Five Rivers Program Schedule

Programs are free of charge unless otherwise noted. Dress for the weather! Organized groups wishing to participate at these programs need to call to make special arrangements.

We welcome people with disabilities to all of our programs. If you call ahead to let us know your specific needs, we will be happy to learn how we can best serve you.

For further information or for registration, call Five Rivers at 518-475-0291. In the event of severe weather, programs may be canceled. Please call the Center to confirm.

April

Watchable Wildlife: EARLY BIRDS
Saturday, April 5
9:00 AM
John Burroughs noted that "the bluebird is the first bit of color to cheer the northern landscape." Center naturalists will conduct a field study of bluebirds, robins and other early spring birds in commemoration of the 171st anniversary of the great Catskill naturalist's birth.

Family Fun: MAKE A BIRD HOUSE
Saturday, April 5
2:00 PM
Early April is a great time to set out a bird house, and this program, geared for parent and child participation, is all you need to get started. Measure, mark and hammer together your own standard bird house suitable for bluebirds, tree sparrows or house wrens. Call the Center to register.

PROJECT WET TEACHER WORKSHOP
Saturday, April 12
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
This workshop, open to teachers and youth leaders, will introduce Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the water resource and the creatures that inhabit it. Participants who complete this one-day course will receive a teacher's manual plus other materials. Teacher in-service credit is available for this workshop; documentation for credit will be coordinated through the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center. Register by Wednesday, April 9.

Family Fun: NATURE IN BETWEEN SEASONS
Monday, April 14
10:00 AM
Who's waking up? After reading a seasonal book, we will go outdoors to search for the first signs of spring. We will then return to the building for refreshments and watching the birds at the feeders. There is a materials fee of $3.00 per family; $1.00 per family for members of Friends of Five Rivers. Registration by Saturday, April 12, is necessary.

Family Fun: WILD ANIMALS INDOORS
Saturday, April 19
2:00 PM
Come learn about the captive wild animals in our Exhibit Room. Discover what these animals eat and how they survive in the wild. A discussion on fish, turtles and owls will be followed by interactivities including a scavenger hunt.

Homeschoolers: MAMMALS
Monday, April 21
1:00 PM
An indoor/outdoor program for home-schoolers featuring animal skulls, pelts, tracks and traces. Explore and interact with the environment as we search for signs of mammals. Bring along your journal; newcomers will receive a journal at the program. There is a materials fee of $3.00 per person. For members of Friends of Five Rivers the fee is $1.00 per person.

SPRING PEEPER WALK
Friday, April 25
7:00 PM
Though not much bigger than your thumb, spring peepers have voices out of all proportion to their size and may be one of the noisiest creatures encountered on this early spring walk. This program is a "Frog Watch", a nationwide citizen science monitoring initiative sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation. Bring a flashlight and wear footgear you don't mind getting wet.

Watchable Wildlife: AUDUBON'S BIRDS
Saturday, April 26
10:00 AM
On this date 223 years ago, the great ornithologist John James Audubon was born. To observe the occasion, Center naturalists will lead field parties over the meadow and through the woods to compare the pictorial ideas in Audubon's magnificent folio, The Birds of America, with our own bird sightings. This program is geared for the beginning birder. Bring binoculars, if possible, and dress for outdoor activity. In the event of inclement weather, this program may be cancelled.

May

Family Fun: SNIPE HUNT
Thursday, May 1
7:00 PM
The "snipe hunt" is one of America's most celebrated forays into futility. Join us on a naturalist's tour through twilight as we search field and fen for a rumor of snipe, the whisper of woodcock and other things that go bump in the night. Bring your own "snipe trap."

PACK BASKET MAKING WORKSHOP
Saturday, May 3
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Adirondack pack baskets have a long history of utility and beauty. This is a one-day basket-making workshop instructed by Adirondack basket-weaver Sandy Miller. Two types of baskets are available: traditional 24-inch Full Pack, $65 for members and $75 for non-members, or the 16-inch Day Basket, $55 for members, $60 for non-members. Harnesses will be available at the workshop for $18 and $12. Call the Center at 475-0291 for order forms. Please register before Friday, April 25.

POND LIFE IN SPRING
Saturday, May 3
2:00 PM
May is a lively month for the pond, when many eggs are hatching and birds, reptiles and amphibians are most active. Join Center naturalists as we search for ducks, frogs, turtles and other pond wildlife. Dress for the outdoors and wear footgear suitable for a wet environment. In case of inclement weather, this program may be cancelled.

THE EARLY BIRDER
Thursdays, May 8, 15, 22 and 29
7:30 AM
A series of five early morning bird walks will be conducted on consecutive Thursdays in May. Center naturalists will survey birds at the feeders beginning at 7:00 AM, then lead birding parties through field and forest at 7:30 AM in search of spring migrants. These programs are geared for the beginning birder. Participants are urged to bring binoculars and dress for outdoor activity. In the event of inclement weather, these programs may be cancelled.

