The final 2020 deployment of rail cars to the state’s artificial reef network was completed successfully, bringing the total number of rail cars added to reefs off New York to 75. [Read more…] about Final 2020 Deployment of Rail Cars to New York’s Artificial Reefs
Wildlife
How Insects Spend A New York Winter
I consider the lack of biting insects and other invertebrates, to be a wondrous gift of the winter season.
I can wander unmolested through wood and field absent the attentions of mosquitoes, deer flies, and ticks. And aside from a short list of “usual suspects,” insects are a rarity to be encountered in the winter woods. [Read more…] about How Insects Spend A New York Winter
DEC Offers Sunfish and Crappie Plan For Comment
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of a draft Sunfish and Crappie Management Plan for public review and comment.
The draft plan proposes more conservative statewide fishing regulations and establishes the “Big Panfish Initiative” that aims to manage for larger-sized crappie and sunfish in certain waters. [Read more…] about DEC Offers Sunfish and Crappie Plan For Comment
The Wild Turkey in Winter
There are only a few dozen species of birds capable of surviving the rigors of an Adirondack winter, and of these, the wild turkey is one that is more closely associated with the warmer and less snowy regions of New York than those to the north. [Read more…] about The Wild Turkey in Winter
Super Wood: Coming To Space Near You
As a card-carrying, registered tree hugger, I have long touted the benefits of trees such as carbon storage, energy savings and improved mental health. And beyond the familiar tree-related blessings such as maple syrup, lumber and firewood, I’ve written about some obscure things like birch-based candy that fights tooth decay, and health-promoting chaga tea derived from a birch fungus. Then there’s basswood bark for fiber, elm bark for baskets, and pine bark for lunch.
That stuff is all pretty straightforward. More highly processed wood products, though, are a mystery to me. [Read more…] about Super Wood: Coming To Space Near You
Owls: Common and Fascinating Forest Residents
On frigid winter evenings, the hooting of a barred owl (Strix varia) serves as a reminder that the darkened forests of the Northeast are still very much alive with activity. Their nocturnal calling emanates from favorite forest haunts, including along lakeshores, swamps, and rivers. But the sound of an owl late at night also conveys a certain eeriness. Or perhaps we are simply conditioned to feel that way. Owls have generated feelings of awe, fascination, and fear for millennia, and their lives and sounds feature heavily in our collective imagination. [Read more…] about Owls: Common and Fascinating Forest Residents
Fireflies: Fairy Lights and Princesses of Darkness
They’re devilishly intriguing, but fireflies, or lightning bugs as they are sometimes called, are angelic to watch. I have yet to hear of a single person who isn’t fascinated by the show that these glow-in-the-dark beetles put on. In the right location it can seem like a swirling, blinking Milky Way has come to visit. [Read more…] about Fireflies: Fairy Lights and Princesses of Darkness
Giant ‘Murder’ Hornets: Great News About Bad News
My son, wise beyond his years it would seem, taught me an invaluable lesson when he was a teenager living at home. Any time I got worked into a froth about a broken car, leaky roof or other serious, but non-cataclysmic setback, he’d put things in perspective for me: “Pops, it could always be worse – you could be on fire.” [Read more…] about Giant ‘Murder’ Hornets: Great News About Bad News
DEC Proposes Circle Hook Requirement For Striped Bass
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released a new proposed regulation for public review and comment that would require the use of circle hooks when recreational fishing for Atlantic striped bass. [Read more…] about DEC Proposes Circle Hook Requirement For Striped Bass
Wood Turtles Under Threat
Last June my wife Marie and I encountered a mature wood turtle while walking through a forest near our home. We admired the intricate topography of its shell, inspiration for this species’ scientific name: Glyptemys (“carved turtle”) insculpta (“sculpted”).
The nine-inch adult had brownish-black skin and scarlet-orange patches on its neck and legs. Its lower shell was a rich yellow encircled by black splotches.
[Read more…] about Wood Turtles Under Threat