Gearing Up For Amphibians’ “Big Night”
If you think amphibians’ winter-survival strategy is impressive — species like spring peepers freeze solid, with no heartbeat for months, then thaw out within hours — you’ll be amazed by the moves they make as temperatures warm. On a wet-enough...
The Coast Guard’s Icebreakers Are Back at Work
It’s almost unbelievable now to imagine that there was a point during the early 20th century when cars could zip across the solid surface of the frozen river from Nyack to Tarrytown with ease. While the river probably won’t freeze...
Iroquois Pipeline Expansion Opposition Gets More Time
On Jan. 19, the then-chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, James Danly, called an extraordinary session of the commission, which reviews new fracked gas initiatives nationwide. On the agenda was an expansion of the Iroquois Pipeline, a project that...
For #BlackHistoryMonth and Beyond, Get Inspired at These 10 Powerful Sites
Black Americans have been making important contributions to life in the Hudson Valley since the 17th century, but only in recent decades have their contributions been publicly recognized and celebrated. To mark Black History Month — or continue appreciating Black history...
The Glory Days of Hudson Valley Ice Harvesting
Block ice was once a can’t-live-without-it piece of American culture. For about a century beginning in the 1830s, keeping food and beverages cold in and around New York City depended on this ice — and on harvesting it from the...
Quiz: Valley Animals’ Snow Tracks
When you’re outside exploring this winter or spring, you’re likely to come across various local animals’ prints in the snow (or in the case of the creatures who hibernate, in the mud). How many of their hoof, claw and paw...
Hounding Out Invasive Species in the Hudson Valley
The next time you’re hiking in the Lower Hudson Valley, be on the lookout for two of the region’s newest conservation professionals. You’ll recognize Dia, a peanut butter-colored American Field Labrador, and Fagen, a Belgian Malinois with ears that stick...
12 Facts About Fishers
Our trail camera at Shaupeneak Ridge recently captured a rare photo of a fisher. It’s one of the valley’s lesser-known mammals, and what you think you know about it might be wrong. To get you up to speed, here are a dozen...