The Saratoga County History Center will host “Sheep to Shawl,” an interactive program at the Brookside Museum, set for Sunday, May 15th. [Read more…] about Sheep to Shawl Community Day in Ballston Spa on Sunday
Nature
Spring Striped Bass Detail Nets Poachers
According to a press release issued by DEC, on the early morning hours of April 21st, NYS Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Pabes responded to a report of multiple anglers keeping excess and undersized striped bass in the village of Great Neck, Long Island. [Read more…] about Spring Striped Bass Detail Nets Poachers
Champlain Area Trails Hosting Grand Hike Saturday
After a two-year hiatus, Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will present a shorter Grand Hike on May 14th that makes a 6-mile loop on CATS trails through the fields and forests of Westport on Lake Champlain and ends at the Ledge Hill Brewery where there will be a brew party featuring the Bionic Band from Saranac Lake and food from DaCy Meadow Farm. [Read more…] about Champlain Area Trails Hosting Grand Hike Saturday
Rangers Respond to Missing Kids, Brush Fire, Wilderness Rescues
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout 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 Rangers Respond to Missing Kids, Brush Fire, Wilderness Rescues
Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area Comments Sought
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a draft Access and Public Use Plan (APUP) for the Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for public review and comment.
Ashland Flats WMA contains 2,028 acres of primarily open meadows, and second-growth and young forests in Jefferson County east of Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area Comments Sought
New Otter Creek Horse Trail Map
Located about 50 miles north of Utica, the Otter Creek Horse Trails is one of the mot popular equestrian trail networks in the New York State.
Nearly 65-miles of interlocking trails are located on both the Independence River Wild Forest and on the Independence River and Otter Creek State Forests, on the western border of the Adirondack Park in Lewis County. [Read more…] about New Otter Creek Horse Trail Map
New Whelk Regulations Effective May 11
Effective May 11th, 2022, the minimum size limit for whelk (sea snails) is 5½ inches shell length or 2¼ inches shell height for all marine waters of New York State except Long Island Sound Region (LIS). [Read more…] about New Whelk Regulations Effective May 11
Global Bird Populations Steadily Declining
Staggering declines in bird populations are taking place around the world. So concludes a study from scientists at multiple institutions, recently published in the journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources.
Loss and degradation of natural habitats and direct over-exploitation of many species are cited as the key threats to avian biodiversity. Climate change is identified as an emerging driver of bird population declines. [Read more…] about Global Bird Populations Steadily Declining
Striped Maple: Food & Shelter in the Forest Understory
Beneath the forest canopy, or overstory, of towering trees is a second layer of vegetation known as the understory. It is composed of shrubs, saplings, and understory trees that grow in the dappled shade of the overstory.
One understory specialist is striped maple, a small tree that seldom grows more than 20 feet high and 8 inches in circumference. Despite its moderate stature, striped maple plays an important ecological role in the forest, providing shelter and food for a variety of wildlife. [Read more…] about Striped Maple: Food & Shelter in the Forest Understory
Seasonal Staff Sought to Protect Adirondack Lakes
Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) is hiring watercraft inspectors and decontamination technicians to work at boat launches and other key locations across the Adirondacks to stop the spread of aquatic invasive species in the region’s waterways. [Read more…] about Seasonal Staff Sought to Protect Adirondack Lakes