Martin Van Buren National Historic Site

Martin Van Buren National Historic Site will host an “Amphibians at Lindenwald” guided walk on Saturday, April 11th, from 1–2:30 pm. 

The walk will be led by the Farmscape Ecology Program and will give participants the opportunity to visit several amphibian breeding pools and ponds within the historic bounds of Lindenwald and learn about the frogs and salamanders that use them in early spring. If the timing is right, participants may even have the opportunity to observe the egg masses of vernal pool amphibians like Wood Frogs and Spotted Salamanders.  

The Farmscape Ecology Program has been conducting annual vernal pool amphibian surveys as well as frog call surveys within the historic bounds of Lindenwald for many years, and will share from their experiences and observations.  

The walk will also provide an opportunity to explore some of what we know historically about amphibians in the area. The Farmscape Ecology Program will share observations of when early spring frog calls were first heard in Kinderhook during the 1830s and 1840s (including the time period when Martin Van Buren lived at Lindenwald), and how those observations compare to what they have observed in recent years at the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site.  

The walk, including stops along the way, is anticipated to take 1 ½ hours and will largely be on gentle paths and dirt roads, though participants should be prepared to visit the grassy and forested edges of ponds and pools.  

Space is limited, so interested participants should plan to register by emailing anna@hawthornevalleyfarm.org or calling the Farmscape Ecology Program at 518-672-7994. 

Guided tours of Lindenwald, the home of Martin Van Buren, are offered at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and explores the history of the house, the surrounding property, and Van Buren’s political legacy. 

Tour sign-up is available at the visitor center. Space is limited and tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Guided tours of Lindenwald, the home of Martin Van Buren, are offered at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and explores the history of the house, the surrounding property, and Van Buren’s political legacy. 

Tour sign-up is available at the visitor center. Space is limited and tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Tours of the recently restored historic orchard at Lindenwald highlighting spring happenings, including in two second-year native wildflower plots within the orchard. The tours will provide an opportunity to learn how Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program biologists are working to monitor the ecology of the organically managed orchard over time, including the impact on pollinators and other insects. Participants will also have an opportunity to closely observe the young apple and pear trees and learn about what historical records tell us about these varieties, and when they were flowering, during Martin Van Buren’s time.

Guided tours of Lindenwald, the home of Martin Van Buren, are offered at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and explores the history of the house, the surrounding property, and Van Buren’s political legacy. 

Tour sign-up is available at the visitor center. Space is limited and tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Guided tours of Lindenwald, the home of Martin Van Buren, are offered at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and explores the history of the house, the surrounding property, and Van Buren’s political legacy. 

Tour sign-up is available at the visitor center. Space is limited and tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Guided walks featuring the late-spring flowers and fruits seen along the “Phenology Trail” at Lindenwald, including the fragrant, late-flowering American Basswoods (“Lindens”) for which Lindenwald was named. Park staff have been monitoring the timing of flowering, leafing, fruiting, and other life cycle events—also known as phenology—for 10 different species of trees and shrubs at the site since 2021, as part of the USA National Phenology Network. Tours will explore the history of phenology in Kinderhook during Martin Van Buren’s time, observe current happenings like the flowering Lindens, and learn how phenology monitoring provides important insights into the impact of climate change on local plants and animals.

Guided tours of Lindenwald, the home of Martin Van Buren, are offered at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and explores the history of the house, the surrounding property, and Van Buren’s political legacy. 

Tour sign-up is available at the visitor center. Space is limited and tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Guided tours of Lindenwald, the home of Martin Van Buren, are offered at 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and explores the history of the house, the surrounding property, and Van Buren’s political legacy. 

Tour sign-up is available at the visitor center. Space is limited and tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.