North Woods Stewardship Day to include walking tours

Skidmore College will offer two guided tours of its North Woods on Saturday, Sept. 12, as part of the college's North Woods Stewardship Day. Both tours are open to the public free of charge.

The first tour, which will focus on the cultural history of the North Woods, will set out at 9 a.m. from the lobby of Palamountain Hall.   Led by Robert Jones, associate professor of economics at Skidmore, the walk will follow some of the area's historic carriage trails.   Participants will receivea current North Woods map along with a map from the 1880s.

Jones explains that the present Skidmore campus is located on land that prior to 1960 was known as Woodlawn.   Its grounds contained largely forested land with several estate homes, a large lawn, and more than 20 miles of carriage trails dating back more than a century.

The second tour, geared to families and children, will begin at 10 a.m. and will also leave from the lobby of Palamountain Hall.   Led by Kim Marsella, coordinator of Skidmore's Environmental Studies Program, the walk will explore such topics as geology, animal and plant life, invasive species, and care of the environment.   Participating children must be accompanied by an adult.

The family walk has been coordinated in partnership with Children and Nature Saratoga ( www.childrenandnaturesaratoga.org).

Said Marsella, "We can't overemphasize the positive impact of getting children outside and engaged in the natural world.   We know it is not only good for their health but also for the health and stewardship of the planet."

Skidmore's North Woods 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 faculty and student research.   Much of the area is available for public use.    

In addition to the two tours, a corps of volunteers will carry out trail maintenance and cleanup in the North Woods to improve conditions for hiking and to prevent erosion.  Volunteers from the community are being recruited by local resident Ken Ivins, the commissioner of finance for Saratoga Springs.

For further information on the North Woods Stewardship Day, contact Erica Fuller, campus sustainability coordinator at Skidmore, 518-580-5865, efuller@skidmore.edu.