The Beat

DEC Encourages New Yorkers to Avoid Crowded Destinations and Recreate Responsibly during State's Ongoing Response to COVID-19

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today is encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to explore less-traveled destinations instead of crowded hotspots while following the principles of Leave No Trace. In anticipation of visitors looking to get outside over the upcoming holiday weekend, Commissioner Seggos called on visitors to do their part to protect all State Lands for future generations by packing out what they bring in and not leaving litter behind. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, DEC is also reminding hikers and visitors to use common sense guidelines for smart and safe recreation, including incorporating social distancing and wearing a face mask, planning trips ahead, choosing a destination close to home, and visiting at off hours. …

Albany, N.Y. – The Albany Pine Bush Preserve is now accepting films made by kids for our Karner Kids Film Festival. “This is a great opportunity for kids and teens to show us their perspective on the Pine Bush through film making,” said Education Program Manager, Sara Poggi-Decker. The Karner Kids Film Festival is open to kids ages 10-17. The films must be original creations of 5 minutes or less and must be about the Albany Pine Bush. Films could feature wildlife, plants, history, personal experience or other Pine Bush-inspired themes. 

ADIRONDACKS, NEW YORK - The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) is pleased to announce…

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will host an online preview discussion for the 145th running of the Preakness Stakes on Friday, Oct. 2, and will participate in the annual Secretariat Festival on Saturday, Oct. 10 with a virtual Museum tour highlighting the institution’s connections to Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner and Hall of Fame member.

Brien Bouyea, the Museum’s Hall of Fame and Communications Director, will be joined by Michael Veitch, the Museum’s Historian, for a look at the Preakness, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3. The discussion will take place at 1 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Oct. 2.

Mumford, N.Y. (Sept. 24, 2020)— Something wicked this way comes to Genesee Country Village & Museum with the return of a popular fall event with a twist - Spirits of the Past: A Walk in the Dark. This year’s iteration of the Museum’s most haunted visitor experience is a self-guided, outdoor walking tour where guests will wind their way through the Historic Village lanes past darkened fields, eerily lit yards, and gardens that take on a spirit all their own. Along the way, villagers will emerge to recount spine-tingling tales, or more ominously, simply lurk in the shadows and say nothing at all. …

Sunday, October 11, 3:00 PM

Staatsburg, N.Y. (9/24/20) — This autumn, Staatsburgh State Historic Site will offer occasional outdoor programs on the mansion’s front portico. On October 11 at 3 p.m., members of the staff will give a ½ hour presentation on Staatsburgh and the Titanic.

Staatsburgh’s owners, Ruth and Ogden Mills, planned to sail on the Titanic. First class passengers on the ship included the Millses’ friends, neighbors and Mrs. Mills’ cousin, John Jacob Astor. The Program on the Portico will explore Staatsburgh’s connections to the world’s most famous maritime disaster. The historic site staff will display some reproductions of items that would have been seen on the Titanic, including life vests (both children and adult sizes), a telegraph key, and an officer’s jacket.

Saturday, October 10, 3:00 PM

Staatsburg, N.Y. (9/24/20) — On October 10 at 3 p.m., children ages 8 to 11 are invited to Staatsburgh State Historic Site to listen to selections from the book, I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis. The program—presented outside on the mansion’s portico—is part of Staatsburgh’s ongoing series of readings from books about the Gilded Age. The reading will be a unique opportunity to hear a story about the Titanic at the home of a couple who planned to sail on the Titanic. Staatsburgh’s owners, Ruth and Ogden Mills, had tickets to sail on the Titanic’s second trip. But the Millses were not destined to travel on the ship – the Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.

“What You See….and What You Don’t See”

October Thursdays & Sundays, & Columbus Day

Staatsburg, N.Y. (9/24/20) — This autumn, Staatsburgh State Historic Site will offer several opportunities to enjoy the fall foliage and a stunning landscape along the Hudson River, while learning a little of the area’s history. Free guided landscape tours on the Gilded Age estate’s beautiful grounds overlooking the river will occur on Thursdays, Sundays and on Columbus Day.

The tour, entitled “What You See… and What You Don’t See,” will show how Staatsburgh’s landscape architect designed a glorious setting that showcased the good life in the Gilded Age, while deliberately using landscape elements to hide the technology and labor that made a turn-of-the-century estate run. Using historic photos of the grounds, the tour will show what visitors would have seen more than100 years ago, but also step behind the curtain to show what was hidden from them.

Village of Saranac Lake is first bronze NYS Climate Smart Community in North Country

Tupper Lake, N.Y. - The Village of Saranac Lake and the Village of Homer achieved bronze level certification in the NYS Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program, as announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on September 24, 2020, during New York State Climate Week. The youth leaders spearheading the efforts for climate action and resilience within these two communities were inspired in part by The Wild Center's Youth Climate Program and its annual Adirondack Youth Climate Summit. Since 2008, this program has brought together 180+ students from 30+ New York State schools to increase their climate literacy and leadership skills.

Immersive Fantasy Adventure Features Frightful Pop Culture Icons  

New York City (Sept. 23, 2020) – Where can you find a creepy haunted mansion, ghoulish ghosts, soaring superheroes and a towering mystical monster under one roof? Madame Tussauds New York is the perfect family-friendly Halloween destination.  Guests of all ages are encouraged to come in costume now through October 31 and embark on an A-list fantasy adventure featuring world-famous pop culture experiences. …