• Saturday, July 27 – 1 to 3 pm – Community Art Project. Folk art fish will be created with local artist Ellen Crane. This program is great for families and all ages, so come to Dyken Pond and get creative! Please wear old clothes because art can get messy.
• Tuesday, August 6 – 1 to 3 pm: Fantastic Ferns. The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering a Junior Naturalist Program. This program will teach Jr. Naturalists all about the indigenous ferns of Dyken Pond Center. A short hike and hanging wall craft will be included in this program. A $1 per child donation covers material costs.
Pre-registration is encouraged for both of these events to help with planning, but it is not required and can be done by contacting the Center at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or by calling 658-2055.
Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is a Rensselaer County Park open daily during daylight hours for hiking, fishing and non-motor boating at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent each day from 9 am until 3 pm. Call for more information and a complete schedule of our summer events. Our programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org.
Sports Outdoors
Wonderful Weasels At Dyken Pond
On Tuesday, July 23, from 1 to 3 pm, a Junior Naturalist Program, Wonderful Weasels, will be offered at Dyken Pond. Weasels are some of the more curious creatures on the planet. Weasels indigenous to Dyken Pond include river otter, mink and fisher. On this easy hike we will look for different weasel signs. There is a $1 suggested donation.
Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is a Rensselaer County Park located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville. It is open daily during daylight hours for hiking, fishing and non-motor boating. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent each day from 9 am until 3 pm.
A complete list of programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org.
Correct Fees For GLSP Dance In The Park
Registration is $15 per person without dinner and $25 per person with dinner. Both fees also cover the dance lessons and a night of live music. Pre-registration for those who want dinner is required by Monday, July 22. [Read more…] about Correct Fees For GLSP Dance In The Park
Rensselaer Land Trust’s Annual Hoosic River Paddle
Canoeist and kayakers are invited to join the Rensselaer Land Trust (RLT) for a leisurely paddle through the calming waterways of the Hoosic River on Saturday, July 13, starting at 9 am. Participants will launch at the NYS DEC public boat launch on RLT property at Eagle Bridge and take out downstream just before the Johnsonville Dam. In the past eagles, great blue herons and green herons have been seen along this stretch of coves and marshy backwaters. [Read more…] about Rensselaer Land Trust’s Annual Hoosic River Paddle
Upcoming Events At The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center
Pollination At A Glance
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering a Junior Naturalist Program on July 16 from 1 to 3 pm. This program will teach Jr. Naturalists the ins and outs of pollination. Jr. Naturalists will learn the different parts of a flower and all about the different pollinators present at Dyken Pond Center. A short hike through Dyken Pond Center’s trails will also be on the agenda to look for different wild flowers indigenous to the area and a small take home craft will also be created. A $1 per child donation will cover material costs. Pre-registration is encouraged to help with planning but not required and can be done by contacting the Center at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or 658-2055.
Full Moon Kayak Tour
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is offering a Full Moon Kayak Tour on July 20 from 7 to 9 pm. This program is limited to 12 boats so pre-registration is required and can be done by contacting the Center at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or 658-2055. Kayaks can be rented for $10, or you can bring your own.
Herpetofaunal Bio-Blitz
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is conducting its very own Bio-Blitz on July 21 from 9 am to 12 pm. Please join us and survey forest and wetland ecosystems located around Dyken Pond Center on a search for as many different reptiles and amphibians we can find. This program is open to the public and is for all ages. Herpetofaunal identification keys will be handed out to help in the bio-blitz. Pre-registration is encouraged to help with planning but not required and can be done by contacting the Center at dykenpond@fairpoint.net or 658-2055. A $1 donation is suggested.
Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is a Rensselaer County Park located at 475 Dyken Pond Road, Cropseyville. It is open daily during daylight hours for hiking, fishing and non-motor boating. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent each day from 9 am until 3 pm.
A complete list of programs can be found at www.dykenpond.org.
