History, Natural History & the Arts
In 2011, the nonprofit Gotham Whale recorded just five humpbacks spotted off New York City. Since then, the number has soared. By 2018, sightings had jumped to 272. Less than a year later, 377 whales of different species were observed.
A recent Discover Magazine article cites two main factors that drive the increasing presence of whales. [Read more…] about New York’s Whaling Industry: Some History
The Seward House Museum has announced Sites of Conspiracy, a virtual talk set for Tuesday, April 13th. [Read more…] about Sites of Lincoln Conspiracy Talk Virtual Program
The final section of the Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway on the southern shoreline of Long Island has opened to cyclists, runners, skaters and walkers. [Read more…] about Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway Completed
Work to expand accessibility has started at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park in New York City. Under a $1 million project scheduled to conclude in late spring, work will include a new incline platform lift at the granite Grand Stairway and renovation of two stone pathways to enhance accessibility. [Read more…] about Accessibility Improvements At FDR Four Freedoms State Park
Erie was perched on a sunny branch when I met her on a cold day in March. She turned her head this way and that to survey her surroundings at the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences (VINS).
She is a slender hawk, brown above, with a dark-streaked, buff breast and a long, barred tail. A ring of light-colored feathers surrounds her face, giving her a facial disc similar to that of an owl. [Read more…] about The Northern Harrier: One Unusual Hawk
At Lake Minerva
Clouds brush by my notebook to lose cohesion
downhill: No smoke from someone’s campfire.
Chipmunks beg — or worse — near the snack bar.
Fix your mind on this moment, and the mountain
asks: “Who are you?” But you hear “Who am I?”
This week on The Historians Podcast Jim Kaplan reports on the history of Manhattan’s South Street Seaport and a proposal to build a new high rise in the area of that historic district. [Read more…] about South Street Seaport Historic District (Historians Podcast)
It’s spring cleaning time. Do it in a green way. There are natural household items that make terrific cleaners – beneficial to saving time, money, and the environment. [Read more…] about Tips For Green Spring Cleaning
New York State Parks and the Department of Environmental Conservation have released the 2021 New York State Camping Guide digital version, an online tool to explore the 120 campgrounds in New York State. [Read more…] about 2021 New York State Camping Guide Released
Saratoga National Historical Park is planning a series of prescribed fires in the coming weeks. The areas to be burned this year include approximately 40 acres of grasses, shrubs, and woodlands on the hillsides around Stop 3 and Stop 9 on the Park Tour Road. [Read more…] about Prescribed Burns Planned at Saratoga Battlefield