Today New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that the open (harvest) season for largemouth and smallmouth bass, collectively known as black bass, begins Wednesday, June 15, and runs through November 30.
The June 15 opener is now the standard opening date for these species, replacing the third Saturday in June. For most of the state, a catch-and-release season exists from Dec. 1 through June 14. Special fishing regulations exist for some waters as outlined in the current fishing regulations guide and should be closely reviewed before heading out to fish.
The Summer Solstice, also known as “the longest day of the year,” the day in 2022’s calendar with the most hours of daylight is Tuesday, June 21. Solstice celebrations are celebrated throughout the world and have been celebrated by our ancestors since Neolithic times.
The Old Forge Library, and its community partners and friends at Weaving Home,LivingADK, and the Old Forge Farmers Market invite the public to celebrate the solstice with them at festivities held on the library lawn at 220 Crosby Blvd. in Old Forge. Renowned Abenaki artists, writers and storytellers will make the occasion memorable.
The Adirondack Coast Cultural Alliance (ACCA) will host the 13th Annual Museum Days Weekend throughout Clinton County June 18-19, 2022, inviting visitors and residents to explore the area’s wealth of museums, galleries, and cultural organizations. For two days (with a couple of exceptions, as noted) from 10 am to 4 pm, participating locations will offer free admission, including demonstrations, tours, exhibits, hands-on activities, and more.
This year’s event coincides with the first of two New York State “Path Through History” Weekends in 2022. The full Museum Days Weekend schedule will be published in the Plattsburgh Press-Republican and on the Adirondack Coast Cultural Alliance website and Facebook page.
Squirrels are a common sight throughout the North Country. They live in wooded areas and forests, but are most-often seen in yards and parks. They’re easily able to survive even the hardest of winters and very well-adapted to living among people. In fact, gray squirrels frequently occur at much higher densities in urban and suburban settings, where there aren’t many natural predators and they can easily take advantage of the abundance of human food sources.
Some people just love them. Some people hate them. I think they can be fun to watch. But I’m aware that they can cause problems and would never consider keeping a squirrel as a pet.
With the shooting in the Buffalo Tops Market, killing 10 and three wounded, and the Uvalde, Texas Robb Elementary School shooting, in which 19 children and two teachers were killed, not much was heard of the fires still burning in New Mexico (largest ever) and the first Hurricane Agatha to hit Mexico. It first killed 11 and thirty missing, then traveled across the Gulf of Mexico and hit southern Florida with 12 to 15 inches of rain as Tropical Storm Alex. Many people seem to be living in a bubble, yet ducking COVID, which is still catching lots of people by surprise.
Back to the first two on the list. I was a Hunter Safety Training Trainer for the DEC for over twenty-five years, and it was only near the end of that time, that the AR-15 was just showing up on the public market. I never saw it as a hunting weapon, and still don’t. It’s a killing machine invented for war, which is now being waged on children in schools and public events and places where there are lots of people.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State.
In 2021, 282 Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responded to 26,207 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 11,562 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.
Sacandaga Training – Fulton County On May 26, ECOs participated in a multi-agency training exercise on the Great Sacandaga Lake in Fulton County. Training participants included more than 90 first responders staged at the Hudson River Black River Regulating District. New York State Police and law enforcement from Fulton, Saratoga, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties participated in the training, including dive teams, fire, EMS, emergency management, district attorneys, and the Fulton County Coroner.
Keene Valley, NY — ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) was awarded a $14,750 matching grant from the Environmental Protection Fund’s Park and Trail Partnership Grants program for sustainable trail rehabilitation on the Phelps Trail, one of the eastern approaches for Mt. Marcy. ADK will have to raise $1,807.20 in matching funds, for a total of $16,557.20.
The grant is one of 27 awards totaling $900,000 for organizations dedicated to the stewardship and promotion of New York’s state parks and historic sites, trails, and public lands.
The grants will be matched with private and local funding and will support projects to strengthen Friends groups and enhance public access and recreational opportunities.
New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) is Monday, June 6 through Sunday, June 12, with several community events planned in Saranac Lake.
ISAW is a statewide effort to promote public understanding of invasive species and increase knowledge on the impacts they have on our waterbodies and woodlands. Local events will take place on June 6 and 8 and are co-sponsored by the Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) and The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program (APIPP).
