Monday, March 1, 2021

Adirondack Research Consortium presents spring series

Adirondack Research Consortium presents a Spring Webinar Series: Four one-hour virtual sessions at 10 AM on Fridays in March will address how environmental legacies influence the present and future of the Adirondacks.

Theme: “Landscape Legacies in the Adirondacks”

Fridays in March 10:00 am
3/5: Enduring footprints in the Adirondacks
Moderator: Ellen Percy-Kraly (Colgate University)3/12: Dams and Aquatic Connectivity: Eco-systems, Communities, Energy, and Infrastructure
Moderator: Stephen Bird (Clarkson)3/19: Recreation in the Adirondacks
Moderator: Julia Goren (Adirondack Council)3/26: Linking Past to Present: A look at Diverse Peoples within the Adirondacks
Moderator: Donathan Brown (RIT)CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Almanack file photo


Monday, February 22, 2021

Calling all entrepreneurs (and would-be ones)

Small Communities. Big Opportunities: Own a North Country Busine Virtual Conference

Are you or someone you know interested in owning a North Country business?

The Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) is hosting a FREE four-day virtual conference — designed to empower those who live here and those who want to live here to realize their dreams of business ownership.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, February 13, 2021

Panel discussion digs into future of journalism

A conversation with new and veteran journalists on the evolving nature of journalism. Part storytelling, part conversation on how the culture of “fake news” has affected journalism today, panelists will discuss how they see the path to moving forward with a new administration vowing truth and transparency, and a distrustful population who recently painted “murder the media” on the United States Capitol walls. A peek behind the curtain of the choices journalists make daily and how it differs, or doesn’t, from the choices veteran journalists had to make. Rex Smith, editor-at-large at the Times Union of Albany, will act as moderator for the evening.

Presented by Adirondack Center for Writing and Adirondack Explorer.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, February 11, 2021

Food justice summit moves ahead virtually

Karen WashingtonNorth Country’s annual Feed Back Summit will be held virtually in a two-day format, February 24-25, 2021.

How do we create a fair food system? How do we build an equitable future for the North Country? And how do we move our region toward stronger and more accessible, inclusive, nutritious, and just systems for everyone?

These questions frame this year’s summit and bring together community leaders, business owners, farmers, consumers, healthcare professionals, educators, students, and more to discuss advocacy, politics, programs, and grassroots organizing. The goal is to bring creative, scholarly, and frontline perspectives together into dynamic conversation. This year’s theme reflects the urgency of inequities that 2020 laid bare and the challenges we must meet in 2021. 

For more details, or to register, visit: www.craigardan.org/events/summit2021

Pictured here: Food justice activist Karen Washington is giving the keynote address “Moving Beyond Covid” for the 2021 North Country Food Justice Summit.


Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Winter wonderland: activities and competition in Long Lake

Long Lake has announced their Winter Wonderland Bingo, which will feature activities and outdoor recreation in the form of a contest that will last until Feb. 28.

They will be posting specially designed bingo cards on social media, and making printed cards available at the Long Lake Town Office and at local businesses starting Feb. 12.

Participation is free, and those who partake are encouraged to complete as many activities as they can, with prizes available depending on how many activities you can complete.

Featured tasks include indoor and outdoor activities ranging from reading Adirondack books, visiting area retail stores trying out cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing and skating and more.

Those who complete one row of bingo will receive a gift card, five random activities will win a sticker, and the completion of all 25 tasks will be able to choose from a selection of prizes, and be entered to win a gift basket featuring items from Long Lake and Raquette Lake merchants.

In order to play, cross off activities as completed and photograph the card showing the completed tasks. Submit digital photos via email or to the uploader for prizes. Submit photo proof of purchase for any meals or shopping, and any activities to [email protected]  or upload them directly to https://upload.crowdriff.com/lakesbingo.

