Programs

In the Field: Albany Pine Bush Summer Series brings New York State Museum scientists out of the building and into the globally rare pine barrens ecosystem for hands-on exploration. This offsite program series invites participants to experience field science in action through guided walks, demonstrations, and real-time research with Museum experts and Albany Pine Bush staff. Each program offers a unique opportunity to engage with the region’s dynamic ecosystems while learning directly from scientists working in the field.
 

M.A.P.S. Bird Banding

A look at bird-banding in action as part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program, contributing to long-term bird population research. 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. Bird bands are provided by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL)  and banding is conducted under state and federal permits. These bands allow scientists to identify individuals; which helps us to study how long birds live, where they breed, and when and where they migrate. While in-hand, the banders carefully take measurements that can indicate a bird’s health, age, and breeding condition. Tracking the distribution and abundance of species that specialize on our fire-dependent inland pitch pine-scrub oak barrens during the breeding season can also help guide the management and restoration of this globally rare habitat.

Location:
The Albany Pine Bush
195 New Karner Road
Albany, NY 12205

Please visit the Albany Pine Bush event calendar to learn more.