News
May 11, 2016Science Lecture Series: Bees and Beetles in the Pine Bush
The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and Friends of the Pine Bush Community will cohost an evening lecture at the Discovery Center on Bees and Beetles in the Pine Bush, presented by New York State Museum researcher Dr. M. Sam Adams on May 19 at 7 p.m. This lecture is part of a monthly science lecture series presented by local scientists and the Commission’s own expert staff. Recommended for ages 15 and above, lecture series topics vary from tiger beetles, to wild turkeys, to climate research and more.
Dr. Adams is interested in bee and beetle communities of the Preserve and their response to management. In addition to examining how our native bee population has changed over the past 20 years, he is especially interested in how beetle communities recover and recolonize after a fire.
“Since the retreat of the glaciers from the Albany Pine Bush, frequent fires have maintained its characteristic vegetation. We will discuss some intriguing adaptations that have allowed the Earth-boring Dung Beetle and the Snail-eating Ground Beetle to survive the fires,” says Dr. Adams.
Dr. Adams used pitfall traps to sample ground beetles in sites in the Preserve with varying fire histories. Bees, he collected using malaise traps and will be compared to specimens collected in the Preserve over two decades ago. The results of his research will further the ability of the Commission to protect and manage the unique and endangered ecology of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.
Science Lecture Series programs are free and open to the public. This program is recommended for ages 15+. Pre-registration is required for all programs. The Discovery Center is located at 195 New Karner Road in Albany. To sign up for programs, please visit www.AlbanyPineBush.org/events or call 518.456.0655.
The 3,200 – acre Albany Pine Bush Preserve (APBP), located in New York’s Capital District, protects one of the best remaining inland pitch-pine scrub oak barrens in the world. This extraordinary fire-dependent habitat provides homes for many plants and animals and contains 63 New York State-designated wildlife Species of Greatest Conservation Need, including the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly. The Preserve is a National Natural Landmark, a New York State Unique Area, Bird Conservation Area and a National Audubon Society Important Bird Area. Characterized by rolling sand dunes and miles of trails, the Preserve offers visitors many recreational opportunities including hiking, bird watching, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, mountain biking, hunting, fishing and canoeing. The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission is a public-private partnership created by the NYS Legislature in 1988 to protect and manage the APBP and provide the public with educational and recreational opportunities.
As the gateway to the Pine Bush, the Discovery Center is a state-of-the-art “green” certified interpretive center where visitors come to understand why the Pine Bush is rare and special. A visit to this unique destination is an exciting exploration where learning comes naturally through interactive exhibits, an outdoor Discovery Trail, and numerous programs on the ecology, natural history, cultural history and management of the Pine Bush. Admission to the Discovery Center is free (there is a small fee for programs). The Center is open daily weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., weekends and most holidays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.AlbanyPineBush.org or call 518.456.0655.
