You know who isn’t a huge fan of summer? Trout! Summer heat waves impose serious stress and can even cause death. Trout and salmon that are already heat-stressed may not recover after being caught and released.
You can help these fish survive the summer by following a few simple tips (PDF).
Recently, New York State experienced the harsh effects of raging wildfires in the Canadian Province of Ontario. For several days, air quality indexes spiked to concerning and unhealthy levels, as noticeable smoke covered most of the state in a haze. Here in New York, multiple smaller wildland fires have burned in locations across the state due to dry spring conditions. In addition to causing potential human health and safety concerns, wildfires also may affect local bird and wildlife populations.
Attention loon lovers and watchers! The New York Annual Loon Census is coming up. This is a great opportunity for Adirondack residents and visitors to contribute to the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation’s ongoing research on Common Loons.
Census observers are needed for the 23nd Annual NY Loon Census on Saturday, July 15 from 8-9a.m. to help determine the abundance of loons in New York during the 2023 breeding season. To participate, please sign up for a lake in advance at www.adkloon.org/ny-loon-census to help minimize duplicate observations.
“We are thrilled to have hundreds of people join us annually for this valuable community-science study,” said Dr. Nina Schoch, Executive Director of the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation. “Their observations contribute essential information for our ongoing study to monitor the status and trends in New York’s loon population over time.”
Results of the NY Loon Census indicate that the New York loon population has been slowly increasing over the last two decades. Annual results of the NY Loon Census are available at www.adkloon.org/ny-annual-loon-census-results.
The Adirondack Loon Center is now developing new exhibits and a photo mural based on the theme of “A Year in the Life of a Loon”. Loon Center visitors are invited to participate in a survey to guide the design of its exhibit on loon courtship and nesting. To sponsor a photo for the mural or an educational exhibit, contact Susan Harry, the Center’s Philanthropy Director, at sharry@adkloon.org.
Examinations for individuals seeking a license to practice the sport of falconry, become a volunteer wildlife rehabilitator, or use leashed tracking dogs to find wounded or injured big game animals are scheduled for Friday, August 11, 2023. The registration deadline for these free online exams is August 9, 2023.
Free study guides, the link to the registration website, and directions on how to register is provided on each of the individual license webpages. An email acknowledgment of registration will be sent to applicants, and later, an additional one-time link to access the website on the day of the exam.
For questions or assistance, please email us.
Photo at top courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS.)
On June 27, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in partnership with seven Great Lakes states, six Northeast states, and six Canadian provinces, announced the annual Aquatic Invasive Species Landing Blitz will run from June 30 through July 9. This international campaign bolsters existing efforts to inform boaters and others about the risks of introducing and spreading aquatic invasive species (AIS). During this coordinated outreach effort, partners will boost social media AIS messaging and increase in-person AIS education at thousands of water access sites throughout the Great Lakes and Northeast region.
Walden, NY – Morgan Duke Conservation Society was awarded a $5,789 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s Park and Trail Partnership Grants program to get resources for volunteers so they can continue protect the environment at the Hudson River Special Management Area in Lake George Wild Forest in Lake Luzerne New York. The grant will help provide volunteers with safety orange uniform shirts, custom made patches for the shirts that will be designed and made from local business Adirondack Patch Co, community event pop up safety signs and a custom logo EZ-up tent for the community clean up events.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced new updates at the agency’s Adirondack and Catskill campgrounds ahead of the Independence Day holiday, which kicks off the busy season at State campgrounds. Changes include updating swimming policies for the 2023 camping season to specify unsupervised swimming at DEC campground beaches and extending the seasons at the popular Moffitt and Lewey Lake campgrounds. Lifeguards will continue to supervise swimming at DEC’s Lake George “Million Dollar Beach” and Hinckley Reservoir Day Use Areas.
On June 26, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that registration is now open for a new stewardship day at State-owned campgrounds on Saturday, July 8, 2023. The event, a partnership between Parks & Trails New York, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and DEC, encourages New Yorkers and visitors to give back to the campgrounds they love by volunteering.
AWI is Participating in the Regional Stream Wise Program
Paul Smiths, NY – The Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute is recruiting landowners with streamside property to participate in Stream Wise, a new voluntary program that promotes and recognizes good stream stewardship.
