**contest closed -- winning submissions will be announced by mid October, 2017**   Calling all North Country nature photographers! Got your camera at the ready? Nature Up North is once again hosting our annual calendar contest for nature photos that will be featured in our 2018 wall calendar. At Nature Up North we hope to inspire exploration and appreciation of the…

The sun sinks low on the horizon and the sky comes to life in a fiery burst of color. You grab your camera and run outside, in awe of the saturated sky above you. But your dog is thoroughly unimpressed, only interested in the possibility of playtime. It has no idea the sky is on fire. Every animal has a different perception of light and color meaning everything we see is through our own human…

It may feel like these dreary days of rain will never end, but don’t fret! Rain brings many hidden gems out of the natural world that we usually don’t see during dryer weather. So, throw on your rain boots, grab an umbrella, and step out to explore our soggy wonderland! 1) Cast a New Light on Canoeing Typically, canoeing is perceived as a sunny day activity. But sometimes, a paddle in the rain…

These days, walking on water is not the big deal it once was. Back a long time ago, it required a miracle, but now all you need is a bad infestation of invasive aquatic plants. Anyone who has viewed a serious case of European watermilfoil, water chestnut, or hydrilla knows that a solid mat of vegetation stretching across a once-open waterway is a barrier to swimming, fishing, and boating. And…

*There's still time to visit the fairies! Our Fairy Friends will now be staying in the North Country until July 7th, 2017. The fairies are coming, the fairies are coming!  Each spring a merry group of fairies migrates through the North Country on their way home for the summer. These aren't just any fairies – these fairies live in the woods, where they spend their days bonding with birds,…

The wait is finally over! The fairies are so happy that you found their houses, and they said the questions you asked this year were especially thoughtful. Thimble Hickory and Blossom Dewdrop are your fairy experts on North Country nature and fairy culture again for this round of questions. They’re on their way to their northern summer nesting spot, but they already can’t wait to pass through the…

It's late spring in the North Country, and the hills are alive with the sounds of birds and bees doing that important job - pollination. Last week Nature Up North joined Colton-Pierreont Central School's Earth Week Celebration, where pollination is the theme of this year's festivities. We challenged 1st-6th grade students to act out the story of pollination through a hands-on relay game, and…

Update: Tent-caterpillar outbreaks occurred in our region in June 2017, 2018 and again in 2019 with increasing severity. This article was originally published in 2017.   Given the cool rainy weather of late, one wouldn’t think tenting would be popular. But tents are everywhere this spring. They do not seem to respect sanctioned camping areas in NYS forests, and many have even invaded posted…

Spirits were racing and spring was in the air last Saturday April 15th as excited runners and walkers hit the SLU trails at the second annual Nature Up North - St. Lawrence Land Trust Earth Day 7K in Canton. Despite a forcast for rain, the 71 participants enjoyed beautiful spring weather, with high clouds and a bright sun shining down on the wooded trails. The course followed the St. Lawrence…

April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring something else to the North Country: vernal pools. Vernal pools are small wetlands that temporarily form in spring and dry up by late summer. They form in woodlands and backyards in small depressions in the ground and are ecologically important for a variety of reasons.  In early spring, amphibians such as wood frogs, spring peepers, and…