History, Natural History & the Arts
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The weather at Granville, in Washington County, in June 1877, was ideal for agriculture.
“This is the weather that makes farmers happy,” The Granville Sentinel reported.
Corn and flax crops looked promising, but “vigilance and perseverance is to be the price of potatoes.” [Read more…] about A Plague of Potato Bugs in 1877 Washington County
Despite frosts, there continue to be many types of bugs that remain active into late autumn around New York State.
Among these hardy invertebrates, and the ones that are quite conspicuous to anyone that spends time working in the yard, garden or on the wood pile, are the harvestmen, known to most as the daddy-longlegs. [Read more…] about Daddy Longlegs During Winter
Climate change is altering winter weather in the Northeast, leading to less snow and more ice. Northeastern forests, and the resources they provide, need snow to stay healthy. And there is evidence that ice storms – the most destructive form of winter weather – will become more frequent and severe under changing climate conditions.
The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is set to host a free virtual science conversation on the effects of climate change on winters, with a focus on consequences for forest ecosystems, on Wednesday, December 9th. [Read more…] about Winter Wonderland No More? Climate & Northeastern Forests
DEC Region 1 has completed the fall trout stocking of waters throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. A total of 7,850 brown trout were released in late October and early November, according to DEC. [Read more…] about Fall Trout Stocking on Long Island Complete
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has proposed changes to black bass (smallmouth bass and largemouth bass) fishing regulations that the Department says will make them easier to understand. [Read more…] about DEC Proposes Statewide 12-Inch Black Bass Size Limit
The Lake Champlain Basin Program is seeking education and outreach proposals for projects that inform students or adults about key Lake Champlain Basin watershed issues identified in the management plan Opportunities for Action. [Read more…] about Proposals for Champlain Watershed Education, Outreach Projects Sought
I can’t seem to pass a hollow tree without stopping to snoop. If there is a cavity within reach, an investigation is in order. Wear and tear around a hole, evidence of food items on the ground, or simply sounds from within tell of the tenants inside. One of my favorite tricks is to power up my camera, flash on, and poke it inside a tree cavity for a quick snap. My most memorable and rewarding discovery came while lying on my stomach at the hollow base of a huge, dead maple. [Read more…] about The Hidden Life in Hollow Trees
If you get bad news about one of your trees, kindly don’t shoot the messenger. Even if – especially if – they vandalize that very tree. It could save your life to heed their warning.
Although it’s captivating to watch a big prehistoric-looking woodpecker chisel away at a rotten snag in the forest, the same performance loses its charm when it jack-hammers a hole in your perfectly sound tree. The thing is, no matter how healthy that tree may appear, it is definitely not sound, and may in fact be quite dangerous. Your “vandal” is alerting you to this fact by installing windows in the tree trunk. [Read more…] about Pileated Woodpeckers: Miscreants or Messengers?
We know that squirrels make the most of fall’s plenty by hoarding nuts for the winter, but the fact that birds also store, or cache, food goes largely unappreciated.
Through clever observation and experiments, biologists have found that food caching (from the French cacher, “to hide”) has developed to a high art in some birds. [Read more…] about Resident Birds Preparing For Winter