The Adirondack Naturalist

By Thompson Tomaszewski, Lead Naturalist For some, the coming of fall is signified by the changing of the leaves. For others, it’s the appearance of pumpkins in local supermarkets or the crisp, cool breezes that make you pull your sweater a little tighter as you walk...

By Katrina Relyea, VIC Summer Naturalist As sunset happens earlier and the night air takes on a chill, I am reminded of the slow advance of time. Monarchs are beginning their migration south. I'm leaving the Adirondacks, too, and on this sunny day, I find myself alone...

By Katrina Relyea, VIC Summer Naturalist   The first time I ever interacted with a butterfly was in early elementary school. Our classroom had a unit on butterflies, which resulted in me getting to release a monarch in my backyard. Since then, I've only raised a...

By Thompson Tomaszewski, Lead Naturalist/Environmental Educator Picture this: it’s 10:30 pm. You’re sitting comfortably near an open, still body of water. Behind you, dark trees stretch their limbs upwards towards the Milky Way, which you can see sparkling in the...

By Jesse Rock, VIC Summer Naturalist   So, what is ecological restoration? At the core of its practice, ecological restoration follows the most basic form of the scientific method. One must firstly observe a site deemed degraded through human use and gather as...

By Joline Hall, VIC Summer Naturalist For most American families, the simple crayon is a staple item in kids’ bedrooms, playrooms, and throughout the house. Often, children learn to write their first “ABC” using a crayon of some kind. Crayons are regulars of...

By Jessi McCarty, VIC Summer Naturalist The Humble Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) The Paul Smith’s College Beekeeping club currently has an apiary of four hives at the Osgood Farm site. The club started in 2016 with the help of professors Deb Naybor, Bethany Garretson and...

By Jesse Rock, VIC Summer Naturalist   It was in an early morning dendrology class that I had first heard of the legendary grove of white pines (Pinus strobus) known as the Elder’s Grove. To be fully honest, I initially took minimal interest as I had seen large...

By Katrina Relyea, VIC Summer Naturalist   Ever since I walked across my first boardwalk at a conservancy near my childhood home, I have been in love with these structures. However, none elicit as thrilling a joy as a boardwalk over a swamp or bog. I was...

By Thompson Tomaszewski, VIC Lead Naturalist, and Danielle Urich,  VIC Butterfly House CoordinatorNATURALIST NEWSSTANDOn Thursday August 16th, it became official that Lake Placid will be hosting the 2023 Winter Universiade. This is an eleven-day event that...