Albany Pine Bush Preserve

02/17/2025

Have you ever wanted to get into nature journaling but weren’t quite sure where to start?

Join us for a free program on February 18th where we will spend time appreciating the incredible diversity of insects in the Pine Bush while we exercise our creativity through nature journaling.

This program is suitable for ages 10+ and will meet inside the Discovery Center at 1:00pm

Registration required:
https://albanypinebush.org/index.php?section=visit-calendar&evtid=1880

Photo by Justin Scott

02/13/2025

Looking for a last minute gift idea for your special someone today? We can help!

🐛 Larvae, insects, spiders, and other invertebrates are delicious protein packed snacks!

If your sweetie isn't a bird, we also have a nature themed shop right inside the Discovery Center.

Photo by Dean Bouton

02/12/2025

The fleeting fisher found a frozen forest feast.

Fishers are one of the most elusive animals found within the preserve, so what a lucky sight this is! (Though perhaps unlucky for the raccoon)

Also known as “fisher cats”, they’re actually not cats at all and are members of the weasel family.

Being so secretive and shy, they can be difficult to monitor… which is where scientists could use community help!

If you spot any fishers throughout New York, you can report your sightings to the DEC to help the Bureau of Wildlife learn more about their distribution and behavior.
Other animals that you can report sightings of include bobcats, river otters, weasels, American martens, gray fox, snowshoe hare, and fox squirrels.

https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/biodiversity-species-conservation/citizen-science/furbearer-sighting-surveys

Special thanks to for capturing these photos.

02/11/2025

Mark your calendars… the 28th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count is near!

Each February, for four days the world comes together to admire birds during the Great Backyard Bird Count. This yearly event is an impressive collaboration between Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Birds Canada.

Participants spend time in their favorite places observing and counting as many birds as possible and then report their findings. This helps scientists better understand global bird populations.

This year’s count is February 14-17th, we hope you’ll join us!

www.birdcount.org

02/10/2025

Join the world in connecting to birds February 14–17, 2025.

02/09/2025

Happy Superb Owl Day! 🦉

Featuring a superb owl found here in the Albany Pine Bush, the Barred Owl.

If you've ever heard a call that sounds like "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" a Barred Owl is nearby!

They can fly nearly silently though, so if they don't want to be found... good luck!

Photo by Justin Higgins

02/07/2025

Snow problems here! ☃️

Rain, shine, snow, and sun... We have something for every day of the season. ❄️

Come explore our trails and free Discovery Center to learn more about the special habitat of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve and the work we are doing to protect it!

02/06/2025

The Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center will be closed to the public on the following dates: Thursday February 6, 2025. Preserve trails will remain open.
www.AlbanyPineBush.org/alerts

02/04/2025

The beauty of nature doesn’t stop when the sun goes down… the trails at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve are open 24/7. ✨

Night hikes are a great way to gain a new perspective.

Here are some tips to make the most of the dark:
• Stick to marked trails.
• Dress in layers for cooler temperatures.
• Be prepared to use all your senses.
• Use a red flashlight to help preserve your night vision.
• Bring a backup light in case your first one fails.
• Hike in a group or with a friend.
• Let someone know where you’ll be and when to expect you back.

If hiking at night isn’t something you’re comfortable with quite yet, we have things for you too! 🌝

Find more ideas to experience the magic at albanypinebush.org/discover-the-night

02/04/2025

Pattern next month will co-host a free webinar that focuses on planning to protect our buildings, communities, and forests from wildfires. At least two large wildfires affected the Hudson Valley and southern Catskills in 2024, and the recent fires in California have underscored the significant risk associated with wildfires during the era of climate change. Register here to learn more: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/LyyJUACFSzyGAjmGkbPssQ #/registration

02/02/2025

Today is World Wetlands Day! 🌏
🐸🐢🦎

Did you know that the Albany Pine Bush Preserve is home to a rare type of wetland?

The pine barrens vernal pond is a rare wetland community found within the pine barrens.

They are generally small, less than 5 acres, and are fed only by rain and snowmelt. This means that they contain the greatest amount of water in the spring (vernal) season and dry up in the summer and fall. Most pine barrens vernal ponds in the APB occur in low valleys between the dunes.

