Skidmore to offer tours of North Woods

Skidmore will offer two guided tours of its North Woods on Sunday, Oct. 3. The walks are part of the college's series of North Woods Stewardship Days, designed to increase public awareness of the 250-acre wooded property north of the main campus.  

The first tour, geared to families and children, will begin at 10 a.m. 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. The tour will leave from the lobby of Palamountain Hall. Participating children must be accompanied by an adult.

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."

The second tour of the day, " The History of the North Woods," will run from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Led by Robert Jones, associate professor of economics at Skidmore, the walk will follow some of the area's historic carriage trails.

As Jones will explain during his tour, the present Skidmore campus is located on land that prior to 1960 was known as the Woodlawn Estate. 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 tour will begin with a brief historical overview from 2:30 to 3 p.m. in Skidmore's Bolton Hall, room 280.   The walk will leave at 3 p.m. from the lobby of Palamountain Hall.

Also scheduled for the weekend is a program of trail clean up and inspection. The work will be carried out by community volunteers rallied by local resident Ken Ivins, the commissioner of finance for Saratoga Springs, in collaboration with the Sustainable Skidmore initiative and the college's Environmental Studies Program.

Skidmore's North Woods are 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.    

For more information on North Woods events contact Bob Kimmerle, director of community relations, Skidmore College, 518-580-5744, bkimmerl@skidmore.edu. Also visit www.skidmore.edu/northwoods.