Posts Tagged ‘Adirondack Wild Center’

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Adirondack Family Activities: Adirondack Youth Summit at the Wild Center

By Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Activities
Thirty high schools, colleges and universities have gathered together for the 2nd Adirondack Youth Summit held at The Wild Center (Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks) in Tupper Lake. The two-daysummit has been a successful means for students, educators, administrators and staff to work together to build a realistic, achievable plan to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Through partnership schools learn, formulate and implement ideas regarding climate change.

“Jen Kretser, Director of Programs at The Wild Center invited members of my Advanced Placement Environmental Science Class to attend the Adirondack Climate Conference held at The Wild Center in 2008 which created ADKCAP (Adirondack Climate and Energy Action Plan),” says Tammy Morgan, Lake Placid High School teacher. “My students were the only young people there. The conference mostly consisted of business people in the area that were coming together with not-for-profits and legislators to figure out a way to make the Adirondack Park a carbon neutral model.”

Morgan enthusiastically talks about how her students branched out to attend the various panels and workshops to achieve a broad spectrum of information. Morgan got more than she wished for. Not only did her students actively participate with adults that may have been intimidating to some but one her students, Zachary Berger, addressed the conference by getting to the heart of an ongoing issue, how to engage youth in climate change.

“At the end of the two-day conference there was an open space for discussion and Zachary stood up and brought up the fact that all weekend people were trying to find ways to engage young people but weren’t giving students a venue to do just that. He felt that students needed a place to be able to discuss and implement change.”

From that stand, many hours and volunteers, the Adirondack Youth Summit was born. That initial year each school set goals to achieve change. Some goals worked while others didn’t but most schools reported a high success rate by keeping goals simple and attainable.

After attending the Summit, Clarkson University created its new Institute for a Sustainable Environment while North Country Community College students developed a campus-wide recycling program. Other schools created composting programs, school gardens, and carbon reduction plans.

This year Lake Placid is just one of the schools at the Wild Center for the next two days. The other schools are Canton High School, Clarkson University, Colgate University, CV-TECH, Elizabethtown-Lewis Central School, Green Tech Charter High School, Indian River High School, Keene Central School, Lake Placid High School, Little River Community School, Long Lake Central School, Malone Central School District, Massena Central High School, Minerva Central School, Newcomb Central School, North Country Community College, Northwood School, Ogdensburg Free Academy, Paul Smith’s College, Plattsburgh High School, Potsdam High School, Salem Central School, Saranac Lake High School, St. Lawrence University, St. Regis Falls Central School, SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY Potsdam, Troy High School, and Tupper Lake High School.

The Summit will continue tomorrow, November 10th with all plenary sessions streamed live and available for future viewing.With an improved website, schools not in attendence are able to form action plans and given educational tools to start helping lower costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

photo and content © Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Activities ™. Diane is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities Guidebook Series including the recent released Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks Your Guide to Over 300 Activities for Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Keene, Jay and Wilmington areas (with GPS coordinates) This is the first book of a four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities. The next three editions will cover Plattsburgh to Ticonderoga, Long Lake to Old Forge and Newcomb to Lake George. 


Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Wild Center to Host 2nd Youth Climate Summit

Local students are helping to plan for the second Adirondack Youth Climate Summit at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake. The two-day Summit, on November 9th and 10th, is expected to bring together more than 170 participants from 30 high schools and colleges across the Adirondacks and ultimately effect more than 25,000 students.

The Summit is the only one of its kind in the country and has already led to financial savings and shifts in mindsets across the Park according to Wild Center officials. Students who participated last year returned to their schools implementing change by creating school gardens to provide food for their cafeterias, expanding recycling and composting programs, replacing power strips with energy smart strips, examining energy saving opportunities by conducting carbon audits for their schools and presenting to school boards about their activities and financial savings.

Each school will send a team including students, educators, administrators and facilities staff to develop their own actionable carbon reduction plan designed to decrease their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The full agenda for the event can be found on the website www.adkyouthsummit.org.


Thursday, September 30, 2010

10/10/10 Global Work Party at The Wild Center

On Sunday October 10th, 2010, communities in over 100 countries are expected to join the 10/10/10 Global Work Party by participating in activities that are designed demonstrate local sustainable food, energy, water, and transportation solutions to climate change. Organized by 350.org, the 10/10/10 Global Work party will represent the world’s largest day of practical action to fight the climate crisis.

