Author: Saratoga TODAY

WILTON — Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park is seeking submissions for their 10th Annual Earth Day Essay Contest in celebration of Earth Day and the environmental movement. 

Earth Day, celebrated on April 22 since 1970, brings environmental awareness to the forefront. Earth Day promotes increased environmental consciousness, community participation, and protection of the planet worldwide. The mission of Wilton Wildlife includes environmental education as a priority, and for the past decade, the Essay Contest has given school-aged children in the community a chance to express their views, do research, and engage in ecological topics related to the climate crisis. 

The theme for 2025 from the International Earth Day organization is Our Power, Our Planet. We invite students to write their essays on the theme of renewable energy. For more information on the theme, visit www.earthday.org.

A panel of judges from Wilton Wildlife will review the essays and select winners in lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, and high school levels to receive a cash prize and recognition for their writing. Runner-up and judges’ choice categories will also be chosen. High school entries must be no longer than 650 words; middle school entries must be no longer than 500 words; and elementary school entries must be at least 10 sentences. Accompanying illustrations are also encouraged. The contest winner from each of the four grade categories will receive a $50 cash prize.

The deadline for entries is Friday, April 25. Winners will be announced in May and prizes will be awarded at the Annual Wildlife Festival on Sunday, June 1st. Submissions may be mailed to Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park at 80 Scout Road, Wilton, NY 12831, or emailed to allyson@wiltonpreserve.org by the deadline. Please include the student’s name, the name of the school, the student’s grade, and the teacher’s name. Make sure that there is an email and a phone number with each student’s entry.

For more information, call the Wilton Wildlife office at 518-450-0321 or email info@wiltonpreserve.org. 

GANSEVOORT — The following events will take place at Moreau Lake State Park. 

Fridays: March 7, 14, 21, and 28 – Wiggly Wanderers 9:30 am. Wiggly Wanderers is a casual and fun program that is offered to walking toddlers, carriable babies and their caregivers. This will be a beginner’s hike/wander series with not too much distance for toddlers who are ready to move and caregivers who are willing and able to baby wear and/or carry their toddler if their legs get too tired. Strollers will not work for these programs. We meet at the nature center parking lot. $1 per child. Registration is not required for this program. 

Saturday, March 8- Learning About Old Growth Forests 11 am. Join a Nature Center educator for a lesson on the benefits of supporting old growth forests- forests with trees 150+ years old. Free and geared toward 13+. Please reserve your spot in advance by calling the office at 518-793-0511.

Wednesday, March 12 – Full Moon Hike at Big Bend 7pm. Join a park educator on a beginner hike and if the clouds cooperate, enjoy the splendor of the full “Worm Moon” rising above the mountains. This hike is free, is family friendly and well-behaved dogs on a 6 foot or shorter leash are welcome. This hike will not go the full 3.5 miles, we will be going closer to 2.5 miles on flat terrain. Snowshoes to rent $5 per person if needed. To reserve your spot call 518-793-0511.

Thursday, March 13 – Mud Pond Hike 1 pm. Join an Educator on a beginner 2.1-mile hike from Nature Trail to Mud Pond where we will see some beaver lodges, maybe some water fowl, and lots of Hemlock trees. Please wear the appropriate attire for the weather and water-resistant hiking shoes. Bring a snack and plenty of water.  This is free and can be for all ages, but be aware of the distance, the up and down terrain and weather. Please reserve your spot 24 hours in advance by calling the office at 518-793-0511.

Saturday, March 15 – St. Patty’s Day Needle Felting 11 am – 1 pm. Leprechauns, fairies, and gnomes oh my! Choose your favorite folktale character and create your own St. Patty’s Day plush. Return next week to build them a home. Supplies will be provided. This program is free and geared toward 6+. Please reserve your spot in advance by calling the office at 518-793-0511.

Moreau Lake State Park is located at 605 Old Saratoga Road, Gansevoort. For more information, call 518-793-0511, or visit: parks.ny.gov. 

CLIFTON PARK — The following programs will be offered during the week of March 10-16. Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library 475 Moe Road. 

Family Story Time – Monday, March 10 and Thursday, March 13 at 10 am. Nurture your child’s love of reading with stories, songs, and other fun activities. For all ages, with an adult. 

Intro to Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Monday, March 10 at 3:30 pm. Curious about AI? Learn the basics of ChatGPT, how AI is used today, what its current limitations are, and how it will shape the future. Registration required. 

Guided Nature Walk: Squirrel Ecology – Tuesday, March 11 at noon. Join us for a guided nature walk at Ushers Road State Forest. Addison Kubik of the Cornell Cooperative Extension will discuss squirrel ecology as we explore the trail. Registration required. 

Exploring & Downloading Apps – Tuesday, March 11 at 1:30 pm. There’s an app for that! Come learn how to search for and download apps to your smartphone. Registration required. 

Birthday Book Club: Author Kate DiCamillo – Tuesday, March 11 at 4 pm. Be part of the celebration of a well-known children’s book author every month. This month we’re celebrating Kate DiCamillo, author of Mercy Watson and many other titles. For grades 1-4. Registration required. 

Read With Pride Book Group at MochaLisa’s Caffé, Clifton Park: Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan – Tuesday, March 11 at 6 pm.  A soul-stirring novel about what we choose to keep from our past, and what we choose to leave behind.  All are welcome, including new participants. 

Family LEGO Build! – Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 pm. LEGO builders are challenged to work as a family to create a project of your own design. All LEGOs will be provided. Registration required. 

ZOOM: PJ Story Time – Tuesday, March 11 at 7 pm. Get comfy in your favorite PJs, grab a blanket, and tune in for a special story time with Miss Chrissie.

Preschool Story Time & Craft – Wednesday, March 12 at 10:30 am. Nurture your preschooler’s love of reading with stories, songs, and a fun craft activity. For ages 3-5, with an adult. Registration required. 

All Abilities Art Club – Wednesday, March 12 at 11 am. Join us for an open studio-style hour of art making and community. Adults of all ages and abilities are welcome to come together to create. A new material and theme will be offered each month. 

ZOOM: Virtual Author Talk with Dan Heath – Wednesday, March 12 at 2 pm. Are you ready for a revolutionary guide to fixing what’s not working—in systems and processes, organizations and companies, and even in our daily lives? Join us for an enlightening conversation with bestselling author Dan Heath as he talks with us about his newest book, Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working. Registration required. 

ZOOM: Design with AI – Tools for Digital Storytelling – Wednesday, March 12 at 3 pm

This session will give you practical techniques to elevate your storytelling using Napkin.ai, Google Earth Studio, and Fontjoy.com to craft visuals, animations, and font pairings. Registration required. 

Therapy Dogs for Teens – Thursday, March 13 at 4:30 pm. De-stress and pet a therapy dog. Drop by the Teen Place to hang out with our furry friend, Zuzu. Come alone or with a friend. For teens in grades 6-12 only. 

Silent Book Club at MochaLisa’s Caffé, Clifton Park – Thursday, March 13 at 6 pm. Come talk about your favorite books and read quietly in a group setting. Bring your own book, borrow one from the Library, or purchase one from MochaLisa’s. We’ll break off into small groups after reading to talk about what we read or one of our all-time favorite books. 

World Cinema: Persepolis (2007) – Thursday, March 13 at 6:30 pm. A precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution. This film will be presented as a companion program to our Banned Book Club reading of the graphic novel the movie is based on. All are welcome to join the discussion or just come and enjoy the film. In French/English subtitles. Rated PG-13; 96 min. 

Details and registration information for each program can be found at www.cphlibrary.org or by calling 518-371-8622.