Discover the Albany Pine Bush...

Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center Sponsored by Trustco A school group enters the Preserve.		Located in the heart of the Capital District Region, the Albany Pine Bush represents one of the best remaining examples of an inland pine barrens ecosystem in the world.  This gently rolling sand plain is home to a unique diversity of species including over 20 rare species of animals and plants and two rare natural communities. Thousands of people visit the Albany Pine Bush Preserve each year for outdoor recreation, research, nature study and respite.  The Preserve positively and significantly contributes to the quality of life in the municipalities it crosses and the 3,010 acres of protected Pine Bush land are a cherished resource to local communities.
For information about how you can make a donation to the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, please call 518-456-0655 x1217 or email: info@albanypinebush.org

The Albany Pine Bush "Discovery Center sponsored by TrustCo" is an exciting development in the Commission's education and outreach plan and is now a reality.  This much needed interpretive education center will allow the Commission to meet the needs of the growing number of Preserve visitors and expand the accessibility of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve as a resource for schools and individuals in the Capital District Region and beyond.

In a landmark decision in November 2001, the State of New York acquired the existing State Employees Federal Credit Union (SEFCU) facility at 195 New Karner Road, a central location in the Albany Pine Bush, for conversion to the Discovery Center.  Plans are underway to retrofit this existing structure into an interpretive education center.

The Discovery Center is a visible and central location in the Preserve where people of all ages can go to learn about the natural and cultural history of the Albany Pine Bush and participate in the many recreational and volunteer opportunities at the Preserve.  Outdoor and indoor interactive exhibits, native plant and butterfly gardens, a universally accessible "Discovery Trail", participatory greenhouse, classrooms, and gathering space for Pine Bush Preserve programs will teach the story of the Pine Bush through first-hand experience and discovery-based learning.

The Discovery Center opened in June 2007.