In honor of this event The Wild Center has a planned a full day of activities for the whole family that will celebrate more sustainable ways to coexist with the natural world. The theme of the day is composting. Come and learn about simple methods to save money and the environment by recycling your organic waste using worms. Then participate in programs that will explore nature’s fascinating decomposing organisms, such as worms, insects, fungus and bacteria, which make composting possible. In addition, learn about the ways The Wild Center has put green practices to work on a tour of the museum’s sustainable building features.

Schedule of Events

11:30 Going Green with Worm Composting – Worms composting is a natural form of recycling you can do at home. Join Wild Center naturalists and learn the simple practice of composting your household waste using worms. With just a few minutes of work each week you can reduce your contribution to landfills, feed your plants, and improve your soil.

12:00 The Mystery of Decay – Why is composting so easy? It’s because all of the work is done by nature’s decomposers — fungus, bacteria and invertebrates. ”Dig” for answers about the organisms that break down our waste at our hands-on table top display.

1:00 Nature’s Decomposers Walk – Join a Wild Center naturalist on a walk to search for nature’s decomposers along our trails.

3:00 New Path Walk – Join a naturalist on a guided walk around The Wild Center and learn about the many ways in which the museum has put “Green Practices” to work.

Please note the schedule is subject to change.

For additional information on The Wild Center, visit www.wildcenter.org or call (518) 359-7800.


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Diane Chase: Adirondack Family Activities Take Your Child Outside Week


By Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Activities
Take Your Child Outside Week (annually September 24-30) started four years ago when Liz Baird, Director of School Programming at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, was inspired by Richard Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods.”

“This is a movement to inspire people to take a pledge to go outside for unstructured play,” says Baird. “One barrier we have discovered is that some parents do not want their children to get dirty or parents just don’t know what to do outside.”

“If this week inspires parents and children to go outside then that is fine. If they want to do it again and again, that is wonderful,” says Baird. “Children being able to spend time outdoors is a right just as much as having clean water and clean air. It is their right to explore nature.”

When Baird started the movement she felt she would be fortunate to have ten organizations partner with her. She now has close to 400 partners representing all fifty states and four foreign countries helping children enjoy a healthy outdoor lifestyle. In the Adirondack Park, The Wild Center, Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center, The Adirondack Museum and the SUNY –ESF’s Adirondack Ecological Center are part of this movement to connect children to nature.

So for those looking to get their children outside here are a few options to keep the costs to a minimum. If you are reluctant to go for a walk on your own, Smithsonian magazine is conducting their annual free museum day this September 25th.

The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake and the 1932/1980 Winter Olympic Museum in Lake Placid are participating. Fill out the form with the Smithsonian and you receive a free pass for two for September 25. Though there are plenty of inside activities at the Adirondack Museum, there are also chances to explore around the grounds as well. If you are reluctant to climb a mountain, this may be a good place to start.

The Olympic Museum is, well, inside. So the outside portion of the program would have to be conducted elsewhere. After exploring Lake Placid’s Olympic heritage, take children to the nearby town beach and explore the shoreline for the food chain.

In my family outings one thing we are always on the lookout for is what other animals are eating, whether insect or bird. Let children take time to explore the small details like witnessing hardworking ants preparing for winter or dragonflies catching insects. If parents don’t want to join in take a moment for yourself to relax. You may not get another opportunity for awhile.

September 25th is also designated as Nature Rocks Day where parents are encouraged to get outside with their families and explore natural habitats.

According to Baird she hopes that we eventually won’t need a week to get kids outside, that is, it will become an everyday occurrence.

“Wouldn’t that be exciting if we no longer needed a week designated to get children outside,” exclaims Baird. “ That would mean this disconnect with nature will be obsolete.”

Photo used with permission from Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Time www.adkfamilytime.com


photo and content © Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Activities ™. Diane is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities Guidebook Series including the recent released Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks Your Guide to Over 300 Activities for Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Keene, Jay and Wilmington areas (with GPS coordinates) This is the first book of a four-book series of Adirondack Family Activities. The next three editions will cover Plattsburgh to Ticonderoga, Long Lake to Old Forge and Newcomb to Lake George. 



