HERE AND THERE: NYPA to Sponsor 4 Wildlife Festivals— The Power Authority will sponsor four “Wildlife Festivals” in late September at or near several of its facilities around the state. The festivals will include exhibits of live exotic animals; environmental information; entertainment; arts and crafts; food vendors; and much more. Three of the festivals will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 22, at the Blenheim-Gilboa Power Project Visitors Center in North Blenheim, Schoharie County (1-800-724-0309); the Deerfield Wilderness Park on Walker Road in Deerfield, near Utica, close to NYPA’s Clark Energy Center in Marcy (315-792-8335); and the Hawkins Point Visitors Center at the St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project in Massena (315-764-0226, ext. 302). The fourth festival will be Sept. 22 and 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Niagara Power Project’s Power Vista in Lewiston (716-286-6661). Admission and parking are free at all events. At the Blenheim-Gilboa event, an “energy expo” will offer free tips on conserving energy (and reducing energy bills) in homes and businesses. For more information go to www.nypa.gov.

LOUISVILLE: New Whalen Park Recreation Facilities Showcased—Representatives from the Power Authority and the Town of Louisville held a ceremony in mid-August to mark improvements to recreational facilities at Whalen Park that were funded by NYPA as part of the new federal license for its St. Lawrence-FDR Power Project. The improvements include a handicapped-accessible fishing pier, a reconstructed bathhouse and new paved trails, including a scenic route along the St. Lawrence River from Whalen Park to the Massena Country Club. There are also new walkways and parking lots, and a picnic area and a floating dock for four to six boats were added to Sand Island. The improvements at Whalen Park were done as part of a $1.9 million contract to Perras Excavating Inc. in Massena, which also included work at public recreational sites in Massena, Waddington and other locations in Louisville.

MARCY: Energy-Reduction Workshops Set for Oneida County—Informational meetings on how to save energy and reduce energy bills are being scheduled by the for senior citizen centers around Oneida County. The first three programs will be Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. at the Senior Day Center of East Utica; Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. at the North Utica Senior Center; and Oct. 3 at 11 a.m. at the New Hartford Dining and Activity Center. All senior citizens attending will receive foam outlets, switch gasket insulators, compact fluorescent light bulbs and booklets on saving energy at home. Thus far in 2007, NYPA has spent more than $6.3 million on energy-efficiency projects in nearly 30 government buildings in the Oneida County area.

LOUISVILLE: Hunting Schedule Outlined forWilson Hill — Working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the Power Authority has balanced the needs of area hunters during hunting season this fall with plans for a construction project at the Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area. NYPA and its contractor have revised plans so that construction work will not occur on weekends, which is when hunting is permitted. Waterfowl hunting will be allowed at Wilson Hill starting with the Early Canada Goose Season, which runs until Sept. 25, and continuing through the Youth Waterfowl Hunt Days (Sept. 22-23) and the Northeastern Zone Waterfowl Hunting Season (Oct. 6-14, Oct. 27-Dec. 13). Hunting for upland game species and bow hunting for deer will also be allowed during the waterfowl season. To learn more, visit www.nypa.gov/presscenter.htm . Information is also available at the Wilson Hill waterfowl permit station and the Bureau of Wildlife offices in Potsdam and Watertown.

LEWISTON: Osprey Nesting Project Gets Off Ground— Plans to install pole-mounted platforms as nesting sites to help reintroduce ospreys to the upper Niagara River region got an early start after two birds made a home atop a National Grid electric transmission tower at Buckhorn Island State Park. A 4-foot-by-4-foot platform, attached to a 70-foot pole, was assembled in August, about 200 feet from the current nest, providing the ospreys with an alternate nesting location to reduce the risk of power disturbances on the towers. The platform is one of five that NYPA plans to install. In recent years, the state Department of Environmental Conservation installed two osprey nesting platforms at the state park. Although the platforms haven’t housed any nests thus far, the sudden return of the large birds of prey after several decades of absence reinforces the hope that ospreys can be drawn back to the area. The project is part of the Power Authority’s relicensing agreement for the Niagara Power Project, which is based in Lewiston. NYPA is working on the platform project with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; the state Department of Environmental Conservation; and National Grid.

NEW YORK CITY: ‘ECOFEST 2007’ Scheduled for Sept. 30— Billed as New York City’s largest environmental event, “ECOFEST 2007,” sponsored in part by the Power Authority, is scheduled for Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lincoln Center Plaza and Damrosch Park. The event, designed to promote awareness of environmental issues, will include exhibits and information on the environment, solar and renewable energy technologies, alternate-fuel vehicles, recycling and other ways to achieve an earth-friendly life. NYPA has extensive energy-efficiency programs in place, as well as projects to develop solar energy, fuel cells and other new energy sources.