Bill Widrig, a volunteer with the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program’s Forest Pest Hunters program, was on his way to climb a rock wall on Goodman Mountain, just south of Tupper Lake, when he noticed an all-too-familiar site: the telltale leaf banding of beech leaf disease. [Read more…] about Rock Climber Finds Beech Leaf Disease Near Tupper Lake
Beech Trees
Cortland County Tree Plantations: Some History & An Update
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Democratic Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, under the 1929 State Reforestation Act and the 1931 Hewitt Amendment, made it possible for hundreds of young men to secure jobs working on the reforestation of many unproductive and abandoned farms.
One of thosee areas is now the Taylor Valley State Forest (Seacord Hill) in Cortland County, NY. [Read more…] about Cortland County Tree Plantations: Some History & An Update
Adirondack Park Invasive Species Report Issued
The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP) has released its 2024 annual report.
The report celebrates the accomplishments of APIPP staff, volunteers, and partners while also providing updates on the presence of invasive species in the Adirondack region, special initiatives, ongoing research, and more. [Read more…] about Adirondack Park Invasive Species Report Issued
How Bark Helps Trees Weather Winter
When I think about winter survival, my mind first goes to wildlife: field mice curling up in nests, chickadees flocking to bird feeders, and amphibians burrowing into the mud. Rarely do I think about the adaptations of our northern species that can’t grow thicker fur, fluff up their feathers, or go underground.
Trees, for instance, face the same freezing temperatures, wet weather, and harsh winds – all with the added challenge of not being able to move. One way trees endure winter is through adaptations in their bark. [Read more…] about How Bark Helps Trees Weather Winter
New York Forest Health Highlights Summary
Forests in New York cover 18.6 million acres of land making the State 61% forested. Whether it’s hiking, hunting, camping, or birdwatching, these forest lands provide recreational opportunities for millions of residents and others. [Read more…] about New York Forest Health Highlights Summary
How Trees Prepare for Winter
Of all life’s synergies, I appreciate most the one between my propensity for domestic procrastination and my love of moving through the outdoors – countless adventures are born of it.
During a late November weekend, when faced with a day spent winterizing our home, my husband and I instead packed up our children and headed for Mount Moosilauke, a 4,802-foot-high peak in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. [Read more…] about How Trees Prepare for Winter
Invasive Beech Tree Killer Found Near Lake George
Beech Leaf Disease, detected at the western edge of the Adirondack Park in 2022, has spread to the Lake George watershed. Forest Health technicians from the Department of Environmental Conservation discovered a Beech Leaf Disease infestation along a trail on Bolton’s Edgecomb Pond property in late July, Bolton Supervisor Ron Conover said. The technicians were surveying the Cat and Thomas Mountains section of the Adirondack Forest Preserve, a DEC official told Conover. [Read more…] about Invasive Beech Tree Killer Found Near Lake George
Flying Squirrels: Nocturnal Tree Dwellers
In the days prior to and immediately following a full moon, there is often enough light in the hours after sunset for a person to meander along a well established woodland trail without the aid of a flashlight. By walking slowly and quietly, one can occasionally detect a small gray squirrel rustling about the dead leaves on the forest floor, climbing up a large trunk, or moving along the limb of a tree. While most squirrels strongly prefer to be active during the light of day, the flying squirrel favors the darkness of night and is one of the most common nocturnal tree dwelling mammals in New York State. [Read more…] about Flying Squirrels: Nocturnal Tree Dwellers
Inspect Your Trees for Beech Leaf Disease This Spring
Trees are blooming again in New York so now is the perfect time to keep your eyes peeled for beech tree leaf disease symptoms. [Read more…] about Inspect Your Trees for Beech Leaf Disease This Spring
Beech Tree Syrup Could Unlock Economic Potential
The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has announced the results of research into the economic feasibility of producing syrup from American beech trees. Conducted by Adam D. Wild, director of the Uihlein Maple Research Forest in Lake Placid, the research examined the yield potential and economic feasibility of tapping beech trees for syrup production. [Read more…] about Beech Tree Syrup Could Unlock Economic Potential
How Do New York’s Pests & Diseases Survive Winter?
I can’t help but think about the forest pests and diseases that I work with, and how they fare in winter weather.
We know that monarch butterflies migrate to avoid our cold winters, but what about the insects that stay put? Many of our forests pests and diseases have adaptations and strategies to survive the cold. [Read more…] about How Do New York’s Pests & Diseases Survive Winter?