Sunday, September 5, 2010

Ampersand Mountain Salamander Research Expedition

The Wild Center’s Assistant Curator Leah Filo and Staff Biologist Frank Panero will lead an off-site research project to look for salamanders on Ampersand Mountain on Saturday, September 11th at 9 am. Participants will be hiking off trail surveying for salamanders and species richness. This is a great opportunity to learn about the ecology of salamanders in the Adirondacks, participate in an active research project, as well as get a chance to meet some of these elusive creatures up close.

Two-thirds of all salamanders live in North Eastern North America. The Wild Center’s research project is part of a larger, ongoing salamander study that has existed since 1999. Participants should be prepared to hike off-trail over rough terrain. This program is free and open to the public however registration is requested. Group size is limited to 12 people.

The program will start at 9 am at the Ampersand Mountain trailhead located halfway between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake on Rte. 3. Register at www.wildcenter.org or call Sally Gross at 518-359-7800 x116. This program is suitable for participants ages 12 and up.


Sunday, August 15, 2010

Follensby Pond Highlight of Wild Center Event

What do violet variable dancer, Johnny darter, magnolia warbler, peppered moth and painted turtle have in common? Each is among the more than 430 species recently cataloged during a “BioBlitz” event at Follensby Pond. Learn more about this BioBlitz and The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) recent purchase of the historic Follensby Pond property on Friday, August 20th, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake.

The day will include a number of events for the whole family, plus a short film on Follensby Pond and a talk by Michael Carr, Executive Director of the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy at 1 pm. Carr will discuss Follensby as a unique conservation legacy. In addition to large-scale habitat protection, the tract offers cultural ties to the development of a uniquely American conservation ethos as the site where, in 1858, the leading intellectuals of the day retreated for the “Philosophers’ Camp”.

A BioBlitz is a rapid inventory of critters, plants, fungi, dragonflies—you name it. It provides the perfect excuse to look for the wild things—whether common or rare, large or small, in your own backyard or in a vast forest. It’s also a way to call attention to some of the intricate parts of the working ecosystems that give us clean air, fertile soil, and fresh water.

“We usually hear the word “biodiversity” in regard to rainforests with their vast number of species. Yet the diversity of life in our own backyards is phenomenal,” said Jen Kretser, Director of Programs for The Wild Center. “We are excited to host this event.”

The upcoming fun and educational event at The Wild Center will include hands-on activities – starting at 10:30 am with a bird walk – for people of all ages led by experts in various fields including mushroom identification, wildflowers, aquatic insects, moths and butterflies, small mammals and reptiles. It’s an opportunity to ask questions, get some field tips on how to look for and identify wild things, and try out some tools of the trade. Display tables, activities, naturalist walks, demonstrations, and more will be part the day.

A short film of the Follensby Pond BioBlitz will premiere at 12:30 pm as part of this special event. “It was truly inspiring to see scientists, naturalists, and students deeply engaged in discovery at Follensby Pond,” said Michael Carr, Executive Director of the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, which purchased the 14,600-acre property in September 2008. “Not only will this film convey the collective enthusiasm shared by the participants, it will also help to introduce people to a very special property that has been capturing the hearts and minds of adventurers and intellectuals alike for more than a century.”

“This event truly epitomizes the goal of the Adirondack All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) to bring scientists and citizens together in sharing their passion for the incredible diversity of life found in the Adirondack Park. I can’t think of another event where you will have some of the State’s experts in so many different groups of organisms all working together in the same place. Whether it’s dragonflies, fungi, or black bears you’re interested in, this event is sure to satisfy and inform,” said David Patrick, Director for the Center of Biodiversity at Paul Smith’s College.

The Wild Center, the Adirondack All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project at Paul Smith’s College, SUNY ESF’s Adirondack Ecological Center at Huntington Forest, and The Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter are pleased to offer this event in celebration and recognition of 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity.

