Farm visit!

We've arranged a visit to Serendipity Farm, which is at 234 Sugarhill road in Clifton Park (near Grooms Corners). Look for the mailbox, because there's no sign. Some of the core leaders visited him last week and it was really cool- he's a really nice guy and has chickens, a greenhouse, and a big field that he plants heirloom vegetables on. His chickens are free range and he doesn't use genetically modified (GM) crops or pesticides. We'll be going at 3:00 this Saturday (June 16th), and EVERYONE is welcome! Bring your family and friends. You'll get to see a working farm, talk to him about organic/sustainable farming, and then if you want you can stick around to help him out with the farm (like planting/weeding/building something). See you there!

Lake Association meeting

On June 12th at 7:30, in the Ballston Lake Fire House, there will be a micro-vertebrate biology professor from ACC. Her presentation will be on how they tracked pollutants in Lake Luzurne.

coal to liquid

In order to move away from our dependence on foreign oil, there might be new legislation that encourages use of coal as our new energy source by granting companies subsidiaries and tax breaks.
"A new study has concluded that turning coal into liquid fuel yields 125% more carbon dioxide than producing diesel fuel and 66% more than gasoline." (article from LATimes) Shouldn't we focus on cleaner and more sustainable energy instead of regressing into even less efficient practices? Even if we can sequester the CO2 emissions from the coal to liquid process, it still pollutes more CO2 than oil, and coal mining is incredibly toxic to humans and the environment (nrdc.org).

Please make your voice heard.

Fundraiser!

EDIT: our garage sale fundraiser will be postponed due to lack of members! We'll be having another fundraiser soon though.

Please bring refundable bottles or cans to the meeting, and a mug if you want some tea!

We will be creating a summary of notable eco-friendly business practices in our area (such as donating grease as biodiesel), so if you have any ideas, please post them here!

If you haven't already heard the commercials, eLot Recycling in Watervliet recycles all kinds of electronics.

Wilton Hikes and Programs

Here are some upcoming events that Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park is putting on! You can check the rest out at http://www.wiltonpreserve.org/

Wildflower Walk
Saturday, June 2nd, 10am; Camp Saratoga on Scout Road.Late spring is a perfect time to explore the diverse color and form of local wildflowers. From familiar back-yard beauties to curious woodland denizens, let's walk through Camp Saratoga's southern trails to find and identify our wildflowers. We'll discuss interesting attributes of many species, and use guides to identify the unknown.

Insect Night at the Old Gick Farm!
Friday, June 8th, 8pm; Old Gick Farm on Route 50.Join Tim McCabe, New York State's entomologist, to observe and learn about insects that appear in the hours after sunset. An attractant will ensure a great turnout of critters. Will it attract you? Wear comfortable shoes and bring water and a flashlight. Please register by calling Sarah at 518-587-1939 ext. 220.

Karner Blue Butterfly Walk
Saturday, June 9th; 10am; location TBA. Join Preserve & Park Director Sarah Clarkin in the field as she talks about the state and federally endangered Karner blue butterfly and some of the other interesting species that depend upon this geological area, the Saratoga Sandplains. Participants will take a short walk along a trail and spend time in a Karner blue butterfly habitat restoration area looking for this special butterfly. While in the field Sarah will talk about the butterfly's habitat, life cycle, the threats confronting its survival, and the actions underway to save it. Please register by calling Sarah at 518-587-1939 ext. 220.