Interested in learning more about the Ancient Forests of Columbia County? Join us for a series of three guided explorations into these at-risk habitats. Discover their distinguishing characteristics, delve into land use history, and sharpen your skills in winter botany. Registration is closed, keep an eye out for more ancient forest walks this year.

During the 2024 field season, Josie, Kyle, and Laura conducted a pilot study for the Ancient Forest Project, within the scope of a larger initiative aimed at bringing attention to underrecognized habitats in our landscape. Join us as we share the results of this pilot, highlight the insights gained and questions that remain about ancient […]

Continuing our ancient forest-themed ecology walks, we will lead a spring wildflower walk at an ancient forest with calcareous outcrops in Canaan, NY. The location is on private land and will be shared with participants once registered. The walk is full, to be added to the waiting list please email Josie; the walk is limited […]

Thanks to an ecological restoration grant from Partners for Climate Action and support from the Hawthorne Valley Association Net Positive Initiative, we have successfully assembled a deer exclosure around a grove of Leatherwood shrubs and spring wildflowers on Phudd Hill, and will soon be conducting baseline research and sharing about the project. We will be […]

Where: Hand Hollow (4079 County Rte 9, East Chatham, NY 12060) Participants will see how spring is progressing in diverse habitats in the landscape, including an ancient forest habitat adjacent to younger forest. This is a great opportunity to welcome back spring flowers and their insect visitors, learn how to recognize different species, discover some of the special qualities of ancient […]

Where: Crellin Park (2940 NY-66, Chatham, NY 12037) Participants will experience several habitats, including floodplain forest, and see how spring wildflowers distribute differently between them. This is a great opportunity to welcome back spring flowers, learn how to recognize different species, hear some of their lore, and observe their early insect visitors. The walk will […]

Join Anna and Kyle for special tours of the newly installed native plant plots and other spring happenings in the recently restored historic orchard at the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook, NY. "Spring in the Orchard" tours depart from the Visitor's Center on June 7th at 10:15am, 11:15am, 1:15pm, and 2:15pm; sign […]

Please join a group of volunteers facilitated by Claudia and Josie for a few hours on the longest day of the year to tend the various meadows at the Forge Project. We will learn who are the native plants we try to support on this beautiful hilltop. We plan to remove invasives and woody plants […]

Friday, July 11,  6:30pm at the FEP Creekhouse in Harlemville (directions here) Carla Rhodes, former stand-up comedian and current wildlife photographer & conservationist, will present a slideshow entitled, Comedy to Conservation. Carla, based near New Paltz in Ulster County, is an amazing photographer of our regional wildlife, as her portfolio illustrates. She has a fascination with flying […]

Monday, July 21, 3 to 5pm; 138 Cattalino Rd, Ancramdale, NY Join researchers from the Farmscape Ecology Program for an exploration of a pollinator meadow seeded by volunteers in the autumn of 2019 on a former corn field at Overmountain Conservation Area in Ancram. Which native plants were seeded? Who are the native (and non-native) […]

Tuesday, July 29, 1:30-4:40pm, 1874 Hurley Mountain Road, Hurley NY; rain date: Wed., July 30th; register here This will be an opportunity to join us and our colleagues from the Applied Farmscape Ecology Research Collaborative to learn about and discuss the different Farmscape Ecology research projects that occur at the Farm Hub. This event is […]