2024 Summer Lecture Series

Rensselaer’s Darrin Fresh Water Institute and the Historical Society of Bolton are pleased to co-host a series of distinguished presentations on the natural and cultural history of Lake George and the Adirondacks. 

Programs are on Monday evenings beginning at 7:00 PM at the Darrin Fresh Water Institute lodge. The public is cordially invited free of charge.

Lectures

July 8 - Keeping The Wild in Wildlife

Nancy Kimball, NYS Parks and Wildlife

Nancy Kimball is a NYS and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator providing home-based care for the past 23 years.

At present she specializes in squirrels (gray, red and flying), opossums, adult songbirds, and raptors. In addition, she has a permit to keep non-releasable birds for educational programs. Nancy is a founding member of North Country Wild Care, a non-profit network of rehabilitators serving a 9-county area in Northeast New York.

 

July 15 - The Buzz on Lake George, Speedboat Racing 1900-1964

Ginger Henry Kuenzel, author, editor, Lake George Association board member

Ginger Henry Kuenzel has deep roots on Lake George. Her great grandfather was a founder of the Lake George Regatta Association (LGRA), while her grandfather was an LGRA officer and raced in the regattas of the early 20th century. Ginger’s father began racing as a young teen and was instrumental in relaunching the LGRA after World War II and bringing the annual stock utility outboard marathons to northern Lake George 1954-1964. 

Ginger lived and worked in Munich, Germany, for more than two decades as a journalist, editor, and translator. She is the author of The Buzz on Lake George, Speedboat Racing 1900-1964; Downtown --Tales of Life in a Small Adirondack Town; and co-author with Frank Leonbruno of Lake George Reflections. Ginger is also a contributor to and editor of the book Stewards of the Water. 

Committed to giving back to her community, Ginger served on the Hague Town Board and is currently a board member of the Lake George Association and the Hague Historical Society.

 

July 22 - Protected Natural Land = A Healthy Lake George

Michael Horn, Executive Director, Lake George Land Conservancy

Mike Horn joined the Lake George Land Conservancy as Executive Director in 2022. He has a wealth of experience in land conservation as well as organization management. Prior to a career change in 20018 to pursue his passion for land conservation, Mike had a successful management career in the renewable energy field at GE, and early in his career worked in accounting and consulting. Mike received a Bachelor of Arts, Economics and Business from Lafayette College and two master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, a Master of Science, Natural Resource and Environmental Policy from the School of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and a Master of Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

 

July 29 - Making the World's Smartest Lake: The Jefferson Project

Alternate Location: Bolton Historical Museum

Brian Mattes, Senior Research Specialist, The Jefferson Project

Brian is a Senior Research Specialist working at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has a variety of research interests, ranging from freshwater ecology to littoral zone productivity. He is in charge of the Survey Program for the Jefferson Project at Lake George, overseeing the collection of samples for a long-term monitoring study.

 

August 5 - Dome Island: Forever Wild on Lake George

Noah Chirnomas, author

Dome Island: Forever Wild on Lake George, by author Noah Chirnomas, reveals the story of how this landmark island was saved from destruction by John Apperson and left to remain forever wild. Seeing Dome Island for the first time at eight years old, Noah was immediately intrigued by its shape and untouched beauty. Years later, in an effort to discover everything he could about it, he spent three years researching and learning about John Apperson’s dedication to preserving Dome Island and much of Lake George. Noah is now 20 years old and lives in New Jersey. He visits Lake George every year and enjoys boating, exploring the lake, and learning about its history. 

 

August 12 - Adirondack Fire Towers' 115th Anniversary: Their History and Restoration

Marty Podskoch, Retired Teacher and Author

Martin “Marty” Podskoch, a retired reading teacher from Delhi in the Catskills, NY, wrote three books on the Catskill and Adirondack fire towers; three books on the Adirondack, Connecticut & Rhode Island Civilian Conservation Corps camps.  He also wrote 2 volumes “Adirondack Stories: Historical Sketches Illustrated Stories; three travel books: The Adirondack 102 Club, The Connecticut 169 Club, and The Rhode Island 39 Club. Presently he is writing about the 34 Vermont CCC camps for his 12th book. He lives on Lake Pocotopaug in East Hampton, CT.

 

August 19 - The ASSEMBLE Project - Piecing together decades of Lake George research

Dr. Jeremy Farrell, Sr. Lecturer of Biological Sciences, RPI

Dr. Farrell received his Ph.D. in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2013, where his doctoral work in the Dr. Nierzwicki-Bauer and Dr. Boylen’s labs involved hydroacoustic analysis for data related to determining invasive species presence and documenting the biological recovery of ecosystems following acid deposition in a remote Adirondack lakes. Dr. Farrell remained as a post doctoral research associate in Dr. Nierzwicki-Bauer’s lab studying ecosystem processes in Lake George at the Darrin Fresh Water Institute. Dr. Farrell joined the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as Lecturer in August of 2018.

Funding for this series is provided by generous gifts from the Knapp Fund. For more information visit our Contact page or phone (518) 644-3541.