Events at the Beacon Institute

Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries | Sunday Author Series
Sun, July 31, 4 p.m.
Elizabeth “Perk” Stalter: Doodletown: Hiking Through History in a Vanished Hamlet on the HudsonShare a literary ramble through the vanished hamlet nestled in the mountains. Register online at www.bire.org/events. FREE.

Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries | Forest Walk
Sat, Aug 13, 10 a.m.
Center for Environmental Innovation and Education
199 Dennings Ave, Beacon, NYBeacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries invites you to join forester Paul Blaszak on Saturday, August 13 at 10 a.m. for an informative morning of tree identification, and a discussion of the human impact on forest succession at Denning's Point in Beacon. Please register online for this FREE event by visiting www.bire.org/events.

Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries | Film: “Liquid Assets”

Thurs, Aug 18, 7pm
Center for Environmental Innovation and Education
199 Dennings Ave, Beacon, NY

Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries presents the documentary "Liquid Assets" on Thursday, August 18th at 7pm at the Center for Environmental Innovation and Education at Denning's Point. Exploring the history, engineering challenges, and political and economic realities in urban and rural locations, the documentary provides an understanding of the hidden assets - our ill-maintained underground water systems - that may present the single largest public works project in our national history. FREE. Please register online at www. bire.org/events.

Butterfly Walk and Exploration

Sun., June 26, 10 a.m.
Stroll through the fields and trails in search of a vast array of butterflies. Reservations requested. Free and open to the public. Program will begin at Cary East/Gifford House. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 2917 Sharon Tpk., Millbrook, NY.845-677-7600 x 121.

Walks & Talks at Denning's Point

Erik Kiviat, Ph.D., Executive Director of Hudsonia, a not-for-profit environmental research institute, will share his extensive experience with the plants and animals of our region on Saturday, June 11 at 1 p.m.* Join Erik as he explains the suspicious appearance of the slider turtle, and describes the habits of its indigenous cohort, the snapping turtle, both found slipping about Denning's Point. *Please note the 1:00 start to take advantage of the high tide.

Naomi Sachs, Founder and Director of the Therapeutic Landscapes Network and Principal of Naomi Sachs Design, lends her unique perspective of nature for her Restorative Environments Walk & Talk at CEIE Saturday, June 25 at 10 a.m. Naomi's Walk & Talk around the grounds at CEIE will aim to fine-tune the senses to the many effects contained in its landscape. Come ready to see your surroundings in a new way.

Register online and view the full season of Beacon Institute's 2011 events at www.bire.org/events.

WEST POINT FOUNDRY PRESERVE TOURS FOR HERITAGE WEEKEND

Sat, May 14, 2011

10:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Scenic Hudson is proud to be part of New York Heritage Weekend —a celebration with special events at heritage destinations across the Empire State to help kick off the summer tourism season.

Join a guided tour exploring the remains of a 19th-century industrial powerhouse, the West Point Foundry, that made locomotives, steam engines and Parrott guns that helped win the Civil War.

TOUR TIMES: 10:30 a.m. – noon; 12:30 – 2 p.m.

The walks will occur rain or shine, except in the event of torrential rain, when they will be canceled. Please wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. Tick precautions, such as tucking pants legs into socks and applying bug repellent to shoes and pants, are highly recommended.

MEETING PLACE: West Point Foundry Preserve

QUESTIONS? Contact Scenic Hudson Events Manager Jody Harris: jharris@scenichudson.org 845-473-4440 x110

EVENT LOCATION

68 Kemble Ave.
Cold Spring, NY 10516

Guided Park Walk - Blauvelt Parks

Saturday, April 30, 2011
When: 10:15 AM - 5:00 PM 

Details: Join Docent John Jurasek on this 10 mile, 3-sneaker
(difficult) walk.  Explore a historic Rockland cemetery, mysterious
tunnels, and Nyack College.  There will be a long climb, many ups and
downs, and some rocky areas. Make sure to have 2 liters of water and
pack a lunch.

Directions: Route 9W to Piermont NY (follow signs). Go down hill until
you reach Piermont Avenue. Make a right on Piermont Avenue and park in
the municipal lot on left.  Walkers will meet at 450 Piermont Avenue in
Piermont, NY (at the corner of Tate and Piermont Avenues)

*****************************************************************
About the Guided Walks:
·       Pre-registration for all walks is suggested.  Call: 845-708-7307
or e-mail rcamericorps@co.rockland.ny.us.
·       All walks are rain or shine.
·       Participants should wear proper footwear (closed-toe sturdy
shoes such as walking shoes/boots or sneakers) and clothing
(light-colored) and seasonally appropriate attire such as a jacket, hat,
or gloves depending on the weather and bring along binoculars, water,
sunscreen, a snack, and walking sticks if desired.  Hiking boots
preferred.
·       As with any physical activity program, it is recommended you
speak to your physician before starting.
·       For more information about the trails visit
www.rocklandsteps.org/walks
·       For more information about upcoming guided walks call
845-708-7307 or e-mail rcamericorps@co.rockland.ny.us.
·       Guided Park Walks are sponsored by the Rockland County Division
of Environmental Resources, the Rockland County Youth Bureau’s
AmeriCorps program and the Rockland County Department of Health’s
Steps to a Healthier Rockland program.

Walk & Talk at CEIE | Bird Walk: Eric Lind

Center for Environmental Innovation and Education (CEIE) 

Sat, April 30 at 9 a.m.

199 Dennings Ave, Beacon

Join Audubon New York's Eric Lind at 9a.m. to spy these little beauties as they migrate back to our woods with color and song. Please pre-register online.

Currently, Eric is the Director of Audubon New York’s Constitution Marsh Center and Sanctuary in Garrison, New York. Heavily influenced by past human activity including severe toxic contamination, the marsh remains a significant wildlife habitat and serves as a fascinating case-study of the relationship between our activities, both positive and negative, on natural systems. Eric oversees all aspects of the Center’s operations, including fundraising, education, and habitat management. His professional highlights include leading eco-tour programs to Canada, the Caribbean Sea, Venezuela, and Central America. He serves as Chair of the Philipstown Conservation Advisory Council and is a member of the Hudson River Estuary Management Advisory Committee.

Roosevelt-Vanderbilt Trail Plan Input

The National Park Service is undertaking a plan to guide development and use of the trail system at the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites in Hyde Park, New York.  The project will include the trails at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (Val-Kill), and the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.

The goal of the Trail Plan is to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive, well-designed, sustainable trail system which provides a variety of visitor experiences that support the parks’ missions.

The public is invited to be involved in the development of the plan. A general public meeting is scheduled on Tuesday evening, April 19^th at the Henry Wallace Center from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Trails Master Plan

Walk & Talks at CEIE to launch Sat, April 16

Heron & Johnson's History & Dig Walk first up

While the weather may hesitate to show signs of spring, Beacon Institute is ready to hit the trail with a season full of engaging eventsdesigned to share the delights of Denning's Point, home to the Center for Environmental Innovation and Education (CEIE).

Kicking off the 2011 season will be Beacon Institute's ever-popular Project Historian Jim Heron, author of Denning's Point: A Hudson RIver History, joined by Lucy Johnson, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology at Vassar College. Dr. Johnson led an archaeological expedition of Denning's Point in 2005, including Jim Heron as staff on the first dig on the Point in over sixty years. The two will present a tour and discussion based on their fascinating findings surrounding the rich and historic Denning's Point.

  

For a glimpse at the full calendar of Beacon Institute events, visit the website at www.bire.org/events.