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!

Teacher Workshop August 9th & 10th - Cancelled

5 people standing in a circle in front of a river all holding pieces of paper and looking at a clear vial of water

By Kayla Edmunds on July 26, 2023

Blog: In the Schools

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? We're excited to bring back our annual summer teacher workshop in two parts! This first of our two-part workshop is focused on incorporating nature-based STEM learning into classroom curriculum. …

3 people, one man pointing up into the trees, two women looking in that direction

By Peyton Schmitt on May 13, 2023

Blog: North Country Wild

After spending the semester conducting research, I finally have a story to tell about the current state of porcupines on the St. Lawrence University Kip tract. I used game cameras to take pictures of wildlife and recorded what species I saw. I had over 20 different species captured on camera, but the one species I did not have a single picture of was the porcupine. There is a concern that…

By Peyton Schmitt on May 13, 2023

Blog: North Country Wild

In kindergarten, we learn how to count to 10. We continue counting to 10 because it’s easy for us, whether it be counting birds, cars, or fingers. We might therefore assume that counting wildlife would be just as easy, but that isn’t the case. Wildlife are generally well hidden and tend to be active when humans are not. Seeing wildlife today has gotten harder because of the decrease in…

Lampson falls trailhead sign is brown with yellow lettering that says Grasse River wild forest forest preserve lampson falls parcel NYS department of environmental conservation lampson falls and points towards the trail

By Kayla Edmunds on May 9, 2023

Blog: Just Our Nature

Try your hand at letterboxing! Whether this is your first time or you're a letterboxing aficionado, make your way over to Lampson Falls between now and the end of July to find our five-box series. Read on to learn more about what letterboxing is and the supplies you need, and find the Lampson Falls Letterbox clues below! First of all, what is letterboxing? Letterboxing is a treasure hunt that…

By Ilana Mirel on May 5, 2023

Blog: Just Our Nature

Hiking isn't just for people. Many people are bringing their trusty companions with them on their adventures in the North Country environment and beyond. Hiking with your dogs is one of the most fun activities and a great way to get outdoors and bond with your beloved pets. We all want what is best for our dogs, which includes hiking safety! Knowing some plant identification could save your dog's…

By Julia Hahne on May 5, 2023

Blog: Just Our Nature

Seeing animals in the wilderness can be a breathtaking experience, but it’s not always easy to convey this beauty in the form of a photo. Dealing with fast moving animals or the “interesting” weather of the North Country can make it hard to snap a good picture. Luckily, practice, plus a few tips, are all it takes, and the North Country is an excellent place to practice. Whether you hail from the…

By Peyton Schmitt on May 1, 2023

Blog: North Country Wild

Growing up I enjoyed outdoor recreational activities from hunting and fishing to hiking and camping. I was introduced to these activities by listening to stories my father and grandfather told me about all the wildlife they experienced. As I walk through the same forests, it feels underwhelming compared to those stories. The question I have now is, what happened? As our global population grows,…

Women with brown hair and green bandana holding three brown baby critters

By Kayla Edmunds on April 27, 2023

Blog: Just Our Nature

Since the beginning of Nature Up North ten years ago, four amazing, unique, talented Project Managers have graced the office of Bewkes 122, the Kip Trail and Wachtmeister Field Station, and many more local outdoor spaces. To celebrate our ten year anniversary that their years of work helped us get to, we reached out to see where they are now and what they have been up to since leaving Nature Up…

man in black sweater and black hat with sunglasses in front of a mountainous landscape view

Women with brown hair and light blue sweater on a rock in front of landscape of green, orange, and red fall foliage

A woman in dark grey sweater and women in light gray sweater walking down a wooded trail and waving at the camera

By Kayla Edmunds on April 24, 2023

Blog: Just Our Nature

The registration list has been recycled and the course flags have been hung up for now, but we're still thinking about how much fun we had with all participants of our 7th Annual Earrth Day 7k this past Saturday, April 22nd! The course followed the St. Lawrence University Kip and Saddlemire trails, starting and finishing at the Wachtmeister Field Station and covering 7 kilometers (4.4 mi) of…

A group of three women running down a wooded trail

A person in red and a person in gray walk down a wooded trail

A group of people running down a wooded trail

Large group of people who ran and walked the 7K standing outside of a white building

By Aurora Hager on April 19, 2023

Blog: Just Our Nature

This year April 22nd marks the 53rd anniversary of an important holiday, Earth Day! How did Earth Day start, and why is it important? The idea of having laws, policy, or rules to protect natural resources such as trees, fresh water, and clean soil started in the 1960s. At that time there were no environmental policies in place to protect the natural environment, and it was normal for humans and…