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
Black and Grey: The current and lost predators of the North Country
By Patrick Chase on
Blog: Just Our NatureOne of the defining characteristics of the North Country is its connection to the natural world. If it weren't, Nature Up North wouldn't exist, and that is a timeline truly too dark to imagine. The animals that inhabit the North Country play a huge role in defining the region's character. From the iconic white-tail deer, whose presence has earned them a place on the St. Lawrence County seal, to…
From Tree to Topping: The Journey of Maple Syrup to Your Pancakes
By Dan French on
Blog: Just Our NaturePicture yourself wandering through a forest in early spring, the air crisp with the promise of warmer days ahead. Amidst the trees, something magical is happening – the sap is flowing, marking the beginning of the sweet journey from tree to topping. Join me to uncover the delightful process of making maple syrup, from forest to breakfast table.
Upon arriving in the North Country in August last…
Why Springs Smells So Good
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureAs the soil warms up in April and May and green plants spring forth once again, a delicate aroma hangs in the air, apart from any floral scent wafting on the breeze. It’s earthy and fresh, and I find it almost intoxicating. It turns out that spring’s special perfume has some fun and quirky root causes.
Spring’s perfume has long intrigued humans, to the point that sixty years ago, Australian…
Eye Candy, Cough Syrup, and Early Flowers
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureAfter so many months of winter whiteness, it’s a relief to watch the snow recede at last. We’re always grateful for the spring melt, even though the loss of snow cover gives way to a mostly brown world: brown grass, sand everywhere along the roads, and brown needles under the pines. Not to mention the brown leaves we missed last fall, and maybe the dog poop that had built up, mercifully hidden…
Beneficial Beavers
By Liz Anderson on
Blog: Just Our NatureDid you know that the beaver is New York’s official state mammal? It’s a warranted distinction due to their critical importance in the ecosystem. Beavers are a keystone species, meaning that their presence is essential for biodiversity and a sustained, healthy ecosystem. Beavers accomplish this promotion of biodiversity by altering the habitat of an area by way of building dams and changing water…
Our 6th Annual Cardboard Sled Race Recap!
By Dan French on
Blog: Just Our NatureThe 6th Annual Cardboard Sled Race, planned originally for Saturday, February 10th, then moved to Saturday, Feb 24th due to weather, fell victim this year to the warm weather of El Niña. What was otherwise a delightfully warm and sunny week leading up to Saturday, melted much of the snow that had dropped the weekend prior. That, coupled with a wind chill in the negatives on Saturday morning,…
Got Biogas?
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureEven if its precise definition isn’t at the tip of your tongue, most everyone gets the drift of what’s meant by the term ‘biogas.’ There is biology involved, and the result is gas. One example might be the funk in the air on the bus carrying the sauerkraut-eating team home after a weekend competition. Another type of biogas is cow belches, and the rotten-egg stink-bubbles that swarm to the…
My Start, My Growth, and My Return to the North Country
By Dan French on
Blog: Just Our NatureAs the new Project Manager for Nature Up North, I’m excited by the many possibilities in front of me. In my first few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to visit students in Norwood as they learn about the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees. I’ve worked with the encounters on our website as we built our 2024 calendar (for sale now!). I’ve met our many St. Lawrence University interns…
Think Snow – Gardens and Forests Need It
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureIn her poem “It Sifts from Leaden Sieves,” Emily Dickinson lauds the sublime beauty of snow – gossamer flakes that garnish a forest, wispy grains that infiltrate nooks and crannies, and wind-sculpted rings of snow around fence posts. Given that the poet lived in a time before cars and stayed in her bedroom for 20 years, she never had to shovel snow, trudge through it, or drive in it. One is less…
Groundhog Day, Again?
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our NatureAgain?
I watched the 1993 film Groundhog Day featuring Bill Murray at least a dozen times. Or maybe it just felt that way. Just as February 2 was on a nonstop loop in the film, this year’s iteration of Groundhog Day is likely to feel roughly the same as all the previous ones. I think it’s a good metaphor for this time of year, as we stumble out each morning in the semi-dark to defrost the car,…
