May 14, 2024
“Meet the Nature Bus” event to be held at Tivoli Lake Preserve
ALBANY, NY (May 14, 2024) The Albany Nature Bus will kick off its 4th year of service on Saturday, May 25 with the Beaver Line. The Warbler Line will begin on Saturday, June 1. This collaborative project with the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy (MHLC) and the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) started in 2021 and has connected thousands of people to natural places in and around Albany during its tenure. This complimentary service will run for 20 Saturdays this season through Saturday, October 5.
The 2024 Nature Bus partner locations include:
• Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm, Albany
• Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail, Slingerlands
• DEC’s Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar
• John Boyd Thacher State Park, Voorheesville
• Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy’s ADA Accessible Fisher Trail in partnership with DEC’s Five Rivers Education Center, Slingerlands
Service Expands in Schenectady
Last year, MHLC and CDTA collaborated on a new Nature Bus service in Schenectady County in partnership with ECOS: The Environmental Clearing House of Schenectady. Service will expand in 2024 to a regular route, called the Butterfly Line, scheduled to run for 10 Saturdays kicking off Saturday, July 6, through Saturday, September 7. Locations include the Village of Scotia’s Collins Park, the City of Schenectady’s Central Park, the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club’s Reist Sanctuary and Kelly Adirondack Center, and the Albany Pine Bush’s Discovery Center.
“Meet the Nature Bus” Event in Tivoli Park
MHLC, in partnership with the Friends of Tivoli, will host a Meet the Nature Bus event at Tivoli Lake Preserve at the corner of Livingston and Judson on Saturday, June 1, from 12 to 3 p.m. Nature Bus location partners including, Thacher State Park, Albany Pine Bush Preserve, and DEC’s Five Rivers Education Center, will have tables with information about the Nature Bus and free programming riders can experience at each location this season. This is a Nature Bus stop, so please visit the CDTA website to check the schedule for getting to this special event.
“This service has grown exponentially since its inception and has successfully connected so many to the outdoors. We are beyond excited to see this service expand into a regular, weekly route, connecting people to nature in and around Schenectady this year especially,” said MHLC Associate Director Sarah Walsh.
"We're thrilled to bring back the Nature Bus for another season with expanded service in Schenectady," said Carm Basile, CDTA CEO. "Thank you to the community for your continued support and excitement for this valuable service. One of our priorities is to offer accessibility and opportunities to our local community. The Nature Bus is a first of its kind initiative that offers an enriching experience to community members, many of whom were previously unable to access the area's picturesque nature sites."
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “DEC is a proud partner in the Nature Bus and happy to welcome riders back for a fourth year. The Nature Bus helps connect thousands of Capital Region residents to outdoor adventures, including the accessible public lands and trails, thriving wildlife species, and interactive displays and exhibits at DEC’s Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. DEC looks forward to continuing to work with the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Capital District Transportation Authority, and our many other partners to ensure New York’s public lands are open and accessible."
Christopher Hawver, Executive Director of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission, said “We’re pleased to again be a partner and destination for Nature Bus this season. This free, reliable transportation to Rensselaer Lake/Six Mile Waterworks provides many of our urban neighbors with opportunities to explore this eastern-most edge of the 3,400-acre Pine Bush Preserve.”
Kim Tateo, Executive Director of Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm, said, “We are so thrilled to be partnering with Nature Bus and to be one of the stops on the route. Getting out in nature is soothing for the soul and it's a wonderful way to remember that we are all connected by this beautiful Earth. We encourage you to take the bus to these spaces, whether it's Tivoli or another location. Take a few moments to connect with your senses, notice what you see, hear, smell, feel, taste, and breathe. Check out our website and calendar for information about our season which will go from mid-May to mid-October. We hope to see you on the trails or in the garden!”
Special thanks to the organizations who provide funding to ensure this service is free, including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Communication, Education and Engagement, Saratoga Capital District Regional State Parks Commission – The Centennial Access for All Campaign, and the Albany Pine Bush Commission.
To learn more, visit MHLC’s Nature Bus website: https://mohawkhudson.org/nature-bus/