Thursday April 25, 2024 
Tuesday Treks at Dyken Pond EEC
GRAFTON – Every Tuesday 12:30 – 2:30 Join Len Tremblay on a moderately paced 3 mile hike every Tuesday in December to explore the wilds of Dyken Pond Center. Learn the trail system one at a time with a knowledgeable guide. Each week we’ll discover new ground and nature. Hikes will be cancelled in bad weather. This program is for adults and older teens. 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.
Snowshoe Rentals at Dyken Pond EEC
GRAFTON – Rentals are available when there is at least 6 inches of snow on the ground. Please call ahead to reserve your shoes as rentals may not always be available. $5 ½ day rental. Guided snowshoe hikes also available with advance notice. For info call (518) 658-2055 or dykenpond@nullgmail.com.
January Lecture – Moose and Bear on the Rensselaer Plateau, with Jeremy Hurst
RENSSELAER COUNTY – Thursday, January 20, 7 pm on Zoom. Jeremy Hurst serves as the Big Game Unit Leader for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, where he oversees statewide management programs for white-tailed deer, black bear, and moose. He will speak about bear and moose, elusive wild mammals of the Rensselaer Plateau. Learn more/register at www.rensselaerplateau.org
Nature Book Club
RENSSELAER COUNTY – Nature Book Club, with Rama Hamarneh, Wednesday, January 26, 7 pm on Zoom. This month we’ll be reading James Herriot’s familiar classic, All Creatures Great and Small. The book club provides a space to discuss books related to nature, together as a community. Monthly meetings are free to attend, and all are welcome – come for a single month, every month, or anything in between! Rama is a published writer with a PhD in Comparative Literature. She works as a staff advisor at RPI and is on the volunteer committee for the Poesten Kill Bends Preserve in Troy. Learn more/register at www.rensselaerplateau.org.
Winter Tracking Workshop
RENSSELAER COUNTY – Winter Tracking Workshop, with Dan Yacobellis, Saturday, January 29, 9 am – 3:30 pm. Valentino Family Community Forest, Grafton. Learn to read the tracks and sign of the animal residents of the Rensselaer Plateau. This ancient art/science will give you a fun way to connect with and get to know the local ecology, wherever you may be. From the signs animals leave, we can learn what they like, where their favorite places are, who they avoid or gravitate to, and how they interact with all the species of plants, trees, mammals, and birds around them. Sometimes we can even figure out what they are thinking or feeling! Space is limited and pre-registration required. Register at www.rensselaerplateau.org.