News & Events

Jacob Rosales has been selected to receive the 2024 Grasse River Heritage Award.  

 

Awarded to the Canton senior who exemplifies the ability to help promote cultural, economic, educational, and recreational opportunities within the Grasse River Corridor, Jacob was nominated by the Canton High School District Scholarship Committee. 

 

 Jacob will be attending Willamette University this fall with interests in Forestry, Environmental Sciences, and Wildlife Conservation.  Jacob has participated in hockey, lacrosse, track and field, golf and soccer in his high school years.  He volunteered to help rebuild the Canton Recreational Pavilion outdoor rink.  

MOW (Monitor Our Water) the Grasse!


July 20, 2024 - 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM


Join Grasse River Heritage in partnership with Nature Up North to learn more about how community members can monitor the waterways near you! This MOW the Grasse (Monitor Our Water) community science initiative provides an opportunity for hands-on experience with the tools and methods needed to check water quality. You'll learn the step-by-step process of checking physical conditions (temperature, flow, and others), chemical conditions (pH, agricultural runoff), and finally biological conditions (macroinvertebrates, and e-coli).  We can draw conclusions about water quality based on what we find the day of the tests!

This is a great chance to learn more about Grasse River Heritage, our events, and ways you can help maintain some of Canton's community parks.

Make sure to register so we know how many testing kits to bring. Click on this link to register: https://www.natureupnorth.org/form/july-20-mow-signup


Family Friendly.   Bring a pair of water shoes if you have them or shoes that you don't mind getting wet.   


Walk in the Park, June 8th, 10:00 AM, Heritage Park, Canton

Reptiles and Amphibians with Glenn Johnson

Glenn Johnson, herpetologist, will begin his show and talk with a selection of turtles, a snake, and a tiger salamander at Heritage Park, 2 Main Street. A half mile walk on the trail will follow as participants look for any herps and learn about the natural history and habitats of local species. Family friendly. 

Dr. Johnson is professor and Chair of the Biology Department at SUNY Potsdam. He has conducted conservation research on Blanding's Turtles, chorus frogs, Massasauga rattlesnakes and spruce grouse and is a coauthor on the book The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State: Identification, Natural History, and Conservation. 

SAVE THE DATE! 

First Walk in the Park of 2024 will be on May 18th from 10-11:00 a.m.

Time Travel on Falls Island in Canton

Tom VandeWater will lead a 1/2 mile walk at 10:00 am on May 25th, 2024, around Falls Island to explore the geology and dynamics of the Grasse River as seen from this historic island through a thousand million years of time. Participants will share what they know about the river, past and present.  Family friendly. 

Location: Heritage Park, 2 Main Street, Canton, NY

Local Students Volunteer in Heritage Park

Members of the St. Lawrence University Delta Delta Delta Sorority volunteered in the park on Make a Difference Day this October. The students assisted with various tasks including moving bordering logs for the woodchip trail (pictured here).

New Bench Installed

A new bench was installed this fall in Heritage Park overlooking the Grasse River. Pictured here: the first person to enjoy the new bench, Conrad Stuntz.

Grasse River Heritage is excited to announce the receipt of a $4000 grant from the Corning Incorporated Foundation “in support of beautification and outdoor artwork at Heritage Park in Canton.” This grant will be used primarily to develop the sculpture park in the coming year through the installation of several new pieces of art. In addition to this grant, staff from the Corning plant in Canton have, throughout the years, contributed valuable volunteer service at Heritage Park. 

 

Grasse River Heritage is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the Grasse River to a central place in the life of the community of Canton, NY.

 

The Corning Incorporated Foundation is a charitable contributions organization established by Corning Incorporated in 1952. Through leadership and collaboration, the Foundation strives to foster vibrant, enriching, and supportive Corning communities. The Foundation focuses on education, human services, culture, and volunteerism in Corning business locations.

Beth Denny receives the Volunteer of the Year award from Grasse River Heritage President, Tom Langen. Grasse River Heritage could not exist without support from the community that it serves, support that takes the form not only of financial donations, but of volunteer work. Week in and week out, Beth Denny shows up to control both the litter and the poison ivy that would otherwise interfere with the use and enjoyment of Heritage Park in Canton.

Fabulous Fungi Finding!

The stormy weather held off until the afternoon and the sun even peeked out from behind the clouds during our fungi walk on the morning of Saturday, August 12th! Thanks to the keen eyes of many group members we found stink pots, bracket fungi, artist's conk, and a whole host of other fungi. Claire answered questions about fungi life span, how they grow, edibility, and so much more. Thank you so much to Claire Burkum for sharing her knowledge and excitement for fungi, and thank you to all of the community members who came out to learn!!

Canton Senior Scholarship Recipient!

Katharine Metcalf received the 2023 Grasse River Heritage Award.    Awarded to the Canton senior who exemplifies the ability to help promote cultural, economic, educational, and recreational opportunities within the Grasse River Corridor, Katharine was nominated by the Canton High School District Scholarship Committee. 

 

Katharine is attending Saint Joseph’s University this fall and has an interest in Economics and International Affairs.  Katharine participated in volleyball and softball during her high school years.   She has volunteered for the Canton Sustainability committee, Smithsonian Transcriber and the Nicole Fleury Memorial Run.