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!
North Country Voices: Elyssa Twedt
Elyssa Twedt is an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department where she teaches Introduction to Psychology, Research Methods, Sensation and Perception, and a seminar on Cognitive Science. She has spent the majority of her life in the south including Florida, Tennessee, and most recently, Virginia, so moving to the North Country in 2015 was a big change. Elyssa gave us some insight on her research as well as some benefits of being outdoors.
What does your research entail?
Snowy Owl in Massena
During my ornithology lab at Robert H. Moses State Park, we saw this beautiful snowy owl perched at the top of a pine tree. These photos were taken through a magnified spotting scope.
Playing in the snow!
I was in the zen garden of sykes and played in the snow with my roommate!
Trails under the snow!
I was walking on the Saddlemire Trail this evening and saw these little trails under the snow. I thought they were so fascinating, and am wondering what creature is responsible for them! My best guess would be some small rodent, like mice or voles.
Owl on Kip Tract Trail
I was walking on the Kip Tract Trail in the evening and was lucky enough to see a beautiful owl! I don't know what species it was.
Afternoon Ski
A friend and I decided to go Nordic skiing. It was probably the fourth time in my life I’d gone, and it was an absolute blast. We explored the packed trails and through the untracked forest. It was an incredibly peaceful time in a wonderfully snowy afternoon.
St. Lawrence Golf Course XC-Ski
A fellow classmate and I had a joyous time skiing around the St. Lawrence University Golf Course, sticking to the track for a while until we came upon a wooded area we wanted to explore, where we broke trail, took a quick nap on a log, and appreciated the serenity of it all. I love mixing up some speedy track skiing with slowing down and appreciating the way the snow settles on the trees or how the giant, fluffy flakes puff up around me when I fall.
A snowy Sunset
With a fresh layer of snow, the woods and fields lay under a blanket of white. This blanket muffles and hides the subtleties of the woods leading the mind to wonder what critters scurry below the layers of snow. Above the snow the trees stand tall awaiting the spring to waken and continue their growth into the sky. But for today, a sun sets on another beautiful winters day.
Snowy Pyrites Adventure
It was a beautiful day for an adventure! The 20°F weather felt unusually warm in the sun after all of the cold temps we have had. I snowshoed from Rt. 47 along the Grasse River to the hydro plant and back. The snow depth was quite variable and had drifted up to knee-height in places. Snowshoes were helpful but the snow was too dry to stay on top of it. Gaiters would be a nice addition next time.
February Frolic - Snow Sculpting!
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, below for an example of his incredible snow skills.
