Explore Habitats of Southern Columbia County: A Talk and Walk with Local Biologists
Enjoy a morning exploring the unique qualities of nature in Southern Columbia County, including the identification of some of our most defining (and photogenic) organisms and their habitats, along with strategies for conserving this part of the County’s heritage.
Led by field biologists Gretchen Stevens of Hudsonia and Conrad Vispo and Claudia Knab-Vispo of the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program, the program will begin at 9am at the Germantown Library with an illustrated talk, followed by a two-hour field walk at the Keep Conservation Preserve beginning at 10:30am. If unable to attend the full session, participants are welcome to come to either the talk or walk.
The program is free and will provide anyone interested in local habitats, from recreationists to town officials, with an introduction to regional natural habitats and strategies for conserving them. The program will present pictures and information derived from a three-year study of Columbia County’s ecology. A focus of both the indoor and outdoor programs will be hands-on methods for identifying different habitats (for example, different types of forest or wetland) paired with discussions of habitat-specific conservation challenges and solutions.
This program is one in a series of events sharing the initial results from the Living Land Project, an initiative of the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program in collaboration with Hudsonia Ltd. and the Columbia Land Conservancy. The goal of the Project is to compile a Field Guide to the Ecology and Culture of Columbia County Habitats that can serve as a tool for local exploration and stewardship by contributing to a better ecological and cultural understanding of our landscape.
This event is partially funded by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund through the Hudson River Estuary Program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Registration is appreciated to help with planning, but walk-ins are most welcome. To register or for more information, please contact Claudia Knab-Vispo by email or 518-672-7994.