Celebrate Otsego County With The ‘Spring Octet Challenge’

The group that brought us The Otsego Octet Winter Challenge this past winter in an attempt to get area residents outside to enjoy our beautiful Otsego Counties parks and state land is back with another challenge that has already begun--The Otsego Spring Octet Challenge.

Seasonal challenges started in Otsego County were created through a collaboration between Otsego 2000, the Otsego Land Trust, and Otsego County Conservation Association and presented through Otsego Outdoors.

The idea is for everyone to get outside and do some different events in our beautiful Otsego County at a variety of locations throughout Otsego County. According to Otsego Outdoors, there are many different activities participants in the challenge can choose from but to complete the challenge, 8 of the activities must be done between now and June 20, 2022.

This program encourages people to explore Otsego County and discover places they've never been to and/or enjoy activities that are being offered locally. Here are the awesome events area residents can take part in that are part of the Spring Challenge:

April 20: Evening Bird Watch and Woodcock Counting Hike from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Parslow Road Conservation Area, 127 Parslow Road in Oaksville, NY
April 23: Earth Festival Drive-Thru Recycling from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Brewery Ommegang, 656 County Highway 33, Cooperstown 
April 24: Lordsland Trail Celebration: New Trail Opening and Forest Hike
from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Lordsland Preserve Doc Ahlers/Blue Trail, 227 Doc Ahlers Road, Cherry Valley
May 7:  I Love My Park Day (various sites in Otsego County) to help improve Otsego County's parks and trails. Details will be provided as parks and organizations confirm their plans.
May (tbd): Otsego Land Trust Volunteer Days at Brookwood Gardens and Fetterley Forest
May 14: Early Birds at Mohican from 7:00 am to 9:00 am at Mohican Farm, 7207 St. Hwy. 80, Cooperstown.
May 14 and 15: Susquehanna River Paddle sponsored by the Rotary District 7170 Environmental Sustainability Committee
May 21: Splash Path 5K and Fun Walk from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm, starting at Pathfinder Village, 3 Chenango Road in Edmeston.
June 6: Paddle and Pull (invasive species) at Goodyear Lake
June 11-12: Butternut Valley Alliance: On the Trail of Art at Basswood Pond State Forest, an Otsego County Conservation Association, register at occainfo.org.

Considering that the Winter Octet Challenge was a success with 175 participants, organizers are hoping that area residents embrace the Summer Octet Challenge as well. It's a great activity to do to reconnect with friends and family. Anyone who completes the challenge will get the Summer Octet patch and bragging rights of course. There is a $5 per patch fee.

Following this Spring Octet Challenge will be a Summer Octet Challenge. You can find out more about that challenge soon at otsegooutdoors.org.

Get all the information you need about the Spring Octet Challenge and participation at otsegooutdoors.org/our-challenge. For any questions, call 607-547-8881 or email outdoors@otsego2000.org.