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Bronx Beavers: Rewilding the Bronx River

August 10, 2026 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

Wildlife cameras and conservationists along the Bronx River captured footage of a North American beaver (Castor canadensis) near the Mitsubishi Riverwalk in the Bronx Zoo, marking the first confirmed resident since a previous short-time resident disappeared in 2018.

Biology student and Bronx River Alliance intern R.J. Hawkins found the new beaver on trail cameras set April to May. A fresh tree gnawing and saplings cut down also proved a beaver was living and working in the area. [Read more…] about Bronx Beavers: Rewilding the Bronx River

St. Regis Canoe Area Nuisance Black Bear Euthanized

July 25, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has reopened the popular paddle-in campsites 5 through 11 on Long Pond in the Saint Regis Canoe Area, Franklin County, after a nuisance black bear was euthanized.

The Saint Regis Canoe Area, the only designated canoe area in New York State, is very remote, with no-reservation camping along multiple access points and waterways. [Read more…] about St. Regis Canoe Area Nuisance Black Bear Euthanized

OSI Purchases Sabattis Scout Camp on Lows Lake

July 23, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Open Space Institute (OSI) has acquired the 1,525-acre former Sabattis Scout Reservation in St. Lawrence County, NY. Located within the Adirondack Park, the property includes historic campgrounds, ponds, hiking trails, and several miles of shoreline along Lows Lake.

The lake is a popular paddling destination in the Five Ponds Wilderness Area, about 10 miles from Tupper Lake. [Read more…] about OSI Purchases Sabattis Scout Camp on Lows Lake

New York State’s Polystyrene Foam Ban Expanded

July 19, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In 2020, New York State adopted the nation’s strongest state ban of expanded polystyrene, single-use foam food and beverage containers, and polystyrene loose fill packaging materials, commonly known as packing peanuts. On January 1, 2026, the state’s Foam Ban expanded to include a ban on polystyrene foam coolers and other containers designed or intended to be used for cold storage. [Read more…] about New York State’s Polystyrene Foam Ban Expanded

New Reporting Tool Lets Public Record Their Loon Sightings

July 12, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Researchers at the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation (ACLC) in Saranac Lake, NY have developed an online Loon Observation Reporting Tool for members of the public to log their loon sightings on water bodies throughout New York State. [Read more…] about New Reporting Tool Lets Public Record Their Loon Sightings

Excavations To Begin At Albany’s Lock One

July 11, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) has granted a permit for an archeological excavation to confirm the location of historic Lock One of the Erie Canal in Albany’s downtown Warehouse District.

This according to a recent message to supporters of The Albany Waterway’s project to uncover the old lock, buried for a century, and transform the site. The lock was once connected to a boat basin, an associated weigh lock, and the Hudson River. [Read more…] about Excavations To Begin At Albany’s Lock One

Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend

July 8, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

NYS Forest Rangers had a busy July 4th weekend in which they recovered the body of a paddler; rescued two people on an inflatable kayak from rapids they didn’t know existed on the Saranac River; assisted with an overturned sailboat on Lake Champlain; rescued someone from the rapids in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness; and two teens hiding from a black bear near Lake George. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend

Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body; Respond to Overdue Hikers

June 26, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Rainy weather last weekend kept many people from seeking outdoor recreation opportunities, but NY State Forest Rangers and State Police recovered the body of a paddler from an overturned canoe who could not swim in Wyoming County. They also responded to a call about a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old separated from their hiking group in the Adirondack High Peaks, and a 24-year-old overdue and unprepared hiker in the Johns Brook Valley. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body; Respond to Overdue Hikers

Bass Tournament Permitting and Reporting System Year 1 Results

June 26, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The results are in after the first year of the New York State Black Bass Fishing Tournament Permit and Reporting System. This system is provides DEC with information on the type, scope, and scale of black bass tournaments in New York, in order to understand and track tournament impacts on black bass fisheries.

Below are some key takeaways after the first year: [Read more…] about Bass Tournament Permitting and Reporting System Year 1 Results

Forest Rangers Recover Body, Make Several Rescues of Lost, Injured, Unprepared

June 6, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

More hikers in the woods and nicer weather led to several NYS Forest Ranger missions to rescue injured, lost, or unprepared people in the backcountry of the Adirondacks, Catskills, and elsewhere around New York. They also recovered a man’s body in the Croghan Tract Conservation Easement in Lewis County. [Read more…] about Forest Rangers Recover Body, Make Several Rescues of Lost, Injured, Unprepared

Recently Upgraded Public Water Access Sites

May 26, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has expanded and enhanced several fishing and paddling access sites across the state, including those with universally accessible features.

