From the Lab to the Trails: New York State Museum Scientists Invite You to Explore the Albany Pine Bush

Interactive Pine Bush Programs Give Families the Chance to Learn from Museum Experts

The New York State Museum and Albany Pine Bush Preserve are teaming up for a summer of exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning through a new educational program series, In the Field. Museum scientists will lead three monthly programs at the Pine Bush, giving families and nature enthusiasts the opportunity to experience exciting field science firsthand and learn directly from experts at both institutions. Each program highlights a different aspect of the preserve's unique ecosystem, from moths and migratory birds to fungi, showcasing the diversity of plants and animals found throughout the 3,400-acre preserve.

New York State Museum Executive Director Jennifer Saunders said, "Summer is the perfect time to get outdoors and explore the nature in our own backyard. The Albany Pine Bush Preserve is a local treasure, and the Museum is thrilled to partner with them to offer more opportunities for families to learn and explore together. Whether it's spending a night documenting moths or waking up early to identify and monitor birds, there's always something new to discover."

"This partnership with the New York State Museum creates a unique opportunity for people to experience science in the field and connect more deeply with the Albany Pine Bush Preserve," said Christopher Hawver, Executive Director of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission. "By bringing Museum scientists directly into the preserve, these programs invite participants to explore the remarkable biodiversity of this globally rare inland pine barrens ecosystem through hands-on discovery and learning."

Free family-friendly programs are scheduled from June through August, with reservations required.

Make a reservation by calling 518-456-0655 or visiting the Albany Pine Bush's website.

In the Field: Moth Mania with Dr. Timothy McCabe * Registration Full

Date: Friday, June 26, 2026

Time: 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm

Location: Albany Pine Bush Preserve, Karner Barrens Blue Trail, and DC Butterfly Pavilion

Suitable For: All Ages

Spend the evening with New York State Museum Entomologist Dr. Timothy McCabe observing and documenting moths in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. The preserve is home to one of the most diverse and fascinating moth communities in the Northeast, including species that have adapted specifically to the pine barrens. Participants should be prepared for light hiking.

In the Field: M.A.P.S. Bird Banding Demo with Dr. Jeremy Kirchman

Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026

Time: 5:00 am to 12:00 pm

Location: Albany Pine Bush Preserve, Traux Trail Barrens

Suitable For: All Ages

See wild birds up close and personal with NYS Museum Ornithologist and Curator of Birds and Mammals, Dr. Jeremy Kirchman, and Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Conservation Director, Neil Gifford, as they capture and fit them with uniquely coded leg-bands. Part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program, the bands allow scientists to identify individuals to study how long birds live, where they breed, and when and where they migrate.

In the Field: Mushroom Walk with Dr. Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Time: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Location: Albany Pine Bush Preserve, Hunger Kill Barrens Trailhead

Suitable For: Ages 8+

Join Dr. Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian, Curator of Mycology at the NYS Museum, for a beginner-friendly exploration of fungi through the Hunger Kill Barrens-a forested habitat within the unique and ecologically rare Pine Bush. Discover the key role fungi play in this ecosystem and enjoy an engaging stroll through one of the Capital Region's natural treasures.

About the New York State Museum

Established in 1836, the New York State Museum is the oldest and largest public museum in the United States. Home to leading scientists, historians, archeologists, and anthropologists, its collections represent the State's rich cultural and natural heritage from the past and present, including a staggering 20+ million artifacts spanning 1.1 billion years ago to today. Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website and subscribe to our newsletter.

About the Albany Pine Bush Preserve

The 3,400+ - acre Albany Pine Bush Preserve (APBP), located in New York's Capital District, protects one of the best remaining inland pitch pine-scrub oak barrens in the world. This extraordinary fire-dependent ecosystem provides habitat for many rare plants and animals, including more than 20 percent of New York State's wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need, such as the endangered Karner blue butterfly. The APBP is a National Natural Landmark, Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, National Recreation Trail Site, a New York State Unique Area, Birding Trail Site, Bird Conservation Area, and a National Audubon Society Important Bird Area. Characterized by rolling sand dunes and over 20 miles of trails, the APBP offers visitors many recreational opportunities, including hiking, bird watching, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting, fishing, and canoeing. The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission is a public-private partnership created by the NYS Legislature in 1988 to protect and manage the APBP and provide the public with educational and recreational opportunities. The Management Plan for the APBP guides all aspects of expanding and managing the preserve. The Commission's goal is to preserve 5,380 acres.

As the gateway to the Pine Bush, the Discovery Center at 195 New Karner Road, Albany, is a "green" certified interpretive center where visitors come to understand why the Pine Bush is rare and special. A visit to this unique destination is an exciting exploration where learning comes naturally through interactive exhibits, an outdoor Discovery Trail, and numerous programs on the ecology, natural history, cultural history, and management of the Pine Bush. Admission to the Discovery Center is free (there is a fee for some programs). The center is open daily, weekdays 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. For more information, visit the Albany Pine Bush website or call 518-456-0655.