Have you heard of delicata squash? Perhaps you’ve seen these unique oblong striped squash at the farmers’ market but weren’t quite sure what they were. Delicata is a very sweet type of winter squash with cream colored, yellow, and green striped skin. It’s named “delicata” because of its delicate skin that doesn’t need to be peeled before cooking and can be eaten. The delicata is a cultivar of the variety Cucurbita pepo, meaning it is a close relative to zucchini, butternut squash, and pumpkins.
The Open Space Institute has announced a land protection success that will, for the first time, provide a direct recreational and habitat connection between Saratoga County, Moreau Lake State Park and, ultimately, the Adirondack Park. The newly protected land completes OSI’s yearslong goal of creating the corridor of protected land in one of the fastest-growing regions in the state.
According to the United States Energy Information Administration, there are approximately 2,500 commercial solar photovoltaic (PV) energy gathering and generating stations currently serving the nation’s electric grid. Most produce one- to five-megawatts (MW) of power. A five-MW facility requires roughly 40 acres of land. Some analysts maintain that, depending on how quickly the nation moves from non-renewable to renewable electricity, an additional 10-million acres of land could be needed by 2050. That’s an area greater than the land-mass of Massachusetts and New Jersey, combined. Although commercial solar arrays are frequently built on low-quality, low-impact sites, such as landfills, brownfields, abandoned mining land, and former industrial locations, they’re often placed on agricultural land, as well.
A couple of years ago, I wrote an article addressing solar development on agricultural land in the North Country. At the time, several large-scale PV energy generating projects were being considered in northern Franklin County, including a massive 150-MW power generating project on roughly 950-acres of land in the town and village of Malone, proposed by Minnesota-based Geronimo Energy. After the initial proposal encountered unwavering opposition from local residents, the application was scaled back to 50-MW, but resistance remained high and the project was eventually scrapped.
Tuesday, December 7, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
(Register now)
Our presenters will draw on two decades of socio-ecological research experience to discuss best practices for protecting wildlife and habitat through conservation and land-use planning. They will share regional studies that demonstrate why such practices are needed, the type and quality of existing protection mechanisms in Northeast land-use codes and ordinances, and factors associated with success or failure to implement conservation design principles. The presenters also will discuss critical areas for future research.
Presenters:
Dr. Michale Glennon, Science Director at Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute
Dr. Heidi Kretser, Senior Conservation Social Scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society
For more information, please visit the Hudson River Estuary Program’s Conservation and Land Use page on DEC’s website.
“A crew of hardy young Adirondack men, a deck of playing cards, a cabin, a pair of “One Eyed Jacks”, a whiskey bottle, & a shot glass”
It was getting late. Time measured by the near empty whiskey bottle and battalion of “dead soldier” beer bottles standing in neatly rowed formation on the floor in one corner.
We were young Adirondack men, sitting around a worn deck of playing cards at a table in a cigar smoke filled cabin after an honest day’s work. Young men discussing recent adventures with women and fishing as we collectively evolved our individual world views.
The following are the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for comprehensive and up-to-date information on seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.
High Peaks and Giant Mountain Wilderness: Expect snow and ice above 2,500’ elevation and very wet and muddy trail conditions below 2,500’. Some river crossings may be hazardous or impossible. Microspikes and/or crampons are necessary for travel above 2,500’. Expect full winter conditions at higher elevations.
Northern New York Audubon and Raquette River Brewing have partnered to create a one-of-a-kind beer. On December 11, the brand new Spruce Tip IPA will be launched at Raquette River Brewing’s Tupper Lake property. The label for the beer can will feature one of the region’s most iconic species: the Spruce Grouse.
Shelly Cihan, Northern NY Audubon’s Vice President, took the lead on this project. “We have been talking about this collaboration for over a year now, and I am thrilled to see this project come to fruition,” said Cihan. “As a bird lover, I’m excited to see a special local species highlighted. As a beer lover, Raquette River is one of my favorite breweries and I am so happy we got to work together.”
Grand Prizes Include Lifetime Fishing and Hunting Licenses and Deluxe Equipment
All Entrants Receive Subscription to DEC’s ‘Conservationist’ Magazine and a Tree Seedling
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the new ‘Take Your Shot for an Outdoor Adventure’ sweepstakes is now open. Launched last week by Governor Kathy Hochul, the COVID-19 vaccine incentive is intended to bolster vaccination rates among New Yorkers who enjoy the great outdoors. During the month of December, anyone that receives their first COVID-19 vaccine dose is eligible to enter the sweepstakes and a random drawing to win special prize packages tailored to anglers, hunters, and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Five entrants will be randomly selected to receive the Grand Prize and the opportunity to choose one of the following deluxe packages valued at approximately $2,000:
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced nearly $14 million has been awarded to protect clean water across the state. This funding will support agricultural water quality conservation projects across the state, benefiting 91 farms, and is provided through the Agricultural Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control program, which supports projects that address water quality challenges in priority watersheds and protect the environment.
“New York continues to take decisive action to protect access to clean water across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “This money will go towards fulfilling both those goals by encouraging the implementation of cost-effective waterway protection and reducing our carbon footprint.”
The projects have been awarded to 25 County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, on behalf of the farms, who will support on-farm environmental planning and the implementation of best management practice (BMP) systems to keep nutrients and other potential pollutants from entering waterways. BMPs include a variety of measures, including vegetative buffers along streams, cover crops, nutrient management through manure storage, and other conservation measures.
The late fall and early winter is a time of winding down in the Adirondacks, and that’s the case for the many programs combating invasive species across the park.
Earlier this month a group of around 40 representatives from government, nonprofits and local associations and private individuals hopped on a Zoom meeting to rehash a season of anti-invasive programs. This gathering of the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program — a multi-agency/public-private partnership that coordinates parkwide efforts to combat invasive plant species — was a helpful briefing on the latest in Adirondacks invasives.
Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:
Town of Watson
Lewis County
Wilderness Search: On Nov. 24 at 10:17 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Lewis County requesting Forest Ranger assistance in the search for a missing person from Lowville. The county indicated they found the subject’s vehicle at Francis Lake in the Independence River Wild Forest in the town of Watson. Rangers Hanno and McCartney responded and found the missing person at 12:29 a.m. Rangers determined the subject was likely suffering from hypothermia, packaged her into a litter, and carried her out of the woods to a Lewis County Search and Rescue ambulance by approximately 1 a.m.
We’re excited to share that our Online Collection Database is now available to the public; jump in and check it out!
This is NOT a complete list of everything in our collection, BUT it is growing every day! Right now, we have about 500 records for photographs, letters, and objects online. We will be adding more daily, so be sure to check back often! We’ll also share when we add exciting new materials on social media.
The front page has tips on how to use the search functions, or you can click “random images” to see a random selection of digitized materials. Want to learn more about an image, or don’t see what you’re looking for? Email us! This is just the beginning; we have tens of thousands of objects in our collection.
Thanks to the Northern New York Library Network for their support of this project.
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The Adirondack Almanack is a public forum dedicated to promoting and discussing current events, history, arts, nature and outdoor recreation and other topics of interest to the Adirondacks and its communities
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Has any park gotten it right?
We’re going to share with you over the next several magazines what we learned and how different management techniques are working. These are things that could come to the Adirondack Park, or are already in pilot stages. If you’re not a magazine subscriber and haven’t read this yet, click here to read an overview of our solutions journalism project. (And if you’re not a subscriber and would like to be, click here.)
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