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This program combines an indoor discussion with outdoor hands-on nature observation and exploration.
​Each class will be led by an expert in that content area.​

Registration is now full for spring 2026. Applications will now be for the waitlist. 

Location: Eldridge Research Center (284 Pond Hill Road, Rensselaerville, NY 12147) and outside on our trails and in our woods
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Spring 2026 Dates and Times
May 7, 2-4 PM: Spring amphibians with Sarah Snyder, Ph.D. 
May 21, 1-3 PM: Birding by sight and sound: seeing is believing (but hearing is too) with Roger Masse, Ph.D. 
June 4, 2-4 PM: How to be an active observer of plants with Skye van der Laan
June 18, 2-4 PM: Felt & fiber: the Huyck Woolen Mill’s role in the art of papermaking ​with Don Rittner

Class Descriptions
Spring Amphibians
Learn more about the amphibians found at the Huyck Preserve. We will explore the ponds, streams, and terrestrial habitats that are home to these special creatures. Participants will also search for red-backed salamanders under coverboards and collect data as part of an ongoing research project at the Preserve.

Birding by sight and sound: seeing is believing (but hearing is too)​
During this session, students will learn bird identification by sight and sound with an emphasis on field observation of birds around the Eldridge Research Center. This session will be conducted outside where participants will be able to view and hear birds in their natural settings. Bring binoculars if you have them. Binoculars will also be available for those that need them.

How to be an active observer of plants​
In the classroom portion of this session, Skye will cover the basics of botany and talk about being an active observer of the world around us, from our backyards to the deep woods. We will discuss some of the tools and techniques of botany, including the basics of plant and natural community identification, photography, data management, and how to make good iNaturalist observations and journal entries. On our walk, we will put some of what we learned into practice as we circle Lincoln Pond. We will provide basic tools. Bring your phone/camera and binoculars if you have them.

Felt & fiber: the Huyck Woolen Mill’s role in the art of papermaking ​
We will examine the technological, industrial, and cultural history of papermaking felt production at the historic Huyck Woolen Mill on the Preserve's property in Rensselaerville. Students will explore the critical role of woolen felts in the papermaking process—specifically their function in sheet formation, pressing, and drying on Fourdrinier and cylinder machines—while situating the mill within the broader context of American industrial development.

Registration is capped at 15 people.
​Registration is for all four classes.

Spring 2026 Leaders
Sarah Snyder, Ph.D. 
Dr. Sarah Snyder is an Associate Professor of Biology at Simon’s Rock at Bard College, where she teaches students who start college early at the new campus outside of Redhook, NY. She received her B.S. in Wildlife Biology and Ecology at Unity College in Maine and her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. Dr. Snyder's collaborative research projects include topics such as vernal pools, landscape genetics and skin microbiomes of frogs in the Caribbean, and red-backed salamanders at the Huyck Preserve. She was the 2025 Huyck Preserve Summer Research Fellow.

Roger Masse, Ph.D. 
Dr. Roger J. Masse is a broadly-trained wildlife biologist with particular interests in undergraduate education, wildlife habitat use and management, and birds.  He earned a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from University of Vermont, a M.S. in Natural Resources from Delaware State University, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from University of Rhode Island.  A common theme throughout his formal training was an interest in studying birds. In Vermont, he worked with grassland songbirds during an undergraduate research experience. In Delaware, he studied Wood Thrush populations and other forest-breeding birds. In Rhode Island, he studied habitat use and behavior of American Woodcock and other young forest birds. Roger is Associate Professor of Wildlife Management at SUNY Cobleskill where he provides his students with hands-on experiences related to wildlife studies including songbird and American Woodcock capture, measurement, and banding among other topics.

Skye van der Laan​
Skye van der Laan (he/him) is a naturalist, botanist, and rare plant enthusiast with a focus on the natural communities of Albany County and more broadly on the native plants of the northeastern US. Skye has worked for the New York Natural Heritage Program as a Wetland Ecology Technician, is a member of the Massachusetts Rare Plant Task Force, and volunteers at the New York State Herbarium, as well as conducting solo and community research projects. Skye is originally from the White Mountains of New Hampshire and has been living in Albany for the last 20 years.

Don Rittner
Don Rittner is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and documentarian who grew up in Troy, NY in the 1960s.  He is a professional historian and archeologist and was the official Albany City Archaeologist (1973-79) and former Schenectady City and County Historian (2005-2012). He is a professor at Westchester Community College, where he teaches archaeology, anthropology, and Native American history. He is also the chair of the Town of Guilderland 250th American Revolution Anniversary Committee. He is the author of 65+ books on history, natural history, and science, including 15 books about his hometown, Troy.

There is no fee to attend this program.
Support comes from the Kuhar Endowment Fund.

Registration is now full for spring 2026. Applications will now be for the waitlist. ​

Register Here