Spring 2012 Programs
For more information on our programs and to pre-register, please contact Lisa Hoyt at (518) 658-2055 or e-mail dykenpond@fairpoint.net.
Please check back for our upcoming Summer programs in July and August
May
May 5: Bird Walk with Mary Batcheller 8 am
Free. No pre-registration needed.
May 6: Wild Edible Plants with Lee Wilson 10am – 4 pm
Plant identification, foraging techniques, food preparation.
Focus on Spring shoots and greens
Fee: $15, $10 members
Pre-registration required. Limited to 15 people.
May 19: Spring Wildflowers and Plants with Lisa Hoyt
10 am – 12 noon
Identification and Folklore of forest plants
Free. No pre-registration needed. Meet at parking lot.
JUNE
June 2: National Trails Day 9 am – 12 noon
Volunteer on trail clean-up
9 am Coffee and registration
9:30 – 12 Trail Work
12 Noon Free BBQ for all volunteers
Pre-registration required for BBQ so we can plan enough food.
June 2: Full Strawberry Moon Hike with Lisa Hoyt 7 pm
Twilight hike finishing with a campfire under the almost full moon
Bring a snack/drink for the campfire
Free. No pre-registration needed.
June 3: Camo Camp with Dan Yacobellis 9:30am – 3:30pm
Learn to move unnoticed and in shadows. Camouflage
using color, movement and sound. Experiment with
technique and then practise in forest exercises. Useful for
hunters, nature photography, wildlife watching and just fun!
For ages 9 and older, and adults.
Pre-registration required. Limited to 15 people.
Fee: $10, $5 members
June 23: Primitive Fire Making with Dan Yacobellis
9:30am-3:30pm
Primitive fire building techniques. Participants will make their
own bow-drill set.
Pre-registration required. Limited to 15 people.
Fee: $15, $10 members
Pre-registration can be done by contacting Lisa Hoyt at 518 658-2055 or dykenpond@fairpoint.net.
Instructor Bio’s
Mary Batcheller: Mary is a life-long birder from Petersburgh, New York. She received a BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine. After homeschooling her own children for 17 years, she continues to teach environmental education to others. She does bird surveys for NY Audubon, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. Her delight is to help others observe and learn about our local birds.
Dan Yacobellis: Dan began his journey into the world of indigenous culture and living skills over 17 years ago. Living with the Lakota people in South Dakota, Dan was introduced to crafts such as, brain tanning hides, hunting practices, bead and porcupine quillwork, tool and weapon construction and many more aspects of their ancient Native lifeways. This ignited a fire in him to learn more about the natural world that shaped these and the many other indigenous cultures around the world.
Since 1994 Dan has been studying the ancient art of animal tracking both in formal educational settings and on his own. Dan has been working with children and at-risk teens since 1997 and is a father of five. He works with groups of children from the Albany Free School on the 240 acre parcel of land held by the school in Grafton NY. From simply spending the day immersed in the forest setting to more structured activities like fire making and maple syruping, they created experiences of connection with nature that many of these inner city kids would not likely have had.
Lee Wilson: Lee is a graduate of the Kamana Naturalist Training Program and has had a lifelong interest in plants and their edible and medicinal qualities. He practices primitive and survival skills and is an instructor at Tamakoce Wilderness Programs.
Lisa Hoyt: Lisa is the Director at the Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center and has taught environmental education programs for over 25 years. She received a BS degree in Natural Resources Management from the College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Lisa shares her love of the outdoors with youth, their families and adults in a variety of outdoor education programs for the public, outreach programs and a summer nature camp for youth. Her biggest passion is to connect children to nature “in their own backyards” so that they can become knowledgeable adults who care for the land and the environment.
