Membership Moments
Michelle DePace, Member and Volunteer
Membership Moments is a new section of the Myosotis Messenger where a Huyck Preserve member will reflect on a special experience or favorite place at the Preserve. Email Michaela at info@huyckpreserve.org if you'd like to share your story.
Lower Falls, © Caleb Jacobus
Great Blue Heron, ©James Coe
What words come to mind when I think of the Huyck Preserve? Anticipation, beauty, comfort, wonder, curiosity, and awe. When I visit, I am always anticipating the discovery of the day. While kayaking on Lake Myosotis, I hope to see a Great Blue Heron, my favorite bird, and to see the detail of its body and stalking behavior, but not so close as to interfere. Sitting still in the kayak, enjoying the silence, being so close to a heron is wonderful. Typically, I find it hard to sit still and not be busy. When I am at the Preserve, I can just “be,” relax in the moment, and enjoy whatever chooses to fly by, along with the ripples in the water, and the movement of the clouds above me.
The element of surprise is another reason the Preserve is such a special place. Each time I put my boat in the water, I wonder if I will see the eagle again. On our first outing on Lake Myosotis, my husband and I struck gold! Paddling along the shore, I noticed something in the tree ahead. It was not until I got right under the tree that I realized it was a mature Bald Eagle - literally ten feet above my head. I motioned to my husband, and we sat quietly in our kayaks for over 20 minutes, in awe of this majestic bird. I never imagined I would get so close to an eagle in the wild. Finally, after it flew off, we laughed and exclaimed at our great fortune. We have since seen other eagles fly over the lake, but nothing has matched our initial, up close experience.
I don’t need to be on the lake to love the Preserve. It is a treat to enjoy the quiet of the shoreline on weekend mornings while reading our newspapers and books. Some of my happiest times were spent in the woods with our late dog, Snoopy. She was always pulling ahead on the leash to see what was around the next turn, delighting in the scents and movement of small animals around her. I also love the town of Rensselaerville and its local businesses. I enjoy getting our breakfast sandwiches on Saturday mornings at Kuhar Family Farm Café, and walking up to the Helderberg Brewery after a relaxing afternoon of hiking or kayaking. Since we live in a suburb of Albany, The Huyck Preserve is our connection to water, woods, and a home away from home.
I also look forward to attending informative talks at the Eldridge Research Center that deepen my sense of the mission of the Preserve. I have enjoyed other wonderful events, such as the Winter Festival and the Ramble. The Preserve is clearly a center of the community. There is a great mix of people and possibilities for participation for all ages.
Though I wish I had known about the Huyck Preserve when my children were young, I’m grateful that I know about it now. The Preserve is a precious, unique, and special place—one which I have shared with our grown children and many friends. My hope is that more people will come to know and love the Preserve as I do, and that they will contribute in whatever way they can to its continued well-being and success.
The element of surprise is another reason the Preserve is such a special place. Each time I put my boat in the water, I wonder if I will see the eagle again. On our first outing on Lake Myosotis, my husband and I struck gold! Paddling along the shore, I noticed something in the tree ahead. It was not until I got right under the tree that I realized it was a mature Bald Eagle - literally ten feet above my head. I motioned to my husband, and we sat quietly in our kayaks for over 20 minutes, in awe of this majestic bird. I never imagined I would get so close to an eagle in the wild. Finally, after it flew off, we laughed and exclaimed at our great fortune. We have since seen other eagles fly over the lake, but nothing has matched our initial, up close experience.
I don’t need to be on the lake to love the Preserve. It is a treat to enjoy the quiet of the shoreline on weekend mornings while reading our newspapers and books. Some of my happiest times were spent in the woods with our late dog, Snoopy. She was always pulling ahead on the leash to see what was around the next turn, delighting in the scents and movement of small animals around her. I also love the town of Rensselaerville and its local businesses. I enjoy getting our breakfast sandwiches on Saturday mornings at Kuhar Family Farm Café, and walking up to the Helderberg Brewery after a relaxing afternoon of hiking or kayaking. Since we live in a suburb of Albany, The Huyck Preserve is our connection to water, woods, and a home away from home.
I also look forward to attending informative talks at the Eldridge Research Center that deepen my sense of the mission of the Preserve. I have enjoyed other wonderful events, such as the Winter Festival and the Ramble. The Preserve is clearly a center of the community. There is a great mix of people and possibilities for participation for all ages.
Though I wish I had known about the Huyck Preserve when my children were young, I’m grateful that I know about it now. The Preserve is a precious, unique, and special place—one which I have shared with our grown children and many friends. My hope is that more people will come to know and love the Preserve as I do, and that they will contribute in whatever way they can to its continued well-being and success.
Michelle is a retired special education teacher who taught students K-12 for 35 years. She grew up near the Catskill mountains, which is where she still does a lot of hiking. She has four grown children, all of whom love the outdoors.
