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The SUNY-ESF Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC) has announced a variety of events set for May and June that is sure to appeal to a wide array of nature and outdoor enthusiasts. All of the below programs require pre-registration.
In Loving Memory: Brother Bob joins Dad at family’s deer camp
DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos reminded me that this is Earth Week. With most of the snow gone from the roadsides and other traveled trails, it might be good to do a little litter picking to spruce up the area for visitors as they travel here. With record temperatures in the 80s in most parts of the state, the snow took it in the shorts almost everywhere. [The] ice in all the lakes is out, with Blue Mountain and Big Moose Lakes being the last to go out on Sunday [April 9]. Luckily, there was very little wind to move the shifting ice around where it would do damage to docks and boathouses around the lakes. Better catch what water you can now, as the snow runoff is about over and [then] it will take rainfall to fill the Fulton Chain. With the wacky weather, you never know if we are going to get a gully washer or sprinkles.
The Wild Center kicks off 2023 season on May 5
Tupper Lake, NY – The Wild Center is opening for its 2023 season on Friday, May 5. Off the heels of a USA Today Readers’ Award where it was voted Second Best Science Museum in the U.S., The Wild Center is expanding its offerings and activities with new exhibits and experiences. Among these offerings is Backyard Wilderness – a film that captures the beauty and complexity of the natural world that exists just beyond your doorstep and Birdly – a state-of-the-art virtual reality (VR) flying simulator.
Produced by the award-winning SK Films, Backyard Wilderness offers a stunning cinematic experience that transports viewers into the hidden world of nature in their own backyard. Through breathtaking visuals and engaging storytelling, the film reveals the extraordinary lifecycles and relationships of the plants and animals that surround us every day. The film will be shown daily in The Wild Center’s Flammer Theater, a state-of-the-art cinema with 50-foot screen and advanced sound system, and included with general admission. On-site programming will complement the movie’s content, inspiring visitors to engage and appreciate the natural world in their own backyard.
Crocuses Ring In the Flower Season
“Behold, my friends. The spring is come. The earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun. And we shall soon see the results of their love.” – Sitting Bull
It snowed during the night. But the snow turned to rain early in the morning. And by the afternoon, the sun was shining, bright and warm. I was mulling over the winter’s damage to yard trees and shrubs and considering the clean-up that lay ahead when something caught my eye; a splash of color amidst the thawing mat of leaves and needles, and patches of icy, dirty snow still covering the winter-weary ground. I took a few steps toward it and sure enough. There they were. The first of the spring crocuses; a cheery reminder that winter would soon be coming to an end and that the full beauty of spring lies ahead.
Spying crocuses, banding birds & enjoying Spring weather
Our weather has been rather pleasant with nice days up into the forties and fifties, and then cooling down [at] night into the teens. The folks to the north of us got a bad ice storm, knocking out power in many parts of Canada. We had some thunderstorms roll through here on Wednesday [April 5] with some hail, but nothing like the quarter-size hail they got up in Martinsburg by Lowville. I had taken my truck down to Utica for repairs, and they gave me a brand-new [Toyota] RAV4 to take home that day.
Lights Out Initiative set for peak bird migrations in Spring & Fall
Looking for an easy way to take care of your bird friends this migration season? Did you know each year during spring migration many birds that are navigating the night sky become disoriented from artificial building lighting? Not only does city lighting deter the navigational abilities of migrating birds, but it also leads to an increase in fatal building collisions, killing an estimated 1 billion birds annually.
April 17th is International Bat Appreciation Day
International Bat Appreciation Day is coming up on April 17. The occasion is a great time to learn about New York’s nine bat species. When spring temperatures become warm enough, bats will leave their hibernation sites and may be seen flying in search of insects. Unfortunately, many species of bats, including Northern long-eared bats, have faced severe population declines due to White-nose Syndrome.
DEC Issues Guidance to Reduce Conflicts with Black Bears
On April 7, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reminded New Yorkers to remove or secure outdoor food sources that may attract black bears.
New Yorkers who feed birds in areas with bears (which includes most of upstate New York), should begin emptying and cleaning up spilt seed from feeders, and let nature feed the birds from spring through fall. The public is also advised to secure garbage cans in a sturdy building, clean or remove all residual grease and food from grills, and store pet and livestock food indoors. New Yorkers should also consider installing electric fences around chicken coops or apiaries to protect flocks and hives.
