What's Your Nature?

Become a Nature Up North explorer to share your encounters with wild things and wild places in New York's North Country. Post your wildlife sightings, landscape shots, photos from your outings, and even your organization's events!

Just Our Nature Posts

Talking (and Listening) to Your House Plants

Crocuses in bloom
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our Nature
The idea that plants benefit from kind words, or from speech in general, has roots that go back at least to Charles Darwin, who supported the concept. Sound evidence that speaking to plants makes them healthier came to light several years ago – it turns out the “silly” folks who talk to their gardens and hoe plants have been right all along. And this effect is not due to the carbon dioxide we…
White Flowers Lilacs in bloom

Nature Up North 2025 Calendars Are Here!

Coyote on Ice - 2025 Calendar Cover
By Dan French on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Proceeds from calendar sales benefit Nature Up North's community outreach initiatives. Each year, Nature Up North reaches hundreds of local residents through guided hikes, paddles, workshops, and K-12 programs. Thanks for your support!   We hope you’ll support our programs and locally-owned businesses by buying a Nature Up North calendar this year. Proceeds from calendar sales directly…

Event Recap - Girl Scout Survival Day!

Girl Scouts in front of their lean-to shelter.
By Wejden Jemmezi on
Blog: Just Our Nature
As part of a unique program, I recently had the opportunity to attend a Girl Scout event that left me both inspired and enlightened. This experience not only allowed me to connect with our community's youth but also taught me valuable skills and deepened my appreciation for nature. What struck me most was the girls' enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge. Their curiosity about our surroundings was…

Seasons of Change: An Ode to Fall

Trees next to the ODY library on SLU's campus
By Donatella DeFazio on
Blog: Just Our Nature
This photo essay captures the beautiful transformation of leaves as the seasons transition from fall to winter. The change from lush greens, to shades of red, orange, and gold, tells a story of renewal and the texture that autumn brings at St. Lawrence University. I invite viewers to pause and appreciate the wonders of nature we see every day. Each tree has its own process and story to tell.…

Event Recap - Pumpkin Party in Heritage Park

Carved and Painted pumpkins lined up along a trail.
By Dan French on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Over the weekend of October 26th and 27th 2024 the excitement for the upcoming holiday came to a head. We love the fall season at Nature Up North because it’s a season of change. Trees are changing colors, temperatures are dropping, snow is in the mountains, and wildlife is beginning its winter preparation. Halloween often signals the shift from fall to winter, so we wanted to do something to…
A pumpkin painted like an eyeball inside a larger pumpkin. A pumpkin carved with cat ears Pumpkin painted as a clown

Why Autumn Pruning is Bad

A fall canopy reflects a mirrored image in a glass-like river.
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our Nature
When I was younger, an old-time arborist I knew used to say “The best time to prune trees is when the tools are sharp.” This guy was beset with shoulder injuries and knee problems because he also believed “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Sadly, both of these old saws are dangerous lies. Although tree-care companies have year-round expenses and need income in all seasons, a truly…

Anarchy is Bad for Picnics and Restaurant Patios

A wasp sits on a white flower.
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our Nature
I’m not one to shed a tear when authoritarian rulers die, but once they’re gone, outdoor dining becomes a lot more dangerous. As summer wanes, the original queen in every yellowjacket (or other social wasp species) colony dies. Turns out that having a few thousand babies in the course of one season is enough to tire any Queen Mum to death. As the original queen starts to forget the names of her…

The Colors of Distress

Fall trees along a lake's shoreline
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Recent studies show that trained dogs can sense Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, many forms of cancer, and other serious ailments long before symptoms show up. We may not be able to match such an impressive feat, but it turns out we’re not entirely inept when it comes to prescient diagnostics. There are two simple ways to detect grave illness in trees before they start looking overtly ill. The…
Fall trees along a river

Goldenrod Was Framed

Goldenrod flowers in bloom
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Please don’t blame late-season allergies on goldenrod. Well, not unless you’ve discovered bees going up your nose lately. It turns out that pollen from goldenrod, which is in glorious bloom throughout the region right now, is too heavy to waft on the wind. These plants rely on bees and other pollinators to convey their sticky pollen grains from one flower to another, which is why goldenrods don’t…
Ragweed with vertical green flowers

When hobbies intersect: Radio and Wilderness

By Gabriella Schuckers on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Are you looking to spend more time in the backcountry? While spending days or weeks away from civilization is a great adventure, you may have some worries about safety. Garmin in reach and other devices allow for backcountry communication but come with a large price tag. Still, there is something else that allows for 2 way communication and is a fraction of the price. It's traveling through the…