Annual Report of the

2019-2020 To protect and manage the unique and endangered natural communities and species of the Albany Pine Bush, for ecological benefits and controlled and appropriate public recreational and educational use. Table of Contents

Overview...... 1

Background and Mission...... 2

Board of Directors...... 3

Project & Programatic Highlights...... 4

Financial Highlights...... 8

Become a Member ...... 10

Preserve Staff & Contact Info...... 11

Cover photo by Marty Bannan Photo by Dean Bouton

Dear friends, The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Visit us at AlbanyPineBush.org to We’re proud to offer the Albany Pine Commission is a public-private donate to the Friends of the Pine Bush Preserve Commission’s Annual partnership created by the NYS Bush Community or to get details Report. It provides some of the past Legislature in 1988 to protect and on self-guided programs including a year’s highlights from April 1, 2019 manage the preserve and provide StoryWalk, Photo Exhibit submissions, to March 31, 2020 including ways we the public with educational and scavenger hunts and the Karner Kids manage the Globally Rare, Nationally recreational opportunities. Film Festival. You can volunteer as a Significant and Locally Distinct community scientist or as a preserve Albany Pine Bush Preserve and the As the gateway or “front door” to the naturalist, sign up for our newsletter opportunities offered by the Albany Pine Bush, the Discovery Center is a and follow us on social media, Pine Bush Discovery Center. gold LEED-certified interpretive center including Facebook, Instagram and where visitors come to understand Twitter. For some background, the 3,350+/- why the Pine Bush is rare and special. acre Albany Pine Bush Preserve is A visit to this unique destination is an We look forward to you joining us located in New York’s Capital District exciting exploration where learning to protect, manage and discover the and protects one of the best remaining comes naturally through interactive Albany Pine Bush – be safe and be inland pitch-pine scrub oak barrens exhibits, an outdoor Discovery Trail, well! in the world. This is an extraordinary and numerous programs through fire-dependent ecosystem that all four seasons on ecology, natural provides habitat for many plants history, cultural history and natural and animals, which includes more resource management. than 20 percent of the New York State-designated wildlife Species of The end of the fiscal year in March Greatest Conservation Need, such as 2020 brought unprecedented changes Sincerely, the endangered Karner blue butterfly. with the advent of the COVID-19 The preserve is the largest open space pandemic, requiring the temporary area in the Capital District and has closure of the Discovery Center and the distinction of being a National administrative offices. However, the Keith Goertz Natural Landmark, Hudson River preserve and trail system remained Valley National Heritage Area Site, a open with numerous visitors enjoying Board Chair New York State Unique Area and Bird some peaceful respite during a time of NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Area, and a National many unknowns. Conservation Director, Region 4 Audubon Society Important Bird Area. Characterized by rolling sand As our community moves towards dunes and over 20 miles of trails, safely resuming activities we have the preserve offers visitors many several ways to get involved in recreational opportunities including addition to our wonderful trails. Christopher A. Hawver hiking, bird watching, cross-country Executive Director skiing, horseback riding, mountain Albany Pine Bush biking, hunting, fishing and paddling. Preserve Commission

1 Background and Mission Photo by Zach Stufflebeam

hat is the Commission and here is the Albany Pine Bush, the best worldwide example of an W W inland pitch pine-scrub oak barrens what does it do? and what does it contain? —a unique ecosystem— and more than 78 wildlife Species of Greatest The Pine Bush contains remnants Established by the New York State Conservation Need. The Albany Pine of ice age sand plains that were part Legislature in 1988, the Commission Bush Preserve consists of 3,300 acres of a vast river delta at the edge of is a unique public-private partnership of lands protected within the Pine Glacial Lake Albany. The Pine Bush that works with willing landowners Bush and managed by the Albany Pine and a number of municipal, state, spans parts of the cities of Albany Bush Preserve Commission. federal and private partners to and Schenectady and the Towns of assure the protection, restoration Colonie and Guilderland and supports and management of the natural and cultural resources of the Albany Pine Bush. How does the Commission protect In advancing its mission to protect and manage a viable Preserve? and manage the Albany Pine Bush Protects land: The Commission Commission member agencies on for ecological, recreational and works with willing landowners to how a project (in the study area) may education benefits, the Commission acquire or otherwise protect priority affect the creation and management of believes in a balanced approach that lands within Pine Bush Protection a viable preserve. The Commission takes into account the positions and Areas with a goal of building a truly also provides recommendations on how recommendations of its members as viable preserve of approximately potentially negative impacts may be well as input from property owners, 5,380 acres. minimized or avoided altogether. interest groups and the general public. It has no regulatory authority. Manages land: The Commission uses Offers educational programing: The prescribed fire, as well as mechanical Discovery Center provides visitors with and chemical treatments to reduce interactive exhibits and activities, and is wildfire risk and restore ecological an invaluable tool for schools, colleges, communities, wildlife habitat, and scouts and other groups. Through control invasive species. hands-on discovery-based learning, staff and volunteers help visitors learn Reviews proposed development about the unique characteristics of projects: The Commission does not the Pine Bush and nurture a sense of have the ability to approve or deny stewardship for the preserve. development projects, but does advise

