NYS Environmental Conservation Officer Kevin Wamsley reported that on May 14th, he received a call about a group of squirrels in distress in the hamlet of Verbank, in the town of Union Vale in Dutchess County. [Read more…] about Squirrels Rescued From A Sticky Situation
nature
Poetry: Radiation from the Big Bang
Radiation from the Big Bang
Dear Gramps,
we never knew who
pulled the trigger. [Read more…] about Poetry: Radiation from the Big Bang
Survey: 90% of Boats Bypass Northway Inspection Station
Boat counters on the Northway for the Memorial Day weekend say that 89% of the trailered motorboats traveling north into the Adirondacks on Interstate 87 passed the inspection/decontamination station without stopping, according to the Adirondack Council, which organized the transportation survey. [Read more…] about Survey: 90% of Boats Bypass Northway Inspection Station
2020 Spring Stocking Season Completed
Whether it was via truck, barge or air, DEC’s Fish Hatchery staff have officially completed this spring’s fish stocking.
DEC stocked over 4.6 million trout and salmon and 50 million walleye statewide. Of those, over 50,000 got a lift in a helicopter and were stocked in 71 remote ponds, lakes, and rivers in the Adirondacks. Hundreds of thousands of lake trout and brown trout made their way into Lake Ontario via a barge carrying a DEC stocking truck. [Read more…] about 2020 Spring Stocking Season Completed
State Record White Bass Caught in Niagara River
While out fishing with his dad, Joe, on May 6th, Morgan Fonzi reeled in a new state record white bass from the Lower Niagara River. Weighing in at 3 lbs. 8 oz, it surpassed the previous state record set in 1992 by 2 ounces. [Read more…] about State Record White Bass Caught in Niagara River
Trillium: A Beauty of the Spring Woods
Once, when I was little, I was so thrilled to come across a gorgeous, dark-red trillium that I picked it and placed it in a vase in the house. I was disappointed when it quickly wilted.
Not only that, but it smelled bad. Such is the dual nature of this spring wildflower: stunningly beautiful, with a scent that appeals to carrion flies. [Read more…] about Trillium: A Beauty of the Spring Woods
Porcupines And Their Need For Salt
As the buds on hardwood trees and shrubs open and New York State’s forests again are cloaked in green, they provide our many herbivores with a welcome change in their diet.
While many plant eaters are able to subsist on woody buds and cellulose laden layers of inner bark throughout winter, leafy matter provides far greater levels of nourishment. The porcupine, a common denizen of the forest, is among our first order consumers of greens when they emerge in spring. [Read more…] about Porcupines And Their Need For Salt
Anglers Cautioned to Avoid Spawning Sturgeon
Lake sturgeon can be unintentionally caught by anglers fishing in certain waters in New York during May and June when they’re spawning. The stress incurred from being caught by an angler can inhibit a lake sturgeon’s ability to spawn. It takes many years for female sturgeon to become sexually mature, and they only spawn every 4-7 years, so missing a spawning opportunity can have a big impact on the growth of a population. [Read more…] about Anglers Cautioned to Avoid Spawning Sturgeon
Lake Stewards Prepare for Adirondack Boating Season
Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute will be providing free boat inspections and decontamination starting Memorial Day weekend at nearly 100 locations across the region to help the public stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. [Read more…] about Lake Stewards Prepare for Adirondack Boating Season
Birdwatchers Break ‘Global Big Day’ Records
Birdwatchers set a new world record on May 9th for birds documented in a single day. During the annual Global Big Day, participants reported a record-breaking 2.1 million bird observations, recording 6,479 species. An all-time high of 50,000 participants submitted more than 120,000 checklists, shattering the previous single-day checklist total by 30%. [Read more…] about Birdwatchers Break ‘Global Big Day’ Records