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fall

Reconsider ‘Fall Clean-Up’ and Leaf it Be

October 21, 2021 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Autumn leaves courtesy LPLCRight on cue, Autumn has once again made its swift return to the Adirondacks. With it comes a list of work to ready ourselves for winter, including yard and garden cleanup. Well, we’re here to help alleviate your workload and share a “radical” concept. When prepping your yard for winter, do less! [Read more…] about Reconsider ‘Fall Clean-Up’ and Leaf it Be

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature Tagged With: fall, Lake Placid Land Conservancy, nature, weather

New York Insects: Fall Webworms

August 7, 2021 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

fall webworm web courtesy Wikimdia user SatyriumAs August progresses, numerous subtle signs in nature arise, indicating that the change in seasons is approaching. Yet, of all of the sights, sounds, and smells that characterize the latter part of summer, few elicits as unappealing a response as the appearance of the communal shelters used by the fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea). [Read more…] about New York Insects: Fall Webworms

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: fall, insects, nature, trees, Wildlife

December Is Peak Leaf Season Underwater

December 6, 2020 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Leaves In Stream by John WarrenBy December, foliage season is long over for us humans, but it’s peak season under the water. Last month, fallen leaves accumulated in our streams and rivers, starting a process that’s critical for the nourishment of everything from caddisflies on up the food chain to eagles and even people.

In fact, most of the Northeast stream food supply originates in the form of fallen leaves. [Read more…] about December Is Peak Leaf Season Underwater

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: fall, insects, nature, wetlands, Wildlife

That Late Season Moth: Fall Cankerworm

October 25, 2020 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

Alsophila-pometaria-US-Forest-ServiceFrom the onset of November, periods of mild weather become fewer and further between; however, there are always occasions when hats and coats can be left in the closet, and the fire in the woodstove can be allowed to die out for a day or two.

It’s during such balmy spells when several species of hardy moths take to the air and can be seen after dusk fluttering around a porch light or a window next to a lamp. These small, drab gray insects are all closely related, belonging to the Geometridae family of animals, and are best typified by the fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria). [Read more…] about That Late Season Moth: Fall Cankerworm

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: fall, insects, nature, Wildlife

Chipmunks Are Preparing For Winter

October 10, 2020 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

chipmunk by adelaide tyrolTwo chipmunks vie for seeds on our front lawn. One lives directly underneath the bird feeder. Another hails from the far side of the house, address unknown.

The chipmunks appear identical to me: same size, same stripes. Same interests, namely seed hoarding, aggressive chittering, jumping into the bushes and back out again, and brazen stiff-tailed standoffs with the dog. [Read more…] about Chipmunks Are Preparing For Winter

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: fall, nature, small mammals, Wildlife

Coyotes Prepare for Winter

October 7, 2020 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

coyote by Adelaide TyrolIn 2011, my husband and I planted 128 fruit trees on a hillside, mostly apples, but the back few rows included stone fruits. Our apples began producing with gusto after only a few years. We made gallons of cider and sold bushels of heirloom apples. But the plums have required patience. Their blossoms are so delicate and our springs so unpredictable that after eight years, there were still varieties we had yet to taste.

Over the years, we have been loyal. We have not eaten anyone else’s plums. Then we were rewarded when all five of our small Stanley plum trees produced dark blue fruit. By the end of that September, they had almost ripened. [Read more…] about Coyotes Prepare for Winter

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: coyotes, fall, nature, small mammals, Wildlife

What’s Behind The Changing Leaves

October 7, 2020 by Connor John Schmitz Leave a Comment

Ampersand summit by Connor John SchmitzFor many, including myself, autumn is a time to accept the ever-changing climate of our lives. This metaphorical billboard reminds us that in life, change is not only necessary, but inevitable.

The change begins in early autumn and can last for several weeks into October.  Although correlated to the change in temperature, the process is actually triggered by the shortening length of the days as the northern hemisphere moves further from the sun. This process is referred to as photoperiodism. [Read more…] about What’s Behind The Changing Leaves

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature Tagged With: fall, Maple Trees, nature, trees, weather

The Science of Fall Foliage

September 24, 2020 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Where I live, autumn typically starts in late August, when pockets of red maples start to turn scarlet around the marshes and lakes. Uh oh. As they say in Westeros, “winter is coming.”

But not before we get to enjoy fall. Yes, a Northeastern autumn is a postcard cliché. Yes, the tour buses and land yachts full of leaf peepers clog the roads. But, really, who can blame them? No matter how many you’ve seen, fall in the Northeast is still one of nature’s most awesome spectacles. [Read more…] about The Science of Fall Foliage

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: fall, nature, trees, weather, Wildlife

A Fall Leaf Color Conspiracy

September 14, 2020 by Paul Hetzler Leave a Comment

Fall foliage in the Adirondacks courtesy Wikimedia user DigbyDaltonConspiracy hypotheses (or theories, as we like to call them, since “hypotheses” cannot be uttered without a lisp) seem to multiply unfettered these days, so I feel awkward birthing yet another.

But you may be intrigued to learn that the wide spectrum of color in the region’s fall foliage is largely the result of a Depression-era project implemented by the Hoover Administration. [Read more…] about A Fall Leaf Color Conspiracy

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: fall, Maple Trees, trees

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