Local online newspaper the Madison County Courier has a column written by self described "city slicker" Linda Haley.  This week's column highlights the great things happening at the Great Swamp Conservancy in Canastota.  Here is Linda's column as it appeared in the paper this week. 

(Lenox, NY) It started innocently enough: “Dear Linda, we’ve been told the City Slicker should come out and do a story on the Great Swamp Conservancy, when are you available?”

Uh, SWAMP? Did they write SWAMP? I don’t do swamps. Wet, dark, creepy, full of spiders? Wrong writer, I play farm, not swamp! Curiosity got the best of me: “Why do you want me at this Swamp? Why is it great anyways?”

“Because we’ve got a ton of stuff going on here, and no one knows about it! You like trying new things right? C’mon out, then tell folks so they’ll visit, too, and find out for themselves!”

Huh. OK, but NO SPIDERS, got me? I can take wet, cold, dark, snakes, critters and all the mud ya’ got, but I’m allergic to spiders! Laughing, they promised to keep me safe.

I readied my GPS for another adventure. Turns out it was RIGHT there off the Canastota exit, just past Dick & Bert’s Diner on North Main! There’s a swamp in the middle of Canastota? Who knew?

My GPS was still acquiring satellites. And yes, of COURSE I stopped at the diner – I was going to a swamp people. Can you say ‘last meal?’

Shockingly, it was bright, open, green, diverse and inviting. This is a swamp? What’s going on here? At the cheery visitor’s center I receive a hearty welcome from Mike and Rusty Patane, the visionaries behind the Great Swamp Conservancy or GSC.

There is stuff to look at and do inside and out, and I didn’t need my bug spray, boots or Benadryl! I had no idea where to start, so they gave me the grand tour.

Three hours flew by, and I hadn’t even scratched the surface!

There are so many current achievements and future plans for the swamp, it’s hard not to get excited. There is WAY too much for one column with word limits, so I’ll hit the highlights for now:

Currrent

* A visitor center inviting you to look, touch and ask questions – hello, parents and teachers!

* Scheduled speakers plus educational crafts to do as a family, no matter the weather

* 115-acre trail system for all to enjoy, mountain bikers in season and walkers year-round

* Bobwhite quail program now six years old with 1,500 babies this June alone!

* Swamp Snappers photography club – join in educating others while enjoying nature

* Revolving events calendar specific to each season exploding with dates not to be missed

Future

* An agricultural museum reflecting the contributions of the Canastota muck farmers

* Native American display of authenticated artifacts reflecting origins in Madison County

* 1840 Schoolhouse refurbished into educational complex with period schoolmarm!

* Repurposing the former farm silo into a wetlands observatory – how cool would that be?!

Aren’t you tired of the same old parks and outings with your family? Why not try something different?

Go to the GSC, walk their wide, well-marked trails, bring a cooler for the picnic area, stroll the grounds and gardens lovingly tended by Charlotte McManus, volunteer extraordinaire!

Attend a talk on dragonflies, join in on swamp creature day, learn about seashells, Walk for Recovery, attend the “Fall Migration Antique Show & Kids Konservation Days!”

Visit gscincny@centrqlny.twcbc.com, and LOOK at all the stuff coming up. If you can’t find something to catch your interest, you must be a Grinch. GSC is the only nature center in Madison County, and a hell of a resource for families to enjoy, especially now in tough economic times. What else offers so much for so little?

And guess what else? They want YOU! Your ideas, your creativity, your mental and physical skills! You got brains? They want brains! And STUFF! You got antique-y stuff from olden days? They want it! Especially with family names on it!

And time? You got time? To catalog, research, garden, plan, care for critters, contribute in some way? They’ll take that too! Be a volunteer, be a member, be a visitor, the biggest lesson to be learned at the GSC is to just “be.”

That’s something we all desperately need more of in these stressful times. The Great Swamp awaits YOU!

Are you looking for a fun filled activity to do with your family on the weekend of Sept. 11 & 12? If so, then come to one of the longest running Craft Shows in the region at the Madison County Historical Society in Oneida.
There will be free face painting by Sue Flint of Oneida on Saturday from 1- 3pm. Sue is a former second grade teacher who taught at North Broad Street Elementary for 34 years. Sue is very active in the community lending her hand to many of the Oneida High School musicals as their Art Director. Sue painted a mural for the historical society in the DeBarber Tobacconist and Confectionary exhibit located inside the carriage barn.
The kid-friendly event continues with craft activities for children on Sunday from 1-3 pm. Elaine Clark from the Oneida Library will be making sun catchers and sand art with every child who stops by her booth.
In its 46th year the weekend event continues the tradition of having over 100-juried crafters on site. Whether you browse, buy, or a little of both, there is truly something for everyone. The range of crafters offering their wares is as wide as ever with potters, furniture makers, clock makers, watercolorists, knitters, quilters, jewelers, folk artists, blacksmiths, soap makers, candle makers, and so much more!  Many of our craft vendors will be demonstrating, so stop and chat with them about their skilled artistry.

