The Great American Solar Eclipse. Matt Decker, the Earth Science Instructor from Berne-Knox-Westerlo school district, will provide a program on the Great American Solar Eclipse at 6:30 pm in the Rensselaerville Library.  Members of the Helderberg Earth & Sky Observatory will have special telescopes for viewing the sun, set up in front of the Library at 5:30.

Paint an Eastern Box Turtle at Thacher Nature Center. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Kids will have fun using mixed media to create the texture of an Eastern Box Turtle. They will learn some fun facts about the turtle as they learn how to paint it. Ages 7-13 are welcome. The cost is $20 per student. All supplies are included and students will take home a memorable painting. Register: 518-872-0800.  

Dudley Observatory Star Party & Program: Dr. Harry Ringermacher (U. Southern Mississippi) "Viewing the Solar Eclipse from the Capital Region" 8 p.m. rain or shine in the Octagon Barn; outdoor observing to follow, weather permitting. 588 Middle Road in Knox (Delanson 12053 for GPS). Telescopes provided, or bring your own.  Free solar eclipse viewing glasses, and free refreshments.  618-5376.

Thursday Night Lecture: Scott LaPoint, Ph.D. will talk about his recent research with fishers. His program is titled  Suburban fishers: How a once rare carnivore is adapting to life at the forest fringe. 6:30 p.m. for light refreshments followed by the lecture at 7 p.m. Programs are held at Eldridge Research Center 284 Pond Hill Road Rensselaerville, NY 12147.

After-hours Summer Networking Mixer at The Cider House Restaurant at Orchard Creek Golf Course. 5 to 7 p.m. Help us welcome our new Guilderland Chamber of Commerce President, Michelle Viola Straight and network with our board and member businesses

Native Plant Gardens Tour at Thacher Nature Center. 10 a.m. Join the native plant "craze.”  Enjoy views of the lake and listen to birdsong while visiting the native plant gardens.  Native plants aren't weeds – they are beautiful, unexpected and easy to grow.  Learn where, how and why to grow beautiful plants that make your backyard a wildlife sanctuary.  Call 518-872-0800 to register.

Table Top War Games at the Bethlehem Historical Association Museum. Players of any age (under 12 with an adult) at Cedar Hill School on Route 144, about 2 p.m., to command a battleship of the US Navy, or one from the Imperial German High Seas Fleet during WWI.

Hike-a-thon. Guided hikes across the region will be offered between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Kick-off at Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail at 10 a.m., but there will be concurrent hikes and satellite events at preserves across Albany, Montgomery, and Schenectady Counties. Register at mohawkhudson.org.

"Heaven's Ditch:  God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal" An Evening with Jack Kelly 7 p.m., Shaker Heritage Society, 25 Meeting House Road, Albany, NY 12211 Admission:  $5.

An Evening with Karen E. Osborne. Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza 1475 Western Avenue #62 Albany, NY 12203. 6 to 8 p.m. an evening of conversation in celebration of her brand new novel GETTING IT RIGHT. This event is free and open to the public.