Environment DEC
From the September 2004 issue
Public Invited to Fifth Annual Hudson River Valley Ramble
Winner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) "Quality Environmental Award," the 2004 Hudson River Valley Ramble is scheduled for two weekends in September, on the 18th and 19th and on the 25th and 26th. The Ramble is sponsored by the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (HRVNHA) and New York State's Hudson River Valley Greenway, a program that Governor Pataki helped to establish with assistance from the Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Hudson River Estuary Program.
Many activities are planned allowing people to "explore" the Hudson
DEC Participation
DEC's Bureau of Environmental Education will be overseeing the Five Rivers Fall Festival on Saturday, September 18. Exhibits, activities and interpretive walks will cover wetlands and wild animals. These are free of charge and designed with families in mind. For the Papscanee Creek Kayak Paddle on Saturday, September 25, Environmental Education staff will guide experienced kayakers across five to six miles of the Hudson River and talk abut the natural history of the Hudson River Estuary. On Sunday, September 26, a naturalist from the Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center will lead a two-mile walk along the Freedom Trail, which runs through woodlands that used to be sheep pasture a century ago.
Look for these signs to
direct you to family-fun
events at the Ramble
The Bureau of Marine Resources, along with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve, will host activities on consecutive Saturdays. On Saturday, September 18, a "science lesson" will include a walk along Tivoli South Bay, and at Bard College, a tour of the Research Reserve's headquarters and a visit to Blithewood Garden. The following Saturday, September 26, Tivoli North Bay will be the site of the Tidal Wetlands Paddle. Weather permitting, paddlers may visit Cruger Island as well.
Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area
The HRVNHA encompasses 154 miles along the Hudson, from the Capital Region to just north of Manhattan. The area was home to early Dutch and French Huguenot settlements, and includes some Revolutionary War sites as well. America's first school of art-the 19th century Hudson River School-also began here.
Hudson River Valley Greenway
The Greenway partners with state government agencies, regional partners and local communities to preserve, enhance and develop the scenic, natural, historical, cultural and recreational resources of the Hudson River Valley. A priority of the Greenway is development of an interconnected system of land and water trails that will provide access to scenic views and historic sites.
Ramble Information
Ramble events-many of which are geared to families--have been divided among the Upper, Mid- and Lower Hudson River Valley, with 40 or more activities scheduled for each area. Several require pre-registration, and activity or parking fees may be charged at some locations. Events will be held rain or shine unless otherwise noted. For more information about the Ramble or to receive a brochure, please call 800-453-6665 or 845-334-9574, or use the link below.
