The Naturalists' Club of Broome County

10/09/2026

As many of you may have already heard through Waterman Conservation Education Center, there are a few public hearings with the Town of Union Planning Board coming up regarding developments near IBM Glen. If you have the capacity, please attend and make your voice heard.

From Chris Audette, Executive Director of the Waterman center:
"Unprecedented volumes of storm water running from the neighboring property is eroding our trail and gorge along White Pine Lane. Further development adjacent to the IBM Glen has been proposed recently - including two permits related to substation expansion near the northern portion of the preserve and a permit to enlarge the Eagle Drive Townhouse tract, practically all the way to the border of the IBM Glen to the south. Approval of all three of these permits would be detrimental to the IBM Glen! The addition of a nearly 8 acre battery storage facility adjacent to the neighboring solar farm has already been approved!

We need to make it clear that the Town of Union Planning Board needs to encourage developers to find better sites than next to a unique ecological feature for industrial and real estate development. After all, protecting open/green spaces is a goal in the Town of Union's own Comprehensive Plan, The Broome County Natural Resources Inventory, and the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council's Strategic Plan.

Please consider attending the public hearing in person or requesting special accommodation via phone or Zoom to attend the upcoming Town of Union Planning Board Public Hearing on Tuesday, October 13th at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall second floor board room, 3111 East Main St. Endwell, NY. You may contact Stephen Carson at the planning dept, to request special telephone or web conference needs to attend virtually by calling 607-786-2926 for special accommodations 24 hours in advance."

10/01/2026

Naturalists Club Apparel Store is now open! Tell your friends and family - for those who wished they purchased items last year, here's your opportunity. There are unisex, women's, tall, and youth apparel options and even some accessories available.

All items will be sold at cost to make purchases more affordable for our members and friends. Get your orders in before the store closes on Sunday, October 25!

Don't miss out - place your order online at https://wwprinting.chipply.com/naturalists2026!

09/30/2026

There is still room in tomorrow night's Seasons of Birding program! 🐦🪿🦃🦉

Part of a free series on Birding, explore the changing bird species of Broome County throughout the year, from spring and fall migration to summer nesting and winter residents. Learn why different species appear (or disappear) during each season and what to look and listen for in your own backyard and beyond.

Sign up here: https://gfjlibrary.libcal.com/event/17405039?fbclid=IwT01FWAUqUCZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHoVSW8xFIdhCE7J-02BlwKAwMvi6XQ6K8WNfLFb1AO5_FpqksaxM2kx0uwIu_aem_lwwrGf5xt16Pd1FF1RyLnA

09/23/2026

See you tonight for the first meeting of the club year! As always, meetings are free and open to all, so bring a friend!

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09/15/2026

Previews of what you could see on the Waterman Boat tours 👀

09/13/2026

Rick Bunting is back for our September meeting and the beginning of a new club year!
Join us Wednesday, September 23rd at 7pm at the Vestal Public Library for our member's meeting. As always they're free to attend, and if you can't make it to us you can join us on Zoom (link below and in the monthly Gnatcatcher).
320 Vestal Pkwy E, Vestal

THE WONDERS OF IT ALL

Our September guest speaker is Rick Bunting, always a club favorite! This is a program that explores a variety of wildlife that we find wonderful and that also makes us wonder. The camera lens has captured birds, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, plants, moths, other insects, and more in an effort to present a broad spectrum of the gifts of nature that spark our curiosity and bring us joy.

Zoom Meeting Information
Use this link to join the meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125429140?pwd=N2pjMy9mU3RBZTFSZ1JiVGpyam9mUT09
Meeting ID: 861 2542 9140 Passcode: 948386

All participants will be muted until the question and answer period of the presentation. You will be able to join the meeting beginning at 7:00pm.

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08/28/2026

Hey naturalists! We're hosting a free birding series with the Cornell Cooperative Extension-Broome County and the George F Johnson Memorial Public Library! Four programs will be held throughout September and October and all are free to attend. Registration is required. Follow the link to https://gfjlibrary.libcal.com/ and click the "Register" button to reserve your spot! You may also call the library at (607) 757-5350.

Saturday, Sept 12- Birding in the Southern Tier
Saturday, Sept 19- Binocular Tips & Bald Eagles
Thursday, Oct 1- Seasons of Birding
Friday, Oct 16- Feeder Birds/Feeding Birds

Have you wanted to take up birdwatching but don't know where to start? Learn about local birds and birdwatching tips in our new Birding Series, hosted in partnership with The Naturalists' Club of Broome County and George F. Johnson Memorial Library!

This four part series will cover resources for birding in the Southern Tier, binocular tips, a special presentation on bald eagles, seasonal birding, and bird feeding, across 4 separate talks, beginning September 12th! Attend one workshop or all four - they are free to attend!

To register, please visit gfjlibrary.libcal.org or call the library at (607) 757-5350. Pre-registration is required.

08/17/2026

Hope everyone's been having a great summer! Our monthly meetings resume in September, and we'll be having a special October meeting for our harvest dinner. Keep checking back for those topics as well as upcoming field trips and events, including a return of the Hiawatha Island river boat trips, the annual Riverbank Cleanup, and a salamander field trip!

Check out next week's burial ground field trip in Oakley Corners shared in our events section.

If there's a field trip or topic you would like to learn about, leave a comment and let us know!

07/29/2026

There are some great events coming up in August at Lackawanna State Park including an insect safari, bat count, and wildflower walk, sketch, and paint event for anyone looking for a good day trip!

Lackawanna State Park Events Calendar, powered by Concept3D Event Calendar Software

07/05/2026

Join us to celebrate National moth week for a night of mothing at Waterman Conservation Education Center !

July 18th 8-11pm
Registration is required for this free event, suggested donation of $5

Join the Waterman Center, the Naturalists' Club of Broome County, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County for a Moth Night as part of National Moth Week, from 8-11pm on Saturday, July 18th! We plan to have multiple light stations with sheets set up for once it gets dark. Different moths arrive at different times so plan to stay awhile. We hope to have stations up from 8pm until 11pm. Threat of rain or light rain can increase moth activity, but the event will be cancelled if there is a thunderstorm or very windy conditions.

Display and educational materials will be available. Come with questions and local moth expert, Colleen Wolpert, will do her best to answer them. Please register and you will receive information about what not to wear, including bug spray. PLEASE DO NOT WEAR BUG REPELLENT TO THIS EVENT. We want to attract moths, not repel or kill them.

We hope you can join us and be a part of this citizen science event!

This program is a FREE event, with a suggested $5 donation to the Waterman Center for hosting the event. Registration is REQUIRED, at watermancenter.org/events .