On the Hunt for Mushrooms in the Valley
They may not always be edible, but mushrooms are at least touchable. According to Hudson Valley mycologist Luke Sarrantonio, you can safely touch any mushroom without worrying about getting poisoned. Sarrantonio studied mycology, the study of fungi, at SUNY’s College...
#WildlifeLove: The Cheeky Ways Chipmunks Operate
Next to gray squirrels, their rodent cousins, Eastern chipmunks are probably the most frequently spotted mammal in parks and backyards throughout the Hudson Valley. But how much do you really know about these cute critters with the chubby cheeks? Take...
#HudsonInspired: Textile Artist Victoria van der Laan Follows Threads to Zero-Waste Art
In the world of visual arts, painting, sculpture, video, and photography often dominate the narrative. Yet there are other forms of art that are getting increased recognition, such as quilting. Albany-based Victoria van der Laan began working with fiber and...Latino Culture-Bearers Celebrate the Valley’s Proud Hispanic Heritage
There’s plenty to celebrate in the Hudson Valley during National Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond — landmark firsts, pioneering people, groups that share traditions from their ancestral homelands, and a fascinating history going back three centuries. Here are some singular achievements,...
Cooling Green Roofs Turn Up Along the Hudson
When Harry Lipstein decided to cover the roof of his black-box theater with plants instead of a more typical cover such as black asphalt, he saw it as a way of giving back. Lipstein is the founder and producing art...
Why to Support These New Bike Safety Bills for N.Y. State
In this year’s ranking of bike-friendly states conducted annually by the League of American Bicyclists, New York placed 13th. (FYI, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, California, and Minnesota hold places one through five, respectively.) But in the category “Traffic Laws and Practices” — a...
Fireflies: Beautiful, And in Need of Our Help
They are the earthbound constellations of summer. They swoop and dive, creating patterns in the darkness so reminiscent of a twinkling, star-filled sky that one species common to the Hudson Valley is nicknamed the “Big Dipper.” They are fireflies, the...
Plug into Nature Through Ten Great Apps
Let’s face it: most of us cannot live without our cell phones. We easily spend hours staring at the device in our palm, tending to emails, news alerts, and those ever-addicting social media notifications. Yet more people are making it a...