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!
Ogdensburg Osprey
I teamed up with Chamber of Commerce intern, Cara, this Wednesday to acquire GPS data for a larger trail mapping project. As we we were leaving the Abbe Picquet trail in Ogdensburg, we were greeted by a low-flying osprey returning to its nest in the center of the park just before rainfall!
First Paddle of the Summer!
The rain ceased just in time to enjoy a calm canoe along the Grasse River. As the start of our summer paddling series, we had a mix of beginner and experienced paddlers, and a lot of fun!
Campfire Series: Nocturnal Navigation
Join Nature Up North to explore the mystery of nature after dark. Honing in on each of our senses, we'll discover firsthand what adaptations nighttime animals have acquired in order to survive after nightfall.
Please wear or bring long sleeves, and be prepared for a short (15-30 minute) walk on the Kip trail before dark. After, we'll head back to the campfire to continue exploring nocturnal adaptations!
Please note that this campfire starts at 7:30 pm, slightly later than the usual Campfire Series events.
Hike with kids at Stone Valley trail
Today was such a good day. My kids WANTED to go hiking, and my son's 5th-grade class had recently taken a field trip to the Stone Valley trail. So, we packed a lunch and drove to check it out. The weather was perfect for hiking, not humid at all and a beautiful breeze to keep the bugs (mostly) away. My daughter had fun keeping track of the different maples (striped, sugar & red), and my son was happy with the occasional hill or steep section to challenge him. I got to see a lot of neat things, including some fungi and cool plants.
Intro to Fishing Workshop
The Nature Up North team had a great time leading an Introduction to Fishing workshop at Ives Park in Potsdam. After much untangling of fishing poles, guests made two catches: both rock bass.
Summer Solstice Campfire
Nature Up North's campfire in honor of the summer solstice was a great success! We shared stories and animal sightings, and s'mores flavored with locally gathered wood sorrel and pineapple weed.
Natural Tie-Dyeing!
The rain held up just enough for a successful event this afternoon! After delving into some history of dyeing and foraging the landscape for potential plants for dye, the group learned the process of creating homemade dye. We wrapped the program up by dyeing bandanas to take home! Among the plants used to dye were daisies, yellow dock root, buckthorn, spearmint, and false indigo.
Cedar waxwing
Walking back to my office after a meeting, I noticed a stunned cedar waxwing lying on the ground. I could see its tail moving, so I gently set it up on its feet. Got this photo after righting the bird. I suspect it had flown into a window. The area is planted with juneberry trees (shadbush, Amelanchior) which are in fruit right now and attract lots of cedar waxwings. The second photo is one of the waxwings in one of the trees.
Though I hate to see the birds hit windows, their presence and the lovely churrs they make really improve my day!
Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?
Many of us rely on crosswalks to safely navigate through bustling traffic, but wild animals are often not so lucky. Road kill is a major issue that continues to decrease animal abundance and biodiversity. While road signs are established for animal crossing in certain areas, there is no way to determine exactly when and where an animal will cross.
Paddling Series: Water Plant Adventures