There have been two sightings of a black bear in the neighborhood this weekend. So far, the reports are sightings along south shore properties. If you have a birdfeeder out, especially sunflower seeds, you might want to put it away for the summer.
A turtle story in this weeks local news...
A story from the local news was passed along from a local subscriber of The Daily Gazette and is very timely as we enter turtle egg season.
If you are a subscriber of The Daily Gazette you can follow this link to the original story or read the repost below.
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A little turtle from southeastern USA: How did it get into Duane Lake?
I thought it odd; snapping turtle eggs don't hatch until mid June. And it didn't look quite like a snapping turtle, anyway. So I brought it home for a comparison to turtles I might find in various online identification guides.
I didn't find anything quite like it in the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation guide.
So I Googled "baby turtles with yellow bellies."
Bingo. There it was: a red-eared slider turtle. Never heard of it? Neither had I. And I can't say I had ever seen one before, either in Duane Lake or anywhere else. Maybe I just never paid attention until it crossed the road in front of me. But its markings were unmistakable.
It turns out it's the species of turtle most often sold in pet shops. I probably had one those many decades ago when I was a kid.
According to Wikipedia, it's on some list of the 100 most invasive species in the world, allegedly because it outcompetes native turtles for habitat and food.
I don't support the idea of dumping turtles or goldfish into our lake, but you're here. Welcome to Duane Lake, I say. We're all invasive species to one degree or another. But that's a topic for another day.
-- Alan Knight
2025 NYSFOLA annual conference report
Thank you to Alan Knight and Dirk Felton for attending the 2025 New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) annual two day conference held at the Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center in Lake George, NY, May 2nd and 3rd. See below for each participants summary of the day.
Alan Knight attended six presentations on Friday, May 2nd, and Dirk Felton attended the next day. Here are the take-home points from the sessions they attended.
Report from the NYSFOLA annual conference
The NY State Federation of Lake Associations holds a two-day educational conference every spring at Lake George. Topics range from lake management problems and solutions to “lessons learned” about operating a lake association. Pretty much, it’s a sharing of research findings, ideas, and experience—all in all, a very informative collection of presentations.Alan Knight attended six presentations on Friday, May 2nd, and Dirk Felton attended the next day. Here are the take-home points from the sessions they attended.
What a day!!!
What a day we had Saturday, April 26th! We had a good turn-out for our Duane Lake Earth Day Clean-Up with lots of trash, old TVs, a lone shoe, rotten boards, bottles and cans collected. Many thanks to those brave souls that dressed for the weather and gave it their all!
And our Silent Wings Raptor Event was awesome and spectacular! We learned all about respecting our wild feathered friends, when to report an injured bird or animal and who to report it to, what it takes to host an injured raptor, what they eat, how they hunt, the different calls or hoots and why they fly silently. We were treated to up close and personal visits with five birds of prey. Many great questions were asked and all answered by the expert Silent Wings staff. A big thank you to Sonya and Karen for making all the arrangements and baking the tasty (and cute!) cookies. Here are just a few of the many pictures that were snapped. All of the birds were regal looking and beautiful!
And our Silent Wings Raptor Event was awesome and spectacular! We learned all about respecting our wild feathered friends, when to report an injured bird or animal and who to report it to, what it takes to host an injured raptor, what they eat, how they hunt, the different calls or hoots and why they fly silently. We were treated to up close and personal visits with five birds of prey. Many great questions were asked and all answered by the expert Silent Wings staff. A big thank you to Sonya and Karen for making all the arrangements and baking the tasty (and cute!) cookies. Here are just a few of the many pictures that were snapped. All of the birds were regal looking and beautiful!
To learn more about Silent Wings, visit their website at Silent Wings Raptor Rehab and Education. There you will find a host of information, upcoming programs, and a donation link supporting rehabilitation of local injured wildlife.
If you enjoyed these photos, there's more. Click the Photos tab on the DLA home page for more photos from this event. If you would like to contribute a photo, please email it to duanelakeassoc@gmail.com
THANK YOU to our amazing volunteers, neighbors, and surrounding lake community whose generous contributions help to make these and all our annual lake community events a success!
Pat Huff Chris Miller Norm Stewart Kathy Hotaling
Alan Knight Kim Roberts Dirk Felton Ian Colgan Tom McGrath
DLA website news
Classified Ads
The Classified Ads tab on the Duane Lake Association website is now up and running! If you haven't noticed the tabs below the watercolor title banner, you can click any tab into the many layers of the DLA website.
The first ad has been uploaded this morning, so check it out!
The Classified Ads section hosts anything you might find in a traditional classified ads section of the newspaper, from ads such as For Sale, Free, Help Wanted, Services, etc. All residents from the Duane Lake community, whether a DLA member or not, is welcome to place an ad - it's a free service!
Please send an email to the Duane Lake Association email at duanelakeassoc@gmail.com with the type of ad, a picture or two, a brief description, and your preferred contact method. Your ad will be removed from the site once you notify the DLA at the email above or after three months, whichever comes first. Thank you!
The first ad has been uploaded this morning, so check it out!
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Wildlife Emergency?
A link has been provided to help you should you find a wildlife emergency. AnimalHelpNow.org finds help for wildlife emergencies, 24/7 via their website or downloadable app.
Whether it's an emergency or nuisance situation, the website/app will search for the nearest wildlife rehabilitator, rescues, hotlines, humane wildlife control operators, and veterinarians who treat wildlife, for the type of animal that you are requesting assistance.
See the image below to find the permanent link on the DLA website.
If you want to download the app, search the Apple/Android app stores for Animal Help Now.
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