Community Calendar

Thursday, May 23

Almost Full Moon Hike: Enjoy the Pine Bush at night with an hour-long hike under the almost full moon. We will walk approximately one-mile over rolling topography, stopping intermittently for night vision and sound observations. Please remember to dress appropriately for the weather. Meet at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, 195 New Karner Road, at 7:30 p.m. The fee is $3 per person or $5 per family and registration is required; call 456-0655.

Schoharie Sloughters’ Car Show: The third annual car show will be held in the village of Schoharie; registration will be held on Spring Street, from 8 a.m. to noon, and the $10 fee will benefit the Schoharie swimming pool. Awards will be at 4 p.m. DJ John Colarusso will provide the music; there will be drawings throughout the day; and car show t-shirts will be available at Magical Printing and Designs on Main Street. Admission is free to the public and free parking will be available in the county office building on Spring Street. The Schoharie Promotional Association is sponsoring a craft and flea market on Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a chicken barbecue.

Saturday, May 25

Wildlife Presentation at Thacher Nature Center: Meet some neighbors up close and personal and learn about where and how they live. Wildlife rehabilitator Kelly Martin will introduce some of the bird and other animals in her care. Learn about what to do if you find an abandoned or injured animal and how we can all help prevent wildlife emergencies. Meet at Thacher Nature Center at 10 a.m.; call 872-0800 for more information.

Community Carnival at Mountainview Free Church, 71 State Farm Road, Voorheesville, from 1 to 4 p.m. Fun, games, and live music for the whole family!

Teacher Workshop at Five Rivers: A teacher workshop for early childhood educators, on the award-winning curriculum-enhancement program Project Learning Tree, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, at 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar. At this interactive workshop, Five Rivers staff will lead a participatory training in PLT’s environmental experiences for Early Childhood, forest-themed instructional activities, geared toward ages 3 to 6, which integrate nature-based exploration, art, literature, math, music, and movement. Participants will receive a free PLT Environmental Experiences Activity Guide full of stimulating forest-oriented activities correlated to the National Association for the Education of Young Children Standards and the Head Start Domains. The workshop is open to teachers and youth leaders free of charge. Call 475-0291 to register for the workshop.

Five Rivers Marks World Turtle Day: A family-oriented program on the natural history of turtles will be conducted at 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, at 2 p.m. At this indoor/outdoor study, local reptile specialist Dee Strnisa will provide an overview of turtle ecology and the conservation challenges which turtles face today, feature live (captive) specimens. Afterward, Five Rivers staff will lead participants outdoors along gentle center trails to search the ponds for turtles basking in the sun and foraging in the shallows. The program is open to the public free of charge. Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. In the event of inclement weather, the outdoor portion of the program will be canceled. Please call 475-0291 for more information.

Karner Blue Walk: Don’t miss this chance to join the Albany Pine Bush staff on a hike in the Pine Bush Preserve to see the Karner blue butterfly. Once common in the glacial Lake Albany sand belt, the Karner blue has plummeted in numbers over the past 40 years and is now listed as a federally endangered species. Come learn about the natural history of the Karner blue and what efforts are underway to rescue this species from the brink of extinction. Bring along your camera, sturdy walking shoes, and drinking water. Please register early as this program fills up quickly. Meet at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, 195 New Karner Road, at 1 p.m. The fee is $3 per person and $5 per family and registration is required; call 456-0655 to register.

Rensselaerville Grist Mill Opening and Bake Sale: The season opening of the Grist Mill will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the bridge in the hamlet of Rensselaerville. A bake sale and free mill tours will be featured. Donations of baked goods would be appreciated. Call 239-4507 to arrange pickup. Proceeds will benefit projects of the Rensselaerville Historical Society.

Rensselaerville Library Cocktail Party: The Board of Trustees of the Rensselaerville Library will host their annual benefit at the Guggenheim Pavilion at the Carey Conference Center from 3 to 6 p.m. Admission price for the cocktail party will be $25, and will include one drink, food, and live music by Greg Speck. There will be a cash bar. Many wonderful items have been donated for drawings, including golf passes for the Sunny Hill and Thunderhart courses, a watercolor by artist Bob Lynk, wines from Country Square Wine and Liquor in Greenville, and many other goodies.

Sunday, May 26

Sunday Four Poetry Open Mic at 3 p.m. at the Old Songs Community Center, 37 South Main St., Voorheesville, at 3 p.m. Featuring Jill Crammond; hosted by Dennis Sullivan, Mike Burke, and Edie Abrams. Call 469-0202 for more information.

Dedication Ceremony: Mayor Robert Conway will present the Mayor’s plaque for the Helderview Garden Club’s Concolor fir tree, donated to honor Bill Hotaling. The Helderview Garden Club donated and cares for the tree in Hotaling Park. Jim Smith of Red Maple Landscaping planted the tree. A bronze plaque will be mounted on a large stone and placed by the tree. The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m.

Monday, May 27

Lupine Walk: Do you know why the wild blue lupine is so vital to the Albany Pine Bush and the survival of the Karner Blue Butterfly? Well, join us for an hour hike over rolling terrain to explore Karner Blue butterfly habitat and discover wild blue lupine. Please wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy walking shoes, and bring water to drink. Meet at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, 195 New Karner Road, Albany, at 1 p.m. The fee is $3 per person or $5 per family and registration is required; call 456-0655.