2 The Board of Directors

The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission is established in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and consists of eleven voting members: the Commissioner of NYSDEC; the Commissioner of the NYS State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; the Mayor of the City of Albany; the Town Supervisors of the Towns of Colonie and Guilderland; the Chief Executive Officer of the County of Albany; the State Director of the New York field office of The Nature Conservancy and four members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The four appointed private citizen members of the Commission are, by training, education, experience or attainment, qualified to analyze, interpret or support matters relevant to the protection, maintenance and management of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.

Hon. Kathy M. Sheehan Jessica Ottney Mahar Erik Kulleseid Mayor Director of Policy & Commissioner, City of Albany Strategy NYS Office of Parks The Nature Conservancy Recreation and in New York Historic Preservation Hon. Peter Barber Hon. Paula A. Mahan Supervisor Supervisor Town of Guilderland Town of Colonie Citizen Members: Dr. Harvey Alexander John Brust Nancy Pierson Keith Goertz Hon. Daniel P. McCoy Dr. Steven Rice Director, Region 4 Executive NYS Department of Albany County Environmental Conservation

Photo by Cynthia Spuzy 3 Ilya Raskin photographs lupine in Blueberry Hill for BirdWatching Project and Programmatic Highlights magazine.

Pine Bush Banners. More wayfinding and sense of place pole Big News in the banners were installed around the Routes 20 & 155 intersection in the Funding.Pine Bush... Fire Manager, Tyler Town of Guilderland. These help Briggs, and Conservation Director, people find the Discovery Center Neil Gifford, successfully secured a and help raise awareness about the $125,000 grant from the US Forest The Albany Pine Bush: Growing extent of the preserve. Service to assist with prescribed fire the Preserve. Our staff partnered in the preserve. with local PBS station WMHT School Programs. Each year, to produce a 13-minute video to APBPC Education staff reach Preserve Science in the news. promote one of the top messages thousands of students, introducing Prescribed fire and wildlife in the Audience Development them to the Albany Pine Bush conservation science were featured Plan. The message is that the The and actively engaging them in in Birdwatching Magazine, APBP is not complete; the public place-based learning. Program Natural History magazine, and can help protect more land as well participation over the past year WAMC Northeast Pubic Radio in as support the restoration of this totaled 3,889 with students engaged 2019. globally rare National Natural in Discover the Pine Bush, Habitat Landmark. The video will be Watch, Help a Habitat and more. shown in the Discovery Center, Students contributed hours of data online, at public venues, as part of collection and over 1,300 lupine conferences and programs. plants to the preserve. www.YouTube.com/TheAPBPC

