By Kate Hill

Staff Writer

Last weekend Critz Farms in Cazenovia released its new “Endangered Species” beer — a white IPA with blood orange. A portion of the proceeds from the beer will be donated to the Chittenango ovate amber snail (COAS) conservation effort.

Named for its egg-shaped, amber-colored shell, the COAS is a rare and vulnerable land snail, whose wild population survives exclusively near Chittenango Falls.

The state and federally protected species has been listed as endangered in New York State since 1977.

The COAS conservation effort has brought together a variety of individuals and organizations.

The Endangered Species IPA fundraiser represents a partnership between Critz Farms, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), New York State Office of Parks, Recreations, and Historic Preservation (Parks), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), and Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

“Conservation and sustainability have always been at the center of our mission, along with educating the public about Central New York’s natural treasures,” said Critz Farms General Manager Patrick Allen. “We also have a great relationship with the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and like to help them raise money for their conservation efforts any way we can, especially in these times of increased economic pressure and environmental peril. When our friend Amy Kochum from the Parks department asked us to help with public outreach for the Amber Snail project, we jumped at the chance.”

According to Allen, the new beer is a celebration of the snail and its unique habitat.

“Originally we thought of an Amber Ale but then decided we wanted to brew a beer that was less common in the ‘natural world’ of beer,” he said. “Endangered Species IPA is a white IPA brewed with blood orange and hopped with NY Centennial hops harvested just two miles from Chittenango Falls at The Bineyard.”

On Friday, Sept. 25, researchers from ESF released captive-bred COAS at Chittenango Falls State Park to help bolster the wild population.

The snails were bred and raised in an ESF lab under the supervision of COAS Project Lead Dr. Rebecca J. Rundell, an associate professor in the ESF department of environmental and forest biology.

Prior to their release, the snails were marked to help the researchers track them in the future and gain a better understanding of whether the release was successful.

ESF has supported the release of captive-bred snails into the wild for the past five years.

NYS Parks has been instrumental in restoring and protecting the COAS habitat by minimizing invasive plants and helping to ensure that visitors do not accidentally harm the snails.

Critz Farms released its new beer in its tasting room on Oct. 3.

The tasting room is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information on Critz Farms, visit critzfarms.com.