To the Editor:

If Albany’s Pine Bush could talk, what stories it could tell!

Formed thousands of years ago following the drainage of glacial Lake Albany, it is one of the largest inland pine barrens in the world. Traversed by Native Americans as they made their way back and forth between the Mohawk and the Hudson river valleys, a path developed that would soon be used by diverse groups of people for diverse purposes.

This desert-like stretch of land between these two important rivers was deemed inspirational by some travelers and disheartening by others. Regardless of which way the pendulum of human activity and interaction would swing, the history of this unusual piece of land is rich and amazing.

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m., Erin Kinal, the Albany Pine Bush Preserve’s education director, will lead us on a journey back in time to explore the human history of the Albany Pine Bush from earliest times to its more recent history. 

All are invited to come to this informative and interesting presentation — the first program of New Scotland Historical Association’s 2024-25 season.

This program will be presented at the Wyman Osterhout Community Center in New Salem on the Old New Salem Road. Admission is always free.   

The New Scotland Historical Association Museum will be open for a half-hour before the program.

Judy Kimes

Publicist

New Scotland

Historical Association