For those looking for shopping break treat, check out our food vendors: Promotion Plus Roasted Nuts of Saratoga Springs who will be serving hot roasted nuts; David Kowalczik’s Kettle Corn of Whitesboro will be popping corn all weekend long; Blue Barbecue of Chittenango will be serving great barbecue; R & V Concessions of Rome will be serving a variety of grill items; Tim McLaughlin of Oneida Castle will be serving sandwiches and baked beans; Pastry Pantry of Endwell will be making pastries; and of course there will be ice cream from Buck and Ruthie’s Ice Cream of Fulton!
The Olde Tyme Fiddlers will be entertaining the crowd with their fiddle music on Saturday from 1-3 pm. The Olde Tyme Fiddlers are part of a group of fiddlers called the New York State Old Tyme Fiddler’s Association of Osceola, New York. Their purpose is to preserve, promote and perpetuate the art of old time fiddling and the dances pertaining to this art.
On Sunday, Ed Smith featuring Werner Kogest, both of Sherrill, will be performing from 1-3 pm. Ed is an original songwriter, singer, and guitar player who has 70 plus songs copyrighted in the Library of Congress.  Ed’s passion for music began when he was 12 years old writing music. He is self-taught and has played in several bands over the years honing his talent. Ed describes his music as upbeat folk rock. His songs are about family, friends, and nature- more specifically the Adirondacks and New England. Werner Kogest accompanies Ed with his talent of playing the stand up bass and vocals. Ed and Werner have been performing together for over 20 years. When Werner and Ed are not performing, Werner is at his Violin Shoppe where he is well known for his sales and repairs of string instruments, and Ed is a real estate agent in Utica. 
Come tour the Higinbotham’s family home and learn about Madison County’s history inside the society’s beautiful headquarters, Cottage Lawn, an 1849 Gothic Revival home.
So the place to be on Sept. 11 and 12 is at the Madison County Historical Society’s 46th Annual Craft Days located at 435 Main Street in Oneida. The event on Saturday, September 11th    runs from 10 am- 5 pm and on Sunday, September 12th from 10 am-4pm. Don’t forget to purchase raffle tickets to win some fantastic handmade craft items. A free park and ride service will be provided in a new location throughout the weekend from the Glenwood Plaza on Route 46 in Oneida to the historical society.  Admission is $4 for adults, children 12 and under are free. Purchase a weekend pass for $6 and join us both days!No animals are permitted on the grounds, and there is no smoking.  For more information, please contact the Madison County Historical Society at 315-363-4136, 315-361-9735, or visit us at www.mchs1900.org.

Susan B. Anthony will be the keynote speaker at the In the Kitchen Tea at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, September 26 at 5255 Pleasant Valley Road in Peterboro NY when, once again, the Smithfield Community Center is turned into a lovely tea room. The occasion is catered by The Copper Turret of Morrisville with special menu considerations of Miller’s 1875 In the Kitchen cookbook  The annual tea celebrates Elizabeth Smith Miller, her birthday, the creation of her trouser outfit, and the 19th C. women’s reform movement. Attendees are encouraged to wear mid-19th Century styles – especially bloomers.
This year the tea welcomes Susan B. Anthony, women’s rights colleague and friend of Miller and her cousin Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Anthony was a visitor to the Gerrit Smith Estate in Peterboro in the 1800s. Barbara Blaisdell of Rochester NY will portray Anthony, as she has done at the Women’s Rights National Park in Seneca Falls and at the Susan B. Anthony house in Rochester.
Special tea themed charms will be available for auction to support the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark. The highest bidder will receive a silver bracelet, a matching set of earrings, and the first pick on the charm board.
Reservations for the third annual Elizabeth Smith Miller In the Kitchen Tea can be made online at www.inthekichentea.com. The website for the tea has information on Elizabeth Smith Miller, past events, and a link to PayPal for reservations. Seating for the tea is limited, and reserved on a first-come first-served basis. Forty dollar reservations are due by September 17.
The tea for Miller is one of a series of programs provided by the Stewards for the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark during 2010 and partially supported by a PACE grant from the Central New York Community Foundation. The Estate is on the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, and the Heritage NY Underground Railroad Trail as part of the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. For a hard copy invitation, send mailing address to info@inthekitchentea.com or to Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, P.O. Box 6, Peterboro NY 13134. Checks payable to Smithfield Community Association / GSENHL. For more information contact 315-546-5583. For a complete listing of programs, contact  SmithfieldCommunityAssociation@centralny.twcbc.com, 315-684-1058, and www.sca-peterboro.com