Children, wielding nets on long poles, gathered at the edge of the pond at Up Yonda Farm and under the guidance of Up Yonda naturalists scooped up muck from the pond’s bottom. The children were investigating pond life, and they were often rewarded with nets full of baby sunfish and an occasional crawfish in the muck. The pond life program was part of the Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center‘s 25 anniversary celebration held Saturday, July 30.
The event included special programs, exhibits, outdoor recreation activities, a food truck and free ice cream. Local businesses and organizations set up booths on the grounds offering information and advice on topics such as gardening, composting and beekeeping.
The 73-acre farm spreads out over a hillside along Lake Shore Drive in Bolton Landing. In 1993, it was donated by John and Alice Scott to Warren County to be used as a nature center. Up Yonda opened to the public in 1997 and has become a standard field trip for school students, a resource for home schoolers and a center of activity for the public wishing to explore the plant and wildlife of Bolton Landing.
The old farmhouse now houses the Up Yonda Farm offices and a small gift shop. A barn on the property serves as a museum with wildlife scenes, an active bee hive and interactive exhibits. The property also has a butterfly garden and a sugar house where each spring sap from the property’s sugar maples is boiled down into syrup. The center also maintains easy- to moderate- level hiking and snow shoeing trails rewarding those who make the climb a view of Lake George that overlooks the narrows.
Up Yonda’s staff of naturalists lead a variety of programs and discovery hikes throughout the year along with seasonal activities such as holiday wreath making and spring sugar house tours. For a complete list of upcoming activities, visit the Up Yonda Farm website.
Photos: Up Yonda Farm’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
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