Wildlife Tracking Workshops in Rensselaer County

Join local tracking expert Dan Yacobellis at Poestenkill Community Forest, Poestenkill. See what changes the lengthening days bring to animal activity. We will continue adding information to our online tracking map. Anyone who was not present at the February workshop will get a brief overview and handouts to help them get started mapping their own wildlife tracking observations. Option to leave at noon before everyone else heads deeper into the woods.

Dan Yacobellis runs Tamakoce Wilderness Programs in Grafton, immersing children and adults in wilderness living experiences. He is a long-time Plateau resident and teacher, and has led many tracking outings on the Plateau.

This workshop is part of a series of three workshops to learn animal tracks or to enhance your skills. All are welcome to attend one or more workshops; each workshop will add a new layer to the tracking experience. This is the third workshop and will include GPS mapping and documenting of all observed wildlife signs, using citizen science to contribute to an online, active map of animal activity on the Rensselaer Plateau.

Online pre-registration is required. Cost is $20 for each workshop. Space is limited.

Click HERE to Register!

Questions about the workshop? Contact Annie by e-mail.

All participants need to sign a liability waiver, which can be downloaded HERE and returned the morning of the workshop.

Please arrive promptly by 9:15 a.m. to complete registration, get organized and be ready to hike by 9:30 a.m.  

These workshops are jointly sponsored by the Rensselaer Land Trust, Rensselaer Plateau Alliance, and Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center.

Dress appropriately for the cold weather!

Wildlife tracking requires some hiking with long periods of standing while you examine the tracks you find. (this is when your feet get cold!)  We never know what we will find or how far we will actually hike.  Folks need to be in good physical condition and have adequate winter gear to be outside for the day.  Temperatures are about 10 degrees cooler on the Plateau than lower elevations. Please plan on wearing what you think will keep you warm, and then add two extra layers in a back pack to bring along. Hand and foot warmers are always a good idea.

Bring snowshoes. Again, snowpack can be much deeper on the Plateau than surrounding areas. 

Plan on eating lunch outside if you are attending the full day programs. There are no indoor facilities. Pack high energy, nutrient dense foods: nuts, cheese, energy bars, dark chocolate, nut butters, oranges are all good choices. Remember to drink adequate water through the day. It is easy to become dehydrated in the winter as we tend to not feel thirsty. 

Refunds will gladly be given up to 7 days prior to the event. After that, refunds will be given only if we are able to fill your place.   

We are very excited to offer this Tracking Series this year with Josh and Dan.  Whether you're new to wildlife tracking or one of our regulars, you're in for a great day in the woods. 

Co-sponsored by Rensselaer Land Trust and Rensselaer Plateau Alliance.

Due to snow and high winds in the forecast for Saturday, March 23 we've postponed this program to Sunday, March 24 at 10:00 a.m.

We’ll snowshoe or hike, depending on conditions, from RPA's Poestenkill Community Forest to the top of Perigo Hill in RLT’s Geiser Preserve. We’ll see hemlock and hardwood forests, hemlock swamps and other wetlands, as well as looking for tracks of squirrels, porcupines, coyote, bobcat, whitetail deer, and moose.  The hike will be about 3.5 miles, including several uphill climbs and some bushwhacking, and take about three hours. Bring gear appropriate for the weather: snowshoes, spikes, or hiking boots. Wear warm clothes and bring water and snack/lunch.

Meet at the parking lot of the Poestenkill Community Forest in East Poestenkill.

Register in advance with Jeff Briggs by e-mail.

Suggested donation of $5 collected morning of event.

Become a Rensselaer Naturalist!

First program of our Rensselaer Naturalist Series! We will check a pond and a vernal pool for early breeding frogs and salamanders. We will learn to identify calls and egg masses, and will discuss the differences in breeding and larval development between frogs and salamanders. If spring thaw permits, we will also look for wood salamanders and stream salamanders. Wear boots for walking in wet areas. Bring water and snack.

Meet at the parking lot of the Poestenkill Community Forest in East Poestenkill.

To Register CLICK HERE.

Questions about the event? Contact: Jeff Briggs by e-mail.

Suggested donation of $5 collected the day of the event.

Rensselaer Land Trust and Rensselaer Plateau Alliance are offering the Rensselaer Naturalist series this year. At each outing in the series, adults and teens can learn about a specific aspect of the natural history of Rensselaer County, such as birds, wildflowers, trees, and bogs – see the full list below. At each outing, there will be a learning goal related to that outing’s topic; for example, learn 10 birds, or learn 10 wildflowers, or learn about what makes a bog a bog. Participants who complete at least eight of the learning goals will receive a customized Rensselaer Naturalist patch!

Whether you’re a beginner or already have experience with a given topic, you’ll learn something new from a Rensselaer Naturalist program. Maybe you won’t be an expert after one session, but we hope that you’ll come away able to put names on some plants and animals you’re likely to see in the Count and an appreciation of their habitats and ecology. We will provide participants with resources to review before each outing, and a list of resources for further exploration.

