The National Park Service has announced it is seeking public input on a study to determine the feasibility of designating the Finger Lakes region of New York as a National Heritage Area. [Read more…] about Finger Lakes Being Considered For National Heritage Area Status
Mohawk Valley
Some Woodpeckers Imitate a Neighbor’s Plumage
In the first global test of the idea, scientists have found evidence that some woodpeckers can evolve to look like another species of woodpecker in the same neighborhood. The researchers say that this “plumage mimicry” isn’t a fluke – it happens among pairs of distantly related woodpeckers all over the world. [Read more…] about Some Woodpeckers Imitate a Neighbor’s Plumage
How Wildlife Adapts To New York Winters
The winter season presents a series of challenges for wildlife, such as food shortages, colder temperatures and large snowfalls. Fortunately, native wildlife has developed unique physiological and behavioral traits to help them survive and thrive in New York’s cold winter climate. [Read more…] about How Wildlife Adapts To New York Winters
Downy or Hairy Woodpecker?
“That’s a downy. No wait, it’s a hairy – definitely a hairy. Well, hang on…maybe it is a downy.” I admit it: I’ve had this happen to me more than once. [Read more…] about Downy or Hairy Woodpecker?
Boat Stewards Sought for 2021 Boating Season
New York State’s Watercraft Inspection Steward Programs are now recruiting boat stewards for the 2021 season. [Read more…] about Boat Stewards Sought for 2021 Boating Season
Preservation Assistance Grants Awarded, New Funding Available
The Preservation League of New York State, New York State Council on the Arts, Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, and Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area have announced the recipients of their 2020 Technical Assistance Grants. [Read more…] about Preservation Assistance Grants Awarded, New Funding Available
NYS Organics Summit Registration Now Open
The New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3) has announced the 7th annual NYS Organics Summit: Growing a Resilient Tomorrow will take place virtually April 13th through 15th. [Read more…] about NYS Organics Summit Registration Now Open
A New Grant Round to Support NYS History Organizations
The Pomeroy Fund for NYS History, a partnership between the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and the Museum Association of New York (MANY), have announced a new grant round providing $50,000 to assist 501(c)(3) history-related organizations with capital needs expenses in 2021. [Read more…] about A New Grant Round to Support NYS History Organizations
Poetry: Amanda! Ngawethu!
Amanda! Ngawethu!
Like a shell of goodness surrounding our raw, fragile earth
It is built upon, added to, and altered in meaning
Every second a brave someone speaks up against the barbarity of prejudice
based on outside appearance
I ask you this
If you were looking at earth from a far distance
Would you see a shallow, insignificant nothing
No different from the trillions of tons of debris drifting in leaden blackness
Or would you find beauty within the protective shell that every life form known in
existence calls home
A shelter of color, culture, diversity, perspective, community, love.
Not a wall to hide under and to block out adventure and experience
But a filter, a reminder that the unknown is something to be welcomed,
celebrated and explored
Not to demolish and flatten
And what is the unknown
It is something different and unfamiliar
But if the world, if our world, is about perspective
Then the word ‘our’ should mean one whole
A rich unity of difference
But that unity will be ripped apart without acceptance, understanding and
equality.
Let this be a statement of power
Not over each other
Not the right to take over or criticize
But the power to fan the flame of contagion that is love
We are one, but we are different
And that difference is what should unite us
12 year-old Sophia DeMasi of Clifton Park wrote this poem after being inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem “His Day Is Done” about the passing of Nelson Mandela.
Nocturnal Nature: Skunks On A Night Hike
With plenty of snow on the ground and a full moon on Saturday, this weekend promises to be one of those occasions when enough natural light will exist to venture outside and explore the nocturnal side of nature.
Taking a night time stroll can be quite exciting, especially during the latter part of February, as this is the time of year when the yelps and howls of the coyote, that signals the onset of its mating season, can often be heard. Likewise, both the red and gray fox will soon be entering their breeding periods, and their vocalizations may also break the stillness of the night.