Come explore how Five Rivers wildlife residents are preparing for winter

Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, at 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, Albany County, is your place for exploring the outdoors. Our grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Our visitor center is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, except state holidays.

Reminder: Dogs and other pets are not permitted at Five Rivers. If you are looking for a natural area to walk with your pet, we are happy to recommend nearby locations where they are welcome. Call us at 518-475-0291.

Upcoming Programs are described below. Our online calendar has information about programs through the end of December. Call 518-475-0291 if you have questions.

Monday, December 4

7:00 to 9:00 PM - HMBC Speaker Series: Birds and Avian Research at the Albany Pine Bush
Join members of the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club (HMBC) for their monthly speaker series.

See details for this month's program, presented by Amanda Dillon.

Tuesday, December 5

3:00 PM - Citizen Science: Winter Raptor Survey Training and Informational Session
Five Rivers welcomes citizen scientists to assist with its wintering raptor surveys. The primary focus of these surveys is to determine where Short-eared Owls, endangered in New York, and Northern Harriers, threatened in New York, are spending the winter season to roost and feed.

Staff at Five Rivers plan to conduct surveys on a bi-weekly basis from December through March. Volunteers will meet at the visitor center to walk out to the study area, and will need to bring their own binoculars. The survey period typically starts 30 minutes before sunset and lasts until 30 minutes after sunset. You do not need to be available for all survey dates to participate. Study dates are subject to change due to weather. Space is limited. To register or for more information, please call Five Rivers at 518-475-0291 and ask for Kitty Rusch, or email 5Rivers@dec.ny.gov.

Saturday, December 9

10:00 AM - Sleepy Time 
Some animals stay active during the winter. Others settle in for a long-term snooze. Come take a short walk with us as we look for signs of animals preparing for the cold months ahead and talk about their survival tactics.

2:00 PM - Home for the Holidays
Join Five Rivers staff as we play games and discover how and where animals spend the winter. Many people think of hibernation, but there are other ways animals survive the coldest months. We’ll explore some of the creative adaptations of our regional wildlife as they prepare to survive this challenging season.

Saturday, December 16

10:00 AM - Watchable Wildlife: Winter Birds
Bring your binoculars on this winter stroll to look for birds and other wildlife. Fight those winter blues by getting outdoors in the brief daylight and enjoying the view. This mile-long amble will take place on relatively flat terrain. All are welcome, from beginning birders to experts. If you don’t have binoculars, we have a few to loan.

2:00 PM - Family Fun: The Ways of Winter Wildlife
Please join us for this family-friendly event. We will incorporate our displays and a live animal presentation to demonstrate the ways animals in our area survive the winter. If weather permits, we will also venture outside. We'll take a half-mile walk on relatively flat trails to see some winter wildlife behaviors in action. This event is most suitable for children ages 8 to 12. Adults must accompany children.