Check out the list below for your next adventure: [Read more…] about Recently Upgraded Public Water Access Sites

Early Season Paddling Tragedies Are A Cold Reminder

May 21, 2026 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Water currents can be strong at any time of year, but early season boaters, paddlers, anglers and swimmers are at a greater risk in spring when waters are still cold – cold enough to cause cold water shock, hypothermia and death in minutes.

Three recent stories highlight the dangers of recreating on and around cold and fast waters in Spring: [Read more…] about Early Season Paddling Tragedies Are A Cold Reminder

Final Recreation Plans Announced for Hamilton County Easement Tracts

May 18, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the final Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Speculator Tree Farm, Perkins Clearing and Burnham Mountain Conservation Easement Tracts in the Adirondack Park.

The RMP was developed in partnership with Lyme Adirondack Forest Company, the landowner. [Read more…] about Final Recreation Plans Announced for Hamilton County Easement Tracts

Erie Canalway Launches “Revolutionary Experiences” Tours

April 20, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

As America marks its 250th anniversary, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is launching Revolutionary Experiences, road trips along New York’s historic waterways.

These self-guided itineraries invite participants to explore the people, places, and ideas that helped shape the nation. [Read more…] about Erie Canalway Launches “Revolutionary Experiences” Tours

Gowanus Canal is Getting Cleaner Every Day

April 15, 2026 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

The Gowanus Canal (originally known as Gowanus Creek) is a 1.8-mile-long waterway in Brooklyn that was once a saltwater marsh teeming with wildlife, but is now among the most polluted bodies of water in the United States.

The area’s early settlers, on the first land patents issued in Breukelen (today Brooklyn), named the waterway “Gowanes Creek” after Gouwane a sachem (chief) of the Canarsee, an indigenous Lenape tribe who exploited the waterway’s resources and farmed its shores. [Read more…] about Gowanus Canal is Getting Cleaner Every Day

Spring Paddling in Floodplain Forests

April 12, 2026 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

By early April I start to get impatient for full-blown spring. I’m ready for the treetops to be full of warblers and the understory to be crowded with blooming flowers.

But when mud season lingers, I pick up my paddle. Kayaking and canoeing in floodplain forests is a seasonal treat as fleeting as spring ephemerals – and it comes earlier. [Read more…] about Spring Paddling in Floodplain Forests

New York State Launches New Harmful Algal Blooms Effort

March 27, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, 2026, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced a sweeping plan to address one of the most challenging water quality issues facing communities across the state — Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).

Harmful Algal Blooms are over-growths of algae (in New York State primarily cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae) that can produce dangerous toxins, appearing primarily but no longer exclusively during the warm months of August and September. [Read more…] about New York State Launches New Harmful Algal Blooms Effort

OSI Supports Hudson Valley Environmental Programs

March 6, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Open Space Institute (OSI) has announced the 2026 recipients of its Malcolm Gordon Fund Awards, an initiative supporting environmental education programs, experiences that connect people to the land, and efforts to inspire the next generation of nature lovers in New York’s Hudson Valley.

For its 32nd annual round, awards were given to programs including a gardening tool-lending library in Rosendale, free guided river exploration for young people and families in Newburgh, and more. [Read more…] about OSI Supports Hudson Valley Environmental Programs

Bronx River Alliance Turns 25, Celebrates Successes

February 3, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

This year marks 25 years since the Bronx River Alliance was started as a non-profit in 2001 by the Bronx River Working Group.

With the help of volunteers, community leaders, elected officials, donors, and partners, the Bronx River has been increasingly transformed from a place once treated as a dumping ground into an educational, ecological, and recreational resource for Bronx communities. [Read more…] about Bronx River Alliance Turns 25, Celebrates Successes

Five Paddlers Completed 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail in 2025

January 25, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) has announced the latest additions to its roster of official thru-paddlers. Five paddlers completed the entire 740-mile inland water trail in 2025: Austin Garber of Hermon, Maine; Jonah Vitale-Wolff of Petersburgh, in Rensselaer County, NY; Cassandra Smith and Henry Kohler of Martinsburg, PA; and Justin Reich of Arlington, MA.

The NFCT will host a virtual session on February 5th, featuring presentations by thru-paddlers along with time for questions and answers. [Read more…] about Five Paddlers Completed 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail in 2025

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