Henry G. Reist Wildlife Sanctuary’s Earthcache
Hidden in areas that we don’t pay much attention to house
geological features that were formed thousands, if not millions, of
years ago. Right in our back yard are some of these features. The
Henry G. Reist Wildlife Sanctuary in Niskayuna is an area that is
known for birds. It has miles of trails that run through 113
acres.
What you will be doing is walking some of these trails to locate
features that were made many years ago. You should not need to
bring any special equipment with you. Use your estimating skills
and reading skills to learn something about geology when you make
this visit.
Park at the I.P. which is the Center for the Forest Preserve.
There is a kiosk that has a trail map and should have some
brochures. Take a brochure so that you do not get lost. These
brochures also have information on them that will help you in your
learning quest.
The most prominent glacial feature that one would see or notice
in this sanctuary are the two dunes located here. They would
probably not be recognized as dunes, rather, small hills as one
ascends them. When one thinks of a dune, visions of a beach
generally enter their thoughts. Having formed some 10,000 years
ago, these dunes have since supported a different variety of flora
than may be found in different parts of this sanctuary as well as a
“typical” dune.
On the final stop, you will see some examples of glacial
till. Although not directly deposited at this spot, in this manner
by the receding glacier, it is a good example of the material that
most likely underlies a good portion of this property that was
brought to the surface during the initial settlement and the
subsequent farming of the area. As a glacier moves over the
landscape, the force of the ice scrapes off everything in its path.
As the glacial ice grows it takes this scoured material with it. As
a glacier retreats (melts), it can no longer hold all of the
scoured material and it begins to drop massive amounts of sediments
and rocks along the way. Glacial till is a mixture of different
types of sediments and rocks that were carried and deposited by the
retreating glaciers. It may vary from clays to mixtures of clay,
sand, gravel and boulders. You may refer to this quick description
when you arrive at the final destination to help you better
understand what you are looking at and how it made it to this
area.
~Exerpt from Geoslider Deb’s unpublished Earthcache
Novel
Proceed to the first stop on the tour. The coordinates
are: N42°47.292 W073°53.038. We’ll call this
“Dune 1”. Using your GPS, make a note of the base
elevation before ascending the dune. When you reach the top, make
another note of the elevation. Write down the elevation gain to
approximate the height of the hill. If you do not have this feature
on your GPS, then send me your best estimate.
Proceed to the second stop of the tour. The coordinates
are: N42°47.292 W073°53.038. We’ll call this
“Dune 2”. Do the same thing that you just did and send
me the elevation gain or best estimate of this dune as well. At
these locations, look for the markers that have been placed. This
will help you to understand what forces created these great piles
of sand. Email me the reasons.
Finally, proceed to the final location. The coordinates
are: N42°47.127 W073°52.984. This brings you to a spur-trail.
Follow it to the end. Upon reaching the end you should notice
something that stands out from the surrounding area. Although what
you are looking at was mostly likely "deposited" in this location
by the original owners who were farming the property - where did
all of the parts of the "pile" come from? There is no river on the
property so, why are there so many different types of rock present
and how did they find thier way to this property? Why are some
rounded, some semi-angular, some large, some small - why such a
mixture of everything?
~Exerpt from Geoslider Deb’s unpublished
Earthcache Novel
Disclaimer: You, and all members of your party must read and
agree to the www.geocaching.com disclaimer. In addition, you all
must agree to hold the cache owner, www.geocaching.com, and the
land owners harmless from any and all causes for action. You and
all other members of your party must individually and collectively
determine your/their physical fitness and outdoors/hiking skill
levels, decide whether or not to visit the various cache locations,
and whether or not it is safe and prudent to do so under the
conditions that will be encountered. Cache seekers assume all risks
involved in seeking these cache locations.