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 Black bear track in the snow |
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New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
February 2011 Public Programs
Pre-registration is required for participation in all public programs. Please call the Park Preserve Office at 845-255-0752. For outings, please wear appropriate clothing and footwear and bring snacks and water. A parent or guardian over the age of 18 years must accompany children wishing to participate in any programs.
Wednesday, February 2, 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: Homeschoolers’ Nature Education: Snow and H20: Learn the Life of a Water Molecule Snow is an amazing and beautiful form of water that we will learn about in this program. Children will play a game to learn about all the places that water can be found on planet Earth and then the group will go for a snowshoe hike to look for individual snowflakes. This program is for homeschooled children aged six to nine years old, accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18 years old. Snowshoes will be available to rent from the Park Office for $5 per person for this program. There is a limited supply of snowshoes available to rent for small children, so early registration is strongly suggested if these are needed. Pre-registration is required.
Thursday, February 3rd, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: SRBP Lecture Series: Fascinating Freshwater Creatures. With George Schuler, Director of Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy, this presentation will focus on the diversity of freshwater life found in the Delaware and Hudson River watersheds and will include examples of some of the more unique and unusual freshwater creatures which comprise the treasure trove of aquatic life many of us take for granted. George will also discuss how the freshwater systems and species we have today were shaped by natural forces and time and what this means for the future.This lecture will take place at SUNY New Paltz, Lecture Hall 100. Composed of non-profit and public agencies including Minnewaska, the Shawangunk Ridge Biodiversity Partnership (SRBP) is dedicated to protecting the sensitive wildlife habitat and other natural resources of the Shawangunk Mountains. This series will present five different lectures about the conservation work underway across the region to protect and manage wildlife and natural systems. The series combines four lectures in New Paltz and two in Ellenville. Lectures will be held on Thursdays in January through March and are open to the public and free of charge.
Sunday, February 6, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Family Snowshoe Outing If you’ve ever wanted to try snowshoeing, but haven’t wanted to go it alone, this hike is a good opportunity to test out this fun, winter activity. Laura Conner, Environmental Educator, will lead this approximately three-and-a-half mile long snowshoe outing on Mossy Glen footpath, which follows along the edge of the Peter’s Kill stream as it meanders through various forest ecosystems. This footpath is relatively flat, but does include some sections with tricky footing. We will make a loop hike, returning via Lower Awosting Carriage Road, which is an easy walk. Snowshoes may be rented for this program at a cost of $5 per person. This program is recommended for adults and children over the age of ten years old, accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18 years old. Pre-registration is required for this program.
Tuesday, February 8, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Tuesday Trek:Guided Cross-CountrySki Join Laura Conner, Environmental Educator, for a guided cross-country ski along Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, Millbrook Carriage Road and Hamilton Point Carriage Road, where we’ll reach our final destination at Echo Rock vista. This approximately four-mile long ski features both groomed and ungroomed terrain and gorgeous views out over the Palmaghatt Ravine. This ski does include some challenging hills and curves and is recommended for skiers with previous experience. You must provide your own gear. Pre-registration specifically with Laura Conner is required.
Thursday, February 10, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.: SRBP Lecture Series: Animals on the Move. With Matthew Schlesinger, Chief Zoologist, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Our changing climate presents a host of challenges to wildlife conservation in the Shawangunk Ridge and around the world. For example, how do we preserve land for wildlife if we think wildlife will move, but we aren’t sure where? This presentation will cover the basics of climate change science—what we know, what we don’t know, and what’s controversial—and discuss the already documented and potential future effects on wildlife, highlighting strategies that conservation organizations, government agencies, and the public are employing to combat this imminent threat. This lecture will take place at SUNY New Paltz Lecture Hall 100.
Saturday, February 12, 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Navigating Through Survival Skills This program will begin with a workshop focusing on using a map and compass to navigate. Following this brief lesson, we will work as a group to complete the Orienteering Survival Challenge, an orienteering course navigated by using a compass, common sense and creative thinking! This program is recommended for adults and teenagers 14 years old and up, accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18 years old. Snowshoes may be rented for this program at a cost of $5 per person. This program will take place in the Peter’s Kill Climbing Area. Pre-registration is required.
Thursday, February 17, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.: SRBP Lecture Series: Peregrine Falcons on the Wing. With Thomas Sarro, Professor of Biology, Mount Saint Mary College and John Thompson, Natural Resources Specialist, Mohonk Preserve.
