I see more Porcupines in the average month around my home in the Adirondacks than I saw in a year and a half of trekking the Eastern and Western Wildways, though on those long conservation journeys I hiked through thousands of miles of forest that looked plenty inviting for … [Read more...] about Porcupines as Sculptors
Wildlife
Salamanders: Little Things that Run a Forest
Be honest now. How many of you have squashed an Eft? That is, how many of you have inadvertently run over the terrestrial, juvenile, bright-red form of the Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens)? I know I’m guilty, probably several times over. Unless you’ve transcended the … [Read more...] about Salamanders: Little Things that Run a Forest
Melting, Mating, and Moving: Adirondack Life in Early Spring
Perhaps uncharitably, some of us lucky enough to inhabit Adirondack Park year-round refer to early spring as "Mud Season." Mud, slush, and soft ground surely are parts of the winter-to-spring transition here; but so are rushing rivers, running sap, surging freshets, budding … [Read more...] about Melting, Mating, and Moving: Adirondack Life in Early Spring
Protecting Black Bears in New York
A century and a half ago, the great naturalist and wilderness explorer John Muir wrote that if it came to a war between humans and bears, he’d be tempted to side with the bears. So would I, especially after watching nearly half of our country’s voters back a man who seems to … [Read more...] about Protecting Black Bears in New York
Split Rock Wildlife Sightings: Bear, Bobcat, Coyote
This is the first in a new series called "Split Rock Wildlife Sightings" which will feature periodic updates of wildcam photos taken in the Split Rock Wildway. If you do not know much about this wildway and are curious please review this series. This recent batch of photos … [Read more...] about Split Rock Wildlife Sightings: Bear, Bobcat, Coyote