AWI received funding from the Lake Champlain Basin Program to serve as a local Stream Wise host organization for the region. In this role AWI works closely with landowners in the Saranac River watershed providing free stream assessments, resources, and technical assistance for property owners to help protect and restore healthy waterways.
“Healthy rivers and streams provide habitat for fish and wildlife, support clean water, offer protection against floods, and are a source of relaxation and recreation,” said Tom Collins, AWI’s education and outreach manager and Stream Wise coordinator. “Landowners who participate in Stream Wise get access to a variety of useful practices related to stream health including planting native vegetation and pollinator species, recommendations for invasive species management, creating buffers, and more.”
Motorcycle Crash – Hamilton County
On May 29, ECO Newell and Trooper Nauroth responded to reports of a motorcycle accident south of Speculator. The Officers found the victim had incurred severe trauma to one of her legs, including lacerations and compound fractures. Officers Newell and Nauroth administered first aid while coordinating with Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch for EMS response and LifeNet Helicopter services.
Wells EMS and ambulance service, GAVAC, arrived on scene and transported the subject to Speculator. DEC Forest Ranger Snye, along with the Speculator Fire Department and Hamilton County Deputies, created a landing zone for the LifeNet helicopter while also assisting with a brush fire that began across the street from the landing zone. The coordination between agencies led to expedient medical care and transportation of the subject from Speculator to Albany Medical Center.
National Pollinator Week is June 19-23. Pollinator Week is all about spreading awareness for the importance of butterflies, bats, birds, bees, and beetles.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is surveying for three invasive plant pests in New York this year: the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis), spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) (pictured above), and the European cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cerasi L.)
European Cherry Fruit Fly
Box Tree Moth
APHIS asks residents and business owners to help limit the spread of invasive plant pests by following local quarantines. Please also allow agricultural survey teams onto your property for survey work and to hang insect traps. The insect traps help agricultural officials track invasive insect movement and are crucial to mounting an effective response against these damaging pests. We need your help to be successful. USDA and State surveyors working in the field will have official credentials identifying them as USDA or State employees. The surveys are underway and will continue through the fall.
For more information about the box tree moth, spotted lanternfly, and European cherry fruit fly, visit the APHIS website. To receive email updates, subscribe to the Plant Protection Act 7721 topic in the APHIS Stakeholder Registry.
Lake Placid, NY — ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) is excited to announce that it will be hosting a free BioBlitz event on June 24 at Cascade Welcome Center. Surrounded by 200 acres of forest and wetland, Cascade Welcome Center is home to a variety of ecosystems that have yet to be explored by naturalists. ADK is looking for volunteers of all ages and skill levels to help identify and document the property’s flora and fauna as a part of the event.
Our next OurStoryBridge Inc. story share features Kayla White from ADK Voices. In her story, My Amazing Career in Wildland and Alpine Stewardship, Kayla shares her story of how she was introduced to the Adirondack region and details her current status as Stewardship Manager. To listen to this story in its entirety, please visit this link: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/8d2f60985df94c6fbceb2dd828c06ff9/
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White Pines: Colossal in Many Ways
The eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) isn’t really a crop-bearing tree, but it has borne priceless “fruit” for American democracy. Physically as well as culturally massive, there are many accounts from the early 1800s of white pines over 200 feet tall being harvested. One credible report pegs a white pine at 247 feet, and unverified accounts have claimed that 300-foot-tall leviathans were cut back then. It’s a long-lived species, with 400 years considered a rough maximum. Working for a tree service in the Adirondacks in the early ‘90s, I once tallied 450 rings on a storm-thrown specimen.
The white pine is the official tree of Maine and Michigan, with the current U.S. champion standing at 180 feet, 10 inches in Cook Forest State Park in Pennsylvania. Sadly, one of New York State’s tallest white pines, which I visited several times, toppled in 2021. At 160 feet, 10 inches, it was in a stand of old-growth habitat near Paul Smith’s College. In today’s second- and third-growth forests, the average mature white pine is often between 100 and 130 feet tall, with diameters of 25-35 inches.
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