“Our Adirondack waterways, forests, and farmlands are important for recreation, economic sustainability, and basic ecosystem functions,” said AWI Deputy Director Zoë Smith. “The annual Invasive Species Awareness Week is a chance for people learn about protecting our beloved lakes, rivers and forests from invasive species that threaten our environment and cause irreparable harm.”
The mission of the New York Invasive Species Awareness Week (NYISAW) is to promote knowledge and understanding of invasive species and the harm they can cause. We want to empower YOU to stop the spread of invasive species!
Organizations across all of New York State are offering a variety of engaging events, such as interpretive hikes, volunteer days, webinars, movie screenings, and fun family activities!
By participating in NYISAW, you can help protect your community’s natural spaces, learn about new invasive species, meet your neighbors, get outdoors, and even win prizes!
A viewing of the film, Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species, will be hosted at the Hotel Saranac on Wednesday, June 8th at 6:30 p.m. The Great Hall Bar will be open and experts will be on hand to introduce the film and discuss local actions.
Co-sponsored by Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, and developed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the documentary is a professionally produced 60-minute film about the threat invasive species pose to food systems, water, public health, and ecosystems in New York State. See the trailer.
The event is part of New York’s Invasive Species Awareness Week, June 6-12. For more information, visit adkwatershed.org and adkinvasives.com.
Photo at top provided by Zoë Smith, Deputy Director for Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute.
Maybe the black flies have taken it in the shorts with all the hot days we’ve had. I put in the garden over the weekend and not once did they take the hoe out of my hand. I did have a few deer flies that wanted to help me and some mosquitoes and no-see-ums that were trying to help.
This is the third year that deer flies have come out before the first of June. Normally, they never boomed me until the beginning of July. When they come out, it usually means the end of black flies. Hopefully all 36 varieties hatched out together on those hot days that warmed up the streams that they hatch out of. Some of the intermittent streams that had eggs may not have even been flowing, which did them in; one can only hope.
My ex-wife gave me a shirt that reads “Change is Good. You Go First” when our divorce was finalised, a much-appreciated bit of humour in the midst of a challenging time. It’s hard to find the mirth in some changes, especially when we don’t have a say in them. Climate change is a good example.
Global temperatures are rising at an ever-increasing rate. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe with time, and no amount of denial will make it go away. We have to learn to roll with this one. We can’t stop climate change tomorrow, but we can “trick” it by updating the kinds of trees we consider for home and community planting. A warmer world affects trees in a myriad ways: Record wet seasons like in 2013, 2017, and 2019 allow normally weak foliar pathogens to spread and flourish, becoming primary agents of mortality.
As we enter spring and welcome the warm weather, we are seeing more birds come back from their wintering grounds. Many forest birds migrate long distances to their breeding locations in the spring. It is crucial that these birds have quality habitat so they can nest, feed, and raise their young to ensure the next generation of the species.
Most neotropical migrants leave the northeast in September and return in April and May. Each bird species has different habitat requirements, so it is key to have a healthy and diverse forest to fulfill all their needs. A healthy forest is composed of multiple age classes and species of trees, provides ecosystem services, and supports forest birds and other wildlife.
On Wednesday, May 25, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the opening of the new Lake George Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at 75 Fort George Road in Lake George. The new facility will enhance the visitor experience at DEC’s Lake George Battlefield Park and also serve as the new headquarters for the Lake George Park Commission.
“DEC and our partners at the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance are dedicated to preserving the beauty and history of Lake George through interpretive work and public education,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “The VIC will provide park visitors with a welcoming and inclusive space that guides them on a historical journey through artifacts and interpretive displays. Bringing DEC, the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance, and the Lake George Park Commission under one roof demonstrates the close partnerships working together to improve visitor education, recreation, and conservation in this environmentally unique and historic region of New York.”
The Adirondack Council will present its Conservationist of the Year Award to climate change educator and activist Jen Kretser and The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program during the Council’s Forever Wild Day celebration on July 9 at Paul Smith’s College, near Saranac Lake.
“Jen Kretser, the Youth Climate Program and The Wild Center are doing a fantastic job of educating our youth about the dangers of global climate change and what they can do to curb its impacts and prepare for the changes we can no longer prevent,” said Adirondack Council Executive Director William C. Janeway. “As Director of Climate Initiatives for The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, Jen manages the center’s climate change engagement programs, including the now-famous global Youth Climate Summits and broader Youth Climate Program.”
Keeping a Squirrel as a Pet?
Some people just love them. Some people hate them. I think they can be fun to watch. But I’m aware that they can cause problems and would never consider keeping a squirrel as a pet.
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