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

Share your opinions about outdoor recreation in the North Country

Drawing with words "recreation in the Algonquin to Adirondack Corridor"
By Erika Barthelmess on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Our names are Aliya Brown, Ryan Heuss and Kendrew Van Gorder, and we are undergraduate students at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. We are working under the direction of Dr. Erika Barthelmess, a faculty member at St. Lawrence University. We are conducting research as part of a case study project for our Conservation Biology class. Our case study is focused on the A2A trail, a proposed…

February Frolic - Snow Sculpting!

North Country explorer and a small snowperson
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our Nature
One of my favorite snowy day activities is building snow sculptures, whether that be the classic snow family or something a bit more outside of the box. And with all this fresh snow from our most recent winter storm, now is the perfect time! Matthew Morris, of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, has taken the snow sculpting game up a notch. See his most recent sculpture, a rendition of the Tower of Pisa,…
Igloo at St. Lawrence University A snow family in front of the Arts Annex at St. Lawrence University

February Frolic - Who’s Frolicking With You?

Mice tracks in snow
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our Nature
  If you’ve been getting outside and frolicking this February, you may have noticed some signs left in the snow that you aren’t alone! This gallery features some tracks found by other North Country explorers, as well as resources to help you identify what you're frolicking with! And remember, no matter what you spot, be sure to share it with us via our Encounters page (https://www.…
Porcupine "snow tube" Deer and squirrel tracks in snow Rabbit tracks in snow Deer tracks in snow Otter slide tracks in snow Mink tracks in snow

February Frolic: Get Outside With Nature Up North 

Piece of ice on Kip Trail
By Valeria Maldonado Ortiz on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Are you tired of being inside? Don’t let the cold weather get you down, get up and get outside with Nature Up North! Here are some activities you can do outside while in the North Country. Make sure to always layer up and stay warm!    Snowy Hike  You can’t go wrong with a hike during the cold winter months. Make sure to layer up and stay hydrated as you explore the winter…
Snowmans Whiteface skiing Trees in winter

The Secret World of Fireflies

Poster with the title of blog, The Secret World of Fireflies, and the Nature Up North logo over a picture of fireflies glowing in a dark forest
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our Nature
If you look outside on a warm North Country summer night, you’re likely to see tiny blinking lights floating through the sky, disappearing and then reappearing a few feet away. These fireflies (Lampyridae) are not made of fire nor are they flies! They’re actually a member of the beetle order, Coleoptera, the largest known order of organisms in the world with over 350,000 beetle species described…
Photnius pyralis (Common Eastern Firefly) on a white fence

Virtual Nature Coloring Book

Virtual Nature Coloring Book Cover
By Valeria Maldonado Ortiz on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Nature Up North presents a virtual nature coloring book! This coloring book features different animals and plants that you can find in the North Country. It includes fun facts about each species, tree identification, and more. Post and tag us in your finished coloring book pages on social media and use the hashtag #colorwithnun. Stay tuned for more coloring pages coming soon!
American Goldfinch Coloring Page Aster Coloring Page Red Fox Coloring Page Do you know your leaves Coloring page Common Easter Firefly

Herb Gardening for Beginners

Herb Gardening for Beginners
By Valeria Maldonado Ortiz on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Are you interested in building a small garden at home, but don’t know how to start? Or are you simply looking for a new hobby during quarantine? Keep reading to learn how to get started and the benefits of having a herb garden at your disposal. These herbs are ideal for beginners because they’re easy to grow and take care of!  Find a home for your herbs You can start your herb garden by…
Planted Herb Planted Herb

A Beginner's Guide to Summer Stargazing

A long exposure shot of stars the movement of stars throughout the night sky.
By Alyssa Watson on
Blog: Just Our Nature
As we approach the three-month mark of quarantining at home with our families and loved ones, it is more important than ever to get into nature in creative ways. If you’re working from home with little ones running around, a college student looking for a creative outlet, or simply looking to expand your own horizons, follow our guide to explore the summer night sky. In the North Country, hiking…

Nature Up North Photo Contest for 2021 Calendar

2020 first place photo and calendar cover
By Madison O'Shea on
Blog: Just Our Nature
July 1st, 2020 to August 9th, 2020 Calling all North Country nature photographers! Got your camera at the ready? Nature Up North is once again hosting our annual calendar contest for nature photos that will be featured in our 2021 wall calendar. At Nature Up North we hope to inspire exploration and appreciation of the North Country environment. One way we do this is through the Encounters feature…
2020 calendar winner photos

"Love Your Mother" Bingo

Love Your Mother Bingo
By Madison O'Shea on
Blog: Just Our Nature
May 15, 2020 - May 22nd, 2020 Join us for a game of "Love Your Mother" bingo! We've created a virtual bingo game that you can participate in over the next week by completing a variety of outdoor, hands-on and on-line activities all while social distancing. How to Play: 1. Download the bingo card attached below to choose the activities you would like to participate in to…