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!
Happy Biology
Happiness may be elusive, but it sure has spawned a lot of aphorisms. Folk-wisdom indicates one can be happy as a pig in poop—or in mud, which makes me wonder if those two hogs are equally content, and if they had other options. It also suggests you can be pleased as a pig in a peach orchard, which would make sense unless harvest season was over. Additionally, one might feel happy as a pup with two tails, a monkey with a peanut machine, or a clam at high tide.
Early signs of winter
Though further south in the Adirondacks there has been some "snow that sticks", these are first real flurries this morning, and the snow really shows up on the thin layer of ice forming on this beaver pond.
Blue skies for orienteering open house!
We enjoyed clear skies, sun, and the company of an enthusiastic crowd of first timers at our Fall Open House on the SLU Orienteering Course today. Temps were right around freezing, but the sun and activity kept the chill out while the group navigated to the first 10 (of 28) control points on the course. This time of year is great for trying the sport out for the first time, with trees bare and visibility high in the woods.
Big Pines nature trail -Pitcairn
A nice pre-snow hike through some large white pines & hemlocks. Great views of Cold Spring Brook and plenty of beaver activity too.The trail is only a little over a mile and well marked. This would be a nice snowshoe trek as well.
Run, Dorothy—Emerald City is Falling
Watertown is poised to become an Emerald City, but that’s not good news. Jefferson and Lewis will soon be Emerald Counties, and St. Lawrence County began the process of change two years ago. Unfortunately, this kind of transformation does not involve happy endings.
Loon Lake Mountain Fire tower
Finally got a chance to hike up to the long abandoned fire tower on Loon Lake Mt. The upper reaches had 2 or 3 inches of fresh snow, and there was ice as well. The last mile is pretty brutal. Around 1700' of ascent, and 6.2 miles round trip. The views were incredible- and we lucked out weather wise, chilly but clear. This is in Franklin county near Vermontville. It's an awesome trek, but not for everyone. The last mile is pretty difficult, and at nearly 3300' in altitude it has much different conditions than lower peaks.
Naturalist Walk: Nocturnal Animals
Join us this week on a walk of the Kip Trail in Canton to learn about the secret lives of the many nocturnal animals here in the North Country. We'll talk flying squirrels, skunks, bats, owls and many more of our common, but rarely seen nocturnal neighbors. Plus, we'll discuss some of the fascinating adaptations these critters have that allow them to navigate the world at night. This walk will be led by Nature Up North Project Manager Emlyn Crocker.
Naturalist Walk: tree identification with Emlyn Crocker
The rain didn't hold us back from having a great time identifying trees with Emlyn Crocker this weekend! We identified trees based on bark, leaf scars, and branch patterning patterns at Indian Creek Nature Center.
Ask A Fairy: Fall 2018 Answers
Thanks for visiting the fairies this fall and leaving your notes inside! You had some really great questions, and Thimble and Blossom had so much fun answering them. They are already down in the tropics where they'll be spending the winter, but are excited to come back next spring!
Keep reading below to find your question among the others, and let us know if you have any questions. Thanks!
Fall Orienteering Course Open House
Do you love trail running, hiking, and exploring new places? Come by this Sunday during our Fall Orienteering Open House to check out the Orienteering Course on the SLU campus.
Not familiar with orienteering? Head over to our Orienteering page to learn about the sport and the permanent course at St. Lawrence University.