Participants are encouraged to post their photos on Instagram using hashtags : #mylonglakebingo #barkeaterbingo #YesLongLake and follow the page: www.instagram.com/mylonglake

 


Tuesday, February 9, 2021

North Country Live web series returns

remote learningNorth Country Live returns this winter and spring with a variety of programs focused on outdoor recreation, environmental issues, history, and more.

The upcoming edition of North Country Live, sponsored by International Paper, will feature the following sessions, each of which takes place at 7 p.m. on Zoom. All these programs are free and open to the public:

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, February 7, 2021

Virtual lecture on Anne LaBastille

Anne LaBastille photo by Kelly Adirondack CenterThe Kelly Adirondack Center and UCALL present a virtual Zoom webinar:

“Anne LaBastille: Trailblazer and Hell Raiser,” with Leslie Surprenant

7 p.m., Feb. 18, free and open to the public.

Explore the life and legacy of Adirondack “Woodswoman,” author, and internationally recognized conservationist, Anne LaBastille, PhD.  This biographical slideshow tribute by Anne’s longtime friend and estate executor, Leslie Surprenant, weaves together the story of the exceptional life of this trailblazer. It features many unpublished photos from throughout Anne’s life.

LaBastille was among the first to sound the alarm about the devastating impacts of acid rain in the Adirondacks, first to research the flightless Lake Atitlan Grebe of Guatemala and document ecological conditions for new parks in Latin America and the Amazon Basin. She authored 15 books, over 150 popular articles and 25 scientific articles. Her pioneering work in wildlife ecology in the U.S. and Latin America earned international recognition including the World Wildlife Fund Gold Medal for Conservation, the Explorers Club Citation of Merit, and Society of Women Geographers Gold Medal. Her life and legacy continue to inspire and support new generations of conservationists and authors.

Please click the link to join the webinar: https://union.zoom.us/j/92788538755

Photo provided

More information here: https://muse.union.edu/adirondack/anne-labastille-trailblazer-and-hell-raiser/


Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Find out how to join the 24th annual Great Backyard Bird Count

Barred OwlThe Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a fun event for bird watchers of all ages and abilities, from beginners to experts. The 24th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15, 2021. Participants are needed! To help, you will need to count birds for at least 15 minutes (or longer if you wish) for one or more days of the four-day event. You can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.

If you’re curious about how to participate, Union College’s Kelly Adirondack Center is hosting a Zoom conversation at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6. Featuring John Loz, President of Southern Adirondack Audubon and Chair of the Board of Audubon New York Chapters. John will discuss this year’s boon of irruptive finches and talk about all the other birds people are seeing. He’ll also share how to contribute to this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count and how to view other birders’ entries. Space at this event is limited to facilitate conversation so please register by emailing Margie Amodeo at [email protected].

Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing and how to protect them. Last year, almost 270,000 people participated in the GBBC. Let’s top that number this year! For more information or to submit checklists visit the GBBC website.

Photo of barred owl by Fred Couse.


Tuesday, February 2, 2021

DEC calls for volunteers to track Spotted Lanternfly in NY

The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive pest that had made its way over to the US From Asia which feeds on a variety of plants such as grapes, hops, and maple trees. The SLF has been discovered in multiple locations around NY but still hasn’t spread throughout most of the state. A potential pathway for the spread of SLF is its preferred host plant, called the Tree of Heaven, a tree found in many locations across NY.

New York iMapInvasives is seeking volunteers to look for SLF and TOH in your area, where you can help protect New York’s agriculture and forests by catalouging invasive species in the iMapInvasives database.

To learn more about the Spotted Lanternfly and Tree of Heaven, check out iMapInvasives website, and sign up for the “Identifying and Reporting Spotted Lanternfly and Tree of Heaven with NY iMapInvasives” webinar, available Tuesday, February 23rd from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Register online here.


