None The Nature Conservancy in New York Press Releases Search All Press Releases Christopher Hawver, Executive Director - Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission Phone: (518) 456-0655, ext. 218 Email: chawver@tnc.org

Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park Awarded Stewardship Prize 

Award cites “impressive” work of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park in “working with partners to achieve common conservation goals.”

Albany, NY—October 2, 2006—The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park have been awarded the 2006 Natural Areas Association’s Carl N. Becker Stewardship Award.  This prestigious award is given to individuals or organizations that have made major contributions to managing, restoring or saving natural areas.  In recognizing the preservation and restoration work pioneered by the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and utilized in the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park to recover the endangered Karner blue butterfly and restore a viable pitch pine scrub oak barrens the award committee cited the “impressive” work of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park in “working with partners to achieve common conservation goals.”

Neil A. Gifford accepts the Carl N. Becker Stewardship Award on behalf of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission.  Presenting the award is Kim Herman, Natural Areas Association President. © Natural Areas Association

The inland pitch pine scrub oak barrens of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve is  home to thousands of plant species, more than 160 species of birds and more than 70 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians, including the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly, and is the world’s best remaining example of this plant community.  Loss of habitat to commercial and residential development and the exclusion of naturally-occurring wildland fire and the subsequent spread of invasive species are the major cause the decline of these species.  The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and The Nature Conservancy’s Eastern New York Chapter, a founding member of the Commission, have protected approximately 3,010 acres in the Albany Pine Bush and 1,600 acres at Wilton.  Once protected, this habitat is subject to an extensive restoration process based on the conditions and needs of specific restoration areas. 

In receiving the award, Neil A. Gifford, Albany Pine Bush Preserve Conservation Director, said “This has been a strong team effort, not just by the Commission Board and staff, but also through the combined support of many public and private individuals, groups and agencies - from The Nature Conservancy and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation to the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Sharing what we have learned with other programs, both locally and regionally, continues to create partnerships that benefit larger-scale conservation efforts.”  Added Chris Hawver, Executive Director of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission, “We are truly grateful for being chosen for this prestigious award that recognizes significant efforts from our staff and our supporters.  We applaud the work our partners provide in managing this 3,000 acre open space resource in the Capital Region and are proud of the growing successes of this public-private partnership.”

The Nature Conservancy’s Eastern New York Chapter is a proud and active member of The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park.