Recent and Upcoming Programs
The Kent CAC sponsors a number of programs throughout the year, including hikes and presentations on a variety of topics relevant to its mission. The programs are free and open to the public. Check out our program notebook to see how much fun we all have at these events. We hope to see you at one soon.
If you'd like to be notified of our programs, we'd be pleased to let you know by email. Just let us know your email address at our subscriptions page. We only use the email list for program-related messages and don't share your address.
Upcoming Programs
| When | What |
|---|---|
Sunday |
Hike to Hawk Rock and to the Mead Farm ruins We'll meet at the DEP parking area at the end of Whangtown Road. If you're not sure where it is, you can use this map to get driving directions to the parking area and preview the hike. If you haven't been to Hawk Rock, you're in for a treat. When the glaciers retreated northward at the end of the last ice age, they were carrying some really big rocks that sometimes ended up in odd positions when the ice melted. One of these so called "erratics" is Hawk Rock. Local lore has it that long ago the Native Americans named it and used the site as a meeting place. It is certainly a believable story; the setting is beautiful and it's one impressive rock. You can see a picture of it here. The Mead Farm, like the rest of this hike, is on land that was originally part of the hunting grounds for the Nochpeem tribe of native Americans, a part of the Wappinger Confederacy. After passing through various people's hands, sometime in the 1860s Moses F. Mead purchased the eastern part of the farm where the ruins are today. The site includes a number of interesting features, including the foundations of the house, the stone portions of a cow barn and one of the most beautiful corbelled stone chambers anywhere. This is a moderate hike that takes about three hours including stops for lunch and to look around the farm site. If weather forces us to cancel the hike, we'll let everyone who subscribes to our hikes list know by e-mail and post the news on this page. For further information contact Dave Ehnebuske. |
Recent Programs
| When | What |
|---|---|
Sunday |
Amphibian Hunt at Clearpool Education Center Wetlands are exciting in the spring when our cold blooded friends wake up from their winter sleep and migrate to pools in search of food and mates. Help find these frogs, salamanders, and even fairy shrimp as Clearpool begins its Model Forest Biodiversity Inventory and the KCAC begins its Natural Resource Inventory. This program will be led by CAC member Beth Herr and is open to adults and families of all ages. Please park in the Clearpool parking Area and meet at the dining hall (the big building just south of the parking area) dressed to get a little wet and muddy! Equipment will be provided. The program is $5.00 for children under 12 and $10 for adults. To register please call Clearpool at 845-225-8226 ext 101. If weather forces us to cancel this event, we'll let everyone who receives e-mails about our hikes and programs know by e-mail and post the news on this page. |
Sunday We had a great hike! Click here. |
Seeing the Forest for the Trees - The Bodger's View. Start the New Year with a walk through the Fred Dill Wildlife Sanctuary admiring our trees with wood craftsman Ralph Szur. Learn the different uses, growth habits, and identifiers of Oaks, Maples, Ash and Dogwoods. The group will assemble at the Sanctuary's parking area on the south side of Fair Street between Carmel High School and De Colores Drive at 1:00 PM. The hike will take approximately two hours. Be sure to dress warmly. If weather forces us to cancel the hike, we'll let everyone know by e-mail and post the news on this page. For further details contact David Ehnebuske by phone at 878-7592 or by e-mail. |
Sunday |
The PBS Film Join us at the Lake Carmel Community Center, 10 Huguenot Rd, Carmel, NY 10512. The film runs for just under an hour. Discussion and refreshments follow. This event is free and open to all. For additional information call (845) 225-3942. |
Sunday |
Mt. Nimham Fall Foliage Hike. Finally! Nice weather for a hike. Enjoy a pleasant, moderate family hike through the woods capped by a climb up the restored 90 foot fire tower. This hike has two options, depending on how much of a hike you'd like:
It's hunting season, so wear bright clothing and stay together. Bring lunch and beverage and wear comfortable hiking boots. If we have to change it again (oh I hope not!) I'll send an e-mail to Kent CAC hikes subscribers and post the news on this page about an hour before the scheduled start. For further details contact hike leader David Ehnebuske by phone at 878-7592 or by e-mail. |
Sunday |
Postponed: Hike around White Pond. Since this was supposed to be a fun hike, not some sort of endurance test, and the weather was really hot, we decided to put it off until the crisp air and deep blue skies of autumn arrive. We'll be rescheduling it for some time in October. Stay cool. |
Sunday |
International Trails Day We'll meet at the parking area for Wonder Lake State Park on Ludingtonville Road. (See map.) From there we'll hike to the south end of Wonder Lake using the hiking trails built by the New York New Jersey Trail Conference. From there we'll hike along the eastern shore to the lake's north end. From there we'll return to the parking area. Don't forget to bring your lunch and water for the hike. Also, you may wish to bring a camera since there should be some great opportunities to photograph the mountain laurel in bloom along the shore of the lake. This is a moderate hike that takes about three hours including a lunch break and stops to photograph the lake and the mountain laurel. If bad weather forces us to cancel the hike, we'll let everyone who subscribes to our hikes list know by e-mail and post the news on this page. For further information contact Dave Ehnebuske. |