DEC Region 5 Invites New Yorkers to Volunteer for 'Wildlife Day' on Oct. 4 at Rogers Rock Campground and Paul Smith's Visitor Interpretive Center

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Region 5 invites volunteers to join in 'Wildlife Day' on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Rogers Rock Campground in Warren County and Paul Smith's Visitor Interpretive Center in Franklin County.

Wildlife Day provides a perfect opportunity to participate in wildlife conservation service projects and educational workshops across the state, celebrating New York's diverse wildlife and habitats. The event, hosted in partnership with Parks and Trails New York, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, is part of the Love Our New York Lands Stewardship Days Campaign - an effort to encourage year-round stewardship and highlight the State's outdoor recreation assets by offering a series of themed stewardship days throughout the year.

Volunteer registration is currently open for Wildlife Day. New Yorkers are encouraged to join their community in a cleanup, enhancement, or educational event near them.

DEC Region 5 is hosting the following opportunities for the public to participate in:

Paul Smith's Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) - in partnership with the VIC

Date: Oct. 4, 2025

Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Location: 8023 State Route 86 Paul Smiths, NY 12970, Frank M. Hutchins Lodge, Front Desk

Contact: Natalee Wrege, [email protected]

Educational activity: Butterfly House Take-Down. Join DEC and participants prepare for winter by taking the net off our Butterfly House and assisting in some preparation in our butterfly meadow.

What to bring: Water, work shoes (closed-toed), rain gear if applicable, layers, and work gloves.

All ages welcome. Register at Parks & Trails NY

Rogers Rock Campground

Date: Oct. 4, 2025

Time: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Location: Registration booth.

Contact: Amanda Raymond, [email protected]

Educational activity: Nature Hike up to the top of Rogers Rock Slide. Learn about the history of the area and the different species we pass along the way. This hike is roughly 1 mile long and can get steep in some sections.

What to bring: Proper footwear and layers for seasonal weather.

Appropriate for ages 13 and up. Register at Parks & Trails NY