Events
2025 Events
September Shindig
Join 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. Enjoy abundant light fare, a cash bar, music at dusk, and a chance to discuss AFC's projects with staff. Click here for more information.
Plant Sales
Ausable Conservation Nursery 2025 Fall Tree Sale
Join us for our first public sale of trees grown at the Ausable Conservation Nursery (ACN)! We have a selection of native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants for sale. Select the plants and quantities online, noting the price per tube, container, or 72 ct flat. All orders are for pickup only at 281 Bear Cub Ln, Lake Placid. All payments, including taxes, charged at pickup. Sale is open through noon on October 8th.
ORDER ONLINE
10% off your order total for a purchase of 100 trees or more! Please contact kiana@ausablecenter.org directly to place bulk orders of over 100 stems.
ACN's End-of-Season Celebration Sale
If you prefer to shop for trees in person, join us on Thursday, October 9th, 3pm-6pm, to pick your trees while supplies last. This will be your last chance to bring home some of the first trees grown at the Ausable Conservation Nursery. Payment, including taxes, will be charged at checkout.
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.
Peru Free Library: Saturday, April 26th at 10am
Keene Valley Public Library: Thursday, July 31st at 10am
Keeseville Free Library: Tuesday, Aug 19th at 1pm
Au Sable Forks Free Library: Wednesday, Aug 20th at 10am
Lake Placid Public Library: Thursday, Aug 21st at 5pm
Wells Memorial Library: Saturday, Aug 23rd at 12:30pm
Plattsburgh Public Library: Tuesday, Aug 26th at 10:30
Wadhams Free Library: Wednesday, Oct 1st at 7pm.
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.
Past Events
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.
