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
Invasive Species
Emerald Ash Borer: A Threat to Trees, Mohawk Traditions
Within the past several years, at least three terrestrial pests have invaded the forests of the Lake George watershed. Among them: emerald ash borer, which was first detected in Warren County in 2020, along the Schroon River near Chestertown.
That discovery was the first indication that the invasive species might have established itself in the southern Adirondacks. [Read more…] about Emerald Ash Borer: A Threat to Trees, Mohawk Traditions
Lake Champlain Aquatic Invasive Species Plan Updated
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Canal Corporation announced revisions this week to the Rapid Response Plan (RRP) that was implemented in 2022 to mitigate the spread of round goby, an invasive species, into the Lake Champlain Basin.
After first being discovered in the Hudson River near Troy in 2021, to date, round goby has not been captured north of Champlain Canal Lock 1 in Waterford, though there were two positive eDNA detections north of Lock 2 in Halfmoon in 2024. [Read more…] about Lake Champlain Aquatic Invasive Species Plan Updated
Northeastern Crayfish: Tiny Predators, Big Impact
Crayfish fill my childhood memories. I spent summers playing in streams, flipping over rocks, and, if I was lucky, catching glimpses of these mysterious little creatures. Most crayfish are nocturnal and dart backwards to escape danger.
An early summer morning last year at Crystal Lake State Park, near Barton, Vermont, brought me back to these moments when I saw a crayfish along the shore in the gently lapping waves. As I knelt for a closer look, I realized I knew so little about crayfish in my backyard. [Read more…] about Northeastern Crayfish: Tiny Predators, Big Impact
2026 Spongy Moth Outbreak Outlook for New York State
The spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) is a non-native insect from Europe. In New York, spongy moth caterpillars feed on a variety of trees, with oak as their preferred species.
Spongy moths have naturalized in our forested communities, which means they are always present in New York in some capacity. In recent years, spongy moth populations have experienced a boom throughout the Northeastern U.S. [Read more…] about 2026 Spongy Moth Outbreak Outlook for New York State
Oak Wilt Quarantine District Expanded in Yates, Ontario Counties
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has expanded the oak wilt quarantine districts in Yates and Ontario counties in the Finger Lakes after finding new trees infected with oak wilt. [Read more…] about Oak Wilt Quarantine District Expanded in Yates, Ontario Counties
Common Carp and Christmas
Novelist Hedwig “Vicki” Baum was born in January 1888 in Vienna into a Jewish family. She attracted international attention in 1929 with her novel Menschen im Hotel which started off a vogue for the “hotel novel.” It was staged as a play in Berlin by the great director Max Reinhardt that same year.
Translated into English as Grand Hotel, the story was turned into an Academy Award winning film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1932, starring Greta Garbo. The author had moved to Los Angeles whilst writing the screenplay, but the rise of fascism stopped her from returning to Europe. By 1935 the Nazis had banned her work. She became an American citizen three years later and began writing in English rather than in German. [Read more…] about Common Carp and Christmas
Silver Fly Combating Invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
In summer 2025, DEC and Cornell University’s New York State Hemlock Initiative (NYSHI) confirmed the first establishment of Leucotaraxis argenticollis, a type of silver fly, in New York State.
These silver flies were released to help control hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), an invasive insect that attacks and kills hemlock trees. The silver fly population was confirmed in the own of Bath, in Steuben County, NY. [Read more…] about Silver Fly Combating Invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Black Locust: An Invasive with Historic Roots
The coming of autumn often makes trees harder to identify – but sometimes, it does the opposite. The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a case in point.
In summer, its bluish-green, oval-shaped compound leaves could easily be confused with those of the honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), a close cousin. [Read more…] about Black Locust: An Invasive with Historic Roots
Invasive Laurel Wilt Confirmed on Long Island
Laurel wilt, an invasive fungal disease that affects sassafras and spicebush, was detected on Long Island this summer, marking the first discovery of the deadly plant disease in New York State.