Vernal ponds contain no fish, making them safe havens for young reptiles, amphibians, and insects. They’re also home to several rare and important species of plants.

Pine barrens vernal ponds are threatened by many of the same factors that impact other types of wetlands such as development, pollution, and habitat alteration. Since they are embedded within pine barrens ecosystems, the suppression of fire is an additional threat as well.

If you’d like to see one of these special habitats for yourself, come hike our yellow trail that starts at the Discovery Center. 🟡

Photos by Carol McCord, Gerry Kubek, and Wendy Craney

01/31/2025

Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-film-screening-north-to-new-york-tickets-1137964595739?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Join us at the New York State Museum for a free screening & discussion of North to New York: The Great Migration in NY's Capital Region on Saturday, February 8th at 3pm!

Each September, the Capital Region of New York celebrates Mississippi Day, commemorating the roots of a community born from the migration of African Americans from the small town of Shubuta, Mississippi to Albany, NY and surrounding areas.

A companion piece to Henry Louis Gates Jr's PBS original documentary series Great Migrations: A People on the Move, WMHT's North to New York: The Great Migration in NY's Capital Region is an original documentary about the history and legacy of those that left all they knew behind to make the Capital Region home.

RSVP and more details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1137964595739?aff=oddtdtcreator

01/29/2025

Happy Lunar New Year 🌙

Welcoming in the Year of the Snake 🐍 featuring one of the special snakes that calls the Albany Pine Bush home... the eastern hognose snake.

A species of greatest conservation need, the eastern hognose snake is named for their upturned snout. They have a thick body that can reach 46 inches in length. Its background color can vary from yellow to black with large rectangular spots down the middle of the back.

More distinguishing than its looks are its behaviors. When disturbed, the hognose snake will flatten the skin around its head and neck like a cobra. They'll hiss and even lunge... but despite their tough act, hognose snakes rarely ever bite. In fact, they will eventually play dead to avoid further provocation. (see the last photo 👀)

The drama queens of the snake world that we are so lucky to have right in our backyard!

01/28/2025

Deep Freeze Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 10am. Amphibians and reptiles have unique ways to survive through the winter weather. Join us for this program and learn why we call it deep freeze. This program is suitable for ages 8+. Reservations required for this free program. 518-456-0655 www.AlbanyPineBush.org/events

01/24/2025

While many critters are still tucked away for winter, life at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve is still tweeting along and we have many educational and recreational opportunities available.

Connecting with nature is a great way to beat those winter blues. ❄️

Stay up to date with our calendar so you don’t miss out on some exciting upcoming programs!

https://albanypinebush.org/visit-calendar

Our experts will guide you along this 0.9-mile hike over rolling sand dunes where you will discover Pine Bush natural history and seasonal surprises and transformations. Suitable for all ages.

01/21/2025

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!
(No, we didn't make that up)

Squirrels are important ecosystem gardeners.
One squirrel in a single season can bury up to 10,000 nuts! 🤯

Even though they can find food buried beneath a foot of snow, they typically only recover about 1/4th of those nuts they have stored.

This behavior helps to disperse seeds and regenerate plants, making them one of the most powerful planters around! 🧑‍🌾

Thank a squirrel today!

01/16/2025

Plant feature: New Jersey Tea 🫖

New Jersey tea, Ceanothus americanus, is a compact, drought-resistant, deciduous shrub of barrens and prairie habitats.

Reaching a height of three feet, NJ tea grows among the prairie grass and other shrubs in the understory of the inland pine barrens. The thick taproot of NJ tea helps it to survive both fire and drought. Its clusters of delicate tiny white blossoms appear in late spring through early summer and are visited by a diversity of pollinators. Seeds mature in late summer and are held in tiny capsules. 🔍

New Jersey tea is a host plant for many butterflies and moths including the rare mottled duskywing. 🦋

As its name suggests, New Jersey tea leaves can be dried and used to brew tea. ☕

New Jersey tea is an important part of the ecosystem here in the Albany Pine Bush, keep an eye out for it this spring!