Thursday, September 22, 2022

Turning water into snow

Skiiers at the Mount Van Hoevenberg complex. Explorer file photo by Mike Lynch

The state Olympic Regional Development Authority seeks a permit to withdraw up to 235,000 gallons of water per day from wells and a brook at Mount Van Hoevenberg to primarily bolster snowmaking at the bobsled and cross country skiing venue.

The permit application comes after the state funded a series of major upgrades at the site, including a new visitors lodge, improved trails and modernized snowmaking equipment. A new 3.5 million gallon reservoir can hold the water needed to make snow at the site. The upgrades also aim to attract international competitions to the venue like the World University Games slated for this winter.

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Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Dr. Curt Stager to present at Ausable River Association Dinner, Sept. 28

WILMINGTON, NY — The Ausable River Association will host their first ever “September Shindig” on September 28 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. All are welcome for an evening of fine dining and camaraderie at The Hungry Trout Resort in Wilmington, NY. The night will feature Dr. Curt Stager, author and professor of natural sciences at Paul Smith’s College, as guest speaker. Dr. Stager will present an update on climate change in the Adirondacks based on a long-term study he is preparing to publish.

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Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Paul Smith’s College VIC names building for Frank M. Hutchins, founder of Adirondack Park Institute & longtime college trustee

PAUL SMITHS—The Paul Smith’s College VIC honored Frank M. Hutchins, one of its earliest supporters, by naming its main building in his honor. The VIC dedicated the Frank M. Hutchins Lodge in August.

Hutchins, who died in 2012 at 90, served as a Paul Smith’s College trustee for 33 years. He founded the Adirondack Park Institute in 1989 to support the then state-owned visitor interpretive centers in Paul Smiths and Newcomb. As a longtime summer resident of the Adirondacks, he was passionate about the joys of nature—and intent that visitors learn about the significance of the Adirondack Park as well.

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Monday, September 19, 2022

The Adirondacks’ largest solar project to date

benson mine solar

In April of last year, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the state’s first “build-ready” solar project to be hosted on the old tailings pile of Benson Mines in the Town of Clifton. Well, we’re seeing this 20-megawatt facility again, with plans for more than 62,000 panels, this time with confirmation that the Adirondack Park Agency must weigh in on its approval. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has applied for permits including for a large, public utility, and APA commissioners will decide whether to sign off at their board meeting on Thursday. (Editor’s note: The project was approved. See story here.)

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Sunday, September 18, 2022

DEC: Fall bird migration underway, all regions of NYS Birding Trail completed

Fall Bird Migration is Underway:

Fall migration is an exciting time for birding. With migrants on the move your favorite birding site can change within a few days, with different species traveling in and out. Every spring and fall, thousands of raptors migrate, and birders may see or hear eagles, kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ospreys, Broad-winged Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons among others. The NYS Birding Trail highlights several hawk watches including Bear Mountain Hawk Watch at Bear Mountain State Park, Hook Mountain Hawk Watch, and Mount Peter Hawkwatch Trailway, all within the Hudson Valley segment.

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Thursday, September 15, 2022

Adirondack Experience announces upcoming fall events and programs

Adirondack Experience, the museum on Blue Mountain Lake, (ADKX) has released its upcoming fall programs and events which include nature hikes, Xperience For All (an event which celebrates outdoor recreation for all), FallFest, a virtual program in which three panelists will discuss Adirondack architecture, and more. Please see below for details on these events.

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Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Adirondack Harvest Festival set for Sept. 24 at Essex County Fairgrounds

The Adirondack Harvest Festival will return to its one-day, in-person format on Saturday, Sept. 24 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Essex County Fairgrounds in Westport, NY. This will be the first time the event has fully returned to the Essex County Fairgrounds for one large, in-person event since 2019. The event will follow the same format as past festivals, with a large farmers’ market, local food trucks, local libations tent (beer, mead and wine), demonstrations and talks, kids’ activities, farm animals, and much more.

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Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Adirondack Wild meeting set for Paul Smith’s VIC on Oct. 14, Wilderness & Wild Stewardship Awards announced

Paul Smith’s, NY – The nonprofit advocate Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve announces its Annual Meeting of Members and Friends will begin at 11 AM on Friday October 14, 2022, at the Paul Smith’s Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC), located at 8023 State Rt. 30 just north of Paul Smith’s College.

