Monday April 29, 2024 
Tuesday Treks at Dyken Pond EEC
GRAFTON – Every Tuesday 12:30pm – 2:30pm Join Len Tremblay on a moderately paced 3 mile hike every Tuesday in October to explore the wilds of Dyken Pond Center. Each week we’ll discover new ground and nature. Hikes will be cancelled in bad weather. Preregistration is required for all programs at (518) 658-2055 or dykenpond@nullgmail.com. Your registration is not complete until you receive confirmation from the Center. This program is for adults and older teens.
Nature Art Trail at Dyken Pond Center
Grafton – Nature Art Trail: Every Day in October. Create your own art project on a self-guiding trail in the spirit of artist Andy Goldsworthy’s Earth art at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center. Four stations will instruct you how to use natural materials found in the woods to create art to either take home or leave behind. Instructions will be found at our main sign. The Nature Art Trail will be open every day in October and is designed to do at your own pace. For all ages.
Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is a Rensselaer County park located in the town of Grafton. Open every day during daylight hours, there are eleven miles of hiking trails and picnic sites.
Outdoor Afro: An Introduction to our Community
RENSSELAER COUNTY – Join the 3rd talk in the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance’s Guest Lecture Series, with Outdoor Afro’s National Program Director, Chaya Harris, and local Outdoor Afro leader Benita Law-Diao. Thursday, October 28, at 7pm on Zoom. Outdoor Afro is the nation’s leading, cutting edge network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. A national not for profit organization, Outdoor Afro has leadership networks throughout the country. With more than 100 leaders in 56 cities around the country, Outdoor Afro connects thousands of people to nature experiences, and is changing the face of conservation. Join this talk for an opportunity to learn more about the newest chapter of Outdoor Afro in the Capital Region! Please email your questions to molly@nullrensselaerplateau.org to ensure the speakers can cover what you’d like to know. Pre-registration is required: please visit www.rensselaerplateau.org. For more on local Outdoor Afro events, join the Outdoor Afro Albany and Upstate NY facebook group.
Bird Feeding 101: at Dyken Pond EEC
GRAFTON – Saturday, October 30: 1pm -2:30pm. Learn what birds will be attracted to birdfeeders, make a birdfeeder ornament to take home and create an offering to the birds which will be left at the Center and documented with a trail camera. Participants will receive “best of” photographs of the visitors via email following the program. $2 per youth. Preregistration is required for all programs at (518) 658-2055 or dykenpond@nullgmail.com. Your registration is not complete until you receive confirmation from the Center. Youth of all ages. Please visit our website www.dykenpond.org to learn more about the Center and a for a complete schedule of our fall events. We encourage you to follow our Facebook page and/or website where we will post new events when the conditions are just right for getting outdoors. Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is a Rensselaer County Park open daily during daylight hours for hiking, fishing, birding, canoeing and kayaking.
AP Youth Basketball Updates – Sr League and Hoop Camp
AVERILL PARK – AP Youth Basketball is happy to announce that the Boys Sr League CYO program for 2021-2022 season will be taking place. Signups/registration will take place in mid November with games starting in early December. We plan on forming teams for the Grade 9-10 level and the Grade 11-12 level. We are trying to gauge interest, so please send an email to apyouthbasketball@nullgmail.com to let us know if you have a High Schooler interested in playing and at which level. We will also be in need of at least 1 Coach at the Grade 9-10 Level.
APYB is also hoping to have Hoop Camp this season for boys and girls in Grades K-4 on Saturday mornings at AMS. We hope to have more information shortly and to begin Hoop Camp in mid to late November. Please follow us on Facebook or on our website at www.averillparkyouthbasketball.org.