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!
Volunteer Water Sampling, Massena
The Nicandri Nature Center in Massena and Nature Up North seek volunteers to sample water quality in Massena at the Fire Department on the Grasse River. This hands-on volunteer sampling session will last just over two hours and focus on simple water-monitoring techniques. Please meet at the Fire Department at 2:00 pm and wear or bring closed-toed shoes that can get wet (boots or old sneakers). Registration is appreciated, please contact Emlyn Crocker at ecrocker@stlawu.edu to register.
Volunteer Water Sampling at Hart's Falls (Canton)
The St. Lawrence Land Trust and Nature Up North seek volunteers to monitor water quality at Hart's Falls Preserve! This hands-on volunteer sampling session will last three hours and focus on simple water-monitoring techniques. Please meet at the Hart's Falls parking area at 9:00 am and wear or bring closed-toed shoes that can get wet (boots or old sneakers). Registration is appreciated, please contact Emlyn Crocker at ecrocker@stlawu.edu to register.
Naturalist Walk: Fall Foraging (edible plants)
From sumac lemonade and wood sorrel to dandelion salad and cattail pancakes, you'll be sure to learn something new on this walk. Join us this month for a tour of common and uncommonly found edible plants on a walk of the Kip Trail in Canton. Having a solid understanding of what is edible and what isn't is key - and will enhance your connection to the local environment as well as your survival skills. This walk will be led by Nature Up North Project Manager Emlyn Crocker.
Snapping Turtle on Rt 25
I came across this huge common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) attempting to cross County Route 25. Another concerned motorist pulled over too, and together we used long sticks to coax her/him across the highway in the direction she was facing. While we were successful, snappers are dangerous to move - sticks and/or shovels have worked for me, but I generally recommend staying on the side of caution.
Northern Brown Snake?
I found this tiny snake with the help of some students during a visit to the Forest School at Stone Hill Farm. After some research, I believe he or she is either a juvenile Northern Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) or a juvenile Northern Redbelly Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata).
Visiting The Forest School for Family Day
I enjoyed a visit to The Forest School at Stone Hill Farm for the new school's October Family Day / Home School Day. It was a beautiful, 70 degree fall day, and we spent the morning in the woods with families and the schools co-founders, Tasha Akins and Megan Holloway letting the kids discover what the forest had to offer. Highlights included playing in the stream, finding a huge snapping turtle, and collecting fall leaves for a color wheel activity.
Plant a Tree, or Rent It?
Planting a tree isn’t rocket science, which is good thing. If it were that complex, I’d wager we’d have a lot fewer trees lining our streets. It may not take a scientist to plant a tree correctly, but a lot of money is spent each year to buy and plant trees which may as well be leased, because they will only live a fraction of their expected lifespan.
Puffballs in the woods!
Found a few Puffball mushrooms in the woods behind the Canoe Shack at SLU! The common names of this species are the common puffball, warted puffball, gem-studded puffball, or the devil's snuff-box. The scientific name is Lycoperdon perlatum-- Lycoperdon translates to wolf farts, and perlatum means widespread.
Foliage by Chapel Pond
Climbed 5 pitches up the Chapel Pond Slabs in Keene to watch the sunrise. The sunrise was brief and mostly cloudy, but the foliage more than made up for it!
Fall in Stone Valley
A great afternoon with Girl Scouts from Canton - De Kalb on a fall walk at Stone Valley. We explored how and why trees drop their leaves, and the group created this stunning color wheel with leaves collected on the trail.