North Woods stewards help preserve, protect Skidmore's natural buffer

Woods, classroom, outdoor laboratory, dog park, summer camp, archaeological dig, cross-country trail, meditation retreat. All of these words describe a single place – the North Woods of Skidmore College. This 250-acre area connected directly to campus is home to numerous native species, including migrating songbirds and 33 types of ferns. With southern oak, hickory, and northern hardwoods as well as ponds and marshes, the woods support a biologically diverse animal and plant population that is important to student and faculty research.

The North Woods serve as a natural buffer between the campus and the outside world, and have done so since the early 1960s, when the College started construction of its new campus. As willing as Skidmore has been to let students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community share this space, “It’s showing signs of overuse,” says Sue Van Hook, senior teaching associate in biology and editor of Treasure in the North Woods. What’s more, this increased use has not been accompanied by increased regulations to protect the woods. But that is about to change, as the College embraces a renewed commitment to steward the North Woods and prepares to issue new guidelines for public use of this property.

Heather Moore, left, and Alison Nihart

 

To help educate the community about the North Woods as a means of preserving the area’s natural beauty and maintaining its viability for research and recreation, Skidmore employs two of its own as North Woods stewards. The pair performs trail maintenance and participates in community outreach, from the distributing informational brochures to conducting guided tours. This summer’s stewards are Alison Nihart ’07 and Heather Moore ’08.

Both women agree that their favorite part of the job is being able to explore the environment every day. “We’re learning the history, botany, and geology of the woods,” says Moore. “We’re becoming sort of naturalists of the North Woods,” adds Nihart, tipping off visitors to keep their eyes open for young newts, with their bright orange color and red spots. “They’re hard to miss,” she notes.  

Part of the stewards’ job is to promote a sense of responsibility among those who frequent the woods. Despite this effort, they still find evidence to the contrary. Nihart and Moore clean up trash and dismantle fire pits, and have recently started easing into the first phase of the new leashed-dog policy. “We’re informing, not enforcing yet,” explained Moore.

Said Nihart, “With the support and cooperation of the Skidmore and Saratoga communities, the North Woods can remain a precious natural and recreational resource for future generations to enjoy.”

For more information e-mail northwoods@skidmore.edu or visit the web site.

Profiles of the Stewards

Alison Nihart ’07, a native of Canandaigua, N.Y., transferred to Skidmore from Finger Lakes Community College to complete a bachelor’s degree with a studio art major and environmental studies minor. She graduated summa cum laude with membership in the Periclean Honor Society and with all-College and departmental honors.

In her art, Nihart has found a great deal of inspiration from nature. Although her paintings have recently focused more on figurative work, “almost all of my jewelry has been inspired by nature and natural forms.”

She was a member of Skidmore’s Environmental Action Club (EAC) to continue her general interest in the environmental community. The steward’s position has set the stage for a career. “I am interested in the combination of environmental stewardship with community outreach and education, and that is exactly what this job is all about,” she says. Nihart’s plan include graduate school in the environmental studies field.

Heather Moore ’08, like Nihart, has been involved with the campus EAC, serving as its secretary her freshman year and president her sophomore and junior years. the Proctor, Vt., resident attributes much of her interest in the stewardship position to her experiences hiking and backpacking at home.

Moore, a history major with minors in both government and environmental science, has a particular interest in the history of Skidmore and Saratoga Springs. “I’m in the Special Collections room [at the Scribner library] almost every day,” she admits, searching through faded newspaper headlines and pictures of the old Skidmore campus.

Her research has led her to the history of the old Woodlawn estate, which in turn has fueled her interest in the North Woods. “It was a gated community with horses and exotic birds and huge mansions,” she says of the early luxurious and ostentatious use of the property. North Woods visitors can still make out the old foundations of the massive stable that could hold 50 horses, something the stewards point out on community tours.

Summer Activities in Skidmore's North Woods

Tuesday Talks and Walks

Ecology of the North Woods
Tuesday, July 17, 7 p.m.
From rocks to wildflowers, a discussion of ecosystems in the North Woods

The History of the North Woods
Tuesday, July 24, 7 pm
From Indian Spring to the scandal of Woodlawn, we’ll explore the delicious secrets of our North Wood’s past.

This talk series is geared for adults, but pre-teens and older would probably find the content enjoyable. All talks will be given while walking through the North Woods.

Kids Day

Wilderness Day
Saturday July 14, 1- 3 p.m.
Plant identification (including poison ivy), leave-no-trace ethics
Children must have adult present.

Please register ahead if possible:
email northwoods@skidmore.edu


Special Events

Full Moon Walk
Monday, July 30, 8:30 p.m.

Celebration Barbecue
Tuesday, July 31, 6 p.m.
To celebrate community bonding and appreciation of the North Woods  There will be vegetarian options. Please register ahead if possible: email northwoods@skidmore.edu

All events pent to the public free of charge.  All events meet in the North Woods parking lot, also called Falstaff’s Parking Lot.