THE PINE BUSH CELEBRATES EARTH DAY

(ALBANY, NY) – The globally-rare ecosystem of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve provides a unique environment in which to celebrate Earth Day weekend. With a varied array of activities and programs, children, families, neighbors and employees of Capital Region businesses will enjoy all that the 3,200 acre Albany Pine Bush and its state of the art interpretive center have to offer.  The activities begin on Friday, April 20, 2012 at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center at 195 New Karner Road in Albany with a 10:00am program called Pine Bush Pups: Happy Earth Day! for pre-school age children. On Saturday, April 21^st participants of all ages will gather at 9:00AM at the Discovery Center to work on a variety of conservation projects including: trails work, pulling invasive honeysuckle, tree planting, trash clean-up, and boundary posting.  Other events on Saturday include a program about spring flowers at 11:00am and tours at 1:00pm and 2:30pm to learn about the many ways the LEED “Gold” certified Discovery Center uses green technology and sustainable materials. Volunteer opportunities continue on Sunday, April 22^nd with service projects at 10:00am and 1:00pm. The Discovery Center is also open all weekend with exhibits geared to all ages.  Registration is required for all programs, please visit www.AlbanyPineBush.org and click on “Events Calendar” at the top of the page or call 518-456-0655.

Located within the Capital District Region, the Albany Pine Bush’s gently rolling sand plain is home to a variety of rare plants and animals, including the Federally-endangered Karner blue butterfly. The Albany Pine Bush Preserve also creates a special habitat for a number of other rare and unique plants and animals, while providing visitors with an assortment of non-motorized recreational opportunities including hiking, jogging, nature study, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting, fishing and canoeing.

The Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center transforms this globally unique destination into an exciting adventure where learning comes naturally through hands-on activities. As the gateway to the Pine Bush, the Discovery Center introduces visitors to everything that makes the Preserve rare and adventurous. With the help of many volunteers, the Discovery Center offers monthly outings and programs about the ecology, natural and cultural history of the Pine Bush area.  Admission is free. The center is open Tuesday-Friday 9AM-4PM, Saturday and Sunday 10AM-4PM, and on most holiday Mondays. The center is also available for private parties and meeting rentals.   For more information, visit www.AlbanyPineBush.org or call 518-456-0655.

Explore a place.

Discover your world.

Foundry Cove, courtesy of IES. It’s not too good to be true! Our friends at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies really are offering a topnotch program absolutely free.   The first 20 registrants will receive a $50 gift card. All participants will take home a collection of lessons and be eligible for a stipended pilot program this spring.         Ecology and Evolution: Toxins in the Hudson River at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 2801 Sharon Turnpike, Millbrook, Saturday, February 18, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Snow date: Sat., Feb. 25.)   Dr. Jeff Levinton and educators from IES will introduce new secondary classroom activities exploring the relationship between ecology and evolution. These topics are typically taught separately, but the IES lessons use the story of oligochaete worms and how they the evolved to be cadmium-resistant. The worms are found in Foundry Cove on the edge of the Hudson near Cold Spring. Cold Spring was once the site of a battery plant and other industrial uses, including the ironworks that built Civil War-era Parrott guns, and Foundry Cove was among the most cadmium contaminated sites on earth. It is recovering after a successful Superfund cleanup project, and the public can now enjoy nearby Constitution Island and Marsh as well as West Point Foundry Preserve. Register by Monday, Feb. 13 with Mid-Hudson Teachers Center, course number: MST-1112008, or e-mail Mira Gentry. For more information e-mail Celia Cuomo, 845-677-7600, ext. 179.   Can’t make the workshop? Visit Cary’s website for other workshops and lesson plans or visit THV’s website for activities related to West Point Foundry.

Visit the sugar shack and enjoy a variety of family activities to include hikes, our newly upgraded planetarium and live animals from Animal Embassy.   Visit our farmer’s market including potters, cheese maker, candle maker, soap maker, papermaker, honey and syrup vendors, etc.

Schedule online www.sharpereservation.org or call the Nature Center (845) 896-5910.  This event is co-sponsored by the NY State Outdoor Education Association.

Workshops led by Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies education staff are free and open to middle school and high school teachers.  Learn how to use the Hudson River to teach about ecology, evolution, and environmental science using local data.

Data and Ecology: Hudson River Food Webs

• April 17, 2012, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at Norrie Point Environmental Center in Staatsburg, NY, Course # MST-1112009; registration deadline: April 12, 2012.

Ecology and Evolution: Toxins and the Hudson River

• February 18, 2012, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, (snow date: February 25, 2012), Course #MST-1112008; registration deadline: February 15, 2012. For this workshop only, we are offering $50 gift cards for the first 20 teachers who sign up, and you will also become eligible to become a pilot teacher this spring, which provides you with a stipend of $200.  Contact Celia for more information.

Data and Ecology: Using Local Data to Learn About Pollution

• February 28, 2012, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at Marlboro Middle School in Marlboro, NY (snow date: March 13, 2012) Course #MST-1112007; registration deadline: February 23, 2012.

OR

• April 24, 2012, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at Beczak Environmental Education Center, Yonkers, NY, registration deadline: April 19, 2012.

For more information go to the Cary Institute at http://www.caryinstitute.org/ed_teacher_workshops.html  or contact Celia Cuomo at cuomoc@caryinstitute.org.

Register online at the Mid-Hudson Teacher Center or contact Mira Gentry at gentrym@caryinstitute.org.