Events
2026 Events
Riparian Ecosystem Recovery: Dogwood/Willow Collection Days
March 27th, 1-4PM in Lake Placid
March 31st, 9AM - 12PM in Keene
Volunteers needed to assist with willow and dogwood cutting collections in Lake Placid on Friday, March 27th from 1-4 PM AND on Tuesday, March 31st from 9am to 12pm in Keene. It's a great chance to get outside and move around. The work is not especially strenuous, but the terrain can be uneven and wet. AFC will provide hand pruners or loppers, and together, we will guide you in helping us cut stems for live stakes and greenhouse propagation.
Suggested apparel: multi-layers for the conditions and rain or muck boots, water, snacks.
Email events@ausablecenter.org to sign up. Please indicate the date you can attend in the subject line.
Earth Month Ausable River Cleanup
April 18, 2026 - Save the date!
We are hosting our annual Earth Day Ausable River cleanup on Saturday, April 18, 2026. We'll be looking for volunteers to spend the morning removing garbage and debris from roadways and riverbanks in the Lake Placid, Wilmington, Jay, Upper Jay, and Keene communities. We're finalizing the details and will share with you first. Stay tuned!
Become an AFC Riparian Ecosystem Recovery Volunteer
If you're itching to get outside and stretch your legs, we've got several volunteer opportunities coming up this spring at Ausable Freshwater Center. Community involvement is at the core of our success. You can help us grow community and contribute to the success of our shared environmental goals. We're building a list of volunteers who are interested in helping with activities like native tree and shrub propagation, planting along streams and rivers, invasive species stewardship, and watershed cleanups. If you'd like to lend a hand this season, join our list by filling out our general volunteer interest form for riparian projects.
Past Events
Informational Tours
Year-Round
Join our staff and expert guest naturalists for free outdoor education programming featuring diverse ecological themes in the Ausable, Boquet, and Saranac River watersheds. Click here to learn more about our tours and to sign up.
Underwater Wonders
This new program is a unique experience we are bringing to libraries in the Ausable, Boquet, and Saranac River watersheds. With several hands-on components including microscopes and aquatic macroinvertebrate samples, this free program is an excellent way for adults and school-age children to learn about the freshwater habitats in our own backyards and the work we do here at Ausable Freshwater Center. Everyone is welcome to participate by joining one of the Underwater Wonders events listed below. If your library isn't on the list, reach out to your librarian or get in touch with us at contactus@ausablecenter.org for help coordinating an event in your town. This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (LC00A01141-0) to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.
Plant Sales
Ausable Conservation Nursery 2025 Fall Tree Sale
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first public sale of trees grown at the Ausable Conservation Nursery (ACN)! We had a selection of native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants for sale.
ACN's End-of-Season Celebration Sale
We apopreciate everyone who joined us on Thursday, October 9th, 3pm-6pm, to pick trees in-person. Thanks for bringing home some of the first trees grown at the Ausable Conservation Nursery.
September Shindig
Thank you to everyone who joined the Ausable Freshwater Center's staff and board on Tuesday, September 16th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for a convivial outdoor experience with friends passionate about Adirondack freshwater systems at the Ausable Conservation Nursery in Lake Placid. Celebrate our work to protect, enhance, and restore freshwater ecosystems. We hope you enjoyed abundant light fare, a cash bar, music at dusk, and a chance to discuss AFC's projects with staff. We hope to see you next year!
Ride for the River
July 13th, 2025
Thank you for making this year's Ride for the River another do-not-miss celebration of the stunning Ausable River watershed. Featuring multiple breathtaking route options, the event also hosts a 20-mile "tailgater" group ride on July 12 for those who'd like to come into town a day or two early to make it a weekend. This fun annual fundraiser directly supports Ausable Freshwater Center's work to protect the clean waters, healthy streams, biodiverse habitats, and scenic beauty of Adirondack waters. Fore more information and to register, visit the Ride for the River page.
Great Adirondack Trail Run
June 14th, 2025
Thank you to everyone who came out for this beloved wilderness trail run! And all proceeds benefit the Ausable Freshwater Center. The 3.5 mile run travels over the shoulder of Baxter Mtn. to Keene Valley. All trail runners, hikers & walkers - young and old - are welcome to enjoy this event!!
The 11.5 mile Great Adirondack Trail Run (2900′ of vertical gain and 3100′ of loss) goes up the back side of Hopkins Mtn & down to Keene Valley. Registration is severely limited and may already be sold out. A shuttle will be available from the parking/finish area at the Mountaineer to the trailhead for both runs. Come for the run, stay for the festivities - great music, food, drinks & more! For more information and to register, visit the Mountaineer's page HERE.
Earth Month Ausable River Cleanup
April 19, 2025
We'd like to thank the 80+ volunteers who joined us on Saturday for our annual earth month clean up! We couldn't be more grateful to our community for braving the elements to come together for the watershed. Thanks to you, we were able to remove thousands of pounds of trash and prevent it from entering the river. We're grateful for our partners at the Towns of Keene, North Elba, and Wilmington, Casella, Origin Coffee Co., NRS, Valley Grocery, Green Goddess, and Hannaford for making this year's clean up possible. We hope to see you again next year!
The Great Adirondack Trail Run
June 15, 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us us at The Mountaineer for the 19th annual Great Adirondack Trail Run & 5K fun run! Proceeds from the event benefitted our work.
Friendraiser
June 20, 2024 - 5pm to 8pm
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Friendraiser! It was a beautiful evening in Saranac Lake celebrating our supporters and 25 years of AsRA. Here's to 25 more as the Ausable Freshwater Center!
Ride for the River
July 14th, 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us for a beautiful day of biking along the Ausable River! We can't wait to get out and Ride the River with you again next year.
Stream Stewardship Symposium
July 25, 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us, SUNY Plattsburgh, and University of Vermont for an afternoon of demonstrations and a tour of Adirondack stream habitats at the Stream Stewardship Symposium!
Purple Loosestrife Volunteer Pull
August 11, 2024
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual purple loosestrife pull on Sunday, August 11th. Thanks to your help, we continued our efforts to remove this harmful invasive plant from along the shores of the Ausable river. We hope to see you again next year!
September Shindig
September 17, 2024
We're so grateful to all who joined us for our first Shindig as the Ausable Freshwater Center. Thank you for joining our staff, board, and fellow supporters at the Mirror Lake Inn for an evening of good eats, drinks, and friends.
