Conesus Lake Watershed Education Center
2021 NACo Achievement Award Winner
Livingston County, N.Y., NY
Best In Category
About the Program
Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)
Year: 2021
Livingston County is integrally involved in protecting the water quality of Conesus Lake, the westernmost Finger Lake, and drinking water supply for over 20,000 County residents. In 2018, Livingston County worked in partnership with the Towns of Conesus, Geneseo, Groveland, Livonia, the Conesus Lake Watershed, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Livingston County, and the Chip Holt Nature Center to create the Conesus Lake Watershed Education Center (WEC) Public Education Program, which engages people in learning about issues that affect Conesus Lake, its watershed, and surrounding communities. Educational programming at WEC is year-round, at no cost to participants, and consists of a full slate of workshops, lectures, and presentations hosted by a variety of scientists and professionals from around the region and state. Opportunities for high school and college student presentations are provided, and the number of involved schools and colleges continues to grow each year. Even as programming has shifted to a virtual experience due to the COVID-19 crisis, it continues to gain in popularity as measured by the increasing number of attendees over time. The expanding geographic range of participants, reaching across the state and now the country, shows the relevance of programming to other lakes and watersheds.