History, Natural History & the Arts
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the start of the 2020 “I BIRD NY” challenges for beginner and experienced birders.
The I BIRD NY program was launched in 2017, to build on the State’s efforts to increase access to New York’s vast natural resources and promote low-cost opportunities to explore the great outdoors and connect with nature. [Read more…] about 2020 “I Bird NY” Challenges Get Underway
Spring is a season when the greatest abundance of natural sounds echo across the landscape. During the day, birds are primarily responsible for the variety of musical calls; however as darkness approaches, especially when the weather is mild, the voices of amphibians produce our most captivating sounds. [Read more…] about What’s That Sound? The Gray Tree Frog
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) have released the 2019 State of the Great Lakes (SOGL) report, which provides an overview of the status and trends of the Great Lakes ecosystem. [Read more…] about 2019 State of the Great Lakes Report Released
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has reminded New Yorkers to appreciate wildlife from a safe distance and resist the urge to touch or pick up newborn fawns and other young wildlife.
Human contact with wildlife can carry unintended consequences detrimental to the creatures people intend to help. [Read more…] about Leave Wildlife Alone: If You Care, Leave It There
Many of us avoid close encounters of the eight-legged kind, but if you’ve ever come eye to eye with a spider, you’ve probably noticed they have several more eyes than we do: most have four pairs. What do they do with so many eyes? Well, it depends on the spider. [Read more…] about Spider Vision: Those Eyes Are Watching You
Around the time spring flowers are blooming and migrating songbirds are arriving, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation starts receiving calls concerning fox sightings in and around rural and suburban areas.
Red fox are small furbearers, typically 10 -12 lbs., about the size of a house cat. During the spring, fox seek out den sites to raise their young (kits). Sometimes, for homeowners, these den sites are not in ideal locations, including under sheds and porches. [Read more…] about Red Fox Dens in Suburban Areas
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking angler feedback on changes to the state’s plan to manage trout in inland streams.
The proposed changes are designed to safeguard wild trout and expand fishing opportunities. The deadline for the public to comment on the draft plan is June 25, 2020. [Read more…] about Trout Stream Management Comments Sought
Some people have life birds, species of birds they’ve waited their whole lives to see in the wild. I don’t have one of these, but I do have a life mole. I’ve been waiting to catch a glimpse of Condylura cristata, the star-nosed mole, ever since I learned about this animal during a small mammals course in graduate school.
Can you imagine a palm-sized mole whose pink, star-shaped nose contains 22 fleshy tentacle-like appendages, living right underfoot? [Read more…] about Star-Nosed Mole: A Nose That Knows
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
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