Field biologists Gretchen Stevens of Hudsonia and Conrad Vispo and Claudia Knab-Vispo of the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program will present a program exploring the unique qualities of nature in Northern Columbia County on Saturday, September 26, at 9 am. The program includes the identification of some of the most defining and photogenic organisms and their habitats, along with strategies for conserving this part of the County’s heritage. It begins with an illustrated talk at the New Lebanon Library, followed by a field walk at the Hand Hollow Conservation Area (Route 9 entrance) at 10:30 am. Participants are welcome to come to either the talk or walk, or both.
[private]The program is free and will provide an introduction to regional natural habitats and strategies for conserving them. The program will present pictures and information derived from a three-year study of Columbia County’s ecology. A focus of both the indoor and outdoor programs will be hands-on methods for identifying different habitats (for example, different types of forest or wetland) paired with discussions of habitat-specific conservation challenges and solutions.
This is one in a series of events sharing the initial results from the Living Land Project, an initiative of the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program in collaboration with Hudsonia Ltd. and the Columbia Land Conservancy. The goal is to compile a Field Guide to the Ecology and Culture of Columbia County Habitats that can serve as a tool for local exploration and stewardship by contributing to a better ecological and cultural understanding of our landscape.
For more information call 518-672-7994.[/private]