The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) marked the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public services, and public accommodations – by highlighting new investments that are expanding access to outdoor recreation and helping ensure New York’s public lands are welcoming to visitors of all abilities. [Read more…] about New Accessible Outdoor Recreation Opportunities
Public Health
Niagara’s Manhattan Project Legacy Haunting Homeowners
Elevated radiation levels have been detected in the yards of over 120 homes in Niagara County, NY. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has been conducting the first radiological survey of the area since 1984 and at least four families have fled their homes.
Governor Kathy Hochul has called on the EPA to step up testing and accelerate distribution of resources to those affected [Read more…] about Niagara’s Manhattan Project Legacy Haunting Homeowners
New York Air Unhealthy Amid Extreme Heat, Canadian Wildfires
Air quality is “unhealthy” in much of New York as massive plumes of smoke from wildfires in Canada drift across the region causing a visible haze, reduced visibility, and a smell of smoke.
All New Yorkers should limit time spent outside and keep windows and doors closed to prevent smoke from entering your home. [Read more…] about New York Air Unhealthy Amid Extreme Heat, Canadian Wildfires
The Stench of Old New York: Pollution and Public Health
Between 1748 and 1751, Swedish botanist Pehr (Peter) Kalm (1716-1779) made a journey through Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Canada. The Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences had selected him to explore the territory and collect plants that would thrive in Scandinavia’s cold climate.
On his return, Kalm published a three-volume journal of his experiences, translated into English in 1770/1 as Travels into North America. By 1772, there were renderings in German and Dutch, as well as a second English edition. The book provided a reasonably reliable account of America’s natural history and social structure in the eighteenth century. [Read more…] about The Stench of Old New York: Pollution and Public Health
Women’s Role in Canned Food Consumption
New York State was the birthplace of the American canning industry and grew to become one of the nation’s most prolific food processing hubs by the late 19th century. The state’s history is marked by early technological developments, massive growth during wartime, and the rise of major corporate processors.
Initially, canned foods were not widely accepted, however. The overarching factor that drove the prevalence and public acceptance of canned food was the symbiotic relationship between the evolving canning industry and the changing role of women, in particular their need or desire to work in the public sphere. [Read more…] about Women’s Role in Canned Food Consumption
New York State Launches New Harmful Algal Blooms Effort
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
The Water Cure, Bottled Water & New York’s Local Bottling Industry
The emergence of the bottling industry in New York State occurred due to the rise of the leisure economy and the fashion for the kind of mineral waters available at natural spas.
Prior to the availability of chlorinated water, inhabitants of many highly populated areas of the world avoided unmixed water from most sources for fear of contamination. [Read more…] about The Water Cure, Bottled Water & New York’s Local Bottling Industry
Edward Livingston Trudeau and the Saranac Laboratory
In the late 19th century, when tuberculosis was the deadliest disease in America, a gravely ill physician arrived in the Adirondacks seeking relief — and helped change medical history.
This episode of the ADK Talks podcast features Amy Catania, Executive Director of Historic Saranac Lake, discussing Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau and the founding of the Saranac Laboratory, the first U.S. lab devoted exclusively to tuberculosis research. [Read more…] about Edward Livingston Trudeau and the Saranac Laboratory
The Little Falls Textile Strike: New Scholarship Brings A New Book
J.N. Cheney, an independent historian focusing on the labor movement, radical politics, and community action where he lives in the Mohawk Valley has published Women, Immigrants, and the Working-Class Battle in Little Falls, New York: The Textile Strike of 1912-1913 (Algora Publishing, 2025).
This is the first non-fiction book to provide a comprehensive recounting and analysis of the largely forgotten Little Falls Textile Strike, one of the most important events in New York State’s labor history and one with national significance. [Read more…] about The Little Falls Textile Strike: New Scholarship Brings A New Book
2025 Progress Towards Planting 25 Million Trees by 2033
Governor Kathy Hochul launched the 25 Million Trees by 2033 initiative during her 2024 State of the State Address to recognize the importance of trees and forests for climate mitigation and community health.
DEC has established an online Tree Tracker, where New Yorkers can record trees they plant. Here are some statistics from the tracker for trees planted in 2025: [Read more…] about 2025 Progress Towards Planting 25 Million Trees by 2033
NY Severe Weather Events Increasing, Costs Soaring
A new report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found the frequency of severe weather in the state is growing, taking a toll on New York’s residents, property and economy.
