RI Outdoors: Migrating Birds and Static Sculptures
Migrants Passing Through
Thanks to Cornell’s organization of the Great Backyard Bird Count, we now know there are at least 260 species of birds that live in, or pass through, Columbia County each year. And, this time of year, it’s the "passing through" that is significant. Bird watchers have an opportunity to observe species that might not be seen otherwise. Spot migrating birds as they head north, back from their winter havens and Canadian species that consider Columbia County in winter the sunny south. Join leader Chris Franks to check off species on your bucket list. One possibility? There is a pond which, in the past, has supported nesting Great Blue Herons. Make sure your pencil is sharpened!
Birding with the Alan Devoe Bird Club
Saturday, May 18 from 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Hand Hollow Conservation Area
4079 County Rd. 9, East Chatham NY
(518) 781-0204
Free
Field of Dreams
The large-scale sculptures and architecture that will be on exhibit during Art Omi’s spring/summer season are not random selections. Rather, the curators keep an eye on what’s creating excitement and interest at sculpture parks around the world. This year, the trend is social issues. So pieces that make a statement or argue for (or against) change take center field beginning on Saturday, May 25. Andrea Bowers' work, “We are 11 Million,” brings attention to the estimated number of undocumented workers in the U.S. today. “Blast Furnace” is a 40-foot-tall mix of industrial hardware that supposedly houses a destitute family. And Sara Braman’s work, “Day Trip,” offers respite as an industrial concrete cube that can be used as a library. These and other works, installed around the 120 acres of fields and forests that make up Art Omi, allow the audience of families — even people with pets — to enjoy the outdoors while learning more about issues that have resonance.
Art Omi Summer Season Opening
Saturday, May 25 from 1-4 p.m.
Art Omi Sculpture & Architecture Park
1405 County Rte. 22, Ghent, NY
(518) 392-4747
Free
More to do in the great outdoors
May 18: Celebrate Trees! at Mud Creek Environmental Learning Center, Ghent, NY
May 18: 3-Mile Hill, Fountain Pond Trail Hike in Great Barrington
May 19 & 26: Guided Hikes of the Hoosac Range in North Adams, MA
May 21: Trekking Tuesday at CLC Public Conservation Areas, Columbia County, NY
May 22: Wag! Wednesday at Ooms Conservation Area, Chatham, NY
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