We’re so excited to invite you to a creative afternoon with The LIGHT House, Close the Loop, and Nature Up North where art, sustainability, and community come together!

Wait… but what is cyanotypeeee?? 👀
Cyanotype is a magical photographic printing process that uses sunlight to make stunning blue-and-white prints! 💙☀️ And don’t worry, even though winter’s stealing our sunlight, our friends from Close the Loop are bringing sun lamps so the magic still happens.

Join Nature Up North Environmental Education Intern Josie Dittman for a walk to Lampson Falls about local moss and lichen! These organisms are much more important than they may first appear, and help form the base of the larger ecosystems we so often get to enjoy.

Starting at 2pm, we'll set a leisurely pace to Lampson Falls while discussing the difference between moss and lichen, where we expect to find them growing, and the roles that each play in our broader ecosystem..

Come to the Indian Creek Nature Center for a birding session focused on the birds we expect to see all winter long, and a quick craft at the end!

Led by Nature Up North Environmental Education Intern Emma Rubin, this birding walk will last about an hour along a nature trail (TBD) at Indian Creek Nature Center. After our walk, we'll gather at the pavilion to create suet bird feeders to bring home and help each of our backyard birds find the food they need to prepare for winter.

Come to the Wachtmeister Field Station for Echoes of the Canton Fair, a history of the agricultural fair held at the now defunct Canton fairgrounds located on Riverside Drive. Led by Canton Historian Casey Denis and St. Lawrence County Historian Nancy LaFaver, this "Fireside Chat" comes with s'mores!

Join us on Friday, July 25th at 4:00 PM at the Sandstone Trail head in Hannawa Falls for Sandstone: From the Sea to the Street, an engaging evening of storytelling, science, and discovery. Together, we’ll explore the incredible journey of Potsdam Sandstone, from its origins beneath ancient Cambrian seas to the streets and buildings of the North Country. 🪨

Through a small exploration walk, local history, and close-up looks at real rock samples, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the landscapes around us and the stories embedded in stone. This free program is open to all! 🧱🔍

Come explore the micro-ecology of our local water bodies! Meet Marina at the Wachmister Field Sation from 10 am to noon on July 5th for a water sampling adventure. We will learn how to take water samples and then look through microscopes at the zooplankton swimming around! This activity is great for all ages and mobility levels. Come explore, sample, and learn with Marina! Stay tuned for possible location changes.

Looking for a Saturday evening activity? Well, come join Nature Up North as we paddle along the Little River in Canton looking for birds! By canoeing, we cross through different wetlands and terrestrial habitats that are home to a great variety of waterfowls, songbirds, and raptors. Binoculars are encouraged but not required as we will be getting up close to nature. So come join us on Saturday, June 28th from 6:30 to 8 pm! All canoeing equipment is provided.

Learn about using trail cams to study area wildlife, including information on Nature Up North's multi-year Zooniverse project!

Join Nature Up North for our final community paddle of the summer!

In this paddle, learn to identify some common frog and toad calls, or croaks, as we paddle along the Little River. While we go, we'll try to spot these critters along the shoreline. Some common calls we'll be listening for are spring peepers, bullfrogs. and American Toads.

Come join Nature Up North for the last paddle in July! We will be investigating the aquatic plants that border the Little River. This will be a great chance to get on the water and enjoy a leisurely early evening paddle.

Our paddles are free and come with equipment provided. All you need are clothes you don't mind getting wet! We launch from the Little River Boat Launch on outer Park St. in Canton at 6:30 with the goal of returning by 8pm. Each outing comes with a theme for us to investigate while out on the water.