For Immediate Release: April 24, 2006
Contact:
Andy J. Flynn | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 327-3000
PAUL SMITHS, NY – The Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at Paul Smiths will offer a number of weekend programs in May, including the season's first Barnum Pond Canoe Paddle, a Perennial Plant Swap, a wildflower walk and a basket-making workshop.
Gardeners from around the region are invited to the Paul Smiths VIC on Saturday, May 6 for the Perennial Plant Swap, which will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. People should bring their extra perennial plants to the VIC, and they will receive points for each plant. A point value of between 1 and 3 will be given according to the plant's occurrence. Then, participants will use the points to trade for other plants. The plants should be at the VIC before 12:45 p.m. Leftover plants will be sold to benefit the Butterfly House. Registration is not required for this free program.
On Sunday, May 7, the VIC will host its first naturalist-led Barnum Pond Canoe Paddle of 2006. It will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Bog and pond habitats will be interpreted by canoe. The canoes, paddles and PFDs will be provided. Preregistration is required, and the cost is $3 adults/$1 kids (free for Adirondack Park Institute members). The Clear Creek Weavers will be back at the VIC from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 13 for the "Saturdays are for Kids & Adults: Berry Basket Workshop." Children and adults will construct an ideal basket for collecting berries this summer season. Preregistration is required, and the cost is $10 per basket ($8 for Adirondack Park Institute members).
Wildflower enthusiasts should get out their field guides for the naturalist-led Woodland Wildflowers trail walk on Sunday, May 14. It will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Participants will take a walk on one of the VIC trails and learn some of the folklore that surrounds these flowers. Preregistration is required for this free program.
On Saturday, May 27, children and adults are invited to a program called "Meet the Eastern Hognose Snake: The New Adirondack Resident" from 1 to 3 p.m. Naturalist Kenneth Barnett, of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, will explore the lives of several native and exotic reptiles and amphibians. Preregistration is not required for this free program.
"This entertaining and educational event will provide a live, close-up look at these fascinating creatures," said VIC Environmental Educator 2 Milt Adams. "And for the first time, the eastern hognose snake will make a public appearance as one of the Adirondack Park’s newest confirmed vertebrates. This is a must-see event for families with children."
To register for programs at the Paul Smiths VIC, call (518) 327-3000.
The New York State Adirondack Park Agency operates two VICs, in Paul Smiths and Newcomb, which are open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas and Thanksgiving. They offer a wide array of educational programs, miles of interpretive trails and visitor information services. Admission is free.
The Paul Smiths VIC is located 12 miles north of Saranac Lake on Route 30. For more information about the VICs, log on to the centers' Web site at www.adkvic.org.