July 2024 Volunteer of the Month

By Sarah Reilly

Beginning her adventure as a volunteer earlier this year, her contributions to both our Community Science and seed collection programs have quickly earned her this distinction!

A resident of Schenectady, Margaret retired from GE Research, and in the years since has spent her time learning new things and rediscovering her passion for nature. She has been expanding her knowledge by taking online classes, walking in the woods, reading, and learning from others. She found activities to participate in outside of the APB well; she is a new Master Gardener Volunteer with Schenectady County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Pairing along with her participation in APB programming, she notices the overlap with useful knowledge of native species.

On top of becoming a Certified Seed Collector, Margaret participates in multiple community science programs: American Woodcock, Eastern Whip-poor-will surveys, and FrogWatch. She finds her time volunteering rewarding, enjoying interactions with staff and fellow volunteers. She has found that her growing knowledge continually sparks her interest while going on walks, saying she notices “so many more things, and have even more questions! It’s exciting that there is so much more to learn”.

Frequently going on walks in the preserve with her husband and their dogs, Margaret has created many fond memories in all her time spent here. Everything from watching the seasons change, watching the sun set over pitch pines, to the early morning birdsongs. Her favorite plant in the preserve are the scrub oaks, and she enjoys Blueberry Hill and Great Dunes trails most. A favorite recent memory of hers comes from certified seed collector training- going out into the preserve and “hearing about the restoration process; the innovations made, problems yet to solve, and remaining mysteries was exciting. And knowing I could help, even in a small way, made it even more amazing. I could be a part of the story!”.

Margaret was nominated by Preserve Steward Jesse Hoffman for her efforts in this year’s lupine seed collection season. It was a hot few days of harvesting this year, but Margaret is a dedicated volunteer and helped to collect this important resource over multiple days. Thank you for your commitment to the Albany Pine Bush, Margaret!

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