 

The event in the VIC auditorium runs from 11 AM to 3 PM and is free and open to the public. Please bring your own lunches. Light refreshments will be available.  Face masking is recommended.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Protecting Monarchs in the Adirondacks

by Lisa Salamon, Adirondack Pollinator Project

 

The iconic Monarch butterfly was added to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species in July. The List, known as the IUCN Red List, founded in 1964, is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. It uses a set of precise criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and is recognized as the most authoritative guide to the status of biological diversity.

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Monday, September 12, 2022

Bond acts and water projects

The 1996 environmental bond act funded the purchase of Whitney Park and Little Tupper Lake. Explorer file photo by Jonathan Esper.

In my almost 11 months at the Explorer, I have done a lot of reporting on the Adirondack Park’s critical water infrastructure. Infrastructure that cleans water for drinking, protects lakes and streams from pollution, mitigates flooding and literally holds up much of the region’s watery landscapes.

A lot of that infrastructure is in dire need of repair or replacement and plays a part in water quality issues like salt pollution, harmful algal blooms and stream connectivity crucial to hedging against the threat of climate change. In March, I found around $500 million of clean water infrastructure needs listed for projects throughout the Adirondacks.

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Monday, September 12, 2022

Free Webinar “Forest Pest Hunters: Surveying for Beech Leaf Disease” Scheduled for Sept. 15

ADIRONDACKS—Beech leaf disease is in the Adirondacks, and scientists need help gathering data on the newly emerging forest pest. To teach community scientists how to identify and report beech leaf disease, the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program will host a free webinar from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15, called “Forest Pest Hunters: Surveying for Beech Leaf Disease.”

 

Beech leaf disease was first detected in Ohio in 2012 and in New York state in 2018. In 2022, the state Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed the presence of beech leaf disease in over 30 counties in New York including Herkimer County, the first documented infestation in the Adirondack region.  Beech leaf disease can kill mature beech trees in six to 10 years, while young trees can be killed in as little as two to three years.

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Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council to offer free Stewards of the Water program on Sept. 10

The Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC) has announced a special event featuring Stewards of the Water, a book composed and published by the Assembly Point Water Quality Coalition. The event will take place on Saturday, September 10 from noon to 2 p.m. at LARAC, located at 7 Lapham Place in Glens Falls. The LARAC is also currently highlighting an extensive art exhibit by water colorist, Tom Ryan, who illustrated Stewards of the Water. Several authors of the book will discuss the various impacts of 170 years of environmental activism on Lake George.

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Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Adirondack Council’s State of the Park Report: Adirondack Park is “Stressed and Challenged”

ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. – The past year has been a period of great change and emotional strain for the Adirondack Park’s natural wonders, its residents and its visitors, according to the Adirondack Council’s annual State of the Park report, entitled Stressed and Challenged.

 

“This year’s report is a bit different than those in past years,” said Adirondack Council Executive Director William C. Janeway.  “We spent more time considering the impacts of government decisions on the future of democracy and human rights than we have needed to before. Conservation demands a basic respect for all life, a desire to constantly improve our relationships with other people and the natural world.  Those are not priorities in places where democracy is absent or endangered.”

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Monday, September 5, 2022

Reading Bug Tracks on Tea Leaves

From palm-reading to watching Fox News, humans throughout the ages have sought knowledge through some decidedly irrational means. But every now and then, superstition pays off. For example, studying the pattern of coffee grounds in the bottom of one’s cup, a practice known as tasseomancy, will nearly always reveal that someone forgot to put a filter in the coffeemaker basket. And haruspicy, the study of the fresh entrails of a gutted animal, is consistently right in concluding the animal is dead.

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Monday, September 5, 2022

Adirondack Interpretive Center September/October Events

Here’s a glimpse of what is planned for SUNY-ESF’s Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC) for the remainder of September, heading into October. Programs include a variety of walks, hikes, and a Halloween-themed educational program called Skull Skills. Pre-registration is required for all programs.


Saturday, September 10th – 9:30 to 11:00 am

Black Bear Woods Walk
Come along for an easy guided walk as we learn about black bears in the Adirondacks. We’ll look for signs of bears on our trails, discuss the implications of a changing climate on black bears, and learn about bear safety. Bring your trail shoes and your best bear stories.
click here to register


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