Economic Benefits of Nature Preserves to Local Communities

Wildlife & Plants

Nature preserves, also known as wildlife sanctuaries or conservation areas, are protected areas of land that are set aside for the preservation and protection of natural ecosystems and wildlife. While many people may view nature preserves primarily as recreational areas or spaces for outdoor activities, they also provide a range of economic benefits to the surrounding communities.

One of the primary economic benefits of a nature preserve is the potential for ecotourism. Ecotourism refers to responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. Nature preserves can attract visitors who are interested in exploring natural habitats and observing wildlife in their natural environments. These visitors often spend money on lodging, food, transportation, and other services in the surrounding communities. According to a report by The Nature Conservancy, ecotourism generates more than $77 billion in revenue annually worldwide.

Nature preserves also provide economic benefits to nearby communities through their role in maintaining environmental services. These services include regulating climate, purifying water and air, and preventing soil erosion. By protecting and maintaining natural ecosystems, nature preserves help to ensure that these services are available to the communities that depend on them. For example, a nature preserve may act as a natural filter for water that is used for drinking or irrigation in nearby communities.

Nature preserves can also have a positive impact on property values in nearby communities. Studies have shown that proximity to natural areas, including parks and nature preserves, can increase property values by as much as 20 percent. This is partly due to the aesthetic value of the natural environment and the appeal of living near green space.

In addition to these economic benefits, nature preserves provide various social and environmental benefits to communities. They can serve as educational resources, providing opportunities for schools and community groups to learn about and experience nature firsthand. Nature preserves can also help to protect biodiversity and prevent the extinction of species that are threatened by habitat loss or other factors.

In conclusion, nature preserves are valuable assets to the communities that surround them, providing a range of economic, social, and environmental benefits. By protecting and maintaining natural ecosystems, nature preserves help to ensure that these benefits are available for generations to come. It is important for communities to recognize and support the importance of nature preserves and their benefits.

IT’S THE NATURE OF THINGS!                  

 

Five Rivers Environmental Education Center

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When we first moved to the Albany, NY area in 1982 I opened my first office in Delmar, NY because I believed that is where the NY Department of Environmental Conservation was located. It actually took me several months to figure out that the main headquarters of DEC was actually several miles north of Delmar in a large building on Wolf Road, Colonie, NY. However, the State Non-gave and endangered species offices and leadership were located in Delmar at what is now called the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. Five Rivers is located just a few miles from our home. The DEC staff located at Five Rivers, became some of my closest friends and comrades during my 5 year stint working for the National Audubon Society in the Northeast.

Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is a living museum comprising over 450 acres of fields, forests, and wetlands. Located in the Capital District, the center provides a variety of easily accessible programs and services for individuals, families and organized groups. In recognition of outstanding interpretive programming, the National Park Service has designated Five Rivers a National Environmental Study Area.

There is a visitor center with interactive displays and exhibits, built in June 2017. Before heading out on the trails, a stop in the visitor center to learn about the habitats and wildlife of Five Rivers, our history, and the green features of the new building is a treat.

Over a century ago, much of the vicinity around what is now the Five Rivers was covered by extensive orchards. As the Great Depression took hold, many hard-scrabble farms could no longer make ends meet. In 1933, the New York State Conservation Department purchased two of these farms to develop the Delmar Experimental Game Farm. At the time, populations of upland game birds and waterfowl were in serious decline. The primary mission of the facility was to learn more about the propagation and management of these species.

From 1933-36, the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp S-72 put up buildings, fences and developed access roads throughout the property to prepare the site for game farming. CCC crews also created ponds by damming the Vlomankill, using limestone blocks salvaged from the abandoned Watervliet Lock of the old Erie Canal. In succeeding years, CCC crews created several additional duck-rearing ponds and erected several additional buildings for brooding, hatching and rearing upwards of 100,000 grouse and pheasant chicks per year. Each fall, the upland game birds and waterfowl were released on state lands throughout New York. The Canada geese that nest at Five Rivers today are thought to be descended from birds originally raised here.

In 1941, the Department established a Wildlife Research Center on site to expand on-going pathology studies, as well as to field test innovative theories in wildlife management. Techniques developed on site such as aging deer via dentition, perfecting the cannon-net and modeling wildlife populations via biometrics revolutionized the wildlife management profession nation-wide.

