Our Organization

OCCA is a regional conservation organization addressing a broad spectrum of basic environmental concerns who promotes the appreciation and sustainable use of our region’s resources. OCCA implements crucial programs and projects to improve or protect Otsego County’s air, land, and water. Broad support from county residents enhances our ability to accomplish our mission.

Engaging our Communities in Responsible Stewardship

No Mow May!

The No-Mow Movement is a conservation initiative intended to create a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. The goal of No Mow May is to pause mowing during the month of May, allowing flowers to bloom in your lawn to help early season pollinators.

If you would like a yard sign telling your neighbors about this fun project, email coordinator@occainfo.org to place an order or click on the button below.  Each 18 X24 sign costs $25 and the proceeds benefit OCCA.  

In 2024 we are not accepting:

E-Waste: Now, it is accepted at the northern and southern transfer stations, making it easy to drop off yourselves.

VHS, Audio Cassettes, and DVDs: In 2023, it took us a month to get these re-boxed and shipped to Ohio, where they are recycled. We will recycle these in 2024 if we find a sponsor to pay for a truck and driver to take the whole load to Ohio. We calculated this is cheaper than shipping the 50 individual boxes we had last year! In the meantime, anyone can ship their tapes to Greendisk. Click HERE to learn how.

In its third year, Drive Through, Drop Off is OCCA's popular community-wide recycling day. Last year, we helped remove over 10,000 pounds of hard-to-recycle items from the waste stream.

The OCCA recycling committee is excited to host the third annual Drive-Through-Drop-Off on April 27 at Brewery Ommegang from 12 pm-3 pm.

We are not asking participants to sign up for a timeslot this year but would like you to fill out the form linked below if you plan to attend so we know how many people are coming. Click on the button below to sign up!  

Our current collection list is below.

  • Christmas lights

  • Textiles (through Helpsy-to see the complete list of what they accept, click HERE)

  • Shredding

  • Printer Cartridges and Toner

  • Tooth Care-all brands

  • Eyeglasses

  • Books

We are partnering with the Oneonta ReUse Center to recycle:

  • Styrofoam

  • Cork

  • Plastic Film

The Reuse Center is an awesome resource year-round. They collect paint, plastic film, fluorescent lights (for a small fee), and so much more. Visit them today.

We are just weeks away from launching our free online Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) course for teachers! Even though this course focuses on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, it can be informative to any New York Teacher who wants to incorporate this great framework into their curriculum on watershed education!

Check back soon to sign up for the class!

Coming Soon:

Online B-WET Course

Volunteer with OCCA!

Volunteers play a huge role in our work at OCCA. Click on the button below to learn more about our volunteer program, and subscribe to the Eco-bulletin to stay updated with volunteer projects.

Support our work in 2024!

In 2024, our main goal is to connect with more of you. We hope to see you hiking, paddling, monitoring, and volunteering throughout the year. If you are looking for a way to connect with OCCA, contact the office at 607-547-4488.

Gifts to OCCA allow us to:

  • Continue our vital conservation work and invasive species control.

  • Build community through our Community Connection Series.

  • Provide life changing experience in nature.

  • Train citizen scientists for stream monitoring and Hemlock Wooly Adelgid monitoring.

  • Provide free access to educational and outreach programs throughout the county.

  • Expand the educational and outreach programs!

    Continue to partner with OCCA today, and you will give us the tools to continue our vital conservation work in 2024.

Contribute Today:

Scan or Click on the QR code for online payment or mail checks to:

PO Box 931, Cooperstown, NY 13326

Volunteer Tom Walsh describes the job of trail maintenance. OCCA works with the DEC to maintain trails at Basswood Lake and Arnold Lake.
Highschool volunteers smile after a morning of trash collection along highway 80.
Homeschool Nature Day at Glimmerglass State Park. The group was collecting macroinvertebrates and identifying them.
Summer Teacher Institute at Hartwick Pine Lake Campus.
Fall mushroom walk. Part of our Community Connection Series.
2023 Invasive Species Intern, Nick Zamelis
Paddling and pulling invasive species. Next summer, join the team! Date are posted on the calendars and canoes are available.
Tree ID during our summer teacher institute. These professional development workshops are funded through NOAA. We are continuing to offer one day workshops throughout the schoolyear. Let us know if you are interested!
Volunteers play a huge role in our ongoing invasive species removal efforts. In 2023 volunteers helped remove hundreds of pounds of invasive plant matter. Contact us today if you are interested in helping!

Otsego County HABS Website

The site has information about what Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are, what to look out for when assessing if you should go in a body of water, and resource links to all of the local science happening here to understand HABs and help toward a long-term management solution.