News

Our yearly report is ready! Please enjoy this illustrated and detailed narrative of the work we have accomplished this year. Year-in-Review 2024

We are excited to share a new article by Conrad Vispo published in “From the Ground Up,” an online publication of conversations about conservation, climate, and communities in New England. The article begins:

“Lest the title immediately put you off, let me explain that it is not meant to be demeaning of either agroecology or religion. Rather, my point is that, as with our lives, making sense of something as complex as an agrarian landscape that works ecologically and also socioeconomically requires not just observation but also faith. It is a path as much as a fixed outcome. Science is one guide along that path, but so too is collaboration and a vision of how the world works that must extend beyond peer-reviewed scientific articles, that must be both more parochial and more global in worldview.” READ MORE

Our book From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to the Habitats of Columbia County, New York is now available in local book stores, at the Hawthorne Valley Farm Store, at our events, and online from Black Dome Press. More than 100 guests joined us for the book launch celebration on May 5th and The Columbia Paper published a nice article about the event. This book project was a true community effort and we thank everybody who has contributed to it over the years. We hope you are pleased with the result! Read more about the book and the upcoming book talks and habitat exploration walks.

We are excited to introduce you to a new webpage dedicated to our upcoming book From the Hudson to the Taconics: An Ecological and Cultural Field Guide to the Habitats of Columbia County, New York (to be released on May 5th, 2024). Here, you can get a preview of the Field Guide, find details about the book launch celebration, and a list of book talks and habitat exploration walks scheduled throughout the summer.

We invite you to check out the digital version of the Map and Descriptions of 57 Columbia County Public Natural Areas.

The map (which will be included in our upcoming Field Guide) and descriptions (only available online!) build and expand on Columbia County Outdoors: A Guide to Recreational Areas in Columbia County, NY by Sheldon Evans, published in 2012 (currently out of print) and other resources provided by the Columbia Land Conservancy. It includes a lot of new information we have compiled and will periodically be updated online.

We hope the map and descriptions of public natural areas will serve as a stand-alone resource for anybody looking for a suitable place to be in nature in our county. These resources will also serve as a companion to the Field Guide for anybody looking to experience different habitats “in-person.”

If you would like to receive our end-of-year mailing, which includes the annual appeal, a printout of the map, a discounted preorder form for the Field Guide and a Field Guide sticker, which can be used as a placeholder, should you want to gift the book in advance of its release, please send Josie your mailing address.

If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to the Farmscape Ecology Program, in support of our research, free online resources, and public programming, you can do so online or by sending a check to: FEP, 1075 Harlemville Road, Ghent NY 12075.

There is a lot going on at the Farmscape Ecology Program this summer, and we hope you can join us for one or more of our summer events.

On July 15^th, we welcome visitors to the Creekhouse for a free, all-day Butterfly and Garden Open House featuring brief tours of the locally-stocked Butterfly House and Native Plant Garden, a butterfly-themed StoryWalk for children, and two in-depth workshops: Gardening with Native Plants (10am-Noon) and Exploring Columbia County Butterflies (1pm-3pm). Click here for more details and how to register for the workshops.

Meanwhile, the StoryWalk from our last Open House, The Bug Girl, will stay up at the Creekhouse through July 10^th. Park at the Creekhouse (1075 Harlemville Road, Ghent) and begin the StoryWalk at the kiosk.

Interested in mushrooms? Botany technician Josie Laing will be leading our first ever Mushroom Walk on July 19^th in Harlemville (though adjustments may be needed if the conditions then are not suitable for mushrooms). Click here for more details and how to register for the walk.

Farmscape Ecology Program biologists will lead a Meadow Walk on July 30^th on 80 acres of private land in Gallatin will explore native plants and pollinators, featuring a three-acre field that forms part of Partners for Climate Action’s at-risk pollinator habitat restoration program, Pollinate Now! This walk is being hosted by the Partners for Climate Action and you can click here for more details on the walk and how to register.

A World of Wonder Open House on Saturday, August 26^th will celebrate 20 years of the Farmscape Ecology Program with a variety of “Wonder Stations” highlighting new ways to experience and appreciate the wonders of the natural world through different senses and perspectives. We’ll also have tours of our locally-stocked Butterfly House and Native Plant Garden, and a new butterfly-themed StoryWalk for children.

New events are likely to be added throughout the summer, so if you would like to ensure you have all the latest Farmscape Ecology Program news and events, please sign up for our email list; news and event emails are sent before the beginning of each month.