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!
Woodland Fairies Visit the North Country
*There's still time to visit the fairies! Our Fairy Friends will now be staying in the North Country until July 7th, 2017.
Stumpy the Eagle
I was kayaking on the lake shooting pictures of our resident Loons, when this massive eagle flew in and sat on a log. I just allowed my kayak to drift with the wind and we ended up about 30 feet apart, with Stumpy looking intensely at me, trying to figure out if he could carry me away for lunch, I think!
Stumpy had both blue and a steel leg bands, but his left foot is missing!
2017 Encounter Earth Challenge: People in Nature
What is Encounter Earth? It is our challenge to North Country residents to show us what they love about engaging with the local environment! Here's how to participate:
2017 Earth Day 7K Recap
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.
1st Friday Outing: Signs of Spring on the Saddlemire Trail
Want to be the first to find an early spring wildflower? Or to see a gray tree frog who's just emerged from hibernation? Come search for signs of spring on the Saddlemire Trail with Nature Up North this Friday! Early spring, before leaf out, is a great time to search for animal tracks in the mud and to spot amphibians and other critters who are becoming more active. We'll meet at 3:00pm at the Saddlemire Trailhead, located near the B Lot Parking area, off the Avenue of the Elms at St. Lawrence University.
Spring Pruning: As Easy as 1-2-3.
As far as trees are concerned, the optimal time for pruning in northern NY is from early March until the buds start to open; usually mid-April. And given that early spring is often a pretty enjoyable time to be outdoors, you may tend to concur. Tree pruning may be done any time in the dormant season (or in late summer—more on that below), but during the four to six weeks leading up to bud-break, tree defense systems are perking up even though they have nothing to show for it on the outside.
Snow Job
It is nice to know Mother Nature hasn’t forgotten how to make snow, but I suspect the recent dump we got was supposed to have been delivered in January. Probably it got held up at the border, or the packing slip got lost and the whole shipment has been sitting on a loading dock somewhere. Here we are a few days from the official start of spring, so maybe if we can find a tracking number we can send it back.
American Robin in Snow Flurry
Saw an American Robin perched in a snow flurry, and felt that its red breast and the red berries in the tree it perched on were a stunning contrast to the blue-gray day.
Got Gas?
Some foods give you gas, but this is the time of year when gas gives you a really delicious food. Maple syrup, which is nutritious enough to be listed by the USDA as a food (I say it deserves its own Food Group designation), is gas-powered. Carbon dioxide-powered, to be specific. If it wasn’t for a bunch of little gas bubbles in the xylem tissue, maple sap would not flow. Who knew that wood was carbonated?
Birds and Bees
Being a dad taught me that you can only put off addressing delicate but important topics for so long. Eventually you have to step up to the plate, face the music and take the metaphor by the horns. That said, it’s time we had the talk. You know, THAT talk. About the birds and the bees.
