News and Views from the Empire State
Oneida County History Center’s 2020 Historical Selfie Scavenger Hunt is now underway through August 31st.
This interactive event invites the public to explore local history and document their journey with a selfie at historic sites, monuments, and markers in Oneida County or Utica. [Read more…] about Oneida Co Historical Selfie Scavenger Hunt Underway
Humanities New York’s (HNY) has announced the Amended podcast, a six-part series about the ongoing struggle for women’s voting rights.
Launching on August 26, 2020, Amended travels from the 1800s through to the present day to explore the quest for women’s full equality, one that has been as diverse, complex and unfinished as the nation itself. [Read more…] about ‘Amended,’ A Women’s History Podcast Series
The 2020 Great Adirondack Garage Sale is set for this coming weekend, August 7th, 8th, and 9th. In the past, the event was traditionally held on Memorial Day weekend, but due to safety concerns, it was pushed back to August for this year.
The 11th annual event consists of residents selling their items along a 150-mile trail stretching from Tupper Lake to Speculator, and Old Forge to Newcomb in the Adirondack Park. [Read more…] about Great Adirondack Garage Sale This Weekend
To a highly mobile species like humans, the fact that other animals relocate their families – or entire populations – isn’t a big surprise. We know historical migrations have been the norm, though the fossil record shows that generally these changes happened at a snail’s pace.
The “Great American Interchange” in which northern animals spread southward and South American critters expanded north during the Pliocene Epoch, took a million years. Give or take a few, I assume. [Read more…] about Northern Tree Migrations: Nature on the Move
NYS Environmental Conservation Officer George LaPoint reported that he responded to a residence in the town of Hague, Warren County, for a report of a trapped timber rattlesnake at residence where a family was vacationing on August 2nd. [Read more…] about Rattlesnake Surprises Warren Co Vacationers
Daredevil stunt man and movie actor Rodman “The Human Fly” Law had been shot out of a “monster sky rocket” and had jumped in a specialized “aeroplane parachute” from the Brooklyn Bridge and the 792-foot Woolworth Building, the tallest building in the world at the time.
For his next feat, Law came to the Adirondacks. [Read more…] about Early Stunt Men, Daredevils ‘The Human Fly’ & ‘Hurricane Hutch’ in NY
DEC’s nine cold water fish hatcheries collectively produce over 6.4 million fish annually. Unfortunately, a significant number of these trout and salmon are lost to a variety of predators in search of a “free meal.”
One predator that causes most fish losses is the great blue heron. At the Caledonia Hatchery it’s not uncommon to have upwards of 40 great blue herons surrounding the ponds during the spring. [Read more…] about Fish Hatcheries Battle Herons
As the first President of the United States, George Washington set many precedents for the new nation. One of the biggest precedents Washington set came in the form of the Cabinet, a body of advisors from across the U.S. government who advise the president on how to handle matters of foreign and domestic policy.
In this episode of the Ben Franklin’s World podcast, we investigate Washington’s creation of the Cabinet and how it became a government institution with Lindsay Chervinsky author of the book, The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution (Harvard Belknap Press, 2020).
If you’ve spent any time on trails, particularly on rocky mountain tops or in desert-like environments, you’ve likely come across a cairn.
Cairns are officially-created rock piles that mark a trail. They are often used in areas where there is little vegetation to attach traditional trail markers or paint blazes.
In the Adirondacks, cairns are found most often at higher elevations above tree line. They are extremely important for helping hikers navigate trails and to protect sensitive alpine vegetation by guiding hikers to the most durable surfaces. [Read more…] about Conservation Minute: Caring About Cairns
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the around 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 Statewide Forest Ranger Mission Highlights