BERNE — The new town nature and cultural center being developed on Game Farm Road, just off Switzkilll Road,  is kicking into higher gear this summer.

A spring wedding in The Lodge was a preamble. The Lodge and several other buildings on the site housed the Buddhist Center for Compassion and Justice before the town purchased the 350-acre property in 2015.

On June 25, the Game Farm outdoor concert stage will  host the six  members of Black Mountain Symphony, a homegrown group whose programs offer “an eclectic blend of classical, Motown, blues and jazz,” their website says. The 6:30 p.m. concert is free, but donations to Forever Rural will be invited. Seating will be on bring-your-own blankets and lawn chairs.  In the event of rain, the concert will be moved indoors to The Lodge. Fox Creek Market will be the refreshment vendor at the event.

Forever Rural is  a Hilltown community action group that is supporting the town of Berne in its efforts to preserve the natural beauty of the Game Farm site and to expand its recreational and cultural opportunities.  As  a member of the Citizen Action Program of the Open Space Institute, Forever Rural has 501c3  status, qualifying as tax deductible any donations made to it.

Forever Rural’s overall mission is to “preserve the rural character of the Hilltowns.”

On July 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Game Farm will host a “Junk in the Trunk” sale at which participants will have a chance to sell items from the trunks of their cars.

Longer-term, Game Farm may also become  home to an astronomical observatory, according to Game Farm board member Diane Kingston. A group known as the Helderberg Earth and Science Observatory (HESO) is reviewing several possible sites in the Hilltowns as a location for an astronomical observatory while seeking funding for it.  The absence of light pollution in the Hilltowns makes the area a highly desirable location for observing the nighttime skies.

The board is identifying grant opportunities and pursuing them, says town board member liaison to the Game Farm board, Karen Schimmer.

Another long-term possibility being considered  by the Game Farm Board and its Working Group on Land is the creation of a five-site camping area.

Trail clearing and improvement continues at Game Farm with the help of volunteers, including Berne Cub Scouts, and under the direction of the site’s Infrastructure Task Force, which is overseeing efforts to maintain and improve the site, including its several buildings.

Kingston reports  the board is also working to develop a program of autumn activities when “the views are even more spectacular.”  She urges everyone to visit Game Farm and enjoy its natural beauty, including its trails and waterfalls.