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Hemlock Trees

Balsam Woolly Adelgid: A Foe to Firs

December 23, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

balsam fir courtesy Wikimedia user Abies balsamea 2 ’Tis the season for balsam fir, the fragrant evergreen that adorns our homes through the winter holidays. Its scent and long lasting needle retention make this the most popular Christmas tree and wreath species. Balsam fir is also an important timber species used for lumber. Native to North America, balsam fir (Abies balsamea) grows throughout the more northern latitudes and highest elevations of the country, including in the Northeast.

However, researchers predict a northward shift of balsam fir in an increasingly warming climate. Warmer temperatures are also contributing to a rise in populations of an exotic invasive pest – balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae) – which feeds on fir trees, affecting their health and viability as lumber and Christmas trees. [Read more…] about Balsam Woolly Adelgid: A Foe to Firs

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature Tagged With: Christmas, Climate Change, Forestry, Hemlock Trees, Hemlock woolly adelgid, insects, Invasive Species, nature, trees

Beetles, Silver Flies Being Used Against Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestations

October 8, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid provided by DECHemlock trees are being threatened by an invasive insect called the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). Only the size of a sesame seed, this tiny aphid-like insect has the ability to take down an entire forest by feeding on and weakening hemlock trees – causing mortality within 5-7 years if left untreated.

As a foundation species, hemlocks are an important component of forests and provide many beneficial ecological services, like filtering water, shading streams, and providing food and habitat for wildlife. [Read more…] about Beetles, Silver Flies Being Used Against Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestations

Filed Under: Nature, Western NY Tagged With: Forestry, Hemlock Trees, Hemlock woolly adelgid, Invasive Species, Lake Ontario, Mexico Point State Park, nature, Oswego County, Wildlife

An Adirondack Lumber Camp at Twitchell Lake, 1860-80

May 25, 2022 by Noel Sherry Leave a Comment

5a Objects dug up in Lumber Camp #2 about a half mile east of Twitchell Lake, Noel SherryMy uncle Frank Sherry taught my brother Tom and I orienteering, using a map and compass to navigate through the woods and find a remote pond or other location. We were teenagers and it was an exciting way to spend a Saturday.

On one of these adventures we were in search of Silver Dollar Pond to the east of Twitchell Lake in Northern Herkimer County,when we stumbled on our first lumber camp. The telltale signs were pieces of metal hanging from a tree and protruding from the ground, with old bottles half-buried in the forest floor. We made note of the location on our map, a half-mile from Twitchell, and returned to explore it. It wasn’t long before we located the camp dump, from which we dug up the items pictured here.

These and other objects triggered an active discussion on the date of this old camp, with an imaginative re-creation of what life might have been like for a lumberjacks living and working there. [Read more…] about An Adirondack Lumber Camp at Twitchell Lake, 1860-80

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History, Nature, Western NY Tagged With: Adirondacks, Archaeology, Architecture, Beaver Falls, Beaver River, Big Moose, Black River, Brown's Tract, Copenhagen, Croghan, Environmental History, Forest Preserve, Forestry, Hemlock Trees, Herkimer COunty, Industrial History, Labor History, Lewis County, Logging, Moose River, Tanning, Totten Crossfield Tract, trees, Twitchell Lake

Up Every River: Logging The Adirondacks (1820-40)

May 9, 2022 by Noel Sherry Leave a Comment

3a Our Double-bladed AxeIn 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:

“The quantity of lumber which might be drawn from those vast forests, now covering a soil which would anticipate the desires of a husbandman are beyond all calculation. For it is a fact admitted by all who have the least acquaintance with this section of country, that a greater quantity of wood, timber, lath, staves, boards, shingles, masts and spars might be drawn from this northern triangle, by means of a Canal, than any other district or county in the state.” [Read more…] about Up Every River: Logging The Adirondacks (1820-40)

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, History Tagged With: Adirondacks, Black River, Black River Canal, Croghan, Environmental History, Forestry, Franklin Hough, Hemlock Trees, Industrial History, Lewis County, Logging, New Bremen, Tanning, Transportation History, Twitchell Lake

Join the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Winter Mapping Challenge

February 10, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Winter Mapping ChallengeFrom February 12th through March 12th, NY iMapInvasives and the NYS Hemlock Initiative are hosting NY’s first statewide hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) Winter Mapping Challenge. [Read more…] about Join the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Winter Mapping Challenge

Filed Under: Events, Nature Tagged With: Hemlock Trees, Hemlock woolly adelgid, Invasive Species, nature

Virtual Hike Challenge in St Lawrence, Eastern Lake Ontario Region

December 8, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

White woolly egg masses of invasive HWA on a hemlock branchThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and SLELO PRISM have invited all hikers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers in the Saint Lawrence/Eastern Lake Ontario (SLELO) Region to take a hike to protect the region’s hemlocks this winter through their Virtual Hike Challenge. [Read more…] about Virtual Hike Challenge in St Lawrence, Eastern Lake Ontario Region

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: Great Lakes, Hemlock Trees, Hemlock woolly adelgid, hiking, Invasive Species, nature, Wildlife

Lake George Invasive Species Infestation Update

November 17, 2020 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature Tagged With: Cornell University, DEC, Hemlock Trees, Hemlock woolly adelgid, Invasive Species, Lake George, Lake George Land Conservancy, nature, Wildlife

Another Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestation Found At Lake George

August 12, 2020 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid provided by DECAn infestation of invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) has been confirmed on Lake George in the town of Dresden, Washington County.

The affected hemlock trees were located near a campsite within Glen Island Campground on the shore of Lake George. This is the second known infestation of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) in the Adirondacks. The first was located at Prospect mountain near Lake George three years ago. [Read more…] about Another Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Infestation Found At Lake George

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature Tagged With: DEC, Dresden, Hemlock Trees, Hemlock woolly adelgid, Invasive Species, Lake George, trees

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Remains A Threat

April 17, 2020 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

HWA by Adelaide TyrolOne spring-like afternoon this winter, I was skiing near Middlebury, Vermont. The trail followed Otter Creek, weaving through cedar patches, hemlock groves, and past the occasional hardwood. It was one of those days where you can shed a few layers and still break a sweat when the sun spills through gaps in the canopy. [Read more…] about Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Remains A Threat

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, Western NY Tagged With: Hemlock Trees, Hemlock woolly adelgid, insects, Invasive Species, nature

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