The Bioblitz movie premiere and Follensby Pond lecture are free and open to the public. All other events and exhibits are free for members or with admission. For a full schedule please visit www.wildcenter.org

Mini-Bioblitz Schedule of Events at The Wild Center

From 10:30 am to 3:00 pm, peruse displays in the Great Hall and outside stations featuring different taxonomic groups surveyed during the June 18th and July 9th BioBlitzes that took place at Follensby Park. Participate in hands-on activities perfect for all ages. Experts on moths, small mammals, plants, and more will share the research and surveying techniques used to assess plant and wildlife diversity within the Follensby Pond property. See live specimens like the ones found during the BioBlitz.

10:30 am Local birding expert Brian McAllister will lead a walk down The Wild Center trails in search of as many different bird species as possible. The walk will result in a list of all birds sighted and heard on the property, using the same methods employed in the Follensby Pond ATBI.

At 11:00 am, 1:30 pm, and 3:30 pm, staff-led Animal Encounters in the Great Hall will introduce you to reptiles, a bird, and a mammal that you can find in the wild in the Tupper Lake region. Meet live representatives of Adirondack animals that were counted during the Follensby Pond BioBlitz.

11:30 am Join noted author and naturalist Peter O’Shea for a trail walk highlighting the aspects of the 2010 BioBlitz. Learn some of the plants and animals surveyed in the Follensby area that you can also find on The Wild Center grounds and consider the vast diversity of plant life throughout the region.

12:30 pm Join us in Flammer Theater for the premier of the BioBlitz film shot on location at Follensby Park this summer. Beginning with an introduction by Dr. David Patrick, Director of the Adirondack Center for Biodiversity. See scientists in action as they survey Follensby Pond for particular taxonomic groups and share their contagious enthusiasm, and get a look at this beautiful property currently closed to the public.

1:00 pm (Revised) Join Michael Carr, Executive Director of the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy for a talk about Follensby Pond as a unique conservation legacy.

2:00 pm Mushrooms are popping up all over the place at The Wild Center! Mycologist Susan Hopkins will take you on a tour of fungi. Search for mushrooms and other fungi found on-site and then compare these to some specimens found at Follensby Pond.

3:00 pm Naturalist John Sayles will share tips and hints on identifying plants specimens as well as look at natural succession during this walk.

Throughout the day there will be outdoor stations on identifying Adirondack Ferns, Aquatic insects, and Dragonflies.


Monday, August 9, 2010

Film Shot in Tupper Will Premiere at Wild Center

The much-anticipated local sci-fi adventure Recreator will have its premiere at The Wild Center on Thursday, August 19th at 7pm in advance of a local theatrical run, say the film’s producers, who shot the movie last fall in Tupper Lake. The premiere will benefit the Big Tupper Ski Area, according to Center Executive Director Stephanie Ratcliffe and ARISE Chairman Jim LaValley, co-hosts of the event. Tickets for the benefit, which includes the screening, reception and appearances by some of the actors and filmmakers are $25 and available online at www.wildcenter.org/recreator. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, August 7, 2010

New Otter Joins Wild Center Family

The Wild Center introduced its newest member of the family this week. Remy, a one year-old river otter from Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, joins Squeaker, Squirt and Louie at the newly expanded Otter Falls, the most popular exhibition at the Center. Remington, or Remy for short, is named for Frederic Remington, the American painter, illustrator, sculptor and writer who was born in nearby Canton, NY.

Dennis Money, who was the President of the New York River Otter Project (NYROP), officially welcomed Remy, while marking the 15th Anniversary of the River Otter Project. In 1995, the NYROP and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation launched the project that successfully released 279 river otters in Central and Western New York. Most of the released otters were trapped in the Adirondacks. Money also spoke about his experiences restoring other species, including peregrine falcons, in New York State. Money’s stories merge with the Center’s new Return of the Wild exhibition that explores how wild animals are returning to the Adirondacks.


Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Farmers Market Returns to Adirondack Wild Center

The Wild Center welcomes local farmers and crafters back for a weekly seasonal market, beginning Thursday, June 24th from 11-3 pm. Over a dozen vendors from the Adirondacks and the Champlain and St. Lawrence valleys will return to the summer pavilion tent at the museum. Meats and vegetables, baked goods and herbs, hand-made crafts, honey and maple syrup will be available for sale by the producers who grew or made them. Vendors may include Sunwarm Gardens, South Meadow Farm Maple Sugarworks, Underwood Farms, The Cupcake Market, Lake Flour Bakery, Well Dressed Foods, Kirbside Gardens and Merchia Farms, plus many more.