A fun family visit, bird watching, and more maple syrup
March came in like a lamb and went out like a lamb in this neck of the woods. We got a few drabs of snow that last week…some that just covered the ground following rain each time. Some of the nights the stars were very bright, and one night the aurora borealis was super after the clouds moved out. I didn’t see it, but I saw several photos of the many colors that appeared in the night sky. Some days it got up into the high fifties, but some nights it got down into the single digits.
April 2023 proclaimed New York Native Plant Month
The 23 Garden Club of America member clubs in the state of New York, of which the Adirondack Garden Club is a member, are pleased to announce the official designation of April 2023 as “New York Native Plant Month.” The signed proclamation by Governor Hochul will follow by April 18, 2023. The GCA has led this effort across all 50 states and Washington, DC to increase awareness of the critical role native plants play in supporting a healthy environment, thriving wildlife and pollinator populations, reducing use of pesticides and fertilizers, cleaning air and water and more.
The Lilies of Easter
Consider the lilies… – Luke 12:27 (KJV) Matthew 6:28 (KJV)
The Easter season is upon us. It’s a time of celebration, religious significance, and the arrival of spring. It’s a time of resurrection, both of Jesus Christ and of the earth itself; the season of new beginnings;
The Easter lily, Lilium longiflorum, with its magnificent white flowers and remarkable fragrance, may be the most widely shared symbol of the season. The white lily has come to symbolize the spiritual virtues of Easter; purity, rebirth, new beginnings, hope, and life.
It’s said that lilies were found growing in the garden of Gethsemane. And that they sprung up in Golgotha, in the hours before Jesus’ death.
For Easter Sunday, many churches cover their altars and surround their crosses with lilies to commemorate the Resurrection and to remember and honor loved relatives and friends who have passed away.
“Winter” Recap: Banding more than 300 Evening Grosbeaks
We are having the tail end of the winter that didn’t happen here anyway. The folks out in the mountains of California and Nevada are looking at over 16 feet of snow in many places, with more coming this week with another atmospheric river coming ashore. Their reservoirs should be more than full when all this melts. Down south in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia fifteen tornadoes ripped through parts of these states, killing 26 and leaving hundreds homeless.
Rescuers continue to search for loved ones of residents of a Mississippi town destroyed by a tornado that was on the ground for over ninety miles. In Rolling Fork, a delta town of 2,000, hardly anyone escaped the storm without losing someone they knew or loved. More storms are going through that same area later this week, with more tornadoes and heavy rain forecast all the way to the east coast.
Adirondack Interpretive Center announces roundup of Spring events
Newcomb, NY – The Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC) has recently announced a lineup of events to kick off the Spring season including a series of free “mud season movies,” early migrant bird walks, and a one-day introduction to fly fishing workshop. The 2023 mud season movies will be shown every Saturday in April at 1:30 p.m. at the Adirondack Interpretive Center, Newcomb Campus. (More information on the mud season movies in the image above.) The film series is sponsored by the Adirondack Park Institute.
Sweet Maple Syrup, A Fishing Otter, & An Unexpected Visitor
The first day of Spring has arrived with only a new inch of snow and 18 degrees on the thermometer…(better than the three inches of snow and strong winds the day before, but no loss of power.) Many others are still struggling with more water and snow than they can deal with. Others [are dealing with] with damage from high winds and tornadoes that came across the country during the last week. Many in the south had a hard freeze which will affect many flowering trees, shrubs, and some crops that were already up.
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- Lake Placid authority bids to host 2026 Olympic sliding events
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Latest News Headlines
- Adirondack climate change forecasts by the numbers
- Akwesasne Travel wants to educate visitors about Mohawk culture
- Adirondack Explorer, NCPR partner on Report for America grant
- Lake Placid authority bids to host 2026 Olympic sliding events - Adirondack Explorer
- Lake Placid authority bids to host 2026 Olympic sliding events
- Bridge that carries U.S. Route 9 over Ausable River reopens | NCPR News
- How literacy volunteers help ESL learners unlock their potential
- Adirondack artist draws attention to challenges facing renters
- Key stretch of Adirondack Rail Trail is complete
- Groups to state: Take action on road salt
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Bird watching, an earthquake, and a trip to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
There was a bit of a cool down this week, with several mornings in the twenties after a week in the much higher temperatures. Mother Nature even threw in an inch of snow one morning. Then at the end of the week, it was up in the high seventies again. Then, the skies opened last night [April 23] with a downpouring of rain and that lasted most of today [April 24]. We had well over an inch and a half, just looking at my little creek that goes under the driveway. The culvert on the ski trail was partially plugged and the water was running down along the trail and into my pond until I cleaned out the culvert. The pond was getting enough water from the spring creek that runs into it…and it was up about a foot.
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