The Rensselaer Naturalist series is designed to bring you deeper into nature and to enhance your outdoor experiences. The series will also provide the basis for you to become more involved in citizen science, share outdoor activities with others, and make a difference in conservation of our natural resources.

Each outing in the series is also open to those who are not working toward the Rensselaer Naturalist patch, space permitting.

Petersbrug Pass to Snow Hole and on to north end in North Petersburgh, 7.9 miles.

Leader: Michael Jensen

The Snow Hole, a deep crevice where snow and ice last well into the summer, is the highlight of this section. Also long views to the west and to the east into Vermont, white quartz, and a short stretch in Vermont, finishing with a long, steep descent to the north trailhead along Route 346. 

We will hike the entire 37 miles of the Taconic Crest Trail over the course of the year in six separate trips. This beautiful ridge-top trail winds through New York, Massachusetts, and a corner of Vermont, from North Petersburg to near New Lebanon, passing by the renowned Snow Hole and over Rensselaer County’s highest peak. With about 7000 feet of both cumulative ascent and cumulative descent, views include the Little Hoosick Valley and Mount Greylock. Join us for one, some or all of the sections. Those who complete the entire trail (with us and/or on their own), can receive a patch from the Taconic Hiking Club.

All hikes have long steep uphill and/or downhill sections over rocky ground. Wear boots or sturdy shoes. Bring lunch, snacks and plenty of water. Prepare for cool and windy conditions. 

All hikes start at 9 am. Free for members, $5 for non-members. Please register here.

Learn how to identify, report, and remove invasive species right here in Troy! The native plants of one the largest open spaces in Troy need our help by cutting bittersweet vines and pulling other invasives. We will be led by Spencer Barrett, Terrestrial Invasive Species Coordinator with Capital-Mohawk PRISM.. Wear old clothes, work gloves, and boots or shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Bring lopper/clippers for cutting vines if you have them.

Meet at the parking lot of the Staalesen Preserve on Wynantskill Way in Troy.

Questions? Contact Joe Durkin at jdurkin1@nycap.rr.com. No charge.

Register HERE.

Event can be used as credit toward becoming a Rensselaer Naturalist.

Co-sponsored by Rensselaer Land Trust, Rensselaer Plateau Alliance and Capital-Mohawk PRISM.

Resources for this outing are listed below and can also be found here along with learning goals.

Invasive Species Resources

Identification Guides

Invasive Plants: Guide to Identification and the Impacts and Control of Common North     American Species. 2^ndedition. 2013. Kaufman and Kaufman.

Species Profiles at NY Invasives Species Information

Identification Resourcesat iMapInvasives

Identification Guidesat Capital Mohawk PRISM 

Finger Lakes Invasive Species Field Guide

Information about Invasive Species

Capital Mohawk PRISM(Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management)

Invasive & Nuisance Species(Cornell Cooperative Extension Columbia and Greene Counties)

iMapInvasives New York

New York Invasive Species Research Instituteincluding Best Management Practice Guides

NY Invasives Species Information

Online Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species in Northeastern North America

Part of our Rensselaer Naturalist Series! David Hunt will show us how to identify common plants of marshes and swamps, and tell us about the ecology of wetlands. Quacken Kill Marsh is a diverse riparian wetland complex dominated by shallow emergent marsh and shrub swamp with narrow strips of cobble shore along a marsh headwater stream. Wear footwear that can get wet.

Meet at the small dirt pull off at the edge of the field on the west side of Jay Hakes Road, about .5 mile south of NY Route 2.

Register in advance here. Questions? Contact Nick Conrad at nbconrad@msn.com. Suggested donation of $5.

Part of our Rensselaer Naturalist Series co-sponsored by Rensselaer Land Trust and Rensselaer Plateau Alliance. All are welcome to attend.

Some extra resources for the outing can be found below. Even more resources and learning objectives can be found here.

Plants

Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Newcomb, Lawrence. 1977. Little, Brown and Company.

This is the most useful illustrated field guide for identifying wildflowers in New York.

Peterson’s Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North Central North America. Peterson, Roger Tory and Margaret McKenny. 1968. Houghton Mifflin.

The Naturalist's Guide to Wetland Plants: An Ecology for Eastern North America. Cox, Donald D. 2002. Syracuse University Press.

Includes chapter on peatlands.

Wetlands. Audubon Society Nature Guides. Elliott, Charles. 1985.

Part of our Rensselaer Naturalist Series co-sponsored by Rensselaer Land Trust and Rensselaer Plateau Alliance! All are welcome to attend. Oak vs maple? Red maple vs. sugar maple? No worries -- trees are one of the easiest groups to learn, and the Kinderhook Creek Preserve’s many habitats have a good variety. Dave Hart will show us how to identify the different kinds of trees and tell us their ecological and cultural stories. 

Meet at the parking lot of the Kinderhook Creek Preservein East Nassau.

Register in advance. Questions? Contact David Gaskellat gaskell@nycap.rr.com. Suggested donation of $

Resources for this outing are listed below and can also be found here along with learning goals.

Resources:

Peterson’s Field Guides:

A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs. Petrides, George A. Houghton Mifflin.

