GET OUTSIDE WITH ECOS!

Don't let Jack Frost keep you inside this winter! ECOS is offering the following outdoor adventures this January.

Saturdays in the Snow. We bring the hot chocolate and marshmallows; you bring the kids for some science, nature, and fun!

Tuesdays on the Trail. We scope the best snow and routes; you bring your skis or snowshoes for some fresh air and exercise that is sure to boost your energy for the rest of the week.

Please see our winter weather section below prior to heading out on ECOS outdoor programs. Subscribe to our email listserv at the bottom of our home page for updates. See you in the snow!

Leah Akins, ECOS Executive Director
518.370.4125 [email protected]

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Imagine! You with a hot drink.
Your kids having a blast. Don't miss ECOS Saturdays in the Snow.

Saturdays in the Snow

WEST TO EAST: HELDERBERG ESCARPMENT TO RENSSELAER PLATEAU

Get Outside with ECOS this month at the highest elevations in the Capital Region. To stay warm, we will start indoors, followed by an excursion outside with hot drinks provided by ECOS.

Jan. 13, 1 p.m. Join us at the Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center up on the Helderberg Escarpment for Science on the Shores of Thompson Lake with ECOS. Our young scientists will look for signs of the park's winter residents, including birds, bunnies, and bees. We will also measure physical conditions that affect biological activity, and study the effects of wind chill on our fellow mammals using readings from our thermometer and homemade anemometer. We suggest stopping by the overlook and new Visitors Center at Thacher State Park to get a bird's eye view of winter in the Capital Region as you soar up the escarpment.

Jan. 27, 1 p.m. Join us at the Grafto n Peace Pagoda on the Rensselaer Plateau for Peace in Protecting our Planet with ECOS. Jun Yasuda, the Japanese Buddhist nun whose work inspired the founding of the Grafton Peace Pagoda, will lead us in chanting and drumming her order's universal prayer for peace, Na-Mu-Myo-Ho-Ren-Ge-Kyo. We hope this meditation will inspire a spirit of mindfulness to the subsequent outdoor playtime in the Pagoda's stunning natural environment. Also, we recommend checking out the fabulous Annual Winter Fest at Grafton Lakes State Park starting at 10 a.m. that day.

Tuesdays on the Trail

SNOWSHOEING AND CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING ADVENTURES

Our trip leaders are experts in winter recreation in our region. Their collective experience and research led to the publication of the ECOS Ski and Snowshoe Guide of the Capital Region in 2011. Email Roy and Sue Keats at [email protected] to receive updates on locations, times, and conditions.

Jan. 9, 10 a.m. Maple Ski Ridge*, Schenectady; $5 entrance for ECOS program participants
Jan. 16, Two trips planned:
- Homeschool Snowshoe Trip (Maple Ski Ridge, to be confirmed)
- Intermediate and Advanced Trip (location to be determined)
Jan. 23, (location to be determined based on conditions)
Jan. 30, (location to be determined based on conditions)

Please bring water and a snack or lunch. We ask that all ECOS participants stay with the group, and notify the group leader of any change in plans. *Maple Ski Ridge is not open for the public on Tuesdays, so just let them know that you are joining the ECOS group.

Call ECOS for Winter Weather Updates

CHECK OUR VOICE RECORDING BEFORE GETTING ON THE ROAD

Cold weather won't keep ECOS inside, but hazardous driving conditions will. Please call the ECOS office, 518.370.4125, anytime after 3 p.m. the day before a trip for a voice recording with any last-minute changes based on weather conditions. Safety always come first with ECOS! Schedule your trips with the ECOS online calendar.