WeIn hostedOur theCommunity... Rapp Road Historical Association’s 4th Annual Fundraiser in May. Approximately 70 attendees enjoyed light fare, music, a photo gallery, and celebration of the community. Christopher Hawver was recognized as the year’s honoree. 4 Community Science. The APBPC program to state and federal fire Community Science program management professionals from has been flourishing with over Visitation.Visit the Visitors Pine travel Bush...to the across the northeastern United 70 dedicated volunteers helping Discovery Center from both near States. Photo at bottom. collect data around the preserve. and far each year to learn about Many of these volunteers the Albany Pine Bush, its unique Albany Pine Bush, a Living Lab. conducted surveys for American ecology, history and recreational Conservation science staff hosted woodcock in the preserve. opportunities. Over the past year, several restoration field trips Photo below by Sarah Martinez we recorded 12,823 visits to the for local universities, including: Discovery Center. Green Mountain College, Paul Smith’s College, SUNY Albany, Temporary Exhibits. The Hudson Valley Community Discovery Center hosted multiple College and SUNY Plattsburgh. temporary exhibits over the These opportunities continue to past year. Highlights include build important relationships with the Schenectady Photographic academic partners and provide Society’s Capital District Nature truly unique learning opportunities photo exhibit, the annual Pine for aspiring conservation Bush Perspectives Juried Photo professionals. Photo below: Paul Smith’s College Fire Ecology & Management Class Certified Seed Collectors. Exhibit and the “Fact Finders Lab” Seventeen new Certified Seed interactive exhibit in the Karner Collector volunteers were Classroom. trained in the intricacies of plant identification, seed species ID, how United States Forest Service to collect seed, and how to work (USFS). We hosted the USFS with and lead other volunteers. Regional Fire Management Once trained, these volunteers Officers annual meeting at the can collect seed throughout the Discovery Center on November preserve on their own schedules, 7th, providing an opportunity to for later use by preserve staff in showcase our fire management restoration planting.

5 Public Programs. This year, participation in interpretive Our Expert Staff programs led by APBPC staff, volunteers and partners totaled 1,956 participants for our public Sugarloaf& Volunteers... Wildfire. The APBPC interpretive programs and 696 for Rx fire crew assisted the NYS special interest groups including Department of Environmental Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts. Conservation (NYSDEC) and NYS Popular programs included Office of Parks, Recreation and Discover the Pine Bush, Night Historic Preservation (OPRHP) The APBPC at the Discovery Center, Owls Prescribed Fire. with suppressing the ‘Sugarloaf’ conducted 16 controlled burns and Hors d’oeuvres, Karner Blue Wildfire (80 acres). The wildfire totaling 427 acres, a record. Photo Butterfly Walk, Trolley Tour and took place in the Hudson Highlands above of an April 2019 Rx fire from a commercial the Science Lecture Series. In State Park, along the Breakneck airplane courtesy of Willie Janeway. August 2019, we hosted our first Ridge. Ant Identification Workshops Restoring the pine barrens of the where participants helped to add a Keynote Speaker. APBPC preserve is an ongoing process. new species, Lasius umbratus (photo Conservation Director, Neil We have been implementing below) to our preserve list! Gifford provided the keynote management activities across address at the Lakes States Fire hundreds of acres each year and Science Consortium 6th Annual the fall/winter of 2019/20 was no Burning Issues Workshop & 20th different. Management included Michigan Prescribed Fire Council mowing 156 acres of pine barrens, Annual Meeting, at the Fort Custer reducing the tree density on 77 National Training Center in Battle forested acres, stumping 22 acres in Creek, MI in February. preparation for spring planting and chasing down invasive plants on Training. We partnered with over 600 acres. NYSDEC to conduct three National Wildfire Coordination Facilities improvements. Secure Group training classes that certified space for preserve management 123 wildland firefighters. Happening on equipment is important to keep the Assisting partners. The APB equipment out of the weather so it fire crew assisted The Nature will last as long as possible before Seedthe cleaning.Ground... Stewardship staff Conservancy (TNC) with two needing replacement. The large partnered with the United States prescribed fires (80 acres) in the red barn at the management facility Department of Agriculture (USDA) Waterboro Barrens Preserve in on Kings Road was updated with Plant Materials Center in Big Flats, Maine. a new roof and green metal siding. NY to clean all of the native seed The loft of this restored barn is that we collect and use during our used for drying native seed that is restoration effort at the preserve. collected in the preserve for habitat This was an especially productive restoration plantings. seed collection year, and we collected large amounts of Bush Clover, Horsemint, and Goat’s Rue.

6 Eastern whip-poor-will. After Karner blue butterfly. The 2019 more than 30 years of absence, Kbb population size was estimated eastern whip-poor-wills appear to be 4801 and 7552 butterflies to have returned to the preserve. in the first and second broods, Conservation science staff tracked respectively. The APBP population two of these birds using 1-gram has remained above the recovery GPS data-loggers in 2019. threshold established by the United States (US) Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW) (i.e., 3000 adults in either the first or the second Truax Family Burial Grounds brood) for the last seven years. Restoration. Work on restoring the Figure 1. Brood size estimates of Truax Family Burial Grounds was the Kbb for the survey area at the completed in the spring of 2019. APBP, 2007-2019. A total of five gravestones of the Truax Family were restored and a fence was added to delineate the site of this historic cemetery.

