Clearwater’s new Hike and Learn program aims to bring together Hudson River experts like scientists, advocates, planners, and historians with community members for formal and informal conversations about the science, history, and future of the Hudson River.
Registration is required to participate. Trails for these hikes range from easy to moderate and may include uneven terrain. The program will require standing for 2-3 hours.
We advise all participants to dress for the weather and wear sturdy walking shoes or boots. Due to the presence of ticks, we recommend wearing long, light-colored pants and socks. We also suggest bringing a hat, sunscreen, and a full reusable water bottle.
Fire Ecology & Ethnobotany at Albany Pine Bush Preserve
When: 10AM – 1PM, Saturday, April 13
Where: Albany Pine Bush Preserve, Albany, NY
Register to attend
This hike will feature Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Conservation Director, Neil Gifford and Wild Hudson Valley ethnoecologist, Justin Wexler for an extraordinary journey into this globally rare, nationally significant, and locally distinct inland pine barrens. Precolonial Indigenous cultures relied on the once extensive Pine Bush for food, medicines, and other essential natural resources. Indigenous fire stewardship historically helped maintain fire-dependent medicinal plants and the rare wildlife they support. Today those traditional practices are emulated through prescribed burns, benefiting the local ecosystem and protecting surrounding human communities by reducing wildfire risk.
The Connections Between Forest Health and Watershed Protection at Teatown Nature Preserve
When: 10AM – 12PM, Saturday, April 27
Where: Teatown Lake Reservation Nature Preserve, Ossining, NY
Register to attend
This program at Teatown Lake Reservation Nature Preserve will explore examples of watershed protective management practices and learn about watershed protection. The program will feature Emily Edmonds-Langham from Teatown, Tyler Van Fleet, and Jessica Alba from the Watershed Agricultural Council who, throughout the walk, will explore the connections between forest health and watershed protection. Trees and forests are critical to healthy watersheds as they provide important functions including filtering rainwater and runoff and preventing erosion.
Plants and Insects: Meadow Management at Poets’ Walk Park
(Scenic Hudson)
When: 9:30 – 11:30am Saturday, May 18
Where: Poets’ Walk Park, Red Hook, NY
Register to attend
This two-hour hike at Poets’ Walk Park will explore the history of the preserve and its unique meadowlands which are a habitat for native bees, butterflies, and other insects. The program will feature the Director of Parks and Community Engagement at Scenic Hudson, Rita Shaheen, and Pia Ruisi-Besares, Director of Science, Climate and Stewardship also of Scenic Hudson who will share about park history, conservation practices, and ecological studies.
John Burroughs and the Emerging Conservation Movement in the Post-Civil War Era
When: 9am-11am, Saturday, June 1
Where: John Burroughs Slabsides, West Park, NY
Register to attend
Join Hudson River Sloop Clearwater for a hike at John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary in West Park. The program will feature Joan Burroughs, president of the John Burroughs Association and great-granddaughter of the naturalist, who will lead us on a short hike in the Sanctuary and a tour of Slabsides, his rustic writing retreat. She will discuss his role in the nascent conservation movement in post-Civil War America, and beyond. Like Pete Seeger, John Burroughs inspired generations to protect the natural world and continues to inspire those who encounter his work today. This is an opportunity to join in the conversation about the life and legacy of John Burroughs while exploring lands where he wrote and convened with his contemporaries.
The Hike and Learn Program program is sponsored by the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. Learn more about the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area at www.hudsonrivervalley.com.
Can’t make one of our hikes? Consider joining us for a public sail aboard our 105’ sloop Clearwater. We sail the Hudson River from May – October, stopping in communities from Albany to New York City. Sailing on the Clearwater is a unique way to experience the river and to learn about the river and the threats it faces. Sail with us this season.
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