The now-famous Newt the Wildlife Detecting Dog (see The Dodo's article: Professional Good Boy Won't Stop Until He's Sniffed Out Every Turtle In Need Of Help) is one of our favorite local celebrities and is here to show us how's it done. Newt's trainer, Dr. Kris Hoffman, and student handler, Julia Sirois will discuss their conservation goals, how Newt was trained, how he finds local endangered animals, and then Newt will give a demo of his skills!

Nature Up North is excited to invite you to a night of stargazing and astronomy at our fall Campfire with St. Lawrence University Physics Professor Aileen O'Donoghue! On this date the moon will be a waning crescent, just four days away from the new moon and a great time to see stars and planets. We’ll start around the campfire at 6:30 pm with a short discussion, followed by the opportunity to join Aileen in small groups at a telescope set up a short distance away. This event is free and open to the public, with s’mores provided. Bring your friends and family!

Mushrooms evoke a wide range of images including fairies and gnomes, poison and decay, and even gourmet dinners for some! To begin to appreciate the numerous roles mushrooms play in ecosystems and human cultures, it is important to be able to find and identify them. In this beginner level walk on the SLU Kip Trail, Claire Burkum, a local mycologist with Burkum Plant Health and Tree Care will introduce us to a few features mycologists use to distinguish different groups of mushrooms.

In our last campfire event of the summer, we’ll be diving into an ages-old tradition for folks sitting around a fire: storytelling! Bring a tale to tell, a listening ear, and an appetite for s’mores. Don’t miss out on the conclusion to our funtastic summer series!

Connection to our North Country environment is important, and people connect to nature in very different ways. Some people like to be active, some people like to learn about the flora and fauna around us, and some people connect through being creative. This 1 and ½ to 2 hour program will explore different ways we can connect to the north country through creativity.

Join us at Wachtmeister Field Station on Saturday, July 23rd, 8:30-10:00pm, for a fun, educational mothing event! We’ll be using a white sheet and light to attract all kinds of moths (and probably a few other nocturnal insects), catching, and identifying them. We'll also take some time to learn about what a moth is and the important roles they play in our ecosystem. If you've ever wanted to get up close to a moth to see their neat colors, shapes, and patterns then this event is for you!

Just bring yourself and excitement for some moth madness!

Join us as we learn about some of the birds that call this area home! We’ll be talking about a few different species, their preferred living style and diet, and then building bird feeders with sticks, pine cones, and other natural items we find on the Kip Trail (there will be peanut butter being used). Come on down if you’re interested in learning about North Country birds and want to build a bird feeder for them!

This event is free and perfect for all ages. Youth under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.

Join us for a mid-morning paint and sip! We'll use naturally made paints from local plants (we might even collect a few plants to see what colors they'll make) to get creative, all while enjoying some refreshing, non-alcoholic, beverages!
All you need to bring is yourself and an open mind - who knows what will happen once you put paintbrush and plant paint to paper? Meet at the Wachtmeister Field Station at 9:30am, we'll start with an introduction on the different plants we'll be using and how they make the colors we see. Then it's up to you to paint away!

Dying to get on the water and explore the Little and Grasse Rivers’ riches? Come join us for a relaxing evening on the Little River Friday, July 29th as we learn about and search for BEAVERS!

Looking to learn about our flying nocturnal friends?Join us for our Summer Campfire Series, where this week we’ll be learning about our nocturnal flying friends, BATS!

Plan to gather at Wachtmeister Field Station on July 21st from 7:00-9:00 pm, or for as long as you’d like! We’ll be eating smores and reading “Stellaluna,” while trying to see if we can spot any bats flying overhead.

This event is free and perfect for all ages. Youth under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Bring a friend and a fun bat fact!