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!
Cardboard Sled Building Workshop
Our 8th annual cardboard sled race is fast approaching!
Join Nature Up North for a cardboard sled-building workshop at the Wachtmeister Field Station. At this workshop, you will learn how to build your own cardboard sled for the race, and we'll have all the materials you'll need! Cardboard, duct tape, plastic bags, glue, and paint are all allowed materials. If you have a box, a color, or plastic bags you want to use, you can bring those with you too.
Cardboard Sled Building Workshop
Our 8th annual cardboard sled race is fast approaching!
Join Nature Up North for a cardboard sled-building workshop at the Wachtmeister Field Station. At this workshop, you will learn how to build your own cardboard sled for the race, and we'll have all the materials you'll need! Cardboard, duct tape, plastic bags, glue, and paint are all allowed materials. If you have a box, a color, or plastic bags you want to use, you can bring those with you too.
Looking for Evidence of Wildlife in Winter
Meet at the Indian Creek main entrance for a couple hours slow walk or snowshoe to look for evidence of winter wildlife. Snowshoes will be provided or bring your own! Rain or shine! Contact Tom for more information or just show up!
Leader: Tom Van de Water, Co-President ICNC Board of Directors
Ice crystals on the siding of our house.
We looked out the window and saw small spider web that had grown ice crystals on it over night.
Many were attached to the siding, looking like small feathers akin to the nasal feathers on a downy woodpecker.
8th Annual Cardboard Sled Race
Postponed 1 week due to cold temps! Join us on Saturday, Feb 14th at 10:00am.
Yule Logs
In most parts of the world, the tradition of burning a Yule log, sometimes called a Christmas log, has largely fizzled out. While holiday cards may show charming birch logs aflame in a hearth, old-time Yule logs in 6th and 7th century Europe looked more like saw-logs. Some of them wouldn’t fit in a house, let alone a fireplace. Because these monster tree trunks were meant to burn all day, and in certain cultures for twelve continuous days, they were typically oak, a dense, hard wood that burns a long time.
Boat Stuck on the Ice
An uncle and I were attempting to break ice out to an island for duck hunting the next morning. We pushed a little too hard, and the boat popped up on top of the ice, about 6 inches thick. We had to call a family friend to come break us out.
First Hike of 2026 - Ferrone Woods
Travel and Parking Update:
Microplastics in the North Country
When most people think about microplastics, they imagine large, crowded cities or polluted coastlines.
Cooper Olney
Cooper is a junior from Waterbury, Vermont, majoring in Data Science with a possible minor in Mathematics. He enjoys skiing at Stowe Mountain when he's back home, as well as hiking in the St. Lawrence and Adirondack regions. He loves spending time outdoors with his dog, Bo, especially on long walks.