Cranberries are a common part of holiday celebrations, whether they’re used as garland decorating a Christmas tree or in the holiday meal. One of the few native North American fruits, New York State was once the third largest producer in the nation. [Read more…] about Cranberries: The Great American Native Fruit
cranberries
Thanksgiving Dinner News Collected from Historic Newspapers
The rule at a wedding is don’t show up the bride. The rule at Thanksgiving dinner is don’t show up the bird.
“The Thanksgiving Dinner should always be plain and plentiful,” The Granville Sentinel suggested on Nov. 30, 1894. “The turkey is so grand a dish that it should not be obscured by its surroundings.”
In other Thanksgiving dinner news collected from historic newspapers in Northern New York: [Read more…] about Thanksgiving Dinner News Collected from Historic Newspapers
Pollinator Problems: Commercial Bumble Bee Production
Over the past several years, the population of important pollinators has declined in the United States and internationally. Pollinators play a key role in agriculture since the majority of native plants require pollination by bees or other pollinating animals. [Read more…] about Pollinator Problems: Commercial Bumble Bee Production
Cranberry Bogs of Long Island: Some History & Natural History
Nearly everyone has enjoyed the several products derived from the fruit of the cranberry, but few people are familiar with the ecology of this interesting plant or the role it has played in many local economies and histories.
Today the cranberry industry is an important. part of the agricultural economy only in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. But many other parts of the country were at one time involved in cranberry production. [Read more…] about Cranberry Bogs of Long Island: Some History & Natural History
Muscling Through Migration: A Thanksgiving Story
During the autumn months, many birds migrate from their summer breeding grounds in the Northeast to warmer wintering areas south of our region. Migratory birds include many species of raptors and waterfowl, which we often notice because of the birds’ large size and their tendency to travel in groups.
Sometimes, as is the case with geese, these migratory groups are also quite vocal. Variations in their physiology relate directly to how different bird species migrate. [Read more…] about Muscling Through Migration: A Thanksgiving Story
Robins in Winter
One January day, my husband and I set off on a walk around our neighborhood. The temperature was a bone-chilling negative 19 degrees, and although we worked to get our blood pumping, our fingers and toes eventually revolted. As we turned back toward the warmth of home, I spotted a flock of birds bouncing through the branches of a sumac. When I looked more closely, I was shocked to see that the birds were American robins. [Read more…] about Robins in Winter