Chancellor’s Sheep & Wool Showcase at Clermont
Perhaps your crew prefers creatures that are a little softer and fluffier and less cold-blooded and scaly. Then head over to the Chancellor’s Sheep & Wool Showcase, including an exhibition of different breeds of sheep and other wool-bearing animals, as well as demonstrations on processing the wool, such as shearing, spinning, dyeing, knitting and weaving. This festival takes place on the site of the oldest of the mid-Hudson Valley estates, the Clermont State Historic Site. While you’re there, stop by the Visitors’ Center and have some fun with Clermont’s free new Backpack Program: bags stuffed with outdoor activity ideas for children.
The Chancellor’s Sheep & Wool Showcase takes place on Saturday, April 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 per car, $6 for members. Clermont is located at 1 Clermont Avenue in Germantown. For more information, call (518) 537-4240 or visit https://nysparks.com.
Earth Day
Earth Day has officially taken place on April 22 for decades, but this idea of celebrating and honoring our world can be something in which we engage every day. For example, following some of New Paltz Times columnist Richard Parisio’s wonderful hiking ideas is one way to cultivate family Earth Days anytime.
But if you are interested in specific Earth Day-inspired events taking place this weekend to do with your crew, here’s my roundup: From learning about ways in which we can pursue more sustainable ways of living, to helping to clean up our little corner of the world, to just enjoying the outdoors together, this weekend is packed with opportunities to connect with Mother Earth.
Environmental Awareness & Sustainability Day at SUNY-New Paltz
On Saturday, April 20, SUNY-New Paltz presents Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Day, an event for adults and children of all ages: “The Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Day provides a venue for university students, community members and regional sustainability and energy alternative resource partners to inform participants about their role in renewable and sustainability practices and resources.” In addition to speakers Andy Revkin, who reports about the environment for The New York Times, and Lynne Cherry, author of children’s books on ecology, there will be organized games, hands-on demonstrations, music and a local greenmarket.
At 2:30 p.m. in Room 130 in the Old Main Building, youth from New Paltz’s Elting Library Youth Advisory Group will perform a dramatization of Cherry’s picture book, The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest, directed by Nelly Bablumian. The book explores the impact of the kapok tree on animals and humans in the environment, which is under threat of humans cutting it down. I absolutely love this idea and think Linda Welles, director of the Youth Advisory Group, is harnessing a powerful tool for youth to help other young people to connect with the lessons in this story.
The actors made papier-mâché masks for their animal characters, and after the performance, children in the audience will learn about some of the animals in our own region that need our help to survive in the changing landscape: the Eastern box turtle, small-footed bat and red-shouldered hawk, and create a related craft.
Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Day takes place from 12 noon to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public of all ages. SUNY-New Paltz is located at 1 Hawk Drive in New Paltz. For more information, call (845) 257-7869 or visit www.newpaltz.edu. To learn more about the speakers, visit https://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com and www.lynnecherry.com.
Volunteer for Shoreline Cleanup at Long Dock Park in Beacon
Looking to walk some of the Earth Day talk? How about participating in Scenic Hudson’s Shoreline Cleanup at Long Dock Park? On Saturday afternoon, April 20 from 1 to 3 p.m., families can do some spring cleaning…down by the riverside! In addition to the family-friendly shoreline cleanup, projects include fence repairs and removing invasive plants. Scenic Hudson will provide garbage bags, tools, hand sanitizer and water. You wear clothes that can get messy and closed-toe shoes. Participants under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Long Dock Park is located at Long Dock Road in Beacon. For more information, call (845) 473-4440, extension 273, or visit www.scenichudson.org.
Join the family! 
