Tuesday April 23, 2024 
Find the Pot of Gold at Dyken Pond EEC
Grafton – Can you find our hidden pot of gold? To celebrate the coming of spring and St. Patrick’s Day the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center has created a new geocache. It is a hidden pot of leprechaun gold available through the end of March! Geocaching is a scavenger hunt using a GPS unit to get to a hidden prize. You can learn more about geocaching and get all the tools you will need at geocaching.com. There are many other GPS apps available as free downloads for phones. Download a GPS app, enter the coordinates of our treasure and find your way to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Don’t see any rainbows? It is up to you to try to find all of the colors in a rainbow as you search for our hidden treasure. Please sign the log book when you find the “Pot of Gold” and take only one prize per participant. We also love seeing people share their adventures on social media! Happy spring! Look for the pot of gold at: N 42°43.574’ W 073°25.750’
Family Programs at Dyken Pond EEC
Grafton –The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering the following events in March.
Snowshoe Rentals: Available by reservation every day! – Youth rentals are FREE with an accompanying adult. Adult rentals are $5. Call or email to ensure availability.
Mindful Nature Walk: Saturday, March 20: 1pm – 3pm Join Sandy Wilson from Spirit of Dragonflies, LLC to celebrate the wonders of the outdoors! For those of you who have never experienced a Mindful Nature Walk we will be experiencing the benefits of “Forest Bathing.” Don’t worry, Forest Bathing requires no shower cap and involves no actual bathing in water. Called Shinrin-Yoku where it originated in Japan, it is the wellness practice of being in the present moment and opening up our senses to fully take in the forest atmosphere. This type of slow walking ‘sauntering’, deep breathing, present-centered awareness, and observation in nature is shown to reduce stress, boost our moods, and strengthen our immune systems. Donations accepted if you are able. Suggested donation: $10, but truly any amount is welcome.
Tuesday Treks: Every Tuesday from 12:30pm – 2:30pm Join Len Tremblay on a moderately paced 2-3 mile hike every Tuesday in March to explore the wilds of Dyken Pond Center. Each week we’ll discover new ground and nature. Hikes will be cancelled in bad weather. Pre-registration required. Snowshoe rentals available for $5 if needed. This program is for adults and older teens.
The Friday Family Forest Foray: Every Friday this March: 10am -11:30am – we will be exploring a different area of the park attempting to cover every inch of the park’s many trails while searching the woods for seasonal wonders. These programs end around lunch time so consider packing a picnic lunch to enjoy following the program! Preregistration required for each weekly session. Reserve snowshoes if needed for $5. All ages welcome but must be able to hike 2 miles.
Giving Tuesdays: March 23rd: 1pm-2:30pm – Help Dyken Pond staff improve the Center for wildlife and guests alike. The March project will focus on how we can help monitor for the Hemlock wooly adelgid, an invasive pest attacking Eastern hemlock trees. Learn how you can carry out self-guided HWA field surveys, and collect environmental data using iMapInvasives, a free, easy-to-use, mobile mapping tool. This is an excellent way to support the lands you love and get involved with local conservation while hiking, x-country skiing, or snowshoeing this winter and spring. Preregister for all events at dykenpond@nullgmail.com or (518) 658-2055. Your registration is not complete until you receive confirmation via phone or email. Please visit our website www.dykenpond.org to learn more about our procedures as a result of COVID-19, for more information about the Center and a complete schedule of our winter events. During the pandemic, we are waiving most program fees, but donations of any amount are always welcome if you are able. Most of our programs are weather and snow dependent. We encourage you to follow our Facebook page and/or website where we will post new pop-up outings when the snow flies and 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, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Glass Lake Men’s Golf League at Burden Lake Country Club
RENSSELAER COUNTY – Attention all golfers. The Glass Lake Men’s League at Burden Lake Country Club is looking for new members. Open to the public and members of Burden Lake Country Club. The league plays Tuesday nights from April 13th to September 14th, with tee times from 3:00-4:30pm. The league will also have two tournaments. The first being July 3rd at Schenectady Municipal Golf Course and the second at Burden Lake Country Club on September 18th. All skill levels are welcome. All current and new members are encouraged to attend our informational meeting at Burden Lake Country Club, on March 16th at 7pm in the restaurant. The bar will be open for service, but the restaurant will not. The first half dues are due on March 16th at the meeting. For more information on dues and how to become a member, contact Kean Toomey at kean.toomey@nullgmail.com.