Paul Szmal: Keeping with our water theme this morning on FLX Morning, I'm happy to welcome in the Community Engagement Coordinator from the Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association, and that's Kelly Blackhurst. Kelly, good morning. Welcome back.
Guest: Morning, Paul.
Paul Szmal: Let's talk a little bit about a couple of important activities that are coming up in the month of July for the Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association. First off, there's a virtual auction. This is going to launch on July 20th.
Guest: Yeah, that's right. So every year we hold a virtual auction and all the proceeds go to towards supporting all the programs we do, whether it's through sediment nutrient pollution reduction programs, water quality monitoring, different testing that we do. And so this auction that will start on July 20th is virtual. It's a fun way to get your hands on some different unique experiences throughout the lake, throughout the region, whether that's a wine tasting, maybe a vintage wine press, different, sometimes we have some different photo shoots that happen, just a lot of different unique items that are donated to us. So that's something that will be coming live soon and it runs through the Seneca Lake Summer Soiree on July 29th. So it's all virtual. You can find the information at senecalake.org. And this is a little plug for it. If you have anything that you'd love to donate to the auction, if you really want to support clean water and all the projects and programs that Seneca Lake Pure Waters participates in, feel free to reach out to us at info at senecalake.org.
Paul Szmal: And fundraising events like this virtual auction, they serve an important purpose.
Guest: Oh, for sure. You know, having people participate in helping raise funds for some of these, for our, you know, the really important issues that we're dealing with. I know in this past spring, we dealing a lot with high water. And as we go into the summer months, I know the habs are really on the top of people's minds. So these sort of different fundraisers that we do allow the community to get involved and engaged in a different way, a fun way to get engaged, but also a way to be a steward of the lake and help support the science. And it's really a big community effort to make sure that we keep Seneca Lake healthy and clean. And especially for those hot summer days, you know, people want to jump in the lake and they want to cool off in the lake. So we want to make sure that we keep Seneca Lake thriving for the next generation.
Paul Szmal: And supporting the science is so important. There are so many volunteers that help with measurements, observations, things of that nature. But to process that data and be able to put out the reports on that data, things like that, there's a cost involved.
Guest: Oh, definitely. I mean, there's a cost involved with everything, right, these days. So, you know, we have to constantly are taking that into consideration when we're, you know, looking at these different ways to bring in funds, because the testing is really quite expensive. So testing, putting out the reports, supporting, you know, making sure that we're getting all that information out there to the public so that they can make informed decisions so that lawmakers have information as well. It's a tall order.
Paul Szmal: Kelly Blackhurst is here from the Seneca Lake Pier Waters Association. We've been talking about the virtual auction that starts on July 20th, and this kind of serves as a run-up to the annual Summer Soiree, date for this year's July 29th.
Guest: Yeah, we're really excited for this year's Summer Soiree. It's at Weston Lake, which is about five minutes from downtown Geneva. And it's a really fun night. And we have the Decades Band, which is out of Yates County. They play music from all the decades, a lot of dancing, good music. And then we have, I think it's just a really fun event because you have like-minded folks coming together who, you know, want to see Seneca Lake thrive. And we're all there in support of the lake and to have a little fun while doing it. So we'll have a good dinner catered. We have a bunch of Finger Lakes wines, the live music. We will have a signature cocktail. And it's just, like I said, a fun way. And so if you're interested to, if you're interested and want to attend, you can find information on our website at senecalake.org. And we want to, you know, when people come, they dress fun. They wear bright colors, ready for summer, ready for dancing. So it's a really fun event.
Paul Szmal: And this event is not only an opportunity for people that are already involved with the association to get together and have a good time. If you've ever thought about donating to the organization, well, here's a way that you can put some money toward the organization, learn something about it, and meet other people that are already involved.
Guest: Yeah, exactly. And we'll have, you know, our board members will be there. Our president will be there. We have, you know, all of our staff is on hand. So it's just a good opportunity to connect with other people, to learn more, like you said. And it's a fun way to get to learn more. And learning more is key, because I don't think everybody realizes that when we're talking about protecting Seneca Lake, it goes beyond the on-the-surface environmental issue.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, we do a lot of, you know, we do a lot of educational outreach. And whether that's to, you know, rotary clubs or, you know, to even third or fourth grade classrooms. And there are a lot of, you know, issues in terms of sediment runoff. You know, we have invasive species that are an issue. The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, which has been a big project of ours. So there are a lot of different areas that we have our hands in. And, you know, maybe an area, too, that folks might be interested in volunteering or learning more about to get involved with.
Guest: Yeah, because it goes, like I said, beyond the environmental issue. People who farm in this area, yeah, they have a reason to be concerned and be informed. And when it comes to the tourism industry, I mean, we're in the busy time of the year. And it's important that people know, okay, it's good to be able to swim. It's good to be able to let the family dog maybe go for a dip, that sort of thing.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, for sure. And like you said, it's the quality of Seneca Lake, it's really connected to, you know, we, like you said, we're gearing up for the big, big, busy tourist season. So, you know, we want to make sure we're doing everything we can do so that folks can enjoy it who live here year round and those who visit us just for the weekend. And, you know, speaking of the Hemlock Woolly Gelded, how is that project going?
Guest: You know, Paul, I'd love to talk more about that. Unfortunately, though, I was away on maternity leave. So I'm not, I haven't been updated quite yet on that project. But I do know from a bunch of, it looked like some publications that were coming out, you know, treatment had gone well, and I'm sure we'll have someone coming on in one of our next segments who will talk about it.
Paul Szmal: Are we celebrating a boy or a girl?
Guest: A boy. Yeah, two boys who both love Seneca Lake, and we were down there yesterday swimming. And it's really cool, I think, to see our kids playing and loving the lake and seeing it really clean and clear yesterday was fantastic. And obviously, I hope it continues that way throughout the summer.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, a lake and being around water is so different for children growing up than it is sometimes for adults. You know, it just becomes kind of wired into their whole being.
Guest: Yeah, it's like, yeah, they are the joy and the feeling of Yeah, just being around the lake and feeling like this lake is mine. And it's such a lovely thing to see when we drive up to the lake and our toddlers just squealing to get in. And that kind of drives me me and what I do, you know, to help protect the lake because I know how much he loves it. And our baby doesn't know what that what the lake is yet. But I'm sure you'll have that same love and affection for it as well.
Paul Szmal: Absolutely. Okay, so the virtual auction starts July 20. The Seneca Lake summer soiree is July 29. And where can people find information on the virtual auction, be able to bid on the items and also get tickets for the summer soiree?
Guest: Yeah, if you go to Seneca lake.org forward slash events, you'll see the summer soiree mentioned where you can get tickets and then you'll see the virtual auction page as well. Once that's up and running, there'll be a big button that says bid. So you can also check out though our Facebook, Instagram, Seneca Lake pier waters, and we'll have all the relevant information going out through those feeds too.
Paul Szmal: Well, first off, congratulations to you, Kelly. And best wishes for a successful auction and a successful summer soiree as well.
Guest: Thank you, Paul. Appreciate it.
