History, Natural History & the Arts
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a multi-year survey of hundreds of pollinator species in New York State.
It’s hoped the Empire State Native Pollinator Survey 2017-2021 will provide the foundation for future pollinator research and conservation efforts. [Read more…] about Dire News In New York’s First-Ever Pollinator Distribution Survey
Scientist-like persons hired by the fossil fuel industry have long maintained we should celebrate an ever-increasing level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. This gas, a key building block in the photosynthetic process, can enable plants to grow faster and get larger. It’s been called the “CO2 fertilization effect.”
Many crop yields are projected to increase. And bigger woody plants, the reasoning goes, can amass more carbon, thus helping to slow the rate of CO2 increase in a handy negative-feedback loop. [Read more…] about Climate Science: Does Rising CO2 Benefit Plants?
The Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District has announced a new grant program, Education on Agroforestry, funded by the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and Northeast Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC).
The grant funds a pilot program to develop education and implementation of an agroforestry plan for SUNY Adirondack’s farmlands. [Read more…] about An Education on Agroforestry from Warren County Soil & Water
When air and water meet, such as when it rains, air pollution can easily turn into water pollution. Waterways can receive a lot of pollution this way from both rain and run-off.
Air pollution can damage fragile aquatic ecosystems, with one of the most harmful pollutants being nitrogen. [Read more…] about Nitrogen Pollution: Too Much of a Good Thing
After the undulating clouds of blackbird flocks have left the scene, and the broad chevrons of geese have mostly disappeared over the horizon, another momentous fall event begins.
Yes, it’s time for one more native species to take to the air. The great milkweed migration is on. [Read more…] about Other Important Uses for Milkweed
A founding member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), Brian Caldwell, was recently appointed to a five-year term on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). [Read more…] about NY Farmer Named to USDA Organic Standards Board
The Columbia County Historical Society has added two more road trips to its ongoing ‘Drive Through History’ series, ‘Good Apples’ and ‘Schoolhouse Stories.’ [Read more…] about Apples & Schoolhouses Added To Columbia County Road Trips
In March, when Governor Cuomo signed the New York State on PAUSE executive order, which mandated that all non-essential businesses in New York State had to close, farmer’s markets were exempted as essential retail businesses and, as such, allowed to open or remain open.
But, as concerns about the spread of COVID-19 grew, farmers market growers, gardeners, and managers, like other small business operators, found themselves rushing to come up with innovative contingency plans to modify their operations and employ solutions that would protect their livelihoods, as well as the health and well-being of their customers, market workers, and the community at large. [Read more…] about Farmers Markets: An Alternative to a Food System in Flux
The new documentary by WXXI Public Media and the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance, Journeys Through the Finger Lakes, celebrates a region deeply rooted in history, agriculture, social change, and sustainability. [Read more…] about New Documentary: Journeys Through the Finger Lakes