"Jewish Exodus From the Soviet Union"  Speaker, Olga Z. Porterfield, will give a brief overview of the struggle for emigration of Soviet Jews as well as her personal emigration story. Presented by The Capital District Humanist Society 1:15 p.m. Room 224, Campus Center, Sage Colleges Albany Campus New Scotland Ave. at Academy Road, Albany.

Sunday, June 10, at 1:00 p.m.: Explore the Bluebird Trail at Thacher Nature Center. Want to see an Eastern Bluebird? Sneak a peek at some Tree Swallow hatchlings? Our Bluebird Trail winds through fields and woods with homes for over 25 nesting pairs of birds. Join us as we check on who’s in our nest boxes and monitor and record data on several bird species. Bring binoculars and be prepared to walk on uneven terrain. Program is free and open to all ages. Space is limited, please call 518-872-0800 to register.

Saturday, June 9, at 9:00 a.m.: “Off the Beaten Path” Geology Walk in Thacher Park. Mud, sand, and shells record ancient Albany County history, long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Thacher Park’s rocks and fossils record a time of abundant marine life in tropical seas, when New York was about 30 degrees south of the equator. Explore little known parts of Thacher Park and New York’s ancient seas with Dr. Chuck Ver Straeten, New York State Museum. Be prepared for moderately strenuous hiking on and off trail. Call 518 872-0800 to register.

Annual Ice Cream Social: Sunday, June 10 from 1 to 4 PM. The Bethlehem Historical Association celebrates our town’s 225 birthday with cake and ice cream at our annual Ice Cream Social on Sunday afternoon, June 10 from 1 to 4 pm.  While you are there, take in our lovely new exhibit featuring wedding dresses from the 1860s to the 1960s. All welcome! Free. Stop by the Cedar Hill Schoolhouse Museum, 1003 River Road, Selkirk. We are open Sunday afternoons from 2 to 4 pm.

June 9, 10 AM: Bethlehem Cemetery was established in 1865, yet the folks buried here, like Revolutionary War veteran Christian Bender and his wife Elizabeth Cramer, touch history back to the 1700s.  Nathaniel and Rhogenia Adams, early residents of the Delaware Turnpike, are also here. Many other family stories will be explored including Blanchard, Haswell, Slingerland and Van Allen.

Citizen Science: Pine Bush Big Birding Day on Friday, June 8, 6:00 pm – Saturday, June 9, 8:00 pm. Join us for our second annual Pine Bush Big Birding Day! Teams will register and bird together for 24 hours from 7:00 pm Friday to 7:00 pm Saturday, trying to observe as many bird species as possible. Each team will be self-guided and participants must provide their own transportation. We will kick off the event Friday evening at 6:00 pm and then we’ll get back together for a closing ceremony on Saturday evening at 7:00 pm.

Octagon Barn Star Party and Lecture at 8 pm in the Knox Octagon Barn, 588 Middle Rd, Delanson, NY 12053, Albany County Carol McLean of Stoney Creek Ranch Resort presents “A Brief History of Manned Space Flight”

Genealogy Class. 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  John Capano will introduce participants to how to begin their Italian heritage research.  American Italian Heritage Association and Museum, 1227 Central Ave, Albany, NY 12205. Cost is $5. Seating is limited. Reservations to 518-435-1979 by June 3.

Guilderland High School inquiry program Exploring with Mindful Creativity and Curiosity (E=mc2) is holding our annual symposium. 7 to 9 p.m. This event will feature TEDTalks from a crew of 11 students presenting their year long research. Guilderland High School auditorium.

Citizen Science: FrogWatch Training on Wednesday, June 6, from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Would you like to join our citizen science team in documenting frogs and toads in the preserve? Do you need a refresher on your frog calls? For over 15 years, citizen scientists have been reporting data on calling frogs and toads to FrogWatch, a citizen science program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Join us this evening for an information and training session and learn how you can participate in this amazing program by listening to the frogs and toads calling in your own backyard.