06/21/2026
Farmscape Ecology Wonder Wander: 21 June 2026
by Jesse Vanston (FEP botany intern)
Hello! I’m Jesse, the botany intern at FEP for the summer, and for my first Wonder Wander I decided to explore the southeastern region of Columbia County and hike Mount Alander (A-lander, not Ah-lander…for those that don’t know already!). With a height of 2,241 ft and a brief 2 mile climb, it offered a refreshing challenge, with a healthy mix of steep, flat, and shallow terrain that helped me stretch my legs after a long weekend of driving, and had me huffing and puffing a bit (more than a bit) along the way.
Given my broad interest in terrestrial ecology, with a particular affinity for botany and plant-pollinator interactions, I intended to focus on the flora of the Beech-Maple Mesic Forest and Oak-Heath Barren communities, which this trail is primarily traversing.
Although the peak of Mount Alander technically sits just beyond the border of Columbia County, the southern route via the South Taconic Trail begins in Copake, New York and passes right through the county’s southeastern corner. The place where you cross the state line is on a ridge near the peak and sits at about 2,115 ft, making this the highest point in Columbia County.