So as to re-direct increasing public interest away from the sensitive conservation research activities on site, in 1948 staff began developing a modest exhibition of caged wildlife in the area adjacent to the main parking lot. The menagerie came to be known far and wide as the Delmar Zoo, and firmly established the site as a vibrant educational institution. Tens of thousands of families and school group visited this remarkable collection annually. In 1970 there was a major reorganization of the Conservation Department, from which the current Department of Environmental Conservation emerged. As a result of this reorganization, priorities of the Department were reoriented and the Game Farm and Zoo were closed.

Because the site had become such an important community asset, a group of concerned citizens organized and successfully convinced the state to transform the abandoned site into an environmental education center. Thereupon, the Department developed a rustic amphitheater, a series of nature trails and refurbished a former sign shop as a Visitor Center. The new facility was opened to the public in June of 1972. It was renamed the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, a name suggested by SUNY Albany meteorologist Dr. Vincent Schaefer, to denote the five rivers which comprise the watershed within the Center’s service area, namely the Hudson, Mohawk, Hoosic and Sacandaga rivers and the Schoharie Creek.

The Nature of Things – Here and There

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Field Trips – It was another hot and dry week here in Upstate NY. But we did manage to get in a couple of short hikes and a couple of walks down the road and back. Most days in addition to the heat, the humidity has been very high too. We actually went to Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary on 2 occasions last week, mostly to explore the dry creek bed. My office was at Hollyhock Hollow for 26 years and I don’t recall seeing the creek as dry as it is this year.

 

 

Nature-based Communities – I have fully launched my initiative that I call the Nature-based Communities Initiative, which is a campaign to get people in regions across the country to become more connected with nature and natural resource management. I’m focusing on 3 regions myself, one here in New York, one in Florida and one in Indiana. I’m trying to practice what I preach and then report on my personal efforts in hope that others in various regions around the United States might decide to take on similar actions where they live. Want to learn more CLICK HERE

 

Conservation Landscapes – This initiative is aimed at offering information that I hope is useful for landowner/managers who might care to manage their landscapes with nature and natural resources in mind. This site and blog is essentially a series of fact sheet type posts on various topics that provides information on landscape management for people to consider using where they live, work and play. To see an example: CLICK HERE

 

The Conservation Company – In an effort to keep items out of landfills and to generate money for conservation and environmental education project, I resell items on eBay. Sales have generally been slow, and as I have heard sales has been slow for most people who are resellers. So, I have just been listing, listing, listing, and reducing prices too. CLICK HERE for my latest update on my reselling efforts.

 

Letters from a Foxhole – This project is not directly connected with nature, but it is connected with my dad. I’ve continued to post a series of Letters that Dad wrote home to his sister during his time in the Army during World War 2. If that sounds like something that might interest, you CLICK HERE to see more.

Scientists Identify World’s Largest Water Lily Species

biodiversity, nature conservation, , ,

Forget about frogs, this water lily species is big enough for humans to hop around on. Scientists have just identified a third species of giant water lily, after a rather large one at London’s Kew Gardens prompted horticulturists to suspect it did not fit into the two previously known groups. Native to Bolivia in South America, the species is the largest of its kind and has been named Victoria boliviana.

The aquatic plants have flowers that turn from white to pink and can grow to 3 meters in the wild. The biggest, located in Bolivia, reaches a full 3.2 meters, or about 10.5 feet. “In the face of a fast rate of biodiversity loss, describing new species is a task of fundamental importance; we hope that our multidisciplinary framework might inspire other researchers who are seeking approaches to rapidly and robustly identify new species,” said Kew scientist Natalia Przelomska. If you want to see it for yourself, all three giant water lily species float side-by-side at the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Kew Gardens.

Northern Harrier

biodiversity, birds, hawks, , ,

The snowpack so far this winter has been less than normal, but it has been seriously cold most days.  This has resulted in significantly fewer opportunities for hikes in area parks and preserves.

Luckily we live in a rural part of Albany County, NY, and are surrounded by woods and fields. So we still get to see many species of wildlife around our home and during short walks that we take down our country road.

One particular bird species that I have enjoyed watching this winter is a Northern Harrier that I see nearly every day soaring just a few yards from the Earth’s surface as it scours the fields for a tasty meal of a mouse, vole, or some other morsel.  On a few occasions, I have actually seen two Harriers flying side by side in search of prey.

Even in the coldest months nature seems to find a way!

If you would like to read about a few birds of prey from NY CLICK HERE 

New Year – New Goals!

biodiversity, Communities, Home Landscapes, nature conservation, Neighborhoods, Parks & Sanctuaries, Wildlife & Plants

A belated Happy New Year!

