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!
Forest Ecology and Citizen Science at Indian Creek Nature Center
Join us at Indian Creek Nature Center to learn about various native tree species and the part they play in the forest ecosystem. This program will cover leaf, bark, and bud identification for species occurring in mixed northern hardwood forest, as well as natural history and ecosystem services. We will also discuss exciting volunteer opportunities with two of Nature Up North's citizen science initiatives, one focused on slowing the spread of emerald ash borer and a second researching the relationship between climate change and sugar maple decline.
Grasse river rail road trail
This hike was along the long abandoned Grasse River RR bed. This section starts from below the Massawepie area and goes through to RT3 near the Grasse river rest area. It's a little over 8 miles. Although the trail is wide and obvious, there are many branches, so you'll want to be proficient with map and compass (or GPS). There is a movement to open this from Conifer to Cranberry lake.
Low's overlook & Hitchen's pond
This is a great trek either by land or water. I kayaked in from Low's lower dam to the upper dam (3 miles). This alone is an amazing experience. From there i took the trail up to the ruins of Hitchen's park and then the trail to the overlook (+/- a mile). The views of the Bog river plains and the high peaks are breathtaking. You can also walk in from the Horseshoe lake road.
Porcupine and Red Backed Vole
Nature Up North's Erika Barthelmess doubles as a Mammalogy teacher at St.Lawrence University. Here she leads students in the fundamentals of small mammal trapping. This weekend several students, myself included, set up small mammal traps on the Kip Trail behind St. Lawrence where we caught this female red backed vole and this adult male porcupine!
Naturalist Foraging Walk with Emlyn Crocker
We a great turn out for our naturalist foraging walk with Nature Up North manager Emlyn Crocker! Pictured are some of our finds including; Sumac, strawberries, raspberries and plantain. Emlyn also shared with us some honorable foraging guidelines, including taking 10% or less of an edible plant of as a way to conserve resources. We tasted all plants pictured and had a lot of fun learning about edible plants! Thanks to everyone who joined.
Northern Ribbon Snake?
I spotted this snake while I was out on the Kip Trail during lab for my Mammalogy class. I believe it is a Northern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis) a subspecies of the garter snake.
Mushrooms on the Kip Trail
Mushrooms grow throughout the year but are most prominent during the fall months. Over the past few weeks I've seen a bunch of different species on the Kip Trail behind St. Lawrence University. Here are a few of my favorite looking ones. I don't have any knowledge on what species these are so if you know please leave a comment below!
Terrestrial Snail at Higley Flow State Park
Posting on behalf of Brianna, age 8, who took this photo using my iPhone. This was a very large snail that we found in the woods at Higley Flow State Park when camping in September.
Ask a Fairy: Our Fairy Friends are Back!
We eagerly await the fall season, because with it comes apples season, vibrant fall colors, and of course - visiting fairies! Our woodland fairy friends will be visiting the North Country on their migration south for the winter from October 12th - 28th. You're invited to find their homes and leave notes with your nature questions inside. Please also leave your first name and age, so the fairies can address you personally when they reply.
Tree Planting and Care Workshop
Would you like to learn how to properly plant and care for a tree and make a positive impact in your community? If so, you’re in luck! This fall the Village of Canton will host a tree planting workshop to help improve the urban and community forest at the Bend in the River Park. This event will be an opportunity for the whole family to gain hands on experience with proper tree selection, planting techniques, and how to maintain and care for your tree into the future.