History, Natural History & the Arts
Summer 2022 marks 75 years of New York State’s Environmental Education Summer Camps and current and former campers, staff, sponsors, families, and partners are being invited to join in on an upcoming celebration.
Each camp will host an anniversary event, on a Saturday in June or July. Attendees will enjoy camp activities, games, and crafts, along with a chance to share memories and be a part of this historical year. [Read more…] about NYS Summer Camps Celebrating 75th Anniversary
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the availability of employment opportunities for the summer recreational season. Individuals looking for seasonal summer employment who enjoy the outdoors are encouraged to learn more about opportunities to work at DEC facilities. [Read more…] about DEC Now Hiring Summer Recreation Season Staff
One of the popular parts of the Chester Challenge in the Southeastern Adirondacks is the hike around Palmer Pond. The pond is located west of Chestertown, Warren County, about a mile from the Hudson River at the end of a dirt road called, oddly enough, Palmer Pond Road.
At the parking lot and trail gate there is a sign-in kiosk with a map of the trails. The trail begins on an old road, which also provides motor vehicle access for use by people of all abilities (with a permit).
As one hikes the gently undulating roadway and crosses the outlet through a beaver meadow, the pond comes into view. The trail continues through an area that was many years ago heavily logged, to a small clearing with a picnic table. Here a short track leads down to Palmer Pond.
[Read more…] about The Girl Scout Camp Chenpontuc Ruins At Palmer Pond
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