Though this is only the second season for The Wild Center market the sponsor, Adirondack Farmers’ Market Cooperative, marks its 20th anniversary this year. Celebrations will be taking place at farmers’ markets around the region this summer. The Wild Center market will host an anniversary event at the market on August 12th with music, a pie contest, crafts and more.

Buying local food can have great benefits for you and your neighborhood. Local food can be healthier for you, and there is something special that happens when you meet the people who have made the food that you feed your family.

The market will be held every Thursday through September 30th, rain or shine, from 11 am to 3 pm. The Wild Center outdoor grill will be open from 11 am- 2 pm featuring produce and meats from the market vendors. All related Farmer Market outdoor programming is free and open to the public. Admission to The Wild Center exhibits and additional programming is not included. For more information and directions please contact The Wild Center www.wildcenter.org or call 518-359-7800


Monday, May 31, 2010

Celebrating the Life of Clarence Petty

On Sunday morning, the Wild Center hosted a memorial celebration of the life of Clarence Petty, the ardent conservationist who died last fall at 104.

The Wild Center showed two films about Clarence. After a brunch, several longtime friends and colleagues spoke about Clarence’s passion for protecting Adirondack wilderness.

As serious as Clarence was about preservation, anyone who met him was struck by his sense of humor and friendly manner.

Clarence had lots of stories from his long, rich life. He spent the first years of his life in a squatter’s cabin on the Forest Preserve. He grew up in the tiny hamlet of Coreys on the edge of the woods, a virtual frontier in those days, and went on to become a manager in the Civilian Conservation Corps, a forest ranger, a state pilot, and an indefatigable defender of the Adirondacks.

Most of the speakers at the memorial celebration, such as Michael Carr, Barbara Glaser, David Gibson, and Peter O’Shea, had known Clarence for decades and regaled the audience with one humorous anecdote after another. I particularly enjoyed Carr’s story about the time Clarence mistakenly air-dropped a load of trout over a fisherman. Thinking he may have killed or injured the fellow, Clarence flew back over the pond and saw him raising his hands in thanks.

I didn’t know Clarence as well as those folks, but as the editor of the Adirondack Explorer, I had the chance to speak with him many times in the last decade of his life. Every two months, I interviewed him for a feature called “Questions for Clarence,” which the Explorer published from 2004 until Clarence’s death.

The questions covered just about every topic under the sun, but often I would try to get Clarence to reveal what bit wisdom he would like to pass on to posterity. He kept on returning to his faith in democracy. He believed that if the people were allowed to vote on the important issues facing the Adirondack Park, they would opt to protect it.

By “the people,” he meant the people of the whole state, since the Forest Preserve is owned by all of them. The difficulty is that many of the Park’s residents don’t like outsiders making decisions that affect their lives. Hence, the continuing animosity toward the Adirondack Park Agency.

To this, Clarence had an answer. He described the Park’s wild lands, especially the Forest Preserve, as “the magnet” that draws tourists to the Adirondacks. The more wildness that is preserved, the greater the appeal to tourists. And tourists are money.

In short, protecting the Park is good for the economy–and hence good for the people who live here.

Despite his best efforts, Clarence failed to convince everyone of that point of view. But the argument will be carried forth by those he did reach.

You can find out more about Clarence Petty’s life in this remembrance by Dick Beamish, the founder of the Adirondack Explorer.

Photo by Phil Brown: Clarence Petty memorabilia at the Wild Center.

 


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Adirondack Family Activities: Free Wild Center Community Day

Personally I like to see my fish on a platter with a slice of lemon but I am out voted every time. My children and husband love to fish though they mostly subscribe to the “catch and release” philosophy. Part of me thinks that it is because my children are not really successful with the catching part making the release a foregone conclusion.

I am always a bit put off by catching fish. If they go to that trouble why torture it with a hook? Just because we can catch it doesn’t mean we have to. But the point comes back to this: if I want a fish on the table someone has to put it there. Fish just don’t swan-dive into a market display case. There is a current disconnect with people and food so I am grateful that my children have an opportunity to know where their food is coming from.

