In late-July New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) in Sullivan County responded to an antique store in the Town of Mamakating after receiving a tip from a frequent shopper about a mounted mountain lion head being offered for sale there. An undercover officer located the mounted head in the back of the store and made a deal to purchase it just as a uniformed officer responded to the location. [Read more…] about Catskills Antique Shop Found With Illegal Taxidermy
New York Natural History
The Almanack's stories about natural history are wide and varied. We cover wildlife (like birds, small mammals, fish, marine life, insects) and fauna (like trees, native plants, wildflowers, grasses, lichen, mosses). There are ecology categories like wetlands, bogs, grasslands, boreal and alpine areas, barrens, and more. You will also find issues like logging, pollution, water quality, habitat loss, invasive species. And broader ideas like geology, environmental history, wilderness, threatened species and climate change. See also: Recreation
The New York Museums Report Released
The New York Study of Public and Private Museums has been released. The study was a statewide census of all chartered museums in New York, conducted by Empire State Development, New York State Council on the Arts, New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, New York State Department of State, and the New York State Education Department. [Read more…] about The New York Museums Report Released
The Miniature Mysteries of Lichen Moths
A stunning moth visits my deck in late summer. At an inch long, it doesn’t have the stature of a luna or cecropia moth, but the brilliant gradient of vermilion to gold across its wings and body, offset with contrasting black bars, is eye-catching.
It’s a painted lichen moth, a member of a group of small moths whose caterpillars are known for feeding on lichens. [Read more…] about The Miniature Mysteries of Lichen Moths
Weather Prognosticators: Warren County’s John Brady & Nathan Davis
With weather events often predicted down to the minute, it is hard to imagine life without today’s real-time forecasts. Looking 120 years back into Warren County history, often that forecast came from old men sitting around a pot-belly stove who talked of woolly caterpillars and the color of the sky at sunset.
That changed in the late 1800s, when not one, but two weather prognosticators stepped into the limelight to share their predictions with the public. [Read more…] about Weather Prognosticators: Warren County’s John Brady & Nathan Davis
Ulster County’s Humpo Marshlands and Forest Preserved
On August 14, 2026, Mohonk Preserve purchased the 174-acre Humpo Marshlands and Forest property from the Open Space Institute (OSI), with the Wallkill Valley Land Trust holding a conservation easement over a portion of the property. The deal was made possible by the New Paltz Community Preservation Fund – a source of funding that helped permanently preserve the property’s wetlands, forests, wildlife habitat, and iconic Shawangunk Ridge views. [Read more…] about Ulster County’s Humpo Marshlands and Forest Preserved
New Deer Hunting Season at Saratoga Spa State Park
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) will open an undeveloped section of Saratoga Spa State Park to white tail deer hunting for the 2026-27 season as part of a deer management program. [Read more…] about New Deer Hunting Season at Saratoga Spa State Park
Include the Almanack in Your Newsletter – Get A Free Advert
Help build our community! Include the New York Almanack in your organization’s newsletter and get a few advertisement here on the site. The Almanack will be read by at least 1.5 million people over the next year – mostly New Yorkers interested in history and natural history. [Read more…] about Include the Almanack in Your Newsletter – Get A Free Advert
Hungry Horned Owl Rescued From Soccer Net
NYS Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Brandon Franz responded to a call regarding an owl stuck in a soccer net in Armonk, a hamlet near the Connecticut border in the town of North Castle, in Westchester County on August 28, 2026 [Read more…] about Hungry Horned Owl Rescued From Soccer Net
The Winter Outlook & An El Nino Update
New York State is facing a historic “Super El Niño” for the upcoming 2026–2027 winter season, with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center placing the odds of a very strong event lasting through winter at over 90%.
This rare atmospheric pattern is shaping-up to be one of the most intense on record and indicates that winter in New York will likely feature milder overall temperatures, reduced total seasonal snowfall, and an elevated risk for large coastal storms. [Read more…] about The Winter Outlook & An El Nino Update
Native Sunflowers: Solar Avatars
Among the most widely cultivated and recognizable plants growing in gardens this time of year are sunflowers, members of the genus Helianthus. The showiest species and hybrid varieties within this cheery botanical club, such as common sunflower, often steal the limelight for their size and color. But it’s worth getting to know the Northeast’s three most common native Helianthus species: woodland, pale-leaved, and thin-leaved sunflower. [Read more…] about Native Sunflowers: Solar Avatars
Rock Climber Finds Beech Leaf Disease Near Tupper Lake
Bill Widrig, a volunteer with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program’s Forest Pest Hunters program, was on his way to climb a rock wall on Goodman Mountain, just south of Tupper Lake, when he noticed an all-too-familiar site: the telltale leaf banding of beech leaf disease. [Read more…] about Rock Climber Finds Beech Leaf Disease Near Tupper Lake
Rescued Mussels Being Returned to Lower Grasse River
An ongoing New York State Museum project is returning nearly 500,000 rescued freshwater mussels to the restored ALCOA Superfund Site in the Lower Grasse River near Massena, NY.
