History, Natural History & the Arts
Burning fuel, like wood and gasoline, happens around the world every day. Most of the time, we burn fuels to make heat or power engines. Sometimes the burning happens by accident, as in the case of wildfires.
Most of the time, the process of burning fuels creates emissions in the form of visible smoke. Black carbon is a significant component of fine particulate matter pollution and a key ingredient in “soot.” [Read more…] about Black Carbon: Some History & Science of Soot
The Ausable River Association (AsRA) will host the virtual on tour Wild and Scenic Film Festival, featuring an evening of visual storytelling through inspirational films, on Friday, October 29th from 7 to 9 pm.
This event celebrates the beauty and significance of wild places throughout the world, and the important work being done to protect them. [Read more…] about Wild and Scenic Film Festival Virtual Screening Oct 29th
DEC and The Nature Conservancy have announced the acquisition of 161 acres in the town of Sempronius in the Owasco Lake watershed. The acquisition of the Ward property will help protect public water supplies and safeguard riparian buffers and wetlands. [Read more…] about Owasco Lake Watershed Land Acquired for Protection
Bat Week is an internationally recognized week-long focus to raise awareness about the important role bats play in our environment and is a great time to appreciate New York’s nine bat species.
Bat Week is observed October 24th through 31st and is organized by representatives from conservation groups and government agencies in the United States and Canada. [Read more…] about Help Protect New York’s Bat Populations During Bat Week
Ten men were killed during John Brown’s anti-slavery raid in Virginia in October 1859. All but two were buried in a common grave on the Shenandoah River, Harpers Ferry.
The body of Jeremiah Anderson, who was bayoneted in the final storming of the engine house, was handed over to a local medical school – his last resting place remains unknown. Watson Brown’s body was given over to Winchester Medical College where it remained until Union troops recovered it during the Civil War and burned the school in reprisal. [Read more…] about The Last Days of John Brown: Prisoners And Fugitives
The Saratoga County History Center has launched a diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative. An ad-hoc committee consisting of area professionals and community organizers is planning to meet through 2022 to assess History Center programming, identify under-represented demographics, and conceive of a plan to reach and serve those communities. [Read more…] about Saratoga Co History Center Launching Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently completed several improvement projects at Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area (WMA), located in the towns of Lyme and Cape Vincent in Jefferson County, NY.
Improvements at the WMA include an accessible wildlife observation tower, along with a designated accessible parking area, and educational sign. [Read more…] about Access Improvements Made at Ashland Flats Wildlife Area
Book purchases made through this link support New York Almanack’s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.
The new book Paths to the Past: History Hikes through the Hudson River Valley, Catskills, Berkshires, Taconics, Saratoga & Capital Region (Black Dome Press, 2021) by Russell Dunn & Barbara Delaney, with foreword by Mark King, Executive Director, Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, looks at thirty-one guided hikes and walks that explore the rich variety of landscapes in eastern upstate New York that offer still-visible evidence of the area’s history from prehistoric Native American settlements to abandoned 20th-century industries. [Read more…] about A New Guide To History Hikes In Eastern New York and Western Mass
The Bobcat
Without pride, senses controlled,
born or to be born, we met as hilarious strangers,
each wanting something impossible.
I wanted all beings like you to be happy.
You wanted no being to deceive another.
For a brief moment, we were sincere.
Both of us, protected against the spirits of the dead,
on a darkened street, on the outskirts of the city,
waiting to cross over
What are round-ish, mostly orange and commonly found in October on front porches or near entryways?
Obviously the answer is Harmonia axyridis, a.k.a. the multicolored lady beetle or lady bug. This insect, although beneficial to gardens, is no treat when it gathers by the hundreds on your doors or exterior walls in autumn. And more than a few will find their way indoors. [Read more…] about It’s Lady Bug Season