Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District

10/23/2026

If you're out enjoying Mother Nature you will start seeing milkweed pods that are ripening. They dry and crack open during the fall to disperse hundreds of wind-carried seeds.
Pods change from green to brown and leathery in September and October. You can tell a pod is ripe when it feels slightly soft or gives way under gentle pressure along its natural center seam.
Inside each pod, dark brown seeds are attached to brilliant, silky white filaments called a coma or floss. These act as natural parachutes that catch autumn breezes and carry seeds across fields and meadows.

10/22/2026

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10/19/2026

10/16/2026

As we near peak leaf season and the beautiful colors start to drop into our yards there are couple of options to use those leaves to help your gardens, lawns, and Mother Nature.
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Mulch your Garden Beds - Take some of those leaves and put them on top of vegetable beds, gardens, or other areas where mulching and nutrients can be helpful. The leaves will help protect soil (and all life within) from erosion. As they break down, the nutrients will move into the soil, adding free fertilizer by spring.

Feed you Lawn - Mow them in, run a mulching lawnmower over the leaves on your grass. Chopping them into tiny bits lets the grass breathe and returns valuable organic nutrients directly to the soil.

Habitat for Wildlife and Mother Nature -Piles of leaves in quiet corners of your yard provide vital winter shelter and nesting sites for beneficial insects, caterpillars, and ground-nesting bees. Leaving a layer of leaf litter allows birds like ovenbirds to forage safely for insects.
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10/14/2026

Week 5️⃣ of the I❤️NY Fall Foliage report is out now! Head to https://bit.ly/4hT9El2 for weekly updates. 🍂

10/14/2026

Thanks Smith Creek Fish Farm for the Water Quality Wednesday tip for ponds!

💧 WATER QUALITY WEDNESDAY

What’s happening at the bottom of your pond matters, too.
Leaves, dead plants, algae, and fish waste eventually settle. As that organic material breaks down, it uses oxygen and releases nutrients back into the water.

Managing that buildup isn’t just about making your pond look better. It’s part of managing the overall health of the pond.

A healthier pond starts from the bottom up. 🌿💧

10/07/2026

It's getting colorful out there!

Don’t stop be-leafing! Week 4️⃣ of the I LOVE NEW YORK Fall Foliage Report has dropped! You can read the full report at the link in the comments. 🍂

The transition to stunning fall colors quickened over the past week and is expected to bring pockets of peak foliage to six of New York State’s 11 vacation regions this weekend. Joining the Adirondacks, which has already seen some peak conditions, localized peak colors will pop up in parts of the Capital-Saratoga, Catskills, Central New York, Finger Lakes, and Chautauqua-Allegheny regions.

10/02/2026

Not a good . Harmful Algae Bloom at Hyde Park in Niagara Falls. Humans and Animals please avoid the water.

09/30/2026

Leaves, they are a changing!

I can barely be-leaf it! Week 3️⃣ of the I LOVE NEW YORK Fall Foliage Report is out and you can read it at the link in the comment. 🍁🍂

The progression of gorgeous fall colors continues across New York State, with near-peak and some peak foliage expected in parts of the Adirondacks this weekend, along with leaves at midpoint of change throughout much of the mid and upper Catskills, and many Capital-Saratoga region locations.