New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Cornell University

Cornell Agricultural Dean Liberty Hyde Bailey: A Man for All Seasons

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“Groundbreaking repeats elements of ’05 ceremony,”I joined the faculty of Syracuse University in 1975. I was surprised to learn that my institution once had a farm and hopes for a college of agriculture.

To my chagrin, I learned that my school lost out to Cornell back in 1904 when Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858-1954) bested Syracuse University’s Chancellor James R. Day in getting legislation passed in Albany to provide Cornell with state funding for an agricultural school. [Read more…] about Cornell Agricultural Dean Liberty Hyde Bailey: A Man for All Seasons

Adirondack Moose Research Project Launched

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DEC's moose research projectThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the start of a new moose research project in the Adirondack region. This winter, 14 moose were fitted with GPS collars as part of a multi-year project assessing moose health and population. [Read more…] about Adirondack Moose Research Project Launched

New York History Journal Call for Papers

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new york historyThe academic journal New York History, now being published by Cornell University Press working with staff from the New York State Museum, seeks to unify the diverse field of New York State history and meet the needs of a growing historical community that includes scholars, public historians, museum professionals, local government historians, and those seeking an in-depth look at the Empire State’s history. [Read more…] about New York History Journal Call for Papers

Climate-Adaptive Design Opportunity for A Hudson Waterfront Community

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East Strand waterfront design proposal along the Rondout CreekThere is an opportunity for a Hudson riverfront municipality to host the Cornell University Department of Landscape Architecture’s Climate-adaptive Design studio during Fall 2021.

The studio links Cornell University students in landscape architecture with communities to explore design alternatives for more climate resilient and connected waterfront areas. It’s a collaboration between DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program and the Cornell University Department of Landscape Architecture. [Read more…] about Climate-Adaptive Design Opportunity for A Hudson Waterfront Community

Volunteers Prepare for Salamander and Frog Migration

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spotted salamander courtesy L HeadyCommunity volunteers throughout the Hudson Valley are getting out their flashlights, reflective vests, and raingear in anticipation of annual breeding migrations of salamanders and frogs, which typically begin in mid-March.

Volunteers in the Hudson Valley will record their observations as part of DEC’s Amphibian Migrations and Road Crossings Project, coordinated by the Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University. [Read more…] about Volunteers Prepare for Salamander and Frog Migration

Land Trust Grants To Protect Bird Habitats Offered

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Yellow-headed Blackbird by Ian Davies Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of OrnithologyThe Cornell Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative (LTBCI) has announced they are offering around $300,000 in grants for land trusts in 2021. [Read more…] about Land Trust Grants To Protect Bird Habitats Offered

Lake George Invasive Species Infestation Update

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Hemlock Woolly Adelgid provided by DECThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and partners are reporting that they have completed this year’s treatment to control and prevent the spread of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) on New York State “Forever Wild” Forest Preserve lands at Lake George in Washington County, as part of an ongoing, multi-year effort.

DEC confirmed the HWA infestation in August. The affected hemlock trees were located in the Glen Island Campground on the shore of Lake George, along the shoreline of Shelving Rock Special Management Area, at the Buck Mountain Trailhead, and on Dome Island. [Read more…] about Lake George Invasive Species Infestation Update

Take A Cornell Survey on Food Sourcing During COVID-19 in Central NY

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meat butchering provided by cornellAre you interested in local food, gardening, hunting, fishing or foraging?

Has COVID-19 changed how you get food for yourself or your family?

Researchers at Cornell University are conducting a study to understand how COVID-19 is changing how people in Central New York are interacting with their food sources. [Read more…] about Take A Cornell Survey on Food Sourcing During COVID-19 in Central NY

Bird Study: Oriole Hybridization Is a Dead End

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Baltimore Oriole courtesy Wikimedia user TonyCastroA half-century of controversy over two popular bird species may have finally come to an end. In one corner: the Bullock’s Oriole, found in the western half of North America. In the other corner: the Baltimore Oriole, breeding in the eastern half.

Where their ranges meet in the Great Plains, the two mix freely and produce apparently healthy hybrid offspring. But according to scientists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, hybridization is a dead end and both parent species will remain separate. Findings from the new study were published in The Auk. [Read more…] about Bird Study: Oriole Hybridization Is a Dead End

Birdwatchers Break ‘Global Big Day’ Records

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Blue Grosbeak by Jay McGowan Macaulay Library Birdwatchers set a new world record on May 9th for birds documented in a single day. During the annual Global Big Day, participants reported a record-breaking 2.1 million bird observations, recording 6,479 species. An all-time high of 50,000 participants submitted more than 120,000 checklists, shattering the previous single-day checklist total by 30%. [Read more…] about Birdwatchers Break ‘Global Big Day’ Records