The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has awarded the 2020 Henry M. Rowan Conservation Award to Carl Heilman, II, Brant Lake resident and renowned photographer and author.
The Rowan Award is named after Henry M. Rowan, who received the inaugural award in 2003. The award is given annually to recognize exemplary individuals and organizations for their conservation efforts around Lake George.
The award is typically presented during the LGLC’s annual President’s Reception, but because of the pandemic the event has been cancelled for this year. The physical award will instead be presented in person during next year’s Reception.
Gazing on OK Slip Falls as the waters plunge 250 feet into the gorge at our feet, it’s easy to give in to a rush of impressions. This cataract, the tallest in the Adirondack Park, has true grandeur and raw power. But it also displays surprising subtlety. The falling torrent divides into bands of white foam and darker water, moving in undulating patterns before crashing onto the boulders below.
For the visitors in our group, there is a sense of excitement. We’re a vanguard for a public that has long been unable to view this wonder. Until this year it has been hidden on private property. Located amid woodlands near the Hudson River Gorge, OK Slip Falls is now part of the publicly owned Forest Preserve and will soon be accessible by a new hiking trail. It’s one of the premier destinations in the former Finch, Pruyn & Company lands recently purchased by New York State from the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. » Continue Reading.
Capturing the Adirondacks in winter is something that only the hardiest of hikers and Adirondack photographers do. Painters will sometimes take on the weather, but the stillness of winter is really for photographers.
The days are short, the air is cold, and the light falls in slants through the bare trees. This is the time and place that belongs to Carl Heilman, II, a photographer who has been roaming the mountains for more than three decades, producing spectacular panoramas from the frozen lakeshores to the frosted tips of the peaks. So who better to learn from? Heilman has been leading treks through the Adirondacks as long as he has been taking photographs, and through his workshops, he has shared the secrets to his wonderous photography with others who, in their own way, help to carry on the Adirondack tradition.
On January 28th, Heilman will be teaching the photography workshop, “Nature in Winter” from 9 am – 5 pm at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. The morning will be devoted to seminar instruction and Q&A to prepare participants for an afternoon of shooting on the Wild Center property and at nearby locations.
The Wild Center workshop is $125 to members and $138 to nonmembers for the day, and includes the free use of snowshoes. Notification of other equipment and recommended clothing will be provided upon registration. Register directly by contacting Sally Gross: sgross@wildcenter.org, (518) 359-7800, ext 116.
Photo by Carl Heilman, II.
Linda J. Peckel explores the Adirondacks by following the arts wherever they take her. Her general art/writing/film/photography musings on can be found at her own blog Arts Enclave
Landscape photographer Carl Heilman II, who has published numerous photo books and offered an acclaimed photo show at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, has just wrapped up a new audio-visual presentation.
Heilman, a Brant Lake resident since the 1970s, has been a full-time nature photographer since the late 1990s. His landscapes, and especially his panoramic prints, adorn public spaces around the region. He’s released a number of books and has a continuous presentation, Wild Visions, playing at the Tupper Lake Wild Center. Now he’s got a new show.The half-hour program, called “I am the Adirondacks,” was created for the new Arts and Sciences Center/Old Forge. It debuted last Sunday on WMHT in Schenectady, and an 18-minute version will be showed regularly when the Old Forge center opens next summer. If you can’t wait, Heilman will soon be selling a copy of the DVD.
His new show includes narration and music by Adirondack folk musicians Dan Berggren, Dan Duggan and Peggy Lynn. It’s focus is on both the scenic beauty of the Adirondacks, and the people who work and play in the mountains. It contains about 60 percent new material, Heilman said. “It’s designed like the Adirondacks themselves are speaking and narrating the show,” he said, “My goal from photography from beginning was try to help create a sense of being in these places.”
More information about Heilman’s work can be found here.
Researchers, summit stewards and others interested in protecting northeast alpine zones will gather in the Adirondacks May 29 and 30 to explore the impact of climate change on these fragile ecosystems. The Northeastern Alpine Stewardship Gathering is held every two years to allow researchers, planners, managers, stewards and others to share information and improve the understanding of the alpine areas of the Northeast. The 2009 conference, the first to be held in the Adirondacks, will feature presentations by environmentalist and author Bill McKibben and award-winning photographer Carl Heilman. Alpine zones are areas above the treeline that are home to rare and endangered species more commonly found in arctic regions. In the Adirondacks, alpine zones cover about 170 acres atop more than a dozen High Peaks, including Marcy, Algonquin and Wright. Because these summits experience heavy recreational use, New York’s alpine habitat is one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the state. Alpine vegetation is also highly susceptible to climate change and acts as a biological monitor of changing climate conditions.
The conference, which will be held at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Lake Placid, kicks off Thursday evening with a reception and Carl Heilman’s multimedia presentation. Friday will feature a full day of sessions on such subjects as “The Effects of a Changing Climate on the Alpine Zone” and “Visitor Use and Management of Alpine Areas.”
On Saturday, conference attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a variety of field trips, such as guided hikes to a High Peak summit, a morning bird walk or a visit to the Wild Center.
The $40 conference fee includes Thursday mixer, Friday lunch, Friday dinner and Saturday bag lunch.
The 2009 Gathering is hosted by the Adirondack High Peaks Summit Steward Program, a partnership of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The Gathering is sponsored by the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Adirondack Forty-Sixers and the Waterman Alpine Stewardship Fund. Conference partners include the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, the Adirondack Park Agency Visitor’s Interpretive Center, the Crowne Plaza Resort, New York Natural Heritage Program, DEC, Paul Smith’s College and the Wild Center.
Rooms are available at the Crowne Plaza. For reservations, call (800) 874-1980 or (518) 523-2556. Camping and lodging are available at the Adirondak Loj, six miles south of the village of Lake Placid. For reservations, call (518) 523-3441. Additional lodging options may be found at www.lakeplacid.com.
For more information, call Julia Goren at (518) 523-3480 Ext. 18 or visit ADK’s Web site at www.adk.org.
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The Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) has awarded the 2020 Henry M. Rowan Conservation Award to Carl Heilman, II, Brant Lake resident and renowned photographer and author.
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