For those people that want to learn more about fishing or just have an opportunity to witness all the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks (Wild Center) has to offer, this May 15th will be featuring a FishFest with James Prosek.

James Prosek has made his initial plunge into his passion of fishing with his first book, Trout: an Illustrated History. Published when he was only nineteen and illustrated with 70 of his own watercolors, Prosek is known as a writer, activist, naturalist and artist. He has gone on to document fishing and the natural world in the pages of Audobon magazine, the New York Times, and Orion as well as winning a Peabody Award for following the footsteps of Izaak Walton, author of the 17th century classic, The Complete Angler.

Encountering James Prosek is only a part of what the Wild Center has to offer. It will be a full day of activities planned from wooden boat making to a nature scavenger hunt. There are over 20 organizations that are participating in this event highlighting healthy ways to get families back to nature.

There will also be fishing demonstrations and plenty of opportunity to showcase your own fishing skills. So even if, like me, you prefer your fish lightly seasoned it is a wonderful opportunity to let others share their own passion for the wild.

This Saturday, May 15, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. the museum is free and open to the public. Here are directions to get to the Wild Center.


Saturday, May 8, 2010

Adirondack Public Observatory Lectures at The Wild Center

The Adirondack Public Observatory (APO) returns to The Wild Center on Friday nights in May with a series of free public astronomy lectures beginning at 7:00pm.

The Adirondack Public Observatory encourages everyone to share the wonders of the universe from the dark skies of the Adirondacks. The APO works to enhance public awareness and advance the science of Astronomy, integrate with area schools, colleges and universities, encourage and support amateur astronomers of all generations young and old, and provide families, civic and community groups the opportunity to view the night sky with various telescopes.

On Friday, May 14th is Freeze Frame: How do they get those wonderful pictures? with Marc Staves, Adirondack Public Observatory. Colorful images of planets, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and other celestial objects can be found everywhere. Did you know that many of the objects in those photographs are not even visible to the naked eye? Some of them are difficult to see even with a telescope. Experienced amateur astronomer, Marc will show you how he transforms those faint celestial objects through the art of astrophotography.

Marc Staves works for the Village of Tupper Lake Electric Department and to some of us he is known as the “Techno Wizard” because of his technological expertise. An experienced amateur astronomer Marc is also the president of the Adirondack Public Observatory.

On Friday, May 21st is Mars: What Have We Learned About the Red Planet? with Jeff Miller, St. Lawrence University. We have long been fascinated by Mars: its reddish hue, its brightness in the night sky, the strange way it appears to move amongst the background stars. Was there water on Mars in the distant past? And did any form of life exist there? We’ll discuss the history of our love affair with the Red Planet, and discuss some of the more recent discoveries made by robotic explorers.

Jeffrey Miller is an astronomy and physics instructor at St. Lawrence University. An avid astronomer and trustee of the Adirondack Public Observatory, Jeff has had the opportunity to visit the Mount Palomar Observatory in California and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

On Friday, May 28th is Venus Unveiled with Aileen O’Donoghue, St. Lawrence University. Venus…our sister planet. About the same size as Earth, can it really be called Earth’s twin? Could there be life? We’ve all seen the science fiction movies and stories about Venus and for a long time, people could only imagine what was beneath the clouds that completely hide this mysterious planet from our view. We’ll take a closer look at our neighbor and separate fact from fiction. Discover a world that in some ways is similar to our Earth but unique among the planets in our Solar System.


Saturday, May 1, 2010

Spring Outside! At The Wild Center Next Weekend

Spring Outside! with The Wild Center on Saturday, May 15th from 10 am until 3pm. Join The Wild Center, author and angler James Prosek, and more than 20 organizations and businesses ready to offer ideas to families for getting outside during this special free community day.

Family activities throughout the 31-acre campus include fly-casting with the Tri-Lakes Chapter of Trout Unlimited, fly-tying demonstrations with Wiley’s Flies, spin casting with the DEC, wooden boat building with the Adirondack Museum, Camping 101 with the Adirondack Mountain Club, a rock climbing wall, nature scavenger hunts and fort building.