“Extreme weather events are happening more and more often and inflicting financial and emotional stress on New Yorkers from loss of life to property destruction,” DiNapoli said. [Read more…] about NY Severe Weather Events Increasing, Costs Soaring
Reduce Your Risk of Rabies Infection
As warm weather encourages more outdoor activities, encounters with wildlife increase. Wild animals can potentially carry diseases such as rabies.
Though most wild animals are healthy, people should be aware that some wild animals can carry rabies, which is most commonly seen in bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Any mammal can be infected with rabies, including unvaccinated household pets and feral cats. [Read more…] about Reduce Your Risk of Rabies Infection
As the Funding Landscape Changes, Adirondack Philanthropy Adapts
Adirondack Community Foundation has been tracking the significant changes happening at the federal level and how they will affect the Adirondack region.
Some impacts are immediate, such as the drop in Canadian visitors, while others will happen over time, including cuts in Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding scheduled to take effect in 2027. [Read more…] about As the Funding Landscape Changes, Adirondack Philanthropy Adapts
Canadian Wildfires Trigger Air Quality Health Advisory
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and State Department of Health (DOH) have issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Tuesday, Aug. 5th. The alert covers the New York City Metro Area, the entire Hudson Valley and Northern, Central and Western New York, including the Eastern Lake Ontario region and the Adirondacks, due to the impact of smoke from Canadian wildfires. [Read more…] about Canadian Wildfires Trigger Air Quality Health Advisory
1926: Man Claims A Lightning Bolt Cured His Rheumatism
In the summer of 1926, David Lillie, from the Glenburnie-on-Lake George area, had an unusual experience with lightning. That firebolt would dramatically change his life.
Most American school children can tell you the story of Benjamin Franklin’s 1752 experiment with lightning, a kite and key, and electricity. Yet, lightning is a very scary thing. It is a powerful spark of electricity that happens between the skies and the ground. [Read more…] about 1926: Man Claims A Lightning Bolt Cured His Rheumatism
New York City’s Immigrant Healthcare Workforce
A recent report by the Center for Migration Studies presents detailed demographic and socioeconomic estimates with a narrowing focus on New York City’s low-earning immigrant healthcare workforce.
The City’s healthcare system relies on the contributions of its healthcare workforce. The report assess the 520,100 healthcare workers who conduct check-ups, treat diseases and injuries, and provide in-home care for over eight million New Yorkers. [Read more…] about New York City’s Immigrant Healthcare Workforce
Acting County Clerk Rejects Texas Attempt to Prosecute NY Doctor Again
Acting Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck has, once again, rejected an attempted court filing by Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is seeking to impose a summary judgment against a local New Paltz doctor charged in Texas for providing mifepristone (RU-486) to a Texas resident via telehealth.
The judgment in question seeks a civil penalty exceeding $100,000 due to the doctor’s failure to appear in a Texas court. [Read more…] about Acting County Clerk Rejects Texas Attempt to Prosecute NY Doctor Again
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
Microplastics in Our Waters, Food, Air
Microplastic pollution is not a new problem. However, in recent years, the public has become more aware, and scientists are studying the seriousness of the situation. Have you ever stood on a riverbank after a heavy rain and noticed how much plastic waste floats by?
Gallon milk jugs, plastic bottles, food wrappers, plastic bags, rubber balls, etc., all race downstream. Plastic, plastic, and more plastic. [Read more…] about Microplastics in Our Waters, Food, Air
New Book Documenting COVID Demonstrates Need to Record Historical Events
Robert Snyder’s new book When the City Stopped: Stories From New York’s Essential Workers (Three Hills, 2025) is an oral history of New York City during the COVID pandemic. Snyder, who is Manhattan Borough Historian, includes interviews assembled by a number of programs during the crisis and his own interviews a couple of years ago, after it ended.
The book brings out the experiences of 45 New Yorkers who lived through the crisis, including sometimes-neglected groups such as transit workers, supermarket check-out clerks, and food delivery people. [Read more…] about New Book Documenting COVID Demonstrates Need to Record Historical Events