New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Editorial Staff

Shelter for the Birds: A Primer

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Bird ShelterCome winter, after the bears have retreated to their cold weather dens, many backyard bird enthusiasts hang feeders to attract – and nourish – avian visitors. Birds need more than a supplemental food source, however.

Whether they are roosting, feeding, selecting a nest location, or flying from one grove of trees to another, birds rely on vegetative cover, from the ground level to the treetops. Offering natural sources of cover can help birds evade predators and find protection from inclement weather, as well as provide shelter during migration. [Read more…] about Shelter for the Birds: A Primer

Audubon, Raquette River Brewing Partner With On New Beer

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Northern New York Audubon and Raquette River Brewing have partnered to create a one-of-a-kind beer. On December 11, 2021 the brand new Spruce Tip IPA will be launched at Raquette River Brewing’s Tupper Lake property.

The label for the beer can will feature one of the Adirondack region’s most iconic species: the Spruce Grouse. [Read more…] about Audubon, Raquette River Brewing Partner With On New Beer

Saving the Broadway Theater Business (Podcast)

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The Historians LogoThis week on The Historians Podcast, New York City attorney and walking tour guide Jim Kaplan explains the role played by Democratic Party district leader Jimmy McManus in reviving the Broadway theater industry and the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan.

An online version of Kaplan’s story was published in New York Almanack.
 [Read more…] about Saving the Broadway Theater Business (Podcast)

Special Event at Marshall House, Witness to the Battles of Saratoga

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Marshall House BaronessThe historic Marshall House, in Schuylerville, NY, will hold a special open house on Saturday, November 27th.

The house played an important role in the area’s Revolutionary War history, serving as a field hospital for the British troops and the German soldiers who fought with them in the Saratoga campaign. The family of the German General Friedrich Riedesel had accompanied Burgoyne to the battlefront.

The Baroness Frederika Riedesel (as portrayed by Debbie Bailey) will greet visitors and tell the story of how she with her three children endured bombardment at the Marshall House during the American siege during the Battles of Saratoga in 1777. [Read more…] about Special Event at Marshall House, Witness to the Battles of Saratoga

Lips and Walls: Digging into Tree Decay

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Callus tissue around a tree wound courtesy Jardin botanique de Montréal (Robert Mineau photo)When clients call about decay in large older trees, every so often it’s necessary to respond that I’m not interested in hearing any lip from them. I do this respectfully of course.

It’s a frequent misconception that the roll of callus tissue or “lip” that trees produce at the margins of a wound will cause, or at least accelerate, trunk rot by catching and holding a small amount of rainwater.

It makes perfect sense to us that if an open tree wound is allowed to stay wet for longer, it will decay faster. We all know that a stack of wood exposed to the elements will turn punky in a few years, whereas if it’s kept in a dry shed it can last indefinitely. [Read more…] about Lips and Walls: Digging into Tree Decay

Recent Ranger Rescues: Machete Injury; Tree-Stand Fall; Mt. Colden; Esther Mtn.; Hunter Lost

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forest ranger logoNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Recent Ranger Rescues: Machete Injury; Tree-Stand Fall; Mt. Colden; Esther Mtn.; Hunter Lost

Recent DEC Forest Ranger Rescues: Whiteface, Pecoy Notch, Slide Mtn, Tupper Lake

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forest ranger logoNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Recent DEC Forest Ranger Rescues: Whiteface, Pecoy Notch, Slide Mtn, Tupper Lake

Man Arrested For Defacing Hunter Mtn Lean-to, Rock Face With Graffiti

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Graffiti at John Robb lean-to at Hunter Mountain Nov 2021On Nov. 2, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Central Dispatch received a call about a social media post showing graffiti on a lean-to on State lands at Hunter Mountain, in the town of Lexington, Greene County.

Forest Rangers Fox and Dawson began an investigation with DEC’s Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation (BECI). [Read more…] about Man Arrested For Defacing Hunter Mtn Lean-to, Rock Face With Graffiti

Elk Lake Lodge Owner Appointed To Chair Adirondack Park Agency Board

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APA Building in Ray Brook NYNYS Governor Kathy Hochul has selected business owner and philanthropist John Ernst as the new chair of the Adirondack Park Agency board. The last person to serve as APA chair was Karen Feldman of Hudson, NY, who resigned in May of 2019.

Ernst owns and operates Elk Lake Lodge in North Hudson, Essex County.  He also owns a home in New York City.  Like Feldman, Ernst was initially appointed to one of three APA board positions reserved for state residents who reside outside of the park boundary.  The APA board has five seats for park residents and three more reserved for state officials, for a total of 11. [Read more…] about Elk Lake Lodge Owner Appointed To Chair Adirondack Park Agency Board