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 - news, updates and insights
Cattails: A Tale of Nine Lives
By Paul J. Hetzler on July 20, 2019
The two cats at my place have endured life-threatening traumas such as falls, fights, and the compulsory “devotions” of small children. It’s amazing the hazards they can survive. Sadly, my contacts in the veterinary field continue to assert that cats have but a single life, and that the whole nine-lives thing is just a cat tale.
However, the story about cattails having at least nine lives is no…
Blog category: Just Our Nature
Wrangling Today, Protecting Tomorrow
By Lydia Dwyer on July 12, 2019
The Canadian goose population began to decline in the 1970s due to increased harvesting. However, long-term efforts from our dedicated local Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are successfully reversing the decline.
In late June each year, the DEC invites community members of all ages to help with the sexing, tagging, and of course, wrangling of Canadian geese at several Wildlife…
Blog category: Just Our Nature
A North Country Turtle in Trouble
By Glenn Johnson on July 8, 2019
Perhaps due to their iconic shells, great longevity, and slow movements, turtles form an assemblage of about 320 species that are instantly recognized and often loved, by nearly everyone. However, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, turtles as a group are declining worldwide, faster than nearly every other vertebrate group. Threats include widespread habitat…
Blog category: Just Our Nature
Fish Forestry
By Paul J. Hetzler on July 1, 2019
As many anglers know, trees and trout are closely related. Not in a family sense, of course. And not like the way in which tomatoes and fish were briefly married in a 1996 experiment at Oakland, California-based DNA Plant Technology in an attempt to get a frost-tolerant tomato (or possibly a saucy fish). If it weren’t for tree cover, cold-water fish species would not survive in most of the…
Blog category: Just Our Nature
Nature Up North 2020 Calendar Photo Contest
By Emlyn Crocker on July 1, 2019
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 Up North…
Blog category: Just Our Nature
Registration Open! Teacher Workshop, July 30-31
By Emlyn Crocker on June 22, 2019
Are you a St. Lawrence County teacher interested in incorporating more nature-based learning into your lessons? Do you want to increase opportunities for integrating outdoor learning with STEM content?
Join the Nature Up North team for our 6th annual summer teacher workshop!
This two-day teacher workshop will focus on incorporating nature-based STEM learning into classroom curriculum. In the past…
Blog category: In the Schools
Meet our Summer 2019 Naturalist Interns!
By Emlyn Crocker on June 21, 2019
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), Val Maldonado (right…
Blog category: Just Our Nature
Controlling Lily Leaf Beetle – Part I
By Paul Siskind on June 20, 2019
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 beetle a limited…
Blog category: Just Our Nature
Large Predators: Who Lives in Northern New York and Who Once Did?
By Abrianna Schlickenmayer on April 30, 2019
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…
Blog category: Just Our Nature
Spring Fairy House Clues
By Thimble & Blossom on April 26, 2019
Come visit our fairy homes! Each spring we migrate through the North Country on our way home for the summer. We live in the woods, where we spend our days bonding with birds, talking with trees, buzzing with bugs, and getting friendly with fungi. As you might guess, we've become expert naturalists. At any time between now and May 13th, find our homes using the clues below and leave notes with…
Blog category: Ask a Fairy