Nature Bus tours great outdoors
New, free CDTA route makes area’s green spaces accessible for all
Sarah Walsh split time during the lockdown at her home near Altamont and taking in the outdoors.
“I could walk out my door and be in the woods in less than a minute. But not everybody has that available to them,” she said.
Walsh, the conservation director of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, soon realized that although the region had plenty of green spaces to visit, not many people had the means to get to them. With that in mind, she reached out to Ross Farrell, the director of planning at CDTA and as they went about putting together a schedule. The Nature Bus was born.
The bus is free and picks up travelers from six different locations in the city of Albany, taking them on a circuit of land owned by the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy and other green spaces in the area.
“We have 20 different preserves, they’re open to the public. And so, the idea was, how can we get people to our preserves?”
Once she was able to explain
her idea to Farrell, everything else came together quickly, Walsh said. They made a list of all the other outdoor preserves and activities in the area that would interest people, such as the Pine Hollow Arboretum, The Tivoli Lake Preserve and Farm, sections of the Helderberg-hudson Rail Trail in Slingerlands and Voorheesville, John Boyd Thacher Park and Lawson Lake County Park, among others.
The response from the other preserves was overwhelming. People with the Pine Hollow Arboretum had been trying to create a stop for it on the CDTA routes, and this was the perfect opportunity. The Tivoli Lake Preserve had been also looking to be a stop.
“And so, it really turned
into this grassroots effort of people who want to make a difference for equity and access,” Walsh said.
According to Jaime Watson, director of communications at CDTA, there were almost 30 people on the bus’ opening weekend.
“I think that just shows the amount of excitement that’s surrounding it,” said Watson, who went on to say that it was a pleasure to work with Walsh and her team.
The bus has also been a boon for those who are disabled, and according to Walsh, especially for those who are visually impaired and cannot drive themselves. It has also been helpful for young families who may not have transportation.
The recent rain has not been a deterrent to humans visiting the preserves, Walsh noted, and has encouraged many their amphibian inhabitants to come out and show themselves, including the red eft, a brilliant orange salamander that has been using the moist weather to its advantage.
Walsh has big plans for the bus. She believes the outdoors does good things for everyone and that everyone needs access.
“I am hoping that the Nature Bus will grow and expand as a model not only for the Capital Region, but also across the state. Because Albany is not the only place that has these gaps in nature, where people don’t have access or lack the ability to get
where they need to go. And so the hope is that this will catch on in other places as a great way to address equity, inclusion, diversity.” ▶