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

Nature Up North 2020 Calendar Photo Contest

July | 2019 Nature Up North Calendar. Photo: Janine Wright
By Emlyn Crocker on
Blog: Just Our Nature
It's midsummer, and that means it's time for our annual call for submissions for the Nature Up North 2020 Calendar! Over the years, members of the community have shared thousands of photos, observations, and stories with us online at www.natureupnorth.org/encounters.  Each year in September, we select our favorite photos from the previous 12 months to highlight in our annual Nature…
Cover | 2019 Nature Up North Calendar. Photo: Maya Williams Back cover | 2019 Nature Up North Calendar

Meet our Summer 2019 Naturalist Interns!

Summer 2019 Naturalist Interns
By Emlyn Crocker on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Nature Up North is pleased to introduce our 4 summer naturalist interns, Emily, Val, Grace and Lydia. We are thrilled to have them working with us this summer to bring more public events, citizen science, and outdoor fun to the North Country community. Read below to learn more about each of them and to hear what they've been getting up to so far! Photos: Emily Gerber (left),…
Exploring the local sites!

Controlling Lily Leaf Beetle – Part I

non-native species of lily known as tiger lily
By Paul Siskind on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Gardeners throughout the northern United States are likely familiar with the Lily Leaf Beetle (Lilioceris lilii), a non-native invasive insect that can quickly decimate lilies in gardens.  However, the beetle also has potential to extirpate populations of native lilies.  In North America, native lilies tend to grow in small, low-density populations. Native lilies alone offer the…

Large Predators: Who Lives in Northern New York and Who Once Did?

Black bear photographed in Colton, NY
By Abrianna Schlickenmayer on
Blog: Just Our Nature
What comes to mind when you think of a large predator? Maybe a powerful lion? Or a burly bear? Did you know that the Adirondacks and all of New York State were once home to a variety of top predators, including cougars, wolves, wolverines, lynx and black bears? Out of these five species, only one is still present here today… maybe you’ve seen it. That’s right, the only remaining top predator in…

The Bell Pepper Story: Too Much Clapping, Not Enough Applause

red bell pepper over black background
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our Nature
April 1, 2019 marks the 90th anniversary of the development of the modern sweet pepper, also known as the bell pepper. Native to Central America, as well as to Mexico and northern South America, there is evidence that numerous types of peppers (Capsicum annuum) have been cultivated by native peoples for at least 6,500 years. Hot peppers were the first New World crop grown in Europe, with seeds…

Nature Up North March 2019 Teacher Workshop

mushroom identification
By Emlyn Crocker on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Are you a k-12 teacher in the North Country? Take your science outside with us and learn to use place-based, local citizen science projects to meet Next Generation Science Standards at this CTLE approved workshop! Join the staff from Nature Up North at St. Lawrence University for an opportunity to (re)discover outdoor teaching as a way to motivate students and teach science standards. If you are…

SAD in the Winter: Get Outside and Feel Better

Mt. Arab
By Abrianna Schlickenmayer on
Blog: Just Our Nature
In the midst of a North Country winter, you might be experiencing the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder. You may have low motivation and be tempted to withdraw from social interaction... it might feel like your own personal hibernation. Some people dismiss this as simply “the winter blues”. It might be, but it also may be more than that. Shorter winter days in the North Country result…

Apply to be a Summer Intern!

Alyssa at Hart's Falls
By Emlyn Crocker on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Want to spend the summer in the North Country hiking, meeting new people, and learning about environmental education? We're hiring! Nature Up North summer naturalist interns are talented, driven undergraduate students with interest in place-based outdoor education. Interns spend the summer developing leadership skills, leading outdoor programs and workshops, and becoming better environmental…

Wild Eats: Tea Time

Homemade white pine tea
By Isabella de Buy Wenniger on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Have you ever wandered through the woods, looked at all the plants surrounding you, and wondered, “are any of these edible?” Good news: there are many species of edible plants found in the wild all around us! With a little knowledge of how to identify and prepare wild edibles, local forests become a bountiful place to explore. In the late fall and winter, after deciduous trees and shrubs have…

Consider a Gift to Nature Up North

Huckleberry Lake in late autumn. Photo by Bill Hill.
By Erika Barthelmess on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Dear friends and neighbors, It's that time of year again; the snow is flying, the geese have (mostly) left.  Must be time to consider making a contribution to support Nature Up North!  We'd be delighted and appreciative if you made a donation to help environmental education here in the North Country.  Specifically, your gift will help to support activities such as:…