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
Happy Animals
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureDescribing happiness attracts animals: Apparently, we can have a whale of a time, be as pleased as a pig in a peach orchard, or feel as happy as a pup with two tails, a monkey with a peanut machine, and a clam at high tide. Given all this, it’s natural to wonder if non-human animals can feel happy.
Many biologists caution against ascribing human-like emotions to animals. This is a hilarious…
Share your opinions about renewable energy and biodiversity in the North Country
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our NatureOur names are Cole Weigartz and Kayla Edmunds, and we are undergraduate students enrolled in the Conservation Biology class at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. We are working under the direction of Dr. Erika Barthelmess, a faculty member at St. Lawrence University. We are conducting research for a case study on the trade-off between green energy infrastructure and wildlife conservation in…
Share your opinions about outdoor recreation in the North Country
By Erika Barthelmess on
Blog: Just Our NatureOur names are Aliya Brown, Ryan Heuss and Kendrew Van Gorder, and we are undergraduate students at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. We are working under the direction of Dr. Erika Barthelmess, a faculty member at St. Lawrence University. We are conducting research as part of a case study project for our Conservation Biology class. Our case study is focused on the A2A trail, a proposed…
North Country Voices: Elyssa Twedt
By Valeria Maldonado Ortiz on
Blog: North Country VoicesElyssa Twedt is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department where she teaches Introduction to Psychology, Research Methods, Sensation and Perception, and a seminar on Cognitive Science. She has spent the majority of her life in the south including Florida, Tennessee, and most recently, Virginia, so moving to the North Country in 2015 was a big change. Elyssa gave us some insight…
February Frolic - Snow Sculpting!
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our NatureOne of my favorite snowy day activities is building snow sculptures, whether that be the classic snow family or something a bit more outside of the box. And with all this fresh snow from our most recent winter storm, now is the perfect time! Matthew Morris, of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, has taken the snow sculpting game up a notch. See his most recent sculpture, a rendition of the Tower of Pisa,…
February Frolic - Who’s Frolicking With You?
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our Nature
If you’ve been getting outside and frolicking this February, you may have noticed some signs left in the snow that you aren’t alone! This gallery features some tracks found by other North Country explorers, as well as resources to help you identify what you're frolicking with! And remember, no matter what you spot, be sure to share it with us via our Encounters page (https://www.…
February Frolic: Get Outside With Nature Up North
By Valeria Maldonado Ortiz on
Blog: Just Our NatureAre you tired of being inside? Don’t let the cold weather get you down, get up and get outside with Nature Up North! Here are some activities you can do outside while in the North Country. Make sure to always layer up and stay warm!
Snowy Hike
You can’t go wrong with a hike during the cold winter months. Make sure to layer up and stay hydrated as you explore the winter…
Ask a Fairy Fall 2020
By Thimble & Blossom on
Blog: Ask a FairyOur fairy friends Thimble Hickory and Blossom Dewdrop are back to answer your questions about North Country nature and the lives of fairies. While they're settled into the warmth of the tropics for winter, they're already excited to return to the North Country next spring!
#1: Cal Lock Morgan, 7, How many clovers are there in the world?
Hi Cal!
Wow! Although sometimes we like to…
Ask a fairy: The fairies are back!
By Thimble & Blossom on
Blog: Ask a FairyBesides the fall foliage and fresh apple picking available in the fall season, there’s one other thing we all look forward to - the return of the fairies! Each fall Thimble and Blossom migrate through the North Country on their way south for the winter. During their travels they spend a lot of time chatting with chipmunks, lounging with ladybugs, playing with plants. Through all their woodland…
The Secret World of Fireflies
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our NatureIf you look outside on a warm North Country summer night, you’re likely to see tiny blinking lights floating through the sky, disappearing and then reappearing a few feet away. These fireflies (Lampyridae) are not made of fire nor are they flies! They’re actually a member of the beetle order, Coleoptera, the largest known order of organisms in the world with over 350,000 beetle species described…
