History, Natural History & the Arts
The high school I attended was too small to have football or track-and-field, which was no great loss, as the only sport I have ever been good at is jumping to conclusions.
We all know correlation does not equal causation, but when appearances point to a culprit, it’s hard to resist. If a baseball just smashed through your window and there’s a kid with a ball glove out in the yard, most of us would not feel any need to investigate further. [Read more…] about Lichens Only Look Guilty
Jake Hill has joined the Ausable River Association as the 2020 summer River Steward.
The river steward is an information resource to river users and the general public, educating and creating awareness, and helping people to identify and mitigate the spread of non-native infestations when they happen. [Read more…] about Ausable River Association Welcomes River Steward
DEC is asking the public to report moose sightings as part of ongoing efforts to monitor moose distribution in New York.
In 2019, 447 moose observations were reported to DEC. [Read more…] about DEC Seeking Reports of Moose Sightings
I grew up on a street lined with tall, stately elms. While walking to school one day, I found a bird’s nest that the wind had blown down. The nest was a beautiful, silky gray pouch. My teacher helped me identify it as a Baltimore oriole’s nest. Over the years, I found a couple of similar nests, as elms are a favorite nesting tree of orioles. [Read more…] about The Decline of Lord Baltimore’s Orioles
June is National Ocean Month and a great time to learn about New York’s diverse marine life.
New York’s ocean environment stretches three nautical miles from our shores and connects our coastal and estuarian habitats to the depths of the deep-sea that are home to many globally threatened marine animals, including sea turtles, whales, fish, and invertebrates. [Read more…] about Celebrate National Ocean Month This June
Before the mid-eighteenth century, turtles were largely untried as edibles in North America. For considerable time, the turtle was assumed to be poisonous. An infernal creature, a “resident of hell,” it should not be cultivated for food.
But attitudes changed. By the mid-nineteenth century, civic banquets would inevitably offer turtle on the menu. [Read more…] about When Eating Turtle Was All The Rage
Probably everyone has a sound they associate with high summer. For me, nothing says “holy cow, it’s hot” like the drone of cicadas, their song is a miniature buzz saw that cuts across a hot afternoon, undulating a bit and then dropping off near the end of its arc.
Cicadas are stout, ancient-looking bugs with bulgy eyes and clear wings. While the largest species is about three inches long and has a seven-inch wingspan, the ones in our neck of the woods range from 1 to 2.5 inches in length with a wingspan of three inches or so. [Read more…] about The Natural Sounds of NY Summer: Cicadas
You can find wildflowers just about anywhere, at your local park, in your backyard, in fields and forests, and along roadsides. Not only are they nice to look at, but can be food for wildlife, including pollinators. Wildlife may eat the leaves, flowers, seeds or stems. [Read more…] about Discover Wildflowers Right Outside Your Door
Cornell Cooperative Extension has announced a series of three free webinars focused on how identify wild edibles, what parts of the plants are safely edible, when they should be harvested, and how they can be prepared. [Read more…] about NYS Wild Edibles Webinar Series Set
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the start of the 2020 “I BIRD NY” challenges for beginner and experienced birders.
The I BIRD NY program was launched in 2017, to build on the State’s efforts to increase access to New York’s vast natural resources and promote low-cost opportunities to explore the great outdoors and connect with nature. [Read more…] about 2020 “I Bird NY” Challenges Get Underway