As part of a small panel discussion, Claudia Knab-Vispo will be speaking at Arthur’s Point Farm in Ghent during their final Open Nursery Weekend of the season (Sept 12–14, 10am–4pm). Claudia will discuss the ecological role of native plants in gardens, including how diversity of flowering times, flower morphology, and genetics can support pollinators and […]

Interested in learning about ancient forests and their land use history in Columbia County? Join FEP staff on Saturday, September 13th, for an ecology walk hosted by Wally Farms, where we will define what ancient forests are, learn about the characteristics we use to distinguish them, and then discuss why they are at risk. For more […]

We will be co-facilitating a meadow-tending session at the Forge Project in Ancram, NY, a local organization centered around amplifying indigenous voices through art, education, and land revitalization. FEP has been involved in the transitioning of the former agricultural fields and traditionally landscaped areas around their buildings into native meadows and shrublands that will feature native and culturally significant species. […]

Where: 1075 Harlemville Rd, Ghent, NY 12075 Botanist and ecologist Jerry Jenkins, of the Northern Forest Atlas, will be visiting next week and sharing his new "Field Guide to the Woody Plants of the Northern Forest." This new book is a richly illustrated guide with information on not only identification, but also the geography and […]

Where: West Taghkanic Firehouse, 631 Old Route 82, Taghkanic, NY The presentation “Not all Forests are Created Equal: A Closer Look at Our Forest Habitats and Their Biodiversity” by Claudia Knab-Vispo, Conrad Vispo, and Kyle Bradford will be the fourth in a series entitled "The Forest in Your Backyard," organized by the Conservation Advisory Councils […]

Join us for a winter walk at Schor Conservation Area (58 Shore View Drive, East Chatham, NY 12060) to learn about our Ancient Forest Project. We will walk through a variety of habitats, compare younger post-agricultural forests to those that have never been fully cleared for agriculture, and teach winter plant identification along the way. Participants should be prepared […]

The Austerlitz Housing Committee is launching a new community speaker series designed to help residents better understand the place we live through story, ecology, and history. The goal is to create programming that is engaging, accessible, and not boring, while giving residents shared context for future conversations about land use, preservation, and housing. The first […]

Where: Hudson Jr/Sr High School (215 Harry Howard Ave, Hudson, NY 12534) Come see us at the Spring Gardening Day, put on by Cornell Cooperative Extension in Hudson. There will be a full day of learning and workshops, and FEP staff will be among the local organizations with information tables. Our displays will be centered around the […]

The Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program will lead an “Amphibians at Lindenwald” guided walk hosted by the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site on Saturday. The walk will give participants the opportunity to visit several amphibian breeding pools and ponds within the historical boundary of Lindenwald and learn about the frogs and salamanders that use […]

Where: Spencertown Park (786 NY-203) or, in the case of rain, Town Hall (816 NY-203) Alongside other nature and conservation-focused community organizations, FEP will be attending the Earth Day Festival in Spencertown, hosted by the Spencertown Academy Arts Center and Town of Austerlitz. We will have displays about our place-based research, historical weather, butterflies of […]

The County Climate Smart Task Force & Columbia Land Conservancy will be hosting a Film Festival at the Crandell Theater in Chatham. They will be showing two films: Farmscape Ecology by Jon Bowermaster - A 26-minute film attempting to answer the question: “How can we produce food while ensuring farmers’ livelihoods, and respecting the needs of other […]