Over the past decade, Peregrine falcons, magnificent and threatened raptors, have returned to their home in the Shawangunk Ridge. Scientists at the Mohonk Preserve have made numerous observations of these birds, including changes in their populations as they have been impacted by human actions, and they have developed a stewardship program aimed at protecting the falcons’ nesting areas. This informative lecture will present an overview of the history of the falcon on the ridge. This lecture will take place at SUNY New Paltz Lecture Hall 100.
Saturday, February 19, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: Classic Cross-Country Ski Clinic; 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.: Skate Cross-Country Ski Clinic Vic Izzo, Professional Ski Instructors of America member, former ski racer and high school cross- country ski team coach of 18 years, will be leading two cross-country ski clinics here at Minnewaska State Park Preserve. The clinics, which are open to skiers of all abilities, will focus on helping participants improve their skiing technique through the use of basic drills and instructional tools. Pre-registration is required and class size is limited.
Sunday, February 20, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Guided Cross-Country Ski Join Laura Conner, Environmental Educator, for a guided cross-country ski along Lake Minnewaska Carriage Road, Millbrook Carriage Road and Hamilton Point Carriage Road, where we’ll reach our final destination at Echo Rock vista. This approximately four-mile long ski features both groomed and ungroomed terrain and gorgeous views out over the Palmaghatt Ravine. This ski does include some challenging hills and curves and is recommended for skiers with previous experience. You must provide your own gear. Pre-registration specifically with Laura Conner is required.
Monday, February 21, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Winter Animal Survival Strategies Join Minnewaska education staff for this program designed just for families with children between the ages of seven to ten years old, accompanied by a parent or legal guardian over the age of 18 years old. Starting at the Nature Center, children will learn about the numerous survival strategies that wildlife employ to survive the long, cold winter. Then, children will make their own booklet about winter wildlife to take home. After the indoor activities, the group will go for a snowshoe hike to look for signs of wildlife on the trails near the Nature Center. Snowshoes are available for rent for this program for $5 per person from the Park Office. Pre-registration is required.
Tuesday, February 22, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Tuesday Trek: Snowshoe in the Meadows Bring your snowshoes or rent a pair for $5 and join Laura Conner, Environmental Educator, for an winter wildlife, observatory ramble through the meadows, site of a former golf course. This little used and quiet location often yields numerous clues to the activities of local wildlife. This hike will feature some hills, but the trails themselves are wider and easier to navigate on snowshoes than other footpaths. Please note, the entrance fee to participate in this program will be $6 per adult and $5 per junior if ski trails are groomed.Pre-registration is required.
Thursday, February 24, 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: SRBP Lecture Series - Shale Under Siege - Gasland Screening and Discussion. With Cara Lee, Shawangunk Ridge Program Director, The Nature Conservancy, and Nadia Steinzor, Marcellus Regional Organizer, EARTHWORKS Oil & Gas Accountability Project.
Across the globe and close to home, the race for new sources of energy is on, with natural gas currently in the lead. The Marcellus Shale region is slated by industry for extensive gas development using the controversial technique of horizontal hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” The documentary Gasland has been critical to raising awareness and sparking discussion on the issue. After the screening, there will be a discussion about what the gas rush could mean for communities, landowners, and landscapes in this region and how you can get involved. This lecture will take place at the Ellenville Public Library.
Saturday, February 26, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Frozen Falls and Flakes Join Park Preserve educator Jillian Koehnken for a leisurely two-and-a-half mile hike or snowshoe walk along the Awosting Falls Carriage Road. Our destination is the beautiful Awosting Falls, a 65-foot tall waterfall that creates beautiful ice formations every winter. Along the way, we will discuss the amazing properties of water, including the water cycle, snowflake formation, and ice formations! This program is recommended for adults and families with children nine years of age and older, accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18 years. Snowshoes may be rented from the Park Preserve Office for $5 per person for this program. Pre-registration is required.
For more information and to register for programs, please call the Park Preserve Office at 845-255-0752. Minnewaska Park Preserve is open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The fee for parking is $8 per car. Once trails are groomed for cross country skiing, a per-head trail fee will be charged instead. The trail fee is: $6 per adult and $5 per junior. Snowshoe rentals are available at the Park Preserve Office for $15 per adult and $14 per junior per day and $5 per person for Park Preserve programs. All fees are subject to change. There are no additional fees for public programs, unless noted otherwise. Minnewaska State Park Preserve consists of approximately 21,000 acres of wild and scenic land located on Route 44/55, five miles west of the intersection with Route 299 in Gardiner, New York.
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