The fifth annual Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count will take place at sites along the Hudson River on August 13. The public is invited to join the Rensselaer Land Trust and Fran Martino, River Haggie Outdoors, as they explore the amazing variety of slippery, wriggly and fascinating creatures usually hidden below the river's surface.

Rensselaer Land Trust will sponsor two events on August 13th from 3-4:30 p.m. at  Nutten Hook in Stuyvesant, and a second event from 7-8:30 p.m. Schodack Island State Park.  Volunteers are needed to help capture fish using a 40-foot seine net, sort and count species, and release fish back into the Hudson.

The Hudson and its watershed are home to more than 200 species of fish. During the Fish Count, participating organizations encourage visitors to help collect fish using seine nets, minnow traps, rods and reels. Seining involves pulling a 40-foot net through the water and checking out the fish, crabs and other river-life caught in its mesh. Participants may watch from shore or jump into available waterproof waders and help pull in the net.

“Hauling in the net is always filled with surprises,” remarked Kristina Younger, President of Rensselaer Land Trust.  “People are amazed at how many different fish live in the Hudson River, and the Fish Count gives us an opportunity to share health advice on eating fish caught from the Hudson with program participants,” she continued.  NYS Department of Health offers advice about eating fish dependent upon who you are, where you fish, and what you catch.  

 Volunteers who don’t want to get wet can help out by sharing catch results by texting, or posting to Twitter or Facebook to compare notes with other participating groups.  Comparing notes promotes understanding of the diversity of fishes and habitats in the Hudson, the vitality of the estuarine ecosystem in urban and rural settings, and the influence of salinity and tides.

 Funding has been provided by Health Research, Inc. to Rensselaer Land Trust for education and outreach about NYS Department of Health’s Hudson River Fish Advisory Project, and in cooperation with NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program, and Schodack Island State Park.   Rensselaer Land Trust (RLT) is a non-profit organization organized exclusively for the purposes of protecting and preserving real property in Rensselaer County.  RLT’s eight nature preserves are open for the public for visitation, and they offer a wide variety of events and workshops, from hikes to wreath-making, kayak/canoe trips to cave spelunking.  For event schedule and more details, visit www.renstrust.org.  For more information about the Great Hudson Estuary Fish Count, visit the DEC’s website at www.dec.ny.gov.

Come help us get started working on the Wynants Kill Trail in south Troy. Our work will be a collaboration with Troy to develop the trail from Rensselaer Land Trust’s John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Nature Preserve to Troy's Burden Pond Park. Depending on how many volunteers we have registered, we will pick- up trash and take on some trail maintenance at various locations.  We will start work at 9:00, but the time is flexible. 

To get involoved call Bob Crowley (518-283-7364) or Joe Durkin (518-279-9870) for more information.

Meet at the Staalesen Preserve, Wynantskill Way, Troy.

Directions John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Nature Preserve

The main entrance to the John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve is in South Troy off Campbell Avenue at the end of Wynantskill Way in the Vanderhayden Estates residential development. Campbell Avenue runs from Route 4 at the Burden Pond Park up to Spring Ave, which in turn intersects with Pawling Avenue (NYS Route 66). From the intersection of Wynantskill Way and Campbell Avenue, just east of the intersection of Campbell Avenue and Spring Avenue, take Wynantskill Way to its end and continue straight ahead past the metal gate to the parking area next to the Capital Roots community garden.to John B Staalesen Vander

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.

Co-sponsored with Brookfield Renewable, Hoosic River Watershed Association, and the Johnsonville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary. 

Pre-register to receive free lunch by e-mailing Kristina Younger

Directions:

The Hoosic River Property is on the north side of NY Route 67, 0.3 mile west of the center of Eagle Bridge, and 0.2 mile east of the intersection of Route 67 and Beck Road. The Hoosic River Property is 1.5 miles west of the intersection of Routes 67 and 22; and 11 miles east of the intersection of Routes 67 and 40 in Schaghticoke. The entrance is marked by a wooden brown and yellow NYSDEC sign.

Rensselaer Land Trust (RLT) and Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (RPA) have teamed up to share opportunities for you to unplug, connect with nature, and experience what Rensselaer County has to offer. Join us!

Learn how to identify, report, and remove invasive species right here in Troy!  We will be working to improve and beautify one of the hidden gems of our area. We will be led by Spencer Barrett a Terrestrial Invasive Species Coordinator with Capital-Mohawk PRISM.

Wear old clothes and boots or shoes you don’t mind getting wet. You will also have a chance to see changes made by beavers at the preserve, when they came and when they left. Come for as long as you can!

Questions? E-mail Joe Durkin

More about RLT's Staalesen Preserve: includes 24 acres of fields, woods, and wetlands, and is bordered on one side by the Wynants Kill. Part of the Preserve has an open park?like feel due to its history of human activity and recent municipal infrastructure improvements. The remainder of the Preserve has more natural habitats, including floodplain (streamside) forest and a marsh with a beaver dam. The preserve provides habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, pileated woodpecker, wild turkey, and belted kingfisher.

A network of walking paths allows visitors to walk, snowshoe, cross country ski, bird, and just enjoy the scenery. One path passes through a streamside forest of cottonwood and silver maple on its way to the shore of the Wynants Kill, at a spot good for fishing and creek walking.

Learn more anout Staalesen Preserve HERE.

Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (RPA) and Rensselaer Land Trust (RLT) have teamed up to share opportunities for you to unplug, connect with nature, and experience what Rensselaer County has to offer. Join us!

The Rensselaer Land Trust will share results of data collected by citizen science volunteers from 18 stream sites in Rensselaer County.  The presentation intends to improve community knowledge, awareness and stewardship about local water resources.  Find out if you should be letting your kids (or your pet dog) wade in local streams, and learn how you can make a difference in your watershed.

In 2017 the Rensselaer Land Trust's Citizen Science Volunteers collected water samples from streams in Rensselaer County communities. These efforts were a component of the RLTs Hudson River Estuary Grant Project: “Will Wading in This Stream Make Me Sick?" As part of this project RLT recruited and trained citizen scientists to collect water samples from 18 sites along five tributaries of the Hudson River for enterococcus levels. A sub-set of sampling determined levels of emergent compounds at sites with high enterococcus levels.

Enterococcus is a fecal-indicating bacterium in which studies conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed to be a very good predictor of illness in all waters (marine and fresh waters. Our study design also includes a sub-set of samples to be analyzed for the presence of emergent compounds such as pharmaceuticals, hormones, endocrine disrupters where high levels of enterococcus is found.

We are working to characterize existing conditions, identify and prioritize problems, and further assist municipalities in identifying specific water quality problems for targeted monitoring and analysis. The data recently collected on enterococcus bacteria levels and emergent compounds found at locations throughout the watershed is intended to increase public awareness of water quality conditions.

TO REVIEW THE EACH STREAM SITE'S REPORT CARDS CLICK HERE.

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.  Co-sponsored with Brookfield Renewable, Hoosic River Watershed Association, the Johnsonville Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary and the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance.

Register in advance to receive free lunch with Kristina Younger by e-mail.

More Details:

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.

Work 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.

Learn more about our invasive species work by clicking 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