Join us in June for the 2022  Pollinators’ Week!

Shaker Heritage Society (SHS) is collaborating with several partners to provide programs and information about pollinators. Beginning June 18th, enjoy our gardens and take advantage of in-person and online programs and activities for all ages. And remember, these organizations offer great places to visit and learn all year!

POLLINATORS’ WEEK 2022 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Whether you have 5 minutes or an hour, enjoy our gardens and activities, and take advantage of on-site and online presentations, classes, videos, and activities for all ages. Download the complete list of events here.

ALL WEEK: Take the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Pollinator Challenge!  Download and play the Agents of Discovery App  (can be played from anywhere).  Explore the Shaker Heritage Society Herb Garden  with 150 plants and the Pollinator Garden in a Family self-guided tour, grab a Pollinator packet!  Grounds are open year-round from dawn to dusk. The Pine Hollow Arboretum is open dawn to dusk. At Ten Broeck Mansion, take a self-guided pollinator tour of the gardens, open from 7 am to 6 pm. Saturdays through September, the free CDTA Nature Bus travels to several natural sites, including Six-Mile Waterworks of the Pine Bush Preserve (not the Discovery Center). Schedule switches every other Saturday,  please check at https://www.cdta.org/ .

Saturday, June 18:

• 10 am. At Shaker Heritage Society, free event (event indoors in case of rain).  Inventors and Gardeners: The Shakers developed the first seed packing industry and the first herbal medicine industry in the US. Explore 150 herbs in the garden — including some plants you may only think of as weeds!! Bring a picnic for after the tour. Registration appreciated, but walk-ins welcome: email us at educator@shakerheritage.org or call 518.456.7890, x 3
• 10:30 am to Noon.  At Ten Broeck  Mansion, free event. Enjoy in-person, hands-on kids art activities centered on pollinators and learn about the role of African plants in North American gardens in the past.
• 1, 2 & 3 pm. At Ten Broeck  Mansion, free tours of the Mansion.

Sunday, June 19:

• 1, 2 & 3 pm. At Ten Broeck  Mansion, free tours of the Mansion.

Monday, June 20:

• 11 am. Caterpillar Crawl at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, free event.  A feast unfolds with the growth of new leaves…for caterpillars! We will search for newly emerged moth and butterfly larvae (A.K.A. caterpillars) and the signs they leave behind on this approximately 1.5-mile walk. Program suitable for ages 6+, Tweens, Teens and Adults. Reservations required for all attendees (regardless of age). Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call 518-456-0655 to sign up or visit  Albany Pine Bush.
• 2 pm. Bees and Their Keepers at the Shaker Orchard.  Meet the beekeepers and their bees, maybe try on a beekeeper veil and get a little closer to these important residents at the orchard. Children welcome. Free event, but reservations required, group size is limited. Please contact educator@shakerheritage.org or call 518.456.7890, x 3.

Tuesday, June 21:

• 2 pm. iMapInvasives App Training at Shaker Heritage Society.  Learn how to identify, document, and record species using iMapInvasives, the NYS invasive species database. Support state-wide efforts to manage the negative impacts of these unwanted, non-native plants, animals, and pathogens . Register for software and information at https://www.nyimapinvasives.org/training. Contact imapinvasives@dec.ny.gov for questions.
• 3 pm. Online with Historic Cherry Hill, join us for a virtual guided tour of the gardens and grounds. Details on the HCH Facebook page.

Wednesday, June 22:

• 10:30 am & 1 pm. At Shaker Heritage Society, free event (event indoors in case of rain). Inventors and Gardeners: The Shakers developed the first seed packing industry and the first herbal medicine industry in the US. Explore 150 herbs in the garden — including some plants you may only think of as weeds!! Bring a picnic for after the tour. Registration appreciated, but walk-ins welcome: email us at educator@shakerheritage.org or call 518.456.7890, x 3

Thursday, June 23:

• 9 am to Noon. At Cornell Cooperative Extension,  free event. Meet the Master Gardeners at the CCE Demonstration Gardens in Voorheesville. Tour the gardens and speak with experts about how the gardens attract pollinators.
• Noon to 4 pm. At Historic Cherry Hill,  free event.  Gardens and grounds will be open for visitors to explore with self-guided tours and scavenger hunt for families. Fee for house tours.
• 5:30 pm. At Shaker Heritage Society, free event (event indoors in case of rain). Inventors and Gardeners: The Shakers developed the first seed packing industry and the first herbal medicine industry in the US. Explore 150 herbs in the garden — including some plants you may only think of as weeds!! Bring a picnic for after the tour. Registration appreciated, but walk-ins welcome: email us at educator@shakerheritage.org or call 518.456.7890, x 3

Friday, June 24:

• Noon to 4 pm. At Historic Cherry Hill,  free event.  Gardens and grounds will be open for visitors to explore with self-guided tours and scavenger hunt for families. Fee for house tours.