Upper 90 Soccer Camp Starts In July
We are looking forward to continuing our Upper 90 Soccer Camp this summer and are hoping that you can once again join us in the fun. This summer’s dates are July 15 through 19 for ages 11-14 and July 22 through the 26th for ages 15-19. The camp will be held at Berlin Elementary from 5:30 to 7:30 pm each day.
If any 11-14 year old wants to come to the second week, they are more than welcome too! The second week will just be a little more complicated than the first, but nothing they can’t handle!
The fee, once again, is $40 per week. If a child is interested in the second week as well as the first, the second week costs only $20. We are attempting to get the money in around July 5.
Email a-willis@hvcc.edu with the following information: name, age, school grade, medical conditions, position and emergency contact and number. Mail checks to Aaron Willis, P.O. Box 474, Stephentown, NY, 12168.
Summer Programs At Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center
• Tuesday, July 2 – 1 to 3 pm – Beautiful Butterflies and Mysterious Moths, a Junior Naturalist Program for kids of all ages. Come learn about the fascinating world of butterflies and moths. We will go out into the field to catch different species of butterflies and moths indigenous to Dyken Pond and learn how their life cycles differ from one another. There is a $1 suggested donation.
• Tuesday, July 9 – 1 to 3 pm – Amphibian Awareness Adventure, a Junior Naturalist Program for kids of all ages. Adventure through Dyken Pond’s trail systems in a hunt for salamanders and frogs. Learn the different calls of frogs present at Dyken Pond and learn why amphibians are so important in the wild. There is a $1 suggested donation.
• Tuesday, July 16 – 1 to 3pm – Pollination at a Glance, a Junior Naturalist Program for kids of all ages. Learn all about the Northeast’s pollinators. We will also identify different flowering species and the parts of the flower that are crucial for the pollination process. There is a $1 suggested donation.
• Saturday, July 20 – 7 to 9 pm – Full Moon Kayak Tour. This is a public program. Come for a full moon kayaking adventure. Pre-registration is required. Bring your own boat or rent one of ours at $10 per boat. The tour is limited to 12 boats.
Please visit our website at www.dykenpond.org for more information.
GLSP To Hold Dance In The Park
Grafton Lakes State Park, the Dance Flurry Organization and the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park will host Dance in the Park on Sunday, July 28. Dance in the Park is open to dancers at all levels of experience with or without a partner. The event will take place at the Deerfield Pavilion from 4 to 10 pm, starting with two lessons and a dance following. All proceeds from the night will benefit the Friends of Grafton Lakes State Park.
The first lesson of the evening will be taught by Ralph Kenyon of Ballroom Essentials and covers the smooth ballroom techniques of Foxtrot and Waltz. The second lesson will be taught by Katie-Jean Wall and covers East Coast Swing. The main dance will feature a live band, the Dylan Perrillo Orchestra, and a DJ, Lauren Keeley of Walter and Lauren Swing. There will also be food from Brunswick Barbeque and Brew and a raffle with prizes including gift certificates from Saratoga Savoy and Ballroom Essentials as well as CDs and download cards from Homespun Occasions.
Registration costs $25 per person and includes dinner, dance lessons and a night of live music. Pre-registration is required by Monday, July 22. For more information about Dance in the Park, please call the Park Office at 518-279-1155.
Extreme Hike For Cystic Fibrosis
submitted by Terry Waite
On Saturday, June 22, 51 hikers trekked 27 challenging miles in one day on the Taconic Crest Trail from North Petersburgh to Jiminy Peak to raise funds for cystic fibrosis. In its second year, the Xtreme Hike presented by Berkshire Bank attracted hikers from Massachusetts and New York with a shared goal of supporting cystic fibrosis research, medical programs and patient care. This eager group of outdoors lovers raised more than $200,000 with support from the Berkshire Bank Foundation.
[Read more…] about Extreme Hike For Cystic Fibrosis
Taconic Valley Summer Soccer Practice Begins
For those boy JV and Varsity soccer players who are playing in the summer soccer league, practice will be next Tuesday, June 25, at the Berlin Elementary School field from 6 to 7:30 pm.