges will choose the Youth and Adult winners in the categories of Animals, Plants and Landscapes. All winners receive a $200 cash prize and will have their photographs printed and exhibited in the Nature Center. Three honorable mentions will also be named in each category.

Two additional $200 cash prizes are awarded for the Adult

and Youth photos receiving the most Community Choice votes online. A photo could receive both the Community Choice and a judged award.

All winning and honorable mention photographs will be displayed on the contest website and announced in a widely distributed news release.

Full details of the 2023 competition are at GoGoPhotoContest.com/ ACNCPhotoContest2023, where you can enter photos and see all the 2022 contest winners and honorable mentions.

The sooner photographs are submitted, the longer the public can vote for them for the

Community Choice awards. Photographers are reminded to encourage friends and family to vote for their entries, using the social media buttons on the contest website.

Deadline for submissions is Sunday, July 2, 2023.

Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature by providing positive outdoor experiences, opportunities to learn about and understand the natural world, and knowledge to act in environmentally responsible ways. To learn more, visit AudubonCNC.org.

Recycling plastics is almost automatic for people (hopefully!), but what about the recycling of organic materials? There are SO many good reasons to compost! By making compost, you can save money by making rich, organic soil fertilizer, reduce erosion, conserve, and replenish groundwater, plus much more! Organic material otherwise sent to a landfill creates methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to the negative impacts of our environment.

Master Gardener, Steve Rees shares in his recent article; “The Joy of Composting” https:// chautauqua.cce.cornell. edu/gardening/compostresources “…Returning organic matter to the soil is increasingly important as the earth’s population grows and generates more and more wastes of all types, much of which can be reused to the benefit of all species. For one example, the need for landfill space to accommodate waste stream materials could be reduced by as much as one-third if organic matter is diverted and recycled (composted)…”

Vermicomposting is another method for composting, using red wiggler worms (E. foetida) to decompose plant waste into castings.

The ingredients for compost are simple and FREE! There must be a proper balance, of 2-3 part “Browns” and 1 part “Green” materials.

-Carbon-rich materials (“browns”) Can include dry leaves, cardboard, and twigs. The carbon-rich materials provide food for the microorganisms to consume and digest.

-Nitrogen-rich materials (“greens”) Can include grass clippings and food scraps. The nitrogen-rich materials heat up the pile to create ideal conditions for the material to breakdown.

-Water (moisture).

-Air (oxygen).

Steve Rees continues “…The decomposition process relies on the microbiological activity of numerous organisms. Imagine a complex food web or pyramid consisting of organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen waste…”

The Master Gardener Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/ chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Photo Submitted

Friends of the AndersonLee Library to hold annual bake sale

The Friends of Anderson-Lee Library in Silver Creek are pleased to announce that their annual bake sale will be held on Friday, June 2nd There will be 2 locations. Stop at the Library on Main Street in Silver Creek or at Add Lumber True Value in Irving. The sale will be held from 9:30 am until sold out. All proceeds from the sale are used to enhance library materials. For more information about the Friends group or the bake sale, please call the library at 934-3468.

Forestville Community Yard Sales

Forestville Community Yard Sales will be held on June 10th from 9am – 3pm. Residents may sign up to have a sale at Cave’s

care, You have so much to consider for the future! Come to our FREE Elder Care Workshop

NOW is the time to learn how to take control & help protect your assets from: Jamestown Hampton Inn & Suites 4 West Oak Hill Road, Jamestown, NY 14701

Pentecost Sunday Healing Mass; St Dominic Church, 15 Union Street, Westfield, NY. May 28th 3:00P.M. Rev. David Tourville – Celebrant. Everyone Welcome. For More Information Call Church Office at 716-326-2816 • Healing Mass Holy Trinity Church; 1032 Central Avenue, Dunkirk, NY. May 31st, Wednesday 7:00 P.M. Rev. Richard DiGiulio –Celebrant. Everyone Welcome. For more information call Church Office at 716-366-2306 Call: 716-938-9133 for reservations

June 2023 Computer Classes at the Dunkirk Public Library

Help families of fallen and active service members this Memorial Day

Memorial Day is the day when Americans remember and honor military personnel who lost their lives while serving their country. Though its unofficial designation as the start of summer makes Memorial Day weekend a time of celebration for many people, the families of fallen and active service members often find Memorial Day weekend has its fair share of heartache as well.

Families of fallen service members who lost their lives defending their country tend to find solace in ceremonies

honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice. But there are other ways civilian men and women can honor both active and fallen service members in their communities.

• Participate in community events that honor fallen service members. Many communities host Memorial Day parades to honor fallen soldiers.

It can be comforting to the families of fallen soldiers to see fellow members of their community attend the parade and public memorials. Such civilian support lets family members of fallen soldiers

know that fellow members of their community appreciate and do not forget the sacrifices made by their loved ones.

• Include families of fallen and active service members in your weekend activities. Memorial Day weekend is a three-day weekend at the end of May, when the weather is warming up in much of the country. The weekend marks the return of backyard barbecues or pool parties, and such events are a great opportunity for civilians to invite the families of fallen service members over to share some fun

in the sun. Memorial Day can be an especially difficult time for the loved ones of fallen service members, and even the few hours of relief that a barbecue, pool party or picnic can provide can make a welcome respite from an otherwise difficult weekend.

• Make a charitable donation. Numerous charities exist to support soldiers and their families. Such charities exist to support the families of fallen soldiers, injured soldiers or even those families struggling while a family member is on active deployment. Men and

women who want to help can do so by making a charitable donation. And such donations do not have to be financial.

The Hero MilesSM program, for example, allows men and women to donate their frequent flyer miles to wounded, injured or ill service members or their families.

This allows service members who meet certain criteria to be given a round-trip airline ticket from a medical center to their home or to attend an authorized event. In addition, service members can give a round-trip ticket to enable family members or close friends to visit them while they are receiving medical treatment. Since its inception, the program, which is administered by the nonprofit Fisher House Foundation, has provided more than 36,000 airline tickets worth more than $55 million. To learn more, visit www.fisherhouse. org. Numerous other charities exist to help service members and their families in a variety of ways.

• Organize events in your community. Every community benefits from the efforts of

active service members and the efforts of those service members who gave their lives in service of their country. Men and women who want to express their gratitude for such service can organize events to do just that. Speak to local merchants and encourage them to offer discounts to military members and their families throughout Memorial Day weekend. Or organize an ice cream social for the children of active or fallen service members. Such events can be uplifting for the families of service members while raising community awareness of the important role our soldiers play.