“The last time I talked to my sister we agreed the vultures are just waiting to pounce,” Herman Picard said.

“I’ve always said, ‘If you build it, they will come,’” said New Scotland Councilman William Hennessy after the town received a $411,000 state grant to restore the historic Hilton Barn and add amenities to the park that surrounds it.

In a decade, the Albany Water Board may be a million dollars richer. The revenue will be earned from carbon credits, a relatively new idea for New York, although in California it’s a routine practice.

For well over a decade, the former Bender melon farm in New Scotland has languished on the market for the princely sum of $4 million. Now, the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy has the opportunity to purchase the 198-acre property for about a quarter of list price, but still well over the full-market assessment of under $800,000 on the county tax rolls.

BETHLEHEM — On Saturday, July 20, the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy is hosting a free Summer Hike-a-thon. This day-long celebration allows each participant to design an ideal summer day with free activities throughout the morning and into the afternoon with an emphasis on hiking and outdoor fun. 

The Helderberg Corridor is home to more than 14 species of reptiles and amphibians, Mark King said, noting the diversity is possibly the greatest in the Northeast.

ALBANY COUNTY — Colonel John V. A. Lansing settled in the Lisha Kill area in 1791 and farmed hundreds of acres. Over the years and through the generations, just 20 acres remain in the midst of heavy suburban development.

SLINGERLANDS – Birds may have a difficult time obtaining a permit to build a nest on the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy’s latest acquisition of 35 acres at the corner of Fisher Boulevard and Route 85 in Slingerlands.

That’s because of the unusual steps taken in order to conserve the land.

Mark King, of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, was in Clarksville last week to discuss local land preserves and the effect climate change will have on them.

ALBANY COUNTY — The first-ever fun run on the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail is being organized by a Doane Stuart School senior, Ava DeSantis.