Thousands Participate at Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs Annual Family Festival at Carpenter’s Brook
Fly fishing, turkey calling, and skeet shooting were just a few outdoor sports that more than 4,000 participated in during 2010 Honeywell Sportsmen’s Days at Carpenter’s Brook. The Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs holds the annual event in celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day.
“Sportsmen’s Days reflects the Federation’s enthusiasm for outdoor recreation and dedication to habitat conservation,” said Honeywell Syracuse Program Director John McAuliffe. “This event attracts more and more people each year, making it one of the largest celebrations in New York State.”
Local wildlife artists, authors and boy scouts demonstrated a number of outdoor activities including: skeet shooting, waterfowl and turkey calling, archery, 3-D laser big game hunting, retriever dog demonstrations, crossbow, fly fishing, fly tying, jig tying, canoeing, muzzle loading and trout fishing.
“We have dedicated clubs that participate each year and do as many hands-on activities as possible,” said Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs Vice President Les Monostory. “The Sportsmen and Honeywell have been able to work together very well because we share the same interests in Onondaga Lake, and people at Honeywell are very interested in outdoor preservation.”
Participants also learned about Honeywell’s Onondaga Lake Habitat Restoration Plan during their time at Carpenter’s Brook. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is overseeing Honeywell’s projects to restore wetlands in and around Onondaga Lake, improve the lake’s shoreline, and create a lake bottom structure.
Other weekend events included a volunteer dinner on Saturday evening and guest appearances by conservation officers and forest rangers.
“The Federation members thank Honeywell for its continuing partnership,” said Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs President Stephen Wowelko. “Honeywell has given our members the opportunity to share our knowledge of conservation practices with them and provide input on the lake restoration plans.”
For more information on the Onondaga Lake cleanup, visit www.onondaga-lake-initiatives.com.