Tag Archives: travel

Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary

Wildlife & Plants, , ,

Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary was formerly the home and property of Robert and Leona (Train) Rienow.  As a State University at Albany Professor, Robert Rienow was the author of numerous books about the environment, government, and civic involvement. Leona Train Rienow was also an author who produced several children’s books. Together, the Rienow’s wrote or co-authored numerous books, including The Year of the Last Eagle and their best-known A Moment in the Sun, which was the first book to focus public attention on the condition of America’s environment. This book was the inspiration for the first Earth Day.  Upon his death in 1988, the sanctuary was bequeathed to the Audubon Society of New York State and transitioned from what the Rienow’s called Hollyhock Hollow Farm to Hollyhock
Hollow Sanctuary. Today the sanctuary is open as a public-use area for passive recreation.

With over 140 acres of natural beauty, hiking trails, and distinctive geology carved out by the Onesquethaw Creek, Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Several miles of hiking trails traverse the sanctuaries woods with visitors being able to pass through several distinct habitat types as well as being witness to some historical evidence of long-past human activity. This includes numerous stone walls and even remnants of a small stone quarry where it is said that some of the stones for the building of the Brooklyn Bridge came from.

I had the pleasure of knowing Robert Rienow and it was our friendship that led him to bequeath Hollyhock Hollow to the Audubon Society of New York State, where I served as President and CEO for 25 years. That organization was headquartered at Hollyhock Hollow until my retirement and they have since relocated to Rensselaer County, NY. I am happy
that one of my sons, Kelly Dodson and his company Audubon Landscape Services has been retained by Audubon to maintain the landscapes of Hollyhock Hollow, however.

Dr. Rienow always kept his property open for public use and enjoyment. In that tradition, Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary is also open and free for public use. Historically significant and really a place where the environmental movement was born, Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary is a true treasure in the Capital Region of New York.
About twelve miles from Albany, NY, the sanctuary serves as an outdoor classroom for the nearby schools, as well as a recreational space for cross-country skiers, spelunkers, artists, and scout groups. Whether you are planning to explore the unique features of the area or are simply looking to take a long, quiet walk, visitors are welcome every day from dawn until dusk.

Directions:

From I-87, the NYS Thruway, take exit 22 for NY-144 toward NY-396/Selkirk. Turn right onto NY-144 S/River Road. Take the first right onto NY-396 W/Maple Avenue Keep right at the fork and continue to follow NY-396 W for about four miles. Turn right onto Co Rd 102/Old Quarry Road. Take the second left onto Rarick Road and continue for a third of a mile.

From Albany, take US-9W S and merge onto NY-32 S/Delmar Bypass via the ramp to Delmar. Follow NY-32 S for about three miles. At the third traffic light, turn left onto Co Rd 102/Old Quarry Road and continue for three miles. Turn right onto Rarick Road and continue for a third of a mile.

Doñana National Park Spain

Parks & Sanctuaries, ,

Several years ago, I was invited to attend a meeting of the United States Golf Association, Turfgrass and Environmental Research Committee that was to be held in Southern Spain. I was a member of that committee for over 20 years and I worked with and met some great people during that time. One person who was on the committee, that has since passed away, was Jimmy Patino, who was the owner of Valderrama Golf Club in Spain. In fact, Jimmy funded all the Committee expenses to hold the meeting, which he hosted at Valderrama.

My entire family joined me on this trip, which we turned into a fantastic family vacation, by extending our stay in Spain and later traveled to England for an additional week. Jimmy had previously asked if there was anything special that I wanted to do after the committee meeting concluded, and I said that we really didn’t know much about that region of Southern Spain and just wanted to explore the country-side and experience the culture and the nature of the area. Leave it to Jimmy to arrange a field trip of a lifetime and arrange a 2-day adventure to Doñana National Park!

Along with a few other people who attended the committee meeting, some Valderrama members and the naturalist of Valderrama Golf Club, we traveled by minivan to the National Park. Jimmy had significant influence in Spain. So much so, that they actually closed the park so that we had a private tour of the area!

Doñana National Park is a natural reserve in Andalusia, southern Spain, in the provinces of Huelva and Seville. It covers over 209 square miles, of which 52 square miles are a protected area. The park is an area of marshes, shallow streams, and sand dunes in Las Marismas, the delta where the Guadalquivir River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It was established as a nature reserve in 1969 when the World Wildlife Fund joined with the Spanish government and purchased a section of marshes to protect it. The eco-system had been under constant threat by the draining of the marshes, the use of river water to boost agricultural production by irrigating land along the coast, water pollution by upriver mining, and the expansion of tourist facilities. It is named after Doña Ana de Silva y Mendoza, wife of the seventh Duke of Medina-Sidonia. Doñana National Park is a United Nations World Heritage Site.

If you ever get the chance to visit Doñana National Park, or if you are looking for a unique natural area to visit, I highly recommend this region and park of Southern Spain.