Monday, October 23, 2023

Partnership to Keep Invasive Plants off Trails

Dix Boot brush stationKEENE, NY –Staff at the Ausable River Association (AsRA) have been building and installing hiking boot brush stations at trailheads to help keep terrestrial invasive species from spreading.

The new initiative builds upon AsRA‘s ongoing effort of preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species through placement of wader wash stations along the river during fishing season.

Invasive species are plants or animals that are non-native to an area and can cause environmental or economic harm. Introductions of invasive species can disrupt ecosystems, causing the loss of native species. Boot brush stations not only provide information about invasive species, specifically terrestrial invasive species and the threat they pose to native ecosystems, they also provide a simple way for people to help stop the spread.
» Continue Reading.


Sunday, October 22, 2023

Aerial Reconnaissance

aerial mountain view

The Anniversary Gift of a Lifetime: An Adirondack Plane Ride 

Have any folks out there besides my wife & I ever wondered what it would be like to see the Adirondacks from above in a private small plane chartered flight?

 What an adventure!

 For a bird’s eye view of our anniversary Adirondack High Peaks region overflight route, click the link & read on: https://adirondackoutlaw.com/aerial-reconnaissance/.

 


Sunday, October 22, 2023

Adirondack Wild holds annual meeting, announces 2023 awards

 

Steve Englebright receives the award in Newcomb.

Newcomb, NY – The Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb played host this month to Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve’s annual meeting and 2023 award presentations. The Paul Schaefer Wilderness Award, named after 20th century wilderness preservation leader Paul Schaefer, was presented to Steven Englebright. Englebright represented the Assembly’s 4th District on Long Island from 1992 through 2022 and chaired the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee starting in 2015. Adirondack Wild lauded Englebright for his tact, wisdom and tenacious environmental leadership which has left every New Yorker with a better quality of life.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, October 22, 2023

Weekly news round up

A collection of interesting reads:

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, October 21, 2023

Mitch and Jessi got married, saw whet owl net destroyed by buck

Tamarack’s at Red River

The mountainsides and lake shorelines are looking a lot grayer than they were a week ago, as most of the leaves are on the ground. The beech [trees] and what few oak [trees we have] in the area are still holding on to most of their leaves. The birds and animals have been working hard, collecting and eating the beechnuts. A few of the beech trees along my driveway have been a busy place with squirrels, chipmunks, crows, ravens and blue jays working overtime in the treetops. Many of these critters are putting these [beechnuts] in storage, [while] others are eating them on the spot. One of my owl nets is right under one of these trees. Those burrs (that hold the nuts) make a mess when they get into the nets. You must pick the burr apart to get them out of the mesh.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, October 21, 2023

APIPP to Host Free Webinar “How Deer Shape Forest Ecosystems” on Oct. 26

Graphic for How Deer Shape Forest Ecosystems webinar.

Keene Valley, NY – White-tailed deer can have a significant impact on forest ecosystems, but steps can be taken to mitigate the damage. Join New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Big Game Biologist Brendan Quirion and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program for “How Deer Shape Forest Ecosystems,” a free webinar scheduled for 10-11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26. Quirion will discuss how deer populations are bolstered by several factors, including fewer severe winters with deep snow and a lack of apex predators like wolves and mountain lions, all of which have historically kept deer populations in check.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, October 21, 2023

DEC, DMV alert motorists of animals’ most active season

Deer on roadside.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today reminded drivers to be aware that deer and moose are most active and more likely to enter public roadways this time of year, as they search for mates during their breeding season, which is the months of October, November and December.

According to the University at Albany’s Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research, in 2022, 41.5 percent of the crashes between deer and vehicles occurred during this three-month span.

Motorists should also be on alert for moose on roadways in the Adirondacks and surrounding areas this time of year.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, October 21, 2023

How to contribute to the Almanack

Hi all! Just a friendly reminder that the Almanack is open to all who wish to contribute!

The Adirondack Almanack is a public forum dedicated to promoting and discussing current events, history, arts, nature and outdoor recreation and other topics of interest to the Adirondacks and its communities

Contributors include local writers, historians, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts from inside and outside the Adirondack region.

If you are interested in having your organization’s news or event noticed at Adirondack Almanack, send a press release and photo following these simple steps:

» Continue Reading.