An afternoon talk, “Fishing the 41st Parallel”, by award winning author, artist and angler James Prosek will be part of this special day. Fly Fishing the 41st from Connecticut to Mongolia and Home Again: A Fisherman’s Odyssey begins with, “One day, I left in a straight line from home at 41 Kachele Street, east along the 41st Parallel, following my passion for fish. It was a journey not only away from home, but toward it; which is the beauty of traveling in a circle, and the irony of adventure.” The journey along 41 degrees North, contains visits to places like: Paris, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Mongolia, and Japan. It is as much about the fish he catches as the people he encounters who share a passion for fish; an eccentric cast of characters illuminated through Prosek’s colorful stories and vivid descriptions. A book signing will follow the talk.

Other talks during the day include, Bill Schoch, the regional fisheries manager from the DEC, Patrick Sisti who will talk about “Fishing Adirondack Ponds 101”, “Water Safety” with Sonny Young and author Jay O’Hern.

Throughout the day the Wild Center will have otter enrichments, animal encounters, and naturalist walks. There will be art projects, fish encounters, fish feedings and live music.

Organizations participating in the day include Cornell Cooperative Extension, Adirondack Explorer, Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters, Adirondack Mountain Club, Adirondack Museum, Blueline Sports Shop, Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country, Five Ponds Partners, Girl Scouts of Northern New York, High Peaks Cyclery, The Hungry Trout, Jones Outfitters, New York State Outdoor News, Northern Lights School, Northwoods and Langskib Wilderness Programs Deep Water Project, NYS DEC, PackBasket Adventures/Wanakena General Store, Pok-O-MacCready, Raquette River Corridor Group, Raquette River Outfitters, Tri-Lakes Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Tupper Lake Rod and Gun Club and Wiley’s Flies.

Artist, writer, activist, and naturalist James Prosek made his authorial debut at nineteen years of age with Trout: an Illustrated History (Alfred A. Knopf, 1996), which featured seventy of his watercolor paintings of the trout of North America. Prosek has shown his paintings of trout and other natural history subjects with the Gerald Peters Gallery, New York and Santa Fe; Meredith Long Gallery, Houston; as well as with Wajahat/Ingrao, New York, and the DUMBO Arts Center, Brooklyn. His first solo museum showing was at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in 2007-2008. Prosek is a regular contributor to The New York Times and won a Peabody Award in 2003 for his documentary about traveling through England in the footsteps of Izaak Walton, the seventeenth-century author of The Compleat Angler. In 2004 he co-founded a conservation initiative called World Trout with Yvon Chouinard, the owner of Patagonia clothing company, which raises money for coldwater habitat conservation through the sale of T-shirts featuring trout paintings. As of 2009, World Trout has raised over $350,000 for coldwater conservation.

Prosek’s current work is concerned with man’s changing relationship to Nature. In his writing and painting he is examining the human compulsion to order nature through naming. Prosek’s next book, about eels, is due out in summer/fall 2010 with HarperCollins Publishers. The book explores the life history, mystery and world cultural associations concerning the freshwater eel. His story about freshwater eels is scheduled to run in National Geographic Magazine in 2010.

Prosek is a curatorial affiliate of the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale, and a member of the board of the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies.


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Tupper Lake to Hold Business Resource Expo

The Tupper Lake Revitalization Committee, a partnership of municipal officials, business owners, residents, and community groups dedicated to advancing the community’s economic goals, has been meeting regularly over the past months. The group has identified business retention and development as key priorities for 2010. As a first step, the Revitalization Committee will be sponsoring a Business Resource Expo at the Wild Center at 7:00 pm on Thursday, May 6.

The purpose of the gathering is to provide information about business assistance resources in the region to existing businesses and to individuals who may be considering starting a business. Regional economic development agencies, such as the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation, the Small Business Development Center, and the Franklin County IDA, along with the Tupper Lake Chamber of Commerce and representatives from local government, will discuss their programs and the help they can provide to current and potential businesses. Information will also be available on Tupper Lake’s microenterprise and Junction Main Street grant programs and other local programs that can benefit established and prospective businesses.

The event is free and all are welcome to attend. The evening will open with each business assistance agency providing a brief summary of their programs, followed by time in the Great Hall for individuals to consult directly with the agencies and ask specific questions.