Originating in Asia and first identified in the United States in Georgia in 2002, the disease is now present in multiple southeastern states, with the northernmost cases prior to the New York find occurring in Kentucky and Virginia. [Read more…] about Invasive Laurel Wilt Confirmed on Long Island
Invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Found at Lake Champlain, Great Sacandaga Lake
Hemlocks are an important part of New York’s forests providing unique environmental conditions under cool, dense canopies that protect wildlife, fishery habitat, water quality, and prevent soil erosion. An HWA infestation can kill a healthy tree within 10 years. [Read more…] about Invasive Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Found at Lake Champlain, Great Sacandaga Lake
DEC Announces New Plan For ‘Trailless’ Catskill High Peaks
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of the “Draft Visitor Use Management Plan for the Formerly Trailless Catskill High Peaks.”
The plan outlines sustainable management strategies for the Catskills to protect ecologically sensitive high-elevation peaks in the Forest Preserve that have historically been managed to be free of trails and other recreational facilities. [Read more…] about DEC Announces New Plan For ‘Trailless’ Catskill High Peaks
Columbia County Farms & Forests Talk: Troy Weldy at Copake Iron Works, July 27th
Since assuming the presidency of Columbia Land Conservancy in 2020, Troy Weldy has negotiated the preservation of nearly 3,500 acres of forest and farmland.
He’s been studying and conserving the lands of the Hudson Valley, including Columbia County, since 1995. Over that time, he has conducted multiple botanical and ecological surveys in New York State Parks, other state lands and on private properties. [Read more…] about Columbia County Farms & Forests Talk: Troy Weldy at Copake Iron Works, July 27th
Campaign Aims to Raise Awareness About Wakeboating Impacts
The Upper Saranac Foundation’s (USF) new Wake Smart campaign seeks to raise awareness about the impacts that wakeboats have on lake ecology and other users.
The Wake Smart initiative launched on Memorial Day weekend, with signage at public access areas on Upper Saranac Lake as well as a mailer campaign, social media posts and a webpage with resources on how to enjoy wakeboating while also sharing the lake, protecting plants and wildlife, and preventing the spread of invasive species. [Read more…] about Campaign Aims to Raise Awareness About Wakeboating Impacts
Upstate New York Braces for the Asian Longhorned Tick
Nearly 65% of the ticks biting Warren County residents and visitors are blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks. A species yet to be reported in the region may, however, be on its way: the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis).
The invasive tick was found in 2018 in Westchester County. Thus far, the population has not advanced beyond Saugerties in Ulster County, but according to Dr. Holly Ahern, a professor of microbiology at SUNY Adirondack and a nationally recognized expert on tick-borne diseases, there is nothing to prevent its migration farther up the Hudson River Valley. [Read more…] about Upstate New York Braces for the Asian Longhorned Tick
After 70 Years, Lake Trout Stocking in Lake Champlain Ends
Lake trout have been restored to Lake Champlain according to an announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. As a result, the wild population no longer needs to be augmented by hatchery-reared fish, and stocking will end after this spring.
The decision was announced by the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative — a working group of fisheries professionals from the three agencies — at its annual meeting in April. [Read more…] about After 70 Years, Lake Trout Stocking in Lake Champlain Ends
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
Surviving the Cold in a Polar Vortex
The new year ushered in an arctic blast that has only recently let up. This extreme plunge in temperature is referred to as a Polar Vortex. While it may seem that this is a new term, it has been in use since the 1800s. These periods of intense cold can impact the survival of many native and invasive species, including plants and pests. [Read more…] about Surviving the Cold in a Polar Vortex
Cormorants on Lake Champlain and Lake George
Lake Champlain’s Four Brothers Islands, an eighteen-acre archipelago owned by the Nature Conservancy and located two miles east of Willsboro Point, are home to the only nesting colony of Double-crested Cormorants in New York State. [Read more…] about Cormorants on Lake Champlain and Lake George
Invasive Water Soldier Found in Putnam County
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has recently been made aware of a new invasive species in New York and the United States: water soldier.
Water soldier (Stratiotes aloides) looks similar in appearance to an aloe plant, spider plant, or a pineapple plant; however, it is only found in water and has characteristic serrated teeth along the leaf edges, making it easy to distinguish from these smooth-edged, terrestrial plants. [Read more…] about Invasive Water Soldier Found in Putnam County