In an effort Preserve boundaries. Figure 1 Below. Brood size estimates of the Karner to continue to clearly identify blue butterfly for the survey area at the APBP, the boundaries of the preserve, 2007-2019. seasonal staff used GIS mapping Karner blue photo below by Jeanice Naulty software to locate and map the preserve boundaries. Existing boundary signs are being repaired/ replaced as needed and missing signs are being installed. The preserve has over 40 miles of preserve edge.

ClimateOur Latest Change. Science Research... staff shared nearly 30 years of Karner blue butterfly (Kbb) population data with scientists at Washington State University and the U.S. Geological Survey at the University of Minnesota. Both projects are examining the effects of climate change.

7 Financial Highlights Condensed Statement of Activities (For Year Ended March 31, 2020)

Revenues, Gains & Other Support Government Grants $ 2,869,726

Mitigation Revenue $ 211,609

Lease Revenue $ 177,543

Investment Income $ 152,971

Contribution Revenue $ 74,281

Program/Other Revenue $ 30,690

Total Revenues, Gains and Other Support $ 3,516,820

Expenses Personnel and Administrative $ 2,763,573

Contract and Professional Fees $ 537,556

Conservation and Programs $ 463,329

Cost of Capital $ 259,509

Total Expenses $ 4,023,967

Change in Net Assets $ (507,147)

PLUS: Net Assets at Beginning of Year $ 8,296,073

Net Assets at End of Year $ 7,788,926

8 Financial Highlights Revenue and Expenses (For Year Ended March 31, 2020)

9 Become a Member of Our Community Get Involved Support Our Friends We have many easy ways that you The Commission is working to Friends of the Pine Bush can connect with us. The Discovery build broad-based, sustained local Community, Inc. is a 501(c)3 Center offers many opportunities support for preserve protection and organization formed for the through programs, special events management. Supporters active in charitable and educational purpose and exhibits. You can participate in preserve research and management of supporting the activities of the our community by submitting your through community science and Commission. The Friends work Pine Bush story on our website attending presentations reinforce cooperatively with Commission or to our Pine Bush Perspectives the APBPC brand as Globally-Rare, staff to add additional land to the Photo Exhibit or by making a video Nationally Significant, and Locally preserve, further conservation and for the Karner Kids Film Festival. Distinct. They help to further education within the preserve, You can help monitor rare species establish its position as the place especially through organized and study habitat quality. As a with which to affiliate for those activities and programs at the Preserve Naturalist you can also interested in conservation science, Discovery Center. Supporters can work to make the preserve safe and ecology, and natural history. join or donate by picking up a form enjoyable for all who visit and live at the Discovery Center or through here. Pine Bush enthusiasts can show PineBushFriends.org. support by signing up for email Visit the Commission website, updates on AlbanyPineBush.org, AlbanyPineBush.org for ways you and liking the preserve on Facebook, can join the Pine Bush community. Instagram and Twitter.

Chipmunk photo above by: Laetitia Duret

10 Photo by Shu Jun Lim Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Current Staff Contact Us Lisa Anthony Christopher Hawver Albany Pine Bush Director of Finance & Operations Executive Director Preserve Commission 195 New Karner Road, Suite 1 Tyler Briggs Joel Hecht Albany, NY 12205 Fire Manager Stewardship Director (518) 456-0655 [email protected] Steven Campbell Jesse Hoffman Conservation Biologist Preserve Steward & Botanist AlbanyPineBush.org

Jacqueline Citriniti Erin Kinal The Discovery Center is open Lead Educator Education Program Director DAILY weekdays 9AM-4PM and weekends 10AM-4PM. Wendy Craney Patricia McLaughlin Closed Thanksgiving, Communications Director Office Manager Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Amanda Dillon Sara Poggi-Decker Field Ecologist & Entomologist Education Program Manager

Blake Hastie-Etchison Victoria Stoodley Discovery Center Manager Visitor Services Specialist

Neil Gifford Visitor Services Associates Conservation Director Courtney Clickner Heather Oligny Sarah Reilly

11 Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission 195 New Karner Road, Suite 1 Albany, NY 12205 Tel: (518) 456-0655 [email protected] AlbanyPineBush.org Sept 2020