Cheep Thrills: BIRDING BY EAR
Saturday, May 10
9:00 AM
In celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, Center naturalists will lead field parties on an auditory tour of the grounds. Mid-May is the height of the annual spring migration, when early morning presents a veritable symphony of bird song. This program is geared for the budding birder. Participants are urged to dress for outdoor activity. In the event of severe weather, this program may be cancelled.

How To Do It: LANDSCAPING FOR WILDLIFE
Saturday, May 10
2:00 PM
This indoor/outdoor presentation will discuss how to improve the wildlife value of your backyard. Topics will include site assessment, materials selection and placement. Plants that provide food and shelter to wildlife such as hummingbirds, butterflies and song birds will be featured. Participants will visit Five Rivers' bird feeding courtyard, wildlife garden and water garden for a close-up look at some simple backyard habitat improvement projects. In case of inclement weather, this program may be cancelled.

PLANT POSSE
Sunday, May 11
2:00 PM
Center naturalists will give a short talk on non-native invasive plants that were brought here from other countries and liked it. The outdoor portion of the program will focus on garlic mustard. Bring your work gloves and dress for outdoor activity, as we search for, and uproot, this non-native plant which threatens native ecosystems. In case of inclement weather this program may be cancelled.

FROG WATCH
Friday, May 23
7:00 PM
As part of the National Wildlife Federation's "Frog Watch" citizen science endeavor, we will start indoors with taped recordings of the sounds of frogs and toads found in our area, then go outdoors for an evening walk to listen for amphibians along Five Rivers' wetlands. Participants should dress for outdoor activity and wear footgear suited to vernal puddles. Bring flashlights, if possible.

Backyard Animals Series: SQUIRRELS
Saturday, May 24
10:00 AM
Join Center naturalists on this family-oriented program as we explore the lives of some of the animals commonly seen in backyards and playgrounds. We will start indoors with a reading from a seasonal story, followed by a craft project. We will close with an outdoor walk looking for the tracks and traces of squirrels and other wildlife. There is a materials fee of $3.00 per child ($1.00 per child for members of Friends of Five Rivers). Registration by Thursday, May 22, is necessary. Space is limited.

BUGS, BEETLES AND BEES
Saturday, May 31
2:00 PM
On this walk through Five Rivers' meadows, we will look for insects and insect homes. We will capture some insects, observe them up close, identify them (where possible) with insect identification books and then release them back into the wild, unharmed. Dress for outdoor activity. In case of inclement weather this program may be cancelled.

June

OLD FIELD TRAIL WALK
Saturday, June 7
2:00 PM
Join us for a field study of early summer ecology on one of Five Rivers' best-loved trails, as we visit a variety of upland and wetland habitats. The overgrown fields support bluebird, rabbit and fox. The dense evergreen growth is home to deer, owls and turkeys, while the far fields reveal bird life such as bobolinks and meadowlarks. Dress for outdoor activity. In case of inclement weather this program may be cancelled.

FROG WATCH
Friday, June 13
7:00 PM
June brings the deep-throated calls of the grand-daddy of all frogs, the bullfrog. We will also be looking for green frogs and other wetlands wildlife as part of a continuing effort to monitor the Center's amphibian populations. Bring flashlights, dress for outdoor activity and wear footgear you don't mind getting wet.

DRAGONFLY CENSUS
Saturday, June 14
2:00 PM
Join dragonfly experts from the National Audubon Society as we continue our annual census of the Center's populations. We will present a short indoor talk about dragonfly habits, habitats and identifying characteristics, and then lead an outdoor catch-and-release survey to census local species. Nets, field guides and other equipment will be provided. Netted specimens will be identified, counted and immediately released unharmed. Participants should dress for outdoor activity. In case of inclement weather this program may be cancelled.

Homeschoolers: FROG WATCH
Wednesday, June 18
7:00 PM
Homeschoolers are invited to an evening "Frog Watch", as we listen for the sounds of late spring. We will prepare for our outdoor walk indoors, listening to audiotapes of some common frogs and toads of our area. Live frogs will be on display to see up close and personal. The program will conclude with a walk outdoors to one of Five Rivers' wetland areas to search for frogs. Bring your journals. For those attending for the first time, we will have a journal for you to take home. Bring flashlights, dress for outdoor activity and wear footgear you don't mind getting wet.

SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
Friday, June 20
7:00 PM
On this evening walk, we will seek out some of the wildflowers in bloom at Five Rivers Center. Many of our flowers that bloom in June came from Europe endowed with a rich tradition of medicinal and culinary use, superstition and magic. Much flower lore surrounds Mid-Summer's Eve, and the stories of some of these flowers in bloom will be shared. Dress for outdoor activity. In case of inclement weather this program may be cancelled.

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Saturday, June 28
10:00 AM
This outdoor photography workshop for adults will feature techniques for improving your nature photography skills. Topics will include landscapes, wildlife, and close-ups. Digital and standard 35mm photographers are welcome. In the event of inclement weather this program will be held indoors. Register by Thursday, June 26; space is limited. Bring your own camera and equipment.