Friday, October 20, 2023

Red Alert: Leaf Color Indicates Maple Distress

Sugar maple leaves

The dearth of red fall color in sugar maples, a broad regional trend first noted around 2018, is unrelated to fall weather or to the growing conditions in a given season. It’s a troubling sign that sugar maples as a species may have entered a long-term decline. Although every fall is beautiful, some years are notably vibrant, while others – like 2023 – are more subdued. We know that weather is the main factor that determines the brilliance of the autumn leaf display.

An unusually wet spring /early summer will favour the growth of leaf pathogens like shot-hole fungi, anthracnose, and bacterial leaf spot, all of which cause brown patches on leaves. Conversely, in drought years, trees are starved for water and nutrients, which curbs overall pigment production. Even after a strong growing season, protracted fall rains can tone-down color intensity, and early hard frosts or violent windstorms will truncate the “leaf peeper” season.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, October 20, 2023

Lake Placid Film Festival: Iconic “Cool Runnings” to be shown Opening Night, Oct. 26

Cool Runnings movie poster

 

Lake Placid, NY – The year was 1988. The Winter Games were in Calgary. Western Canada would be the most unlikely place where a group of Jamaican track and field athletes would gain notoriety as bobsledders. Yet those Games produced one of the Olympics most endearing stories, one that lives to this very day thanks to four committed athletes, their forcefully supportive manager and a movie appropriately titled Cool Runnings.

The 1993 flick added to the luster of comedic actor John Candy, and by way of his work at those Games with ABC Television, local resident John Morgan as well. Now, with a continuing 35-year legacy, Cool Runnings will be shown at the Palace Theater in Lake Placid on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the opening feature of the Lake Placid Film Festival. A question and answer period will follow. There will be an encore performance on Saturday morning, Oct. 28 at 11:30 a.m. Jamaican bobsled team merchandise will be available for purchase at the theater.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, October 20, 2023

Outdoor Conditions (10/20): Tips for layering properly, storing food/water while hiking in cold temps

outdoor conditions logoThe following are only the most recent notices pertaining to public lands in the Adirondacks. Please check the Adirondack Backcountry webpages for a full list of notices, including seasonal road statuses, rock climbing closures, specific trail conditions, and other pertinent information.

NEW THIS WEEK

  • Daniels Road State Forest – Work on the right of way and parking area begins next week. The road will be closed Monday, 10/23 – Tuesday, 10/24. Contractors are repairing the mile stretch of road and parking area along with putting down new stone

» Continue Reading.


Friday, October 20, 2023

Latest news headlines

Here’s a look at news from around the Adirondacks this week:

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, October 19, 2023

Unveiling the Hidden Costs of Renewable Technologies

The global push for renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind turbines has been celebrated as a significant step toward a cleaner, greener future. While these technologies are hailed for their potential environmental benefits, there’s a dark side to their production that often remains hidden from view. From the cobalt mines of Africa to the rainforests where balsa trees are felled, the environmental and human costs associated with renewable technologies are a stark reminder that not all that glitters is green. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, October 19, 2023

Old Forge Library to host fundraiser, Halloween-themed events & more

Old Forge, NY – Old Forge Library staff have announced a variety of activities, including a spooky season-themed fundraiser, that are sure to appeal to a wide array of interests and help curb cabin fever that typically begins to hit with the oncoming of chillier temperatures. Please see a roundup of events below for more details on these programs and activities which include, Nevermore: A Raven Good Time fundraiser at Nest [a restaurant in Thendara], an Open Mic Night hosted by Ken Carman, free Halloween-themed grab/craft bags for kids, and Wednesday Night Craft Get-Togethers.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, October 19, 2023

A one-man land bank

man in front of a brown building

I spent a recent weekday morning in a former Saranac Lake Cure cottage with contractor Shawn Duheme, who had a plan to convert decrepit old Adirondack homes into affordable housing. This pursuit led him to the tax auction, a Mecca for flippers, bottom feeders  and homebuyers looking for a bargain, usually with no idea what they’re getting themselves into.

Shawn’s idea was to act almost like a one-man land bank, fixing up old homes for sale and then using the profit to fund the next purchase. To keep the sale price affordable, he would “subsidize” the sale by curating a YouTube following more or less following his journey and highlighting the pitfalls that these old properties present.

“It didn’t work,” Shawn said. He got hundreds of subscribers, not the hundreds of thousands he needed to achieve critical mass. He was competing with dozens if not hundreds of other DIY programmers — and he was selling a message people didn’t want to hear: These fixer-upper projects are way over the heads and budgets of people without proper training and skill.

» Continue Reading.



Wait! Before you go:

Catch up on all your Adirondack
news, delivered weekly to your inbox