Albany Pine Bush Preserve: Blueberry Hill West Hike

The Albany Pine Bush, referred to locally as the Pine Bush, is a 3,350 acre preserve andone of the largest of the 20 inland pine barrens in the world. Known for its gently rolling sand-dunes, the Pine Bush is home to a unique variety of rare plants and animals, including the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly. It is centrally located in New York's Capital District. The Blueberry Hill West portion of the preserve offers an appealing area for a hike, the topography and vegetation offer vistas guaranteed to delight. Remnant patches of pitch pine-scrub oak barrens are interspersed with dunes cloaked in native prairies. This preserve region was historically home to the rare Bayard’s adder’s-mouth orchid last documented in the preserve in 1997.

WHAT TO BRING:

• Comfortable walking/hiking shoes
• Weather appropriate layers
• Bug spray
• Water bottle

WHERE TO FIND US:
We will meet at the Blueberry Hill West Trailhead at the end of a residential cul-de-sac on Pitch Pine Rd, where parking is available.

YOUR EVENT HOST:
Rachel currently lives in central Texas but is a native New Yorker. She enjoys propagating pollinator gardens with native and adaptive plants, charming and tending to wild-caught honeybee hives, implementing soil regeneration and permaculture techniques, identifying wild edibles and medicine, and pressing wildflowers. She is a watercolorist, naturalist, self-coined spicetress (one who grows/experiments with spices for healing), and certified Nature therapy guide.

NOTICE OF ASSUMED RISK:
Everyone is responsible for taking care of their physical needs.
Women Empowering Women in Nature (WeWiN) organizers & event leaders are volunteers who do NOT maintain health, auto, home, life, accident, or other insurance policies applicable to members of this community. In order to participate in our events, the Participation
Agreement and Accident Waiver and Release of Liability will need to be completed before you register for any events:
https://imaginework.typeform.com/to/ZujyGkYc ...
which can be completed on your computer or mobile device & will email you a copy.

CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY:

• Our intention is to build an active, harmonious community of diverse, interesting women by offering meaningful activities in Nature that allow our members to come together to have fun, while nurturing our minds, bodies, and spirits.
• Our desire is that this investment of time and energy will make it easier for us to open our hearts to forming new friendships that lead to lasting and meaningful relationships.
• Our goal is that every member feels comfortable and able to become further integrated into the WeWiN community and we welcome participants stepping forward to share their gifts by co-leading events with the community.
• All members are asked to not post or push promotions or sales pitches in order to promote authentic connection and openness.