The Knox Museum will open as we await the arrival of the parade! Come and browse the many exhibits depicting early life in the Pillbox Capital of the World. For more information, call 872-2082.

Thursday, May 30

On-Farm Workshop — Controlling Pests of Seedling Corn: Each year insects, diseases, and weeds rob farmers of corn plants and yield. Our usual control measures are not doing the job. The Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program is hosting an on-farm workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. at Seven View Farms, 629 Sheldon Road, Delanson. Ken Wise, Eastern NY Integrated Pest Management Specialist, will speak on how to identify and control insects, diseases, and weeds in seedling corn. Bring a hand shovel to dig up and examine a few corn plants. Two DEC pesticide credits available. There is no charge, but call 380-1496 to reserve a spot.

Saturday, June 1

Garage Sale at the Clarksville Community Church from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Booth spaces are available for $15, or two for $25. Food, prizes, and fun! There will a best-dressed dog contest at noon. Call 439-2739 for more information.

Native Plant Sale at Thacher Park: Thacher Nature Center will hold its 9th Annual Native Plant Sale at the Thacher Park Overlook this year. The sale will take place on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Native perennials and shrubs suitable for a wide variety of garden conditions will be available. The selection will include hardy plants adapted to light conditions from sun to shade, and moisture conditions from wet to dry. Find plants for all soil types, as well as salt tolerant and deer resistant species. Native plants are hardy and easy to grow. They attract birds and butterflies to your garden and provide food for our native pollinators. By planting native species, gardeners contribute to biodiversity and conservation of our environment. The Native Plant Sale is sponsored by the Friends of Thacher Park. For more information, call 872-0800.

Lupine Walk: Do you know why the wild blue lupine is so vital to the Albany Pine Bush and the survival of the Karner Blue Butterfly? Well, join us for 1.5 mile hike over rolling terrain to explore Karner Blue butterfly habitat and discover wild blue lupine. Please wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy walking shoes, and bring water to drink. Meet at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, 195 New Karner Road, Albany, at 11 a.m. We will caravan over to the Madison Avenue trailhead at the beginning of the program. The fee is $3 per person or $5 per family and registration is required; call 456-0655.

Shaker Herb Sale: Celebrate, educate, and support our community’s Shaker “roots.” Join us for our third annual herb sale, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Faddegon’s Nursery. A variety of herbs will be available for purchase and a portion of the proceeds will benefit education programs at the Shaker Heritage Society. Faddegon’s Nursery is located at 1140 Troy Schenectady Road in Latham.

Teacher Workshop at Five Rivers: A teacher workshop on the award-winning curriculum-enhancement program Project WILD Aquatic will be conducted, at 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, from 9 a.m. to noon. At this hands-on workshop, center staff will lead a participatory training in Project WILD Aquatic, an initiative which integrates aquatic wildlife themes into core reading, writing, and arithmetic disciplines. Participants will receive a free Project WILD Aquatic curriculum guide full of stimulating activities for students in grades K through 12. The workshop is open to teachers and youth leaders free of charge. Please call Five Rivers, at 475-0291, by May 29, to register.

Five Rivers Sets Program on Young Wildlife: A comparative study of the young wildlife of the year will be conducted at 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, at 2 p.m. Early June is a great time to search for babes in the woods. At this indoor/outdoor investigation, Five Rivers staff will present a brief indoor overview comparing and contrasting the needs of the newborns of various common creatures. Afterward, staff will lead a search along gentle trails for fawns, kits, tadpoles, and other young on the year.

Neighborhood-Wide Garage Sale: The Feura Bush Neighborhood Association is sponsoring a garage sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. As part of this sale, the library will be having a book sale at 38 Unionville-Feura Bush Road. We have a shed full of books, records, CDs, and VHS tapes, of all topics, for all ages and interests. This is a major fund-raiser for the library. The Jerusalem Reformed Church on Route 32 in Feura Bush will offer breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

National Trails Day at Thacher Park: If you love to use the great trails at Thacher Park, this is the time to show your appreciation. Come and help out with trail maintenance projects for the morning and stay for a BBQ lunch, compliments of the Friends of Thacher Park. Call 872-1237 to register or for more information.

Sunday, June 2

Bees In Your Bonnet: Did you know that the Albany Pine Bush Preserve is home to over 90 species of native bees? Join us in this program for an indoor introduction to native solitary bees, then examine bees on the trail and learn how you can help these native pollinators in your own backyard. This program will include a hike of approximately one mile. Please be prepared for the weather and wear long pants, good hiking shoes, and bring water. Meet at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, 195 New Karner Road, at 1 p.m. The fee is $3 per person or $5 per family and registration is required; call 456-0655 to register.

Guilderfest, featuring carnival games, bouncy houses, face painting, clowns, pony rides, super hero visits, a dunk tank, and more. The event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on the Guilderland High School track and football field — rain location in the Guilderland High School gym. Admission is $5 per child; there is no admission for adults. The $5 admission for children includes a game card, which will include six games, and can be exchanged for a prize once filled.