One afternoon in June I met an American Pine Marten on top of Algonquin Peak. Moments after reaching the summit, this curious creature ran up to me. It appeared to be gathering food and enjoying the view. To encounter a pine marten is always fun, but seeing one with a bird in its mouth at 5,115' was a real show. I was impressed to say the least. This pine marten had it made and he/she knew it!

The Little River flows next to St. Lawrence Campus; rapid temperature changes from sub 10°C to +27°C in less than a week has caused the river to flood. The Little River is home to a large fish population, with the expansion of the river, fish could accidentally swim into the flood zone and become stranded there when the river returns to its normal size. When rivers breach their banks and spread into fields, rivers drag trash as well as harmful fertilizers used for crops back into the river. This trash and chemicals can severely hurt and kill fish, birds and mammals living in the river.

One of my favorite aspects of nature in the North Country is its vibrant colors. The most vibrant, in my opinion, is green, since there is green all year round, thanks to our mass abundance of evergreen trees. They are always green because these certain species of conifers have adapted to low levels of nutrients, and therefore, their leaves do not die when there aren’t normal amounts of nutrients, like in the winter when most conifers shed their leaves, leaving them ever green.

After a day on the slopes of Whiteface Mountain, to get back to your car, you must cross over a small branch off the Ausable river that is around 15 meters across. Due to the cold weather the area had the waterway that was almost completely covered in ice and in some areas, the ice was able to connect and make a completely solid surface. Even though the flow of the water cannot be seen in the picture, it was a somewhat significant speed, which really shows how cold it was because moving water is harder to freeze than water that is standing still.

After a very snowy winter on the campus of St. Lawrence University, there were a large amount of snow piles created by the plows that cleared the streets. This would often mix dirt and sediment into the snow creating a large pile of brown, dirty snow. As with anywhere else, the piles of snow take much longer to melt than the regular covering of snow, allowing them to last into warmer weather. Outside of Brown hall on campus, there was a large pile just like the one described, however this one had icicles hanging from the snow and staying anchored to the snow with out any outside support.

Although it's hard to see, on the left side of this photo is an off-roading trail used by vehicles and on the right side of the photo is a sidewalk. Both the off-roading trail and the sidewalk are right next to the Little River. A week before this photo was taken, there was still some snow on the ground, and the temperatures were cold, and between 20 degrees F and 30 degrees F. Over the past few days, the temperatures had risen between 50 degrees F and 70 degrees F.

Using a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, a completely submerged walking path and fire hydrant were photographed at 1733hrs on 09APR14. Heavy rains and temperature increases melted ice to cause extensive flooding of the Grasse River; the path and fire hydrant shown below are approximately 50 meters from the usual riverbank. Small plants were washed away, and trees may not be able to survive if their root systems are submerged for too long. If the flooding period lasts for an extended period of time, then small organisms such as weeds can be washed away and beetles, snails, and worms can drown.

The North Country experiences notoriously frigid weather conditions during the winter months, yet at this point on St. Lawrence’s Campus the annual return of daffodils were able to sprout up during the middle of February. As one can see, there’s snow covering the ground surrounding this small garden (except for the walkway) begging the question: why are there daffodils sprouting in the middle of February? The explanation for the presence of these sprouts is simple, running beneath this flower bed are water pipes that carry hot water to the buildings across campus.

The signs of spring come in many forms, from the singing of birds to the budding of trees. On a warm, April day, you’ll find nothing says spring more than the flooding rains of a good storm. The pools of water scattered across the ground shrink as they provide hydration to the greening grass, trees, and all other vegetation. There is no doubt about it, the spring season is officially here bringing along life and warm temperatures. Transitioning from heavy snow to heavy rain, aside from the mud, is a very pleasant feeling knowing that the warm weather is here to stay.

Locally produced foods are of great importance to many around the United States and are a staple in the North Country. This food does not only bring business to local areas, but also allows the general public to see what many community members do for a living. Parkers Maple Farm has done just this in the center of Canton. For maple syrup season they have tapped numerous trees in Canton Park allowing passersby’s to revel in the production of a popular breakfast condiment.