History, Natural History & the Arts
On October 8, 1823 New York State celebrated the arrival of the first canal boat to enter the Hudson River at Albany, also marking the completion of the Champlain Canal. “DeWitt Clinton’s Grand Canal March” was especially written for the event.
The Canal Society of New York State will host a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Champlain Canal on October 6-8 in Albany, NY. [Read more…] about 200th Anniversary of the Champlain Canal Celebration
“Vermont for the Vermonters”: A History of Eugenics in the Green Mountain State (Vermont Historical Society, 2023), written by Mercedes de Guardiola, is a new examination of one of Vermont‘s darker chapters, and sheds new light on the factors that helped bring it about.
Eugenics is a pseudo- scientific field of selective human breeding that rose to prominence in the early 1900s and was the foundation of Nazi Germany. [Read more…] about ‘Vermont for the Vermonters’: A History of Eugenics in the Green Mountain State
As autumn begins and insect populations dwindle, many waterfowl species rely increasingly on seeds as a food source. Common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), with its spherical bouquets of seeds now ripening, provides food for an array of ducks, geese, and other wetland denizens. [Read more…] about Buttonbush Is a Boon for Wildlife
It’s nearing peak fall colors in the Adirondack Park. There are many places to see the leaves as mountainsides and valleys turn bright orange, yellow, and red.
Protect the Adirondacks has put together hiking guides to 25 hikes that are easy, moderate, and challenging, but lead to terrific locations to see the fall colors in all corners of the Adirondack Park. These guides include maps, information about hiking conditions, and pictures. [Read more…] about 25 Great Adirondack Hikes to See Fall Colors
Greater Hudson Heritage Network’s Awards for Excellence program seeks to recognize and commend exceptional efforts among the Network’s members. Awards are made to projects that exemplify creativity and professional vision resulting in a contribution to the preservation and interpretation of the historic scene, material culture, and diversity of the region. [Read more…] about Greater Hudson Heritage Network 2023 Excellence Awards Announced
The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in partnership with New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), is requesting pre-proposals for research projects that will improve understanding of water and ecosystem resources in the Lake Champlain Basin and guide effective management. [Read more…] about Lake Champlain Water and Ecosystem Resources Grants
Major Christopher Carleton led an expedition of the British Army’s 29th Regiment of Foot comprising soldiers, Loyalists and Native Americans, to implement “The Great Burning” of Continental forts and patriot homesteads in Washington, Warren and Saratoga Counties during the fall of 1780. [Read more…] about The Great Burning: Carleton’s Raid of 1780 Being Memorialized
In Northern New York, acorns ripen in late summer and normally drop from oak trees from September through October. They may fall earlier, however, for a host of reasons, from eager squirrels getting a head start on gathering nuts for the winter to environmental stress, including excessively hot or rainy weather.
Prematurely dropped acorns are green, whereas ripe acorns are brown. Other reasons acorns may drop early include poor pollination and tree infestation by insects or diseases. The most peculiar cause of premature acorn drop that I have encountered is the acorn pip gall wasp. [Read more…] about The Peculiar Acorn Pip Gall Wasp
New York State of Mind
From New York Harbor
To the Canadian border
New Yorkers share
An indomitable spirit
Of grit and ingenuity
Springing from a winning
New York State of Mind
Born enslaved, by the 1840s Thomas Smallwood (1801–1883) had purchased his freedom, was self-educated, and working as a shoemaker a short walk from the U.S. Capitol.
Working alongside prominent abolitionist Charles Turner Torrey, the two men encouraged those enslaved to flee north and helped create what is believed to be the first organized line of the Underground Railroad. [Read more…] about Flee North! Thomas Smallwood & The Early Underground Railroad