What's Your Nature?
Become a Nature Up North explorer to share your encounters with wild things and wild places in New York's North Country. Post your wildlife sightings, landscape shots, photos from your outings, and even your organization's events!
Just Our Nature - news, updates and insights
Weather or Not
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureWeather modeling has become quite a big deal in recent years, with meteorologists falling all over themselves to report what the latest models say. It sounds like a fun job, and I am trying to find out how to apply for a position. No doubt I could model categories like “large stationary front” or “high pressure system” pretty well. If it involves appearing in a swimsuit, though, forget it.
I love…
2018 Nature Up North Calendars
By Emlyn Crocker on
Blog: Just Our NatureWe are pleased to announce that 2018 Nature Up North calendars are on sale now through January! The printed calendar features some of our favorite photos shared by community members as Encounters on natureupnorth.org in the past year. They also feature Nature Notes highlighting seasonal wildlife behavior to look for each month.
Proceeds from our…
Caterpillar Soup
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureWhen it comes to personal growth, the Wicked Witch of the West had the right idea. Quite possibly she got it from monarch butterflies, which must exist in Oz, since they are found worldwide except for polar regions. Many times, a rearrangement of the self-image we have come to know is needed to achieve our fullest potential. In my experience this is always hard, and seldom is it voluntary.
We…
Trees and Streams: Citizen Science in the Schools
By Emlyn Crocker on
Blog: In the SchoolsA student shouts— “This one! This one’s ours!” and runs back for a measuring tape. She and her partner have found their assigned maple tree on the school lawn, and are about to record seasonal observations for the first of many weeks this fall. The student, a 7th grader at Norwood-Norfolk Middle School, is participating in Monitor My Maple - one of several citizen science initiatives at…
Seeing Red
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureWe need to figure out a way to have Amazon deliver the weather in the future. I don’t believe Mother Nature intended to give us a record-setting wet summer; I just think all the good weather probably got misplaced on a loading dock in Topeka, or something like that. The spate of mild sunny weather we’ve been having over the past couple of weeks, while very enjoyable, was clearly meant to be…
Making Fire by Hand
By Emlyn Crocker on
Blog: In the SchoolsEver made fire by hand? Students in the Intro the Environment and Society class at Colton-Pierrepont High School met with Dr. Timothy Messner, Archaeology professor at SUNY Potsdam, this September to learn how to make fire by hand using just a simple tool and the energy in their hands and breath. Below, students Summer Scovil and Ariel Garvin provide an insight into the experience:…
Northern Oysters
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureCarnivorous oysters are lurking about in the North Country, and residents who venture into the woods are advised to carry butter and a skillet at all times. Oyster mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, native wood-decaying fungi often found on dead and dying hardwoods, are delectable when sautéed in butter. Maybe hikers should carry a few cloves of garlic and a press as well. It’s good to be prepared.…
An Introduction to Earth’s History as told by the North Country Landscape
By Maya Williams on
Blog: Just Our NatureHave you ever thought about what the earth was like millions of years ago? It’s hard to imagine the world before we were born, let alone before the human species existed. But if the history of our planet was represented by a single 24 hour day, the presence of modern humans would only be equivalent to less than 4 seconds. What do you think Earth will look like in another million years? The more…
Nature Up North made me Nuts About Nature!
By Nancy LaFaver on
Blog: In the SchoolsI attended the Nature Up North Summer Workshop to find new ways to incorporate nature and to enhance my Nuts About Nature after school program. After two days of information overload and field experience, I was able to map out an entire school year of nature programs and activities! It was wonderful to not only hear about what Nature Up North is doing but to feel like it could be integrated…
Nature Up North Teaches the Teachers!
By Susan Dodds on
Blog: In the SchoolsLet the adventure begin! Once again the NUN crew delivered on their promise to provide relevant and engaging environmental education activities to our area teachers. This year's group of teachers included some veteran's of the NUN program and a couple of newcomers. Participants were engaged throughout the two day workshop in activities such as an Encounter walk at Heritage park, MOWing the…