Monday, February 1, 2021

Adirondack Land Trust plans events to showcase Northern Forest Atlas

This winter the Adirondack Land Trust is hosting an online discussion and a field trip showcasing the Northern Forest Atlas, a collection of graphic tools for naturalists of all abilities.

At 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, Northern Forest Atlas Director Jerry Jenkins will present a virtual introduction to the atlas’s free online resources, including photographs, videos and other digital tools. Jenkins will also give a brief botany lesson from northernforestatlas.org.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 23, 2021

Long Lake celebrates scaled-down winter carnival

Long Lake ice sculptureOn Saturday, January 16, the Long Lake 19th Annual Winter Carnival saw major changes to the line-up and was able to host a modified version renamed Winter Carnival “Lite.”

The only coordinated event was the Cardboard Sled Races which were held with Covid-19 protocols in place. All participants and spectators had to register in advance for a maximum of 50 and there was no on-site registration.  Everyone wore masks and kept a minimum of six feet between racers and families.

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 19, 2021

NYS Food Waste Law: Is Your Community Ready?

compostIn a little over 12 months, the New York State Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law will take effect, requiring businesses that generate an annual average of two tons or more of wasted food per week to donate excess edible food; and recycle all remaining food scraps if they are within 25 miles of an organics recycler.

AdkAction and their newest project, Compost for Good, are hosting a Zoom event on January 20th from 10-11:30am. The event is designed to help municipal officials and community advocates understand the new law, and to introduce various options for composting. Representatives from NYS DEC will join us to discuss the new law as well as the Climate Smart Communities program. There will be a question and answer session after the presentation.

To register for this event, visit adkaction.org/event/municipal-composting/

Cornell University has created a model that converts campus-generated organic waste into rich compost. It won a 2009 Environmental Quality Award from the U.S. EPA. – Cornell CALS photo/Almanack archive


Monday, January 18, 2021

Winners Announced in LPCA’s First Zoom Playfest

The Lake Placid Center for the Arts has announced the winners of their Zoom Play Festival. The contest was held in late August for theatre artists to create and share a play over Zoom. LPCA plans to present a showcase of the winning pieces, as well as the honorable mentions on February 19.

Collaboration with Directors and Theatres has begun in order to produce the works, with LPCA having plans to produce several of the plays they received in-house. They received over 135 short plays that were submitted from all over the world, from New Zealand to Canada. The great number of submissions required help from several playwrights and artists around the country to help evaluate the plays, which were scored in areas like plot development, character voice, and adherence to the submission criteria.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 16, 2021

Annual Speculator craft fair to resume this summer

After a cancelation in 2020, this year’s Speculator Craft Fair will be Thursday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ball field at 2834 State Route 30, across from the village beach here.

Sponsored by the Hamilton County Twigs, this juried craft fair features 150 booths of quality handmade goods. Fees are $50 for an outside spot and $60 for a spot in the pavilion. For a vendor application call Barbara Oakes at 518-548-5790 or email her at [email protected].

The craft fair is a fundraiser to support emergency medical and health care in the area. Last year $30,000 donated by the Twigs helped four non-profit organizations meet their needs: Speculator, Wells, and Piseco volunteer ambulance squads and the emergency “fly-car.”


Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program launches Winter Learning Series

The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program APIPP will be hosting 5 new education events over the course of January through April 2021. The events will be based around the threat of invasive species, habitat integrity, and the economies of the communities which make up the Adirondacks. The APIPP needs your help to combat invasive species on land and in water throughout the Adirondacks, and they are offering the opportunity to sharpen your skills and join the effort.

The discovery of two emerging forest pests within the Adirondacks, the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and the Emerald Ash Borer incited a race to understand and treat the scale of existing infestations across hundreds of acres. the APIPP’s Winter Learning Series reflects the rising threat of conservation, and challenges homeowners, recreationalists, local businesses, and all interested in citizen science to help prevent the spread of, and to help manage invasive species threatening the North Country.

» Continue Reading.



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