Whitetail Deer & Spreading Invasive Species
A winter walk in the forest reveals a flurry of wildlife activity that often goes unnoticed during other times of the year. Often among the many tracks in the snow are the nearly heart-shaped prints of whitetail deer. Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are common throughout the United States, with an estimated population of 30 million nationwide.
Deer are an important part of the ecosystem, but their foraging behavior can wreak havoc in forests, where browsing may contribute to the spread of invasive plants – and decrease species diversity. [Read more…] about Whitetail Deer & Spreading Invasive Species
New Threat to Beech Trees Found In 35 NYS Counties
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that Beech Leaf Disease (BLD), which affects all species of beech trees, has been identified in 35 counties in New York State to date.
DEC began tracking BLD in 2018 after it was confirmed in Chautauqua County. Fourteen of the counties with BLD were confirmed in 2022, and more are likely to be identified. [Read more…] about New Threat to Beech Trees Found In 35 NYS Counties
Up Every River: Logging The Adirondacks (1820-40)
In the 1820s the State of New York encouraged Adirondack exploration and settlement, benefiting from the land sales and taxes (when they were paid). Lewis County newspapers were abuzz with praise for the 1825 completion of the Erie Canal, and in less than a year, the Black River Gazette launched a discussion on “improving” the Black River as a connection between the canal and the St. Lawrence River, anticipating the economic benefit Adirondack timber would bring when this opened a commercial route to the rest of the world: [Read more…] about Up Every River: Logging The Adirondacks (1820-40)
Logging The Adirondacks From The West (1800-1820)
In the nineteenth century Lewis County settlements east of the Black River were just getting established; most of these included at least one saw mill. By 1820 these settlements were beginning to push their way up the rivers into the Adirondacks, and new mills were being built along their courses. A Copenhagen, NY farmer on Tug Hill, viewing the Adirondack panorama spread out to his east, wrote the following in a Journal & Republican article titled “North Woods Wonder:”
“All the wilderness is strewn with lakes as if some great mirror had been shattered by an Almighty hand, and scattered through the forests for Nature to make her toilet by … And how the rivers meander the woods as the veins of a human hand. There are Beaver, Moose, and Indian, Bog, Grass and Racket… And how rough and shaggy the wilderness is with mountains … Let them pass unnamed.”
One of these “shattered” gems was Twitchell Lake. [Read more…] about Logging The Adirondacks From The West (1800-1820)
Old Trees Play A Unique And Essential Role
Typically, “tree aging” is done by counting annual growth rings, either on a stump or on a sample core taken by a special tool. But the phrase can also refer to veteranization, a process whereby trees are prematurely aged through targeted injury and stress in order to create specialized habitats. It’s much like the ageing of parents, a treatment administered by one’s children to produce worry lines, grey hairs, and character. [Read more…] about Old Trees Play A Unique And Essential Role
The Gray Squirrel in the Adirondacks
The gray squirrel is a common member of New York State’s wildlife community.
This bushy-tailed rodent ranks among the most frequently seen creatures, especially if a few individuals in the neighborhood are maintaining bird feeders. Yet, as common as this skilled aerialist may appear, the gray squirrel is not as widely distributed throughout the Adirondack Park as it might seem. [Read more…] about The Gray Squirrel in the Adirondacks
Nutting Season: An Old-Time Ritual
Thanksgiving, with food a major holiday component, calls to mind a time of year that was once the subject of great anticipation: nutting season. I’m not old enough to have experienced it first-hand, although back in the 1980s I did explore many natural edibles. Among my favorites was beechnuts, which we harvested and used in chocolate-chip cookies. Outstanding!
But in days long ago, when many folks earned a subsistence living that utilized home-grown vegetables and wild foods, nutting season was an important time. [Read more…] about Nutting Season: An Old-Time Ritual
Northeast Mountain Ecology: A Primer
Hikers climbing the Northeast’s highest peaks will traverse several different vegetative zones along the way. On the summits, they’ll likely encounter plants so hardy that many also grow in the Arctic, thousands of miles to the north. [Read more…] about Northeast Mountain Ecology: A Primer
Northern Tree Migrations: Nature on the Move
To a highly mobile species like humans, the fact that other animals relocate their families – or entire populations – isn’t a big surprise. We know historical migrations have been the norm, though the fossil record shows that generally these changes happened at a snail’s pace.
The “Great American Interchange” in which northern animals spread southward and South American critters expanded north during the Pliocene Epoch, took a million years. Give or take a few, I assume. [Read more…] about Northern Tree Migrations: Nature on the Move