OCCA's Annual Dinner

The Otsego County Conservation Association invites you to join us for our Annual Dinner at Creekside Station in Hartwick, NY. This special evening will feature a locally sourced, farm-to-table meal prepared by Bee Blossom Catering, followed by an inspiring program honoring the recipients of OCCA’s 2025 Conservationist of the Year Awards and a keynote address by renowned environmental advocate and attorney, Anne Marie Garti. This year, we proudly recognize Matt Albright and Holly Waterfield for their decades of work protecting Otsego Lake and the upper Susquehanna River watershed through SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station. Their research on water quality, invasive species, nutrient cycling, and Harmful Algal Blooms has shaped regional policy and informed community action, while their mentorship has inspired generations of environmental stewards. We are also thrilled to present our first-ever Junior Conservationist of the Year Award to Elias MacLeish, a Cooperstown Central School senior whose leadership has revitalized the LaCava Nature Center, rebuilt nature trails, supported OCCA events, and inspired peers through his involvement with the Envirothon team, outdoor leadership training, and hands-on conservation projects. Our keynote speaker, Anne Marie Garti, grew up in Delhi, NY, where her early connection to the Delaware River and surrounding landscape shaped a lifelong commitment to environmental protection. Now an environmental lawyer, Ms. Garti has combined grassroots organizing and legal strategy to challenge some of the most significant environmental threats in the region, including landmark victories against hydrofracking in New York State and the defeat of the proposed Constitution Pipeline. She continues to work on campaigns against interstate gas projects across the Northeast, showing the power of citizen-led advocacy in protecting our natural resources. The Annual Dinner is OCCA’s most important fundraising event of the year. Your attendance helps support our ongoing efforts to preserve and protect Otsego County’s land, water, and wildlife. We look forward to gathering with our community to share good food, honor those making a difference, and celebrate a shared commitment to conservation.