Albany Pine Bush Preserve

08/05/2026

Final Nature Night Out of the summer... don't miss it!

Tomorrow, August 6th from 4pm-7pm join us for an evening celebrating nature and community.

Some things to look forward to include:
Food Trucks: The Coop and Backroads Burger Co & Kona Ice
Live Music: RK Jazz & Blues
Meet our educators at the trailhead behind the Discovery Center and go on a StoryWalk adventure!
Stop by the temporary tattoo parlor.
Explore the exhibits.
Check out our Lupine Lounge for activities and crafts... and much more!

See you there!

Photo by Jason Fountain

08/03/2026

Looking for something to do on a rainy day? We've got you covered! ☔

Stop by the Discovery Center to explore the exhibits, say hi to one of our ambassador turtles, complete a scavenger hunt, do a craft, shop for a nature loving friend, and much more! There's something for all ages.
🗺️🔎

Open Mon-Fri 9am-4pm
Sat-Sun 10am-4pm

Admission is always free!

07/31/2026

Photos and Flowers... Monday, August 3rd at 11am

Flowers are not only important parts of plants' lifecycles, but they’re also some of nature’s most unique and beautiful sights.

Join APBP staff at Madison Avenue Pinelands (Trailhead 7) for a slow paced walk where we will identify flowers, take pictures, and learn new photography techniques.

All experience levels welcome, no special equipment needed (a camera phone is just fine!)

Attendance is free, registration required.

07/28/2026

What's blooming in the Albany Pine Bush? 👀

If you take a hike through the Pine Bush this month, one of the things you’ll see is this pretty purple flower... Showy tick trefoil! (Desmodium canadense)

A valuable wildlife plant, showy tick trefoil provides important resources for pollinators. It prefers full sun and is often associated with prairie grass. It is also fire tolerant, which is a trait that helps it thrive here in the Albany Pine Bush 🔥.

The seeds of showy tick trefoil are found within a pod that is covered in tiny hairs that act like Velcro. If you pick up some little green hitchhikers while walking the trails, this plant is the likely culprit!

07/27/2026

Another fun summer week of activities here at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve!

Coming up:
🐞 Pine Bush Pups: Incredible Insects*- Tue July 28th + Wed July 29th at 10am
🐢 Turtle Time- Wed July 19th + Fri July 31st at 2pm
🐦 Bird Banding Demo with NYS Museum- Fri July 31st 6am-12pm, Trailhead #12
🧑‍🌾 Volunteer Gardening*- Thurs July 30th at 7:30am
🥾 Lunchtime Hike*- Fri July 31st at 12pm, Trailhead #7
🦋 Butterfly Walk*-Sat August 1st at 11am
📸 Photos and Flowers*- Mon August 3rd at 11am, Trailhead #7

Attendance is free, *registration required.

Photo by Jessica Zinssar from Pine Bush Perspectives

07/23/2026

Join the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission alongside NYS Ornithologist, Dr. Jeremy Kirchman, for a morning of research, education, and fun!

Thursday, July 30th. Drop-in from 5am-12pm at the Truax Trail Barrens (Trailhead 12).

Attendance is free, no registration required.

**DATE CHANGE: This program has been moved from July 30 to July 31, from 6 am-12 pm, due to inclement weather.**

Join us at the Albany Pine Bush for a rare behind-the-scenes look at bird banding with NYS Museum Ornithologist Dr. Jeremy Kirchman and Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Conservation Director Neil Gifford. 🐦 See wild birds up close while learning how scientists track migration, survival, and population health!

Location:
Trailhead #12 Truax Trail Barrens*
The Albany Pine Bush
195 New Karner Road
Albany, NY 12205

*Trailhead #12 Truax Trail Barrens: Directions from Discovery Center to Truax Barrens (Trailhead 12) At traffic light in front of Discovery Center building, continue straight through intersection, on Old State Road. Follow Old State Rd. 0.6 miles to 3 way stop sign intersection. At stop sign, turn right onto Kings Road. Continue straight on Kings Road for .1 miles.

🌞Family-friendly
💲 Free
📍NYSM Off-Site
🔎 https://nysm.nysed.gov/programs/in-the-field-bird-banding

Albany Pine Bush Preserve
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07/22/2026

Moth Week!

The Albany Pine Bush Preserve is home to an amazing variety of moth species, including many that are rare or critically imperiled.

Some of the host plants that they rely on here in the preserve include New Jersey tea, scrub oak, blueberry, pitch pine, and even lichen!

While many moths are nocturnal, not all of them are. The barrens buckmoth (first picture) is a day-flying moth that emerges in early fall whose caterpillars rely on scrub oak.

Keep an eye out for moth friends on your next hike through the pine barrens!

07/20/2026

Summer is in full swing and we have activities for all ages!
Coming up at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve this week:

🦋 Butterfly Hike* - July 21st at 2pm
🐜 Pine Bush Pups: Amazing Ants* - July 22nd + July 23rd at 10am
🐢 Turtle Time - July 22nd + July 24th at 2pm
🧑‍🌾 Volunteer Gardening*- July 23rd at 7:30am
🌻 Wildflower Walk*- July 26th at 10am

* Registration required.

07/06/2026

Our Conservation Director, Neil Gifford, will be presenting at this free webinar tomorrow... don't miss it!

The topic is Restoring Fire’s Role in Ecosystem Health: A Prescribed Fire Case Study in Barrens and Biodiversity

This Tuesday (July 7) do not miss the Restoring Fire’s Role in Ecosystem Health: A Prescribed Fire Case Study in Barrens and Biodiversity webinar. The speaker is Neil Gifford, Albany Pine Bush Preserve and frequent collaborator with NAFSE, and the moderator is Chris Guiterman, another frequent collaborator with NAFSE. Full details at https://www.uwsp.edu/wisconsin-forestry-center/homepage/professional-development/prescribed-fire-for-forest-management-webinar-series/