Saturday, June 25:

• 10 am. At Cornell Cooperative, free event.  Pollinator Garden Workshop. Learn how to create a native garden that attracts and support pollinators. Registration required, email us at  albmgspeakers@cornell.edu. 
• 11 am to 1 pm. At Cornell Cooperative, free event. Guided Garden Tours and Family Pollinator Scavenger Hunt at the CCE Demonstration Gardens.
• Noon to 4 pm. At Historic Cherry Hill,  free event.  Gardens and grounds will be open for visitors to explore with self-guided tours and scavenger hunt for families. Fee for house tours.
• 1 pm. Buzz of the Pine Bush Bees at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, free event. The Pine Bush Preserve is home to over 180 species of native bees! Join us on this hike for an introduction to these native beauties. Depending on how many bees we observe, the hike could be about 0.9 miles. Learn how much we owe these insects and how you can help native pollinators in your own backyard! Program suitable for all ages. Reservations required for all attendees (regardless of age). Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call 518-456-0655 to sign up or visit  Albany Pine Bush.
• 1 pm to 4 pm. At Shaker Heritage Society, free event. Planting Utopia Opening Reception for art installations of artist Julia Whitney Barnes inspired by the Shaker herb garden and Shaker spirit drawings at SHS and the Albany Airport.  Details on SHS website.

Sunday, June 26:

• 1 pm. Butterflies of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, free event.  There are nearly 100 other species of butterfly that make their homes here. Join a 0.9-mile guided hike over rolling dune topography to practice butterfly observation and identification skills and learn about the important role these insects play in this rare ecosystem. Program suitable for ages 6+, Tweens, Teens and Adults. Reservations required for all attendees (regardless of age). Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Call 518-456-0655 to sign up or visit  Albany Pine Bush.

A 2019 RESOLUTION ESTABLISHED ALBANY COUNTY as a pollinator-friendly municipality: “Based on the imminent threat that pollinators face from the loss of habitat, climate change, and the use of pesticides, and recognizing the importance of pollinators to our environment and economy, Albany County took action to establish pollinator-friendly practices.” Additional information here.

Located in Albany’s historic South End, HISTORIC CHERRY HILL was the home of 5 generations of the Van Rensselaer family, from 1787 until 1963. The landscape has changed from a 900 acre Hudson River manor farm to a 5 acre plot within the city, containing historic gardens and other echoes of Albany’s past. Gardens and grounds are free and open to the public during tour times. For news, visit their website or via email at shawna@historiccherryhill.org. Address: 523½ South Pearl Street, Albany, NY, 12202; 518.434.4791

ALBANY COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | TEN BROECK MANSION is a private, not-for-profit historic house museum in the Arbor Hill neighborhood.  It is unique in having a greenspace and numerous cultural events in an accessible urban environment.  Gardens are open free from dawn until dusk. Visit the Ten Broeck Mansion website. Address: 9 Ten Broeck Place, Albany, 12210; 518.436.9826

The over 3,350-acre ALBANY PINE BUSH PRESERVE protects one of the best remaining inland pitch pine-scrub oak barrens in the world with a habitat for many plants and animals, including more than 20 percent of New York State’s wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need, such as the endangered Karner blue butterfly. The Discovery Center, open with limited hours and capacity, has interactive exhibits, an outdoor Discovery Trail, and programs. Free admission, fee for some programs. More information at their website or send an email to info@albanypinebush.org. Address: 195 New Karner Road, Albany, 12205; 518.456.0655

CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OF ALBANY COUNTY provides garden-based educational programs to youth and adults. The Master Gardener Hotline offers gardening advice, resources, soil testing, integrated pest management, plant/ weed identification, composting, and much more!  Visit the CCE Demonstration Gardens located at 24 Martin Rd, Voorheesville, NY 12186 and their website. Questions at 518-765-3514 or at albanymg@cornell.edu.

Nestled in the historic hamlet of Slingerlands, just minutes from the City of Albany, the PINE HOLLOW ARBORETUM offers a unique setting to connect with nature, free of charge, 365 days a year.  Learn about trees from around the world, bird watch, hike, or simply find a quiet place to recharge after work.  The Arboretum highlights the diversity of the world’s forests over 22 acres of land featuring 11 ponds and a network of trails. Visit their website for more information. Address: 34 Pine Hollow Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159; 518.992.2033

SHAKER HERITAGE SOCIETY is located on the site of America’s first Shaker settlement, established in 1776. Near the Albany Airport and the Ann Lee Pond Nature Preserve (the Shakers’ former mill pond), the site includes Shaker buildings, Pollinator and Herb gardens, an orchard, and the cemetery. A pacifist communal society known for gender and racial equality, the Shakers are admired for their technological innovations, architecture, and craftsmanship. Grounds open dawn to dusk, year-round. Address; 25 Meeting House Road, Albany, 12211; 518.456.7890. Send questions to educator@shakerheritage.org.

In addition to websites listed, most of these groups also have event information on Facebook.  If you have any questions about these programs, contact educator@shakerheritage.org.

Category: Tours, Online, Lectures, Workshops