Fishing for Protection

It's a fisherman's paradise at the Albany Waterworks Pinebush today. Okay, maybe an 8-inch Perch isn't nirvana but it beats reeling in an old rubber tire or a plastic boot. This angler tossed his scaly trophy back hoping to catch him later this summer when he's bigger.

The Capital District Pine Bush is part of a sandy watershed off Fuller Road wedged between I-87 and I-90, partly in Albany, partly in Schenectady. It's a tall pine barren forest that supports a very rare ecosystem in New York State. Some 300 species of vertebrate animals and over 1,500 species of plants co-exist here as does the famous Blue Karner Butterfly.

Originally the Pine Bush encompassed 58,800 acres. Now, there are only 5,800 acres remaining. That's the sad fact gleaned from their website after taking my dog Rocco for a quick jog around the lake today.

To learn more about the advocacy efforts to protect what's left from further development, visit Save the Pine Bush.org.