Schodack Island State Park

Turtle we found on the road 

We started off our morning reading blogs, as usually. It felt so weird being in Hart 206 again because we haven't been there all last week since we stayed in New York City. Then we went to Schodack Island State Park, which sits off the eastern shore of the Hudson River south of Albany. The park was originally designed as a state estuary and shelters a bird conservation area such as bald eagles and blue herons. Schodack Island has about eight miles of multi-use trails through a variety of ecological communities.
When we arrived, a woman notably pointed out a turtle that was crossing the road just around the bend where we came in. I got a little excited because I love turtles! They're the cutest creatures ever! When Toby, picked up the turtle, it tried to pee on us. I thought that this was some kind of defense mechanism turtles do when they are disturbed. (I know frogs create a piercing scream when you pick them up!) Turtles usually come on land to lay their eggs and create their nests, so I figured this turtle must have been a female and she was going to lay her eggs in one of the ditches we saw. When I held the turtle, I also noticed how heavy she was.

MUD FIGHT!

Afterwards, we went down to the dock to learn more about the river and the island from Toby. Mercury poisoning of the animals in the river was a huge problem. And most of it was coming from the cement
industry. Maybe I should stop eating tuna...because I eat it almost every single day, ha-ha. Oh, and don't forget about the water chestnuts being in the water, those things are everywhere seriously. Me, Krysti, and Andra were going to go walk on the trail into the woods but I saw a sign that warned about ticks in the area so I did not want to go in anymore. I needed bug spray! Later we went fishing with Toby's net but we didn't have much luck catching anything other than one small fish. (I didn't get into the water, by the way).
This site has lots of historic and environmental significance. I wanted to learn more about Schodack island so I did further research. The development of this island is closely related to the Town of Schodack. The plan to make Schodack Island a state park of recreation and historic preservation was decided by New York in 1998. Native Americans first settled in the area in 1609 and cultivated Upper Schodack Island, because this land was fertile and ideal for agricultural growth and planting. Eventually, the Mohicans, the Native American tribe that resided on the island,  sold part of it to Dutch settlers.

Schodack Island State Park

Fast-forwarding tot he 19th century, New York State began constructing dikes along the shores of Schodack island to control erosion and cutting channels to divert water for the construction of deep water channels into the Hudson River. Dredging in the Hudson created the present-day peninsula called the Schodack Island State Park. This island was used productively by the Knickerbocker Ice Company in the later 1800's. Cutting and storing natural Hudson River ice was a new growing industry. But during the early 1900's, the industry declined due to the introduction of electric refrigerators in homes. From there, railroad bridges were built across the Hudson River and along the Upper Schodack Island. Dredging has raised the elevation of this island covering fertile farmland, which was a problem since corn cultivation was still popular on the island up until the late 1960's.

Painting of the Mohican Indians who first settled on the island