Light refreshments will be served. In order to plan for numbers, the organizers would appreciate a call to the Town office if you are planning to attend. If you have any questions, or to RSVP, please contact Sandie Strader at the Town of Tupper Lake Office at 359-3981 or Mary Casagrain at the Village of Tupper Lake Office at 359-3341.


Saturday, April 10, 2010

Adirondack Wild Center Launches Next Generation ‘Wings’

When a group of young Adirondack enthusiasts first met in 2009 they never imagined the energy and passion they brought would grow so quickly, drawing in other like-minded people to form Wings. Wings recently launched, bringing together the next generation of Adirondackers who want to share their passion for the natural world of the Adirondacks, while supporting the important educational and environmental work of The Wild Center.

According to the Adirondack Park Regional Assessment Project Report, if current population trends continue in the next 20 years, the Adirondacks will rival Florida’s west coast as the region with the oldest population in America. It is time for the younger generation to actively participate in the future of the Adirondacks. Wings will encourage and engage this exciting group of 21-45 year olds who live in and outside of the Adirondacks in social, educational and philanthropic ways. They will come together for regular gatherings where they can network, develop a greater understanding for the natural world of the Adirondacks and support the programs and initiatives of The Wild Center.

Wings will play an active role in the future of The Wild Center. “It is so important to incorporate various perspectives into the future of The Wild Center,” said Stephanie Ratcliffe, Executive Director of The Wild Center. “Wings is a way of actively engaging the younger population both inside and outside of the Adirondacks in the future of the region. Creating future stewards of the Adirondacks is integral to the survival of the area.”

Ed Forbes and David Bickford, Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee, will serve as Wings representatives to the Advisory Board of The Wild Center. A former resident of Lake Placid, Ed graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2002 and joined the staff of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise as a reporter covering Saranac Lake and the Adirondack Park Agency. In 2003, he became the editor of the Lake Placid News. He left the News in 2007 to pursue a Master’s degree at the Columbia University Graduate School. In 2008, he became an editor at The Journal News in White Plains. He and his wife, Emily Hunt Forbes, live in Bronxville and visit the North Country as often as they can. “Emily and I think about and miss the North Country every day,” said Ed. “While I grew up in northern New Jersey and she was raised in Buffalo, we consider the Adirondacks our home. Wings, to us, offers a range of opportunities: We can connect inside the Blue Line and out with other expatriates who share our love for the region, we can learn more about the Adirondacks’ natural wonders and we can support the critical mission of The Wild Center.”

Dave currently lives in New York City with his wife and six-month old daughter. A 2000 graduate from St. Lawrence University, over five generations of his family have been going to Upper Saranac Lake since the 1940s. He currently works in ad sales at CNBC.

Joining Wings provides numerous opportunities for attending Wings events in various locations and visiting The Wild Center. Wings participants will see their contribution make an impact at the Museum in the form of a collective annual gift toward a specific program or exhibit.

Using an email mailing to announce the launch of Wings demonstrates how the group will continue to communicate and spread the word. “The way of the world has shifted dramatically towards internet-based communication and social networking,” said Dave Bickford. “If we can use it to harness the energy of our supporters, while using fewer resources and funds, it won’t matter where someone is in the world. If they love the Adirondacks and want to be involved, they can. We plan to use our Facebook fan page to keep in frequent communication with everyone. Our social events will be both inside and outside of the Adirondacks, enabling everyone to meet in person too.”

The Wings Steering Committee is actively seeking like-minded supporters, people who want to get together with others who share a love for the Adirondacks, be future stewards of the Adirondacks, and get involved in Wings. For more information, visit www.wildcenter.org/wings.



Conditions
Conditions

The Adirondack Almanack

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

We publish commentary and opinion pieces from voluntary contributors, as well as news updates and event notices from area organizations. Contributors include veteran local writers, historians, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the Adirondack region. The information, views and opinions expressed by these various authors are not necessarily those of the Adirondack Almanack or its publisher, the Adirondack Explorer.

General inquiries about the Adirondack Almanack should be directed to editor Melissa Hart. To advertise on the Adirondack Almanack, or to receive information on rates and design, please click here.
Web Services & Search Engine Optimization By: Suloff Designs

Wait! Before you go:

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