I spent the last month or so of 2021 thinking seriously about what I have been doing over the past few years and have come to the decision that I have not been doing the things that I really want to do. So…I am changing my focus and my direction. What I am actually doing is “re-focusing” on my life-long mission connected with nature conservation and to get more people involved with nature where they live, work, and play. With that, I also believe that we all must truly “Think Global and Act Local.”

So, to “think global” I have created the Natural Communities Campaign. The Ultimate goal is to protect 50% of the Earth by the year 2050 as protected areas and reverse the tremendous downward spiral we are witnessing at present in the loss of biodiversity. To learn more click: Half-Earth.

An interim goal for the Natural Communities Campaign is to support the global effort underway to secure the protection of biologically rich areas of Earth to the tune of 30% of the planet by the year 2030, which is being called the 30X30 Project. Through the Natural Communities Campaign website and blog, I will be providing ongoing information about global biodiversity matters and updates on progress being made regarding the 30X30 project.

To bring the 30X30 global goal down to a national and local level, I have launched an initiative called Conservation Landscapes for America. Through the Conservation Landscapes for America website and blog, I will be providing information about the 30X30 Project in the United States and well as supporting and showcasing government agencies, non-government agencies, and private landowners who are practicing conservation landscape management on the lands and waters that they are responsible for.

 

In addition to the biodiversity-related goals, another main goal is to get more people involved in nature and natural resource management where they live, work, and play. I hope that the information provided on the two websites mentioned above will become a “one-stop-shop” of sorts for information about nature, biodiversity efforts, resources that people can use to start or grow their own nature-based initiatives at home, in their communities, their counties, regions, etc.

Finally, this Nature of Things website and blog will be managed as a “portal” to the two other websites mentioned, but the Nature of Things blog will focus on my personal nature and biodiversity efforts in three local regions in the United States; the Capital Region of New York, the Tampa Bay Region of Florida and the Southwestern Region of Indiana.

Nature in a Cemetery

Wildlife & Plants

On Saturday, June 12, I decided to take a “nature walk” in a different sort of place and at the same time stop by for a “visit” with an old friend. Albany Rural Cemetery in Loudonville, NY, is just under 500 acres and was opened in the early 1800s. Today there are over 135,000 people buried in the cemetery, including one President of the United States, 34 members of Congress, 8 presidential cabinet members, 5 New York State Governors, and 55 mayors of the City of Albany.

My first stop, however, was at the gravesite of Robert and Leona Train Rienow. The Rienows lived for many years on a property called Hollyhock Hollow Farm in Selkirk, New York. Mrs. Rienow passed away just a year or so before we moved to New York State, so I never met her. But, I spent many hours visiting with and talking with Robert Rienow. Upon his passing, he donated the farm to me and the Audubon Society of New York State (ASNYS), and I renamed it Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary. Upon my retirement from ASNYS, the organization decided that they no longer wanted to be stewards of the sanctuary and have since passed ownership to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy. I spent over 26 years working out of the office at Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary, and now I believe the sanctuary is in good hands for the long-term future.

The inscription below that is on the side of the Rienow mausoleum sums up nicely the Rienow reverence for nature.

Albany Rural Cemetery is a wonderful place to walk or ride a bike through. The cemetery is full of ancient grave markers that are real works of art. A huge number of stately old trees are scattered throughout. And several lovely streams traverse the property and are bordered by large swathes of forested areas.

Former U.S. President Chester A. Arthur and his family plot is one of the more famous burial locations to be found in the cemetery. By the worn paths up to the monument, his gravesite receives a steady stream of visitors.

Although our walk through the cemetery was a mix of the beauty of nature, quietness, and solitude, I am certain that during the spring and fall migration periods, Albany Rural Cemetery would be full of life with many species of migratory birds. I do believe that I will return and confirm that.

Have you ever strolled through a cemetery as part of a nature walk? As someone interested in family history, I have spent many hours walking in cemeteries. Some people find that a bit odd, but I think it is a great way to show respect for our ancestors while enjoying the sites and sounds of nature.

A Walk in the Woods

Communities, Neighborhoods, Wildlife & Plants

After several days above 90 degrees, it cooled down nicely today. It seemed like a grand day for a walk in the woods. We decided to make a short drive to a local nature preserve that is under the stewardship of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy that is just a couple of miles from your house. The preserve is called the Touhey Family Preserve. The preserve is a 49-acre gem that is a small part of what was once a huge stretch of land that had been in the Touhey family for many years.

As the area around Delmar, NY continues to grow and expand these area preserves will continue to grow in importance. The trails are nice and include a few stretches of boardwalks through more “boggy” parts of the woodlands.

