September 2024 Volunteer of the Month
Treasurer of The Friends of the Pine Bush Community, Bob Keesee, is the September 2024 Volunteer of the Month!
He was nominated by Community Connections Coordinator Sarah Reilly for how important his presence here at the APB has become.
By Sarah Reilly
Attendee of board and staff meetings, along with work on the Friends’ budget, Bob’s integral commitment to the APBPC is truly valued.
Born in Washington State, he grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and attended college in Arizona and Colorado. He then worked in northern California, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC before coming to Albany in 1991. Bob was on the faculty of the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at UAlbany, specializing in atmospheric chemistry. He retired in 2018 but still serves as the environmental science liaison for the UAlbany in High School Program. He now enjoys spending his time in his gardens, hiking, cycling, and accompanying his wife on her adventures with photography.
Bob began volunteering 6 years ago. He enjoys sharing in the enthusiasm for the Albany Pine Bush and nature in general with others. He was nominated by Community Connections Coordinator Sarah Reilly for how important his presence here at the APB has become. She noted that “he is an exemplary example of volunteer service, dedicated to the APB; and always comes in with a smile!”
Blueberry Hill would be Bob’s favorite part of the preserve, noting it is “quiet with great vistas”. He enjoys the pine and scrub ecosystems as it reminds him of his time in the West. He also is a fan of spittlebugs- finding “their foamy homes conspicuously icky”.
While most visitors and volunteers have an interesting preserve story to share, Bob shared one that is truly unique: “Don Allard (fellow APB and Friends of the Pine Bush Volunteer) and I were leading a Friends' MeetUp hike at Great Dunes. Soon after starting off we met a rooster on the trail. Realizing that he was not part of the natural fauna and probably wouldn't last long, our group tried to catch him. He was a small and fast rooster and the brush nearby was thick. To make a long story short, after several attempts over the next couple of days, my wife and I finally captured the rooster with a net and the help of a few passersby. For a happy ending, Don soon found someone who could give the little fellow a good home”. A fun story from a remarkable volunteer for sure… Congratulations to Bob on this distinction, thank you for all you do!
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