Events

Join Hudson River Sloop Clearwater for a 3-hour tour of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. We will take a hike on the Karner Barrens Trailhead Yellow Trail, a 2.6-mile sandy trail that meanders through forest and dunes and some of the best pitch pine-scrub oak barrens in the preserve to explore fire ecology and ethnobotany. The program will feature Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Conservation Director, Neil Gifford and Wild Hudson Valley ethnoecologist, Justin Wexler for an extraordinary journey into this globally rare, nationally significant, and locally distinct inland pine barrens. Precolonial Indigenous cultures relied on the once extensive Pine Bush for food, medicines, and other essential natural resources. Indigenous fire stewardship historically helped maintain fire-dependent medicinal plants and the rare wildlife they support. Today we emulate some of those traditional practices with prescribed burns, which not only benefit rare plant and animal species but also reduce the risk of wildfires that could threaten surrounding human communities. Please remember to dress for the weather, wear sturdy walking shoes or boots, and bring drinking water. Due to the presence of ticks, we recommend that you wear long, light-colored pants and socks. Please remember to dress for the weather, wear sturdy walking shoes or boots, and bring drinking water. Due to the presence of ticks, we recommend that you wear long, light-colored pants and socks. Tucking your pants into your socks helps to keep the ticks on the outside of your clothing making them easier to spot and remove. We also suggest bringing a hat, sunscreen, a full reusable water bottle, and any snacks you would like during the program. Parking for this trailhead is located at the Discovery Center parking lot. A note on hike difficulty, trails at Albany Pine Bush Preserve can range from easy to moderate, including uneven terrain. The program will require walking/standing for 2 hours. REGISTER TO ATTEND: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/824577352057 This program is sponsored by the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. Learn more about the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area at www.hudsonrivervalley.com.