There is a small graveled parking area from which the loop trail begins. There is also a short in and back trail that goes to an adjoining pond for views of ducks and other critters that live in that habitat.

The trails are nearly all through shady forested areas and very easy walking. Some areas are bordered by steep ravines providing birds-eye views of dense undergrowth areas that are great for Wood Thrush and other forest birds.

A few areas of the trail runs through moist areas of the preserve but the Conservancy has installed boardwalks on those sections of the trail to reduce erosion being caused by the hikers that frequent the preserve.

We walked the trail both in a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction so as to turn the half-mile walk into a mile walk. It was a very pleasant short venture into nature and proves once again that you don’t have to search all that far to find some great places to get back to the nature of things.

An early March stroll at Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary

Wildlife & Plants

The temperature “soared” all the way to 45 degrees today! Believe me, that feels like a Spring day here after the long and cold past several months. There is still snow here and there on the ground and some of the huge piles found in various parking lots look to be there until the 4th of July.

Anyway, today seemed like a great day to go see if any of the Snow Drops (flowers) have begun pushing their way through the cold earth and snow. I did not actually expect to see any…but I was hopeful nonetheless. What do you know! We did find a few hardy little flowers poking through but the flower petals have not opened yet. We will go back in a few days to check on their progress.

A few months ago the present owners of Hollyhock Hollow, the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy planted a Redbud tree in memory of my Dad, Bruce Dodson. Since today would have been my Dad’s 96th Birthday we also decided that it would be a good day to check on the tree. It will be several more weeks before we can actually tell if the tree made it through the winter OK and hopefully blooms this year, but as far as we could tell the tree looks nice and health.

While we were walking about we decided to see if the old water well that was part of the orignial homestead the Dr. and Mrs. Robert Rienow owned back when the property was called Hollhock Hollow Farm would still put forth water. I had to pump for awhile to get the pump to pull up some water and the first bit was a bit brown, but it didn’t take long before crystal clear and very cold water came rushing out. I have no idea when the well was put in, but it was a long time ago. Pretty neat to see some old stuff still working I think.

The trails were mostly still snow and ice covered so we didn’t venture far from the road that runs through the sanctuary, but that was enough to get us back out into nature even if it was just a glimpse or two. Theresa ventured out for a short distance on one of the trails that was close to the Onesquethaw Creek, but it was solid ice covered and slick. I decided that I would just stand on the road and take a picture of her trying her best not to take a spill. She didn’t fall, but it was a very careful and slow walk back to the road surface for sure.

With one day of warmer tempatures, the snow is melting quickly, which makes for a rolling Onesquethaw Creek. We love to visit this sanctuary and watch the creek flow over and around the rocks and boulders as the water makes its way to the Hudson River. Although we were only at the sanctuary for about an hour, it was a much needed break from all the cold weather and high winds we have been having. Come on Spring!!!

Happy New Year!

Communities, Neighborhoods, Parks & Sanctuaries, Wildlife & Plants, , , , , , , ,

What a year 2020 has been! I am afraid that at the least the beginning of 2021 is going to be a continuation and quite possibly a bit worse until the virus vaccination is widely distributed. Theresa and I, have essentially isolated ourselves from family and friends since March 2020. However, with quite a bit of planning, we were able to at least enjoy a few family gatherings, while appropriately distanced and/or masked up.

On the other hand, we did not distance ourselves from nature. We spent considerable time hiking on trails of various nature preserves, sanctuaries, and parks. We either “re-discovered” places where we previously hiked or discovered new places that we have failed to visit in the past. So, even if we were not able to participate in many activities that we wanted to…we did have a very enjoyable past several months.

We are making plans for continued hikes in the months ahead too. Many of our “evening hikes” were just down the road where we live…but those walks were almost always memorable too, as we captured many sunset pictures, discovered new plants and animals right here in our own “neighborhood.”

I decided to put together a video that captures some of those special moments with family and in nature, which can be viewed below. These pictures are not in any particular order, but just random snapshots of fun memories during the year 2020. I have not identified within the video where the pictures were taken, but several of those special places include lands that are managed by the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Albany Pine Bush Commission, West Boggs Park, the City of Albany, NY, Rensselaer Land Trust, Schenectady County, NY, John James Audubon State Park, and several other locations as well.

Anyway…here is wishing you a great 2021 and no matter what… I hope you will get outdoors and discover and enjoy nature. The video below is just under 5 minutes in length…hope you don’t get bored!