A Field Guide to Eastern Trees. Petrides, George A. and Janet Wehr. Houghton Mifflin.

Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region. Alfred A. Knopf.

The Sibley Guide to Trees. Sibley, David Allen. 2009. Alfred A. Knopf.

DEC Tree Key Identification Guide: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/treeidkey.pdf

Forest Trees of the Northeast- a publication by Cornell Cooperative Extension- more extensive discussion of trees

The Tree Identification Book- Symonds – good pictures for basic identification- old but good

Identifying trees of the East : an all-season guide to Eastern North America / Michael D. Williams

 gobotany.newenglandwild.org– interesting online tree key

Part of our Rensselaer Naturalist Series! Bill Kelly, retired New York State Geologist, will lead us on an approximately 1.5 mile walk to discuss the rocks and landforms of the Preserve, which is located on an outlier of the Rensselaer Plateau.  He will outline the geologic history of the Taconic Mountains and how the rocks of the Preserve fit into that history.    We will walk on trails that are in part quite steep so good boots with non-slip soles are important. 

Meet at the parking lot of the Kinderhook Creek Preserve in East Nassau.

Register in advance here. Questions? Contact David Gaskell at gaskell@nycap.rr.com.Suggested donation of $5.

Resources for this outing are listed below and can also be found here along with learning goals.

Resources:

The Rensselaer Grit Plateau in New York by T. Nelson Dale

The Rise and Fall of the Taconic Mountains: a geological history of eastern New York by Donald Fisher

Join us in our ongoing effort to keep the boat launch above the dam navigable.  Learn about invasive species first hand!  It is dirty and tiring work, but the path has been getting a bit easier every year.  Both boat based and land crew needed. 

Register online in advance here to receive free lunch.

Date:  Saturday July 13, 9 to 3 Rain or Shine

Location:  Johnsonville, NY

Time:  9-4 – but partial day commitments are also welcome

Place:  Boat Launch on Hoosic River just above the Johnsonville Dam – on River Road.  Those bringing boats should come to the Boat Launch to unload/load, but then may need to move their cars to the Johnsonville Fire station for overflow parking, depending on turnout.  Food and bathrooms will be available at the Fire House about a quarter nil from the launch all day.

Job Description: Hand pull, collect, and prepare for disposal the invasive water chestnut plant that is choking the boat launch. There will be three crews working in tandem – boats, waders/shallows, and shore.  Each crew requires different equipment and skills.

The boat-based crew is asked to supply their own canoe/kayak/rowboat, and life jacket, although there will be a few extra boats and life jackets available and a need for “barge crews”. Hand pulled weeds will be placed into collection baskets and passed to either the shallow water crew or to rowboats/large canoes acting as “barges”.  This task is the most physically demanding, and where the most volunteers are needed.

A limited number of waders will be available for the use of the shallow water crew – those who have their own should bring them.  The seeds of this invasive have sharp thorns and good soles are highly recommended.  The shallow water crew will collect baskets from the boat-based crew to pass to the shore crew (and pass empties back to be refilled), as well as pull shallow weeds.  Youths under age 16 will be required to wear life jackets for this activity.

Shore crew requires footwear with good soles.  Full baskets will be dumped in designated areas and empty ones conveyed to the shallow water/barge crew.

All should wear weather appropriate clothing and expect to get wet and dirty.

Water, lunch, and snacks will be provided to all volunteers.  Any specific dietary needs should be conveyed at registration.  Nitrile gloves, collection baskets, and a boat washing station to prevent the spread of invasive species will be provided.  The job requires average to good fitness and a pleasant disposition.

Starting time is 9AM with check-in and crew assignment, and setting the line for the path clearing.  Partial day commitments are welcome.  This is a big (and multi-year) job.  We have a modest goal of clearing a path to the shore.  We want to know the name of every individual that participates so that we can properly acknowledge and thank them, so registration in advance is strongly encouraged.

Contact/Register:  Kristina Younger, kristinayoungerRLT@gmail.com(preferred) or 518-527-6577.

Part of our Rensselaer Naturalist Series! Bogs and other peatlands are very unusual habitats, with plants that grow nowhere else. Ecologist Dr. David Hunt will show us the plants living here, including insect-eating pitcher plants and sundews, and tell us how peatlands form and work. Wear footwear you can get very wet.

Site to be announced.

Register in advance here. Questions? Contact Fran Egbert at fran.egbert@gmail.com.   Suggested donation of $5.

Part of our Rensselaer Naturalist Series co-sponsored by Rensselaer Land Trust and Rensselaer Plateau Alliance. All are welcome to attend..

Some extra resources for this outing can be found below. Further resources and learning objectives can be found here.

Bogs and Fens. A Guide to the Peatland Plants of the Northeastern United State and Adjacent Canada. Davis, Ronald B. 2016. University Press of New England.

This is a nice introduction to the ecology of bogs and fens and information about 98 of the plants that live there.

Bogs of the Northeast. Johnson, Charles W. 1985. University Press of New England.

A very detailed and fascinating natural history of sphagnum bogs. Very useful to those who plan to or have explored this habitat.