History, Natural History & the Arts
Once, when I was little, I was so thrilled to come across a gorgeous, dark-red trillium that I picked it and placed it in a vase in the house. I was disappointed when it quickly wilted.
Not only that, but it smelled bad. Such is the dual nature of this spring wildflower: stunningly beautiful, with a scent that appeals to carrion flies. [Read more…] about Trillium: A Beauty of the Spring Woods
As spring arrives, so do… bats? Like many other naturalists, I spend lots of time during this season looking for migrating salamanders and blossoming bloodroot.
I’ve never thought much about what bats are doing this time of year. It turns out these flying mammals, who retreated into hibernation back in the fall, are emerging from April through May, as the weather grows consistently warmer and insects again fill the air. [Read more…] about Bats Emerging From Hibernation
It was 71 years ago in May that the land for the Kenneth A. Kesselring Site began to be purchased to create the Atomic Energy Commission’s $20 million plant located in West Milton, Saratoga County, NY.
The Kesselring Site was built by the United States Government for the purpose of training nuclear officers and enlisted sailors to operate the United States Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines. [Read more…] about Kesselring Atomic Power Labratory: A Short History
One hundred and ninety-five years ago, on April 27,1825, Professor of Chemistry at Yale University Benjamin Silliman penned a letter to Harvey Loomis, proprietor of the Sans Souci Hotel in Ballston Spa.
It was subsequently printed in the Ballston Spa Gazette in August 1825, and copied in travelogues over the next several years. [Read more…] about When Ballston Spa Rivaled Saratoga Springs
This May, while we thank the human moms around us, I’ve been thinking about the many dedicated moms throughout nature, too. Nurturing mothers come in many unexpected shapes and sizes, including a few diminutive examples – like spider moms. [Read more…] about The Nurturing Nature of Spider Moms
There were riots in the streets of Corinth. A railroad trestle had been destroyed with dynamite. Attempts were made to blow two bridges on the roads leading into the village. National Guard units from adjoining counties were brought in to restore order. All of this upheaval occurred during the 1910 Corinth Paper Mill Strike. [Read more…] about The 1910 Corinth Paper Mill Strike
Anyone who has shared a home with a dog or a cat has learned something about the silent language of tails. Wild and domesticated animals may use tails for everything from communication to courtship, balance to locomotion, and defense to swatting flies.
Tails can range from short to long and be furry, feathered, or naked. [Read more…] about Animal Tails: The Tales They Tell
With all the growth that the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District was experiencing in the first half of the twentieth century, the community was shocked when a fire of unknown origin consumed most of the oldest portion of their only school building and badly damaged the new section.
It started at 3:30 am on March 30, 1930, and despite the best efforts of the Ballston Lake Fire Department the building was a total loss. Classes were subsequently moved into local churches and homes, the Odd Fellows Hall, and the Ballston Lake Country Club, where education continued for the next year while the building was rebuilt. [Read more…] about The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School Fire of 1930
I love that time in spring when the hills around my house change from gray and brown to shades of yellow, green, and red. The trees have not yet leafed out, so what’s painting the forests these wonderful colors?
The answer: most of our northern hardwood trees are flowering. [Read more…] about Tree Flowers Color the Hills
Ninety years ago the Sacandaga Valley changed forever. March 27, 1930 marked the completion of the Conklingville Dam and the closing of its three large Dow valves, which hold back the 37 billion cubic feet of Sacandaga River water we now know as the Great Sacandaga Lake. [Read more…] about 90 Years Ago Conklingville Dam Flooded The Sacandaga Valley