The State Museum was awarded an $713,000 cooperative agreement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lead the five-year effort, which is also expected to advance research informing future freshwater restoration efforts. [Read more…] about Rescued Mussels Being Returned to Lower Grasse River
Trump Changes Lake Ontario’s Federal Name; New Yorkers Are Not Amused
Last week, Donald Trump claimed to have renamed Lake Ontario to Lake America. He didn’t. What he did do – in an effort to troll our biggest trading partner – was sign an executive order (14420) directing federal agencies and the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to use the new name: [Read more…] about Trump Changes Lake Ontario’s Federal Name; New Yorkers Are Not Amused
One of America’s Oldest Natural History Museums Closing
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University will permanently close its Philadelphia museum to the public on Sunday, September 27, 2026. “For nearly 200 years, the museum has been a welcoming space, creating memories for generations of families, schoolchildren, nature lovers and scientists,” an announcement made to the public says. “The Academy is more, however, than the galleries and display areas. Our collections containing more than 19 million specimens and our critical scientific research must be prioritized.” [Read more…] about One of America’s Oldest Natural History Museums Closing
Encountering Solitary Sandpipers On Their Way South
As summer ticks towards autumn, the flow of birds heading south for the winter grows in volume until it becomes a rushing torrent of migrants in September and into October. Millions of birds – hundreds of millions, in fact – will pass through the Northeast’s airspace during this time, as species that bred up north head to warmer locations. But this southbound river of migrating birds all began with a few drops as far back as early July, when a handful of shorebirds from northern arctic and subarctic regions started heading south. [Read more…] about Encountering Solitary Sandpipers On Their Way South
Avalanche Pass Trail Reopens After Massive Landslide
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the reopening of the popular Avalanche Pass Trail in the High Peaks Wilderness Area in the Adirondack Park. In July 2025, intense rock and mud slides from Mount Colden swept across the width of the pass, making the trail unusable and temporarily flooded. DEC closed the trail, conducted an assessment of the damage, and began the trail work planning and approval processes to reopen Avalanche Pass. [Read more…] about Avalanche Pass Trail Reopens After Massive Landslide
AI and Rural Communities Conference Set for September
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers potential to support sustainability in rural areas. Smart farming tools optimize water and fertilizer use to cut down waste. Remote monitoring systems help manage local forests and wildlife. Renewable energy grids run more efficiently with AI prediction models. However, serious concerns surround AI adoption. [Read more…] about AI and Rural Communities Conference Set for September
Mapping NYC’s Historic Waterfront Development
Most people have seen surveyors at work — marking boundaries, determining distances, angles and positions. It’s the kind of essential data necessary for all types of construction projects, and is an ongoing endeavor for all cities.
The New York City Municipal Archives holds a variety of records from government agencies responsible for surveying what now are the five boroughs, ranging from Brooklyn maps documenting 19th century road placement to aerial photographic maps from the 20th century. One notable collection of maps and notebooks depicts waterfront development. [Read more…] about Mapping NYC’s Historic Waterfront Development
Lake Ontario’s Selkirk Shores, Southwick Beach Get Upgrade
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) has completed $9.5 million in upgrades to Selkirk Shores and Southwick Beach State Park on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, including campground upgrades, restoration of historic facilities, construction of a new park office and a new accessible trail. [Read more…] about Lake Ontario’s Selkirk Shores, Southwick Beach Get Upgrade
Jones Beach State Park Rehabilitation Completed
The historic Jones Beach State Park East Bathhouse has been restored, revamped and is now open with modern amenities for the first time since 2009. A new way to enjoy one of New York’s most popular state parks, the restored bathhouse is a signature project of Governor Hochul’s NY SWIMS initiative – an effort to expand access to safe places to cool off and help more children learn the lifesaving skill of swimming. [Read more…] about Jones Beach State Park Rehabilitation Completed