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Climate Solutions
Land + Air + Water
Outdoors
Plants + Animals
History + Culture
Community
Climate Solutions
#Advocacy101
#ClimateControl
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N.Y. Fights Invasives, Beacon Adds Trees, Reforestation Helps Cool the East
Fighting against climate change is critical to our survival, and...
Learning Not to Toss That School Lunch
Working in a school, I witness food waste daily. Students...
Valley Moves Toward Banning Blowers and “Leaving the Leaves”
When Michael Hall co-founded the Quiet Clean Alliance, a national...
Land + Air + Water
#HVFarms
#LandSaves
#MadeByNature
#RestoreTheRiver
The Soil-Supplementing, Climate-Boosting Potential of Biochar
A soil amendment created from organic waste materials such as...
Overnight Stays Add Fun — and Financial Stability — to Valley Farms
The allure of waking up to a rooster’s crow and...
The Modern Comeback of Ancient Buckwheat
In 2023, Travel + Leisure named Ulster County’s Phoenicia Diner...
Outdoors
#Don'tForgetFungi
#HVAtPlay
#PedalPower
#SHParks
Mental Health Break: Spend 60 Seconds in Nature
Yes, there’s a World Mental Health Day, and it falls...
What Sleeping in a Lighthouse Is Really Like
I’ve been obsessed with lighthouses since I was a kid....
Chasing the Rainbow: Skies Open Up to Hot Air Balloon (Volunteer) Crews
Years ago, I had a vivid dream of floating in...
Plants + Animals
#FlightWatch
#HappyTails
#Invasives101
#PlantLife
#TreesPlease
#WildlifeLove
Inside N.Y.’s First-in-the-Nation Neonic Pesticide Nix
Since the 1940s, farmers and landscapers alike have used synthetic...
Coexisting More Peacefully With Coyotes
As human activity over the centuries has drastically altered the...
How to Better Attract and Support Butterflies
Many of us dream of having a butterfly haven in...
History + Culture
#IndigenousPresence
#IndustrialEvolution
#Trailblazers
Not a Castle, Never a Mansion: Bannerman Island’s Surprising Past
Among the natural wonders of the Hudson Highlands is a...
Savor the History of Las Villas, the Latin Catskills
Growing up around his parents’ business, Ishmael Martinez, Jr., would...
The Valley’s World-Beating Natural Cement Industry
Along with brick-making and ice harvesting, the manufacturing of natural cement earned the...
Community
#HudsonInspired
#MeetTheMakers
#RiverCities
#SteppingForward
Secrets of the Professional Pumpkin Carvers
Creating is central to celebrating a holiday, and Halloween is...
How a Regional Mural Artist Goes to the Wall for Nature
It could be said that Joseph Pimentel was raised to...
Capturing Great Photography by Drone
Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of flight,...
Plants + Animals
#BuggingOut
Inside N.Y.’s First-in-the-Nation Neonic Pesticide Nix
Since the 1940s, farmers and landscapers alike have used synthetic pesticides that are sprayed on plants and crops. But in...
Coexisting More Peacefully With Coyotes
As human activity over the centuries has drastically altered the...
How to Better Attract and Support Butterflies
Many of us dream of having a butterfly haven in...
As the Climate Changes, Which Perennials Will Thrive in the Hudson Valley?
Only every decade or so does the U.S. Department of...
#HappyTails
The Valley’s Different Breed of Zoo
Sure, NYC offers world-caliber collections of wildlife like the Bronx Zoo — but the Hudson...
#WildlifeLove
Winging It With New York Bats
Despite their spooky rep, there’s much more to bats than Dracula and Halloween decorations. Around...
Why Regional Bear Sightings Feel Like They’re on the Rise
Listening to TV news, you’d think New York State is being overrun with black bears....
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#FlightWatch
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Up Close With New York’s Only Resident Hummingbird
Bird lovers throughout the Hudson Valley are watching for one of our area’s most beloved seasonal residents: the ruby-throated hummingbird....
How Robins Signal Spring
The robin is the oneThat interrupts the mornWith hurried, few, express reportsWhen March is scarcely on. Virtually nobody signals the...
Why Cardinals Rule
Northern cardinals have become a familiar and welcome sight to New Yorkers, particularly here in the Hudson Valley. The iconic...
What’s Next When You Find an Injured Bird
There’s something especially heartbreaking about coming across an injured bird — a creature meant to soar that is suddenly suffering,...
Poughkeepsie’s Massive Crow Roost
As the weather cools off, crows flock to Poughkeepsie by the thousands to join a communal roost, a ritual that’s...
The Local Eagle-Spotting Outlook
Few things in life draw the sort of deep-sigh feeling of awe as the sight of a majestic eagle soaring...
On Cold Days, Go Gull-Spotting
You might see a seagull over the Hudson River and think it’s amazing that these birds have come 50 or...
The Valley’s Vanishing Nighthawks
BEEMPP! BOOM!! and again BEEEMPP! BOOOM! On a warm June evening, I would take the kids down to Coxsackie to wait....
The Valley’s Fall Birdwatching Forecast
If you stand outside at about 9:30 p.m. and listen quietly, you might hear the distinctive “wheet” calls of the...
#TreesPlease
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Big Trees and the Humans Who Find Them
Near Coeymans, N.Y., there is a floodplain that flanks the Hudson and extends out to a well-kept property that a...
Celebrating FDR’s Pioneering Tree Conservation
Conserving land — cultivating it expressly for nature — is a standard practice today. But decades ago, it was an unheard-of...
Fall Foliage and Climate Change: A Wild Mix
The photogenic sprawl of trees in their vibrant fall colors is arguably one of the Hudson Valley’s most defining features,...
Quiz: Do You Know Fall’s Most Vibrant Leaves?
The Hudson Valley is famous for its fall foliage, best seen across rolling hills, apple orchards, and riverside mountains. Everyone...
Newburgh’s Balmville Tree, a Landmark of American History
Among local trees that have captured the imagination, it’s hard to top the Balmville Tree. Walk, bike, or drive past...
Return of the Elms
On a fall Friday morning, a pickup truck arrived at Mawignack Preserve in Catskill with a long-anticipated cargo: 28 trees....
10 Top Fall-Foliage Hot Spots in the Hudson Valley
The annual changing-leaf display along the Hudson River always boosts flagging spirits — and who couldn’t use a little pick-me-up...
#BuggingOut
Series
Series
Inside N.Y.’s First-in-the-Nation Neonic Pesticide Nix
Since the 1940s, farmers and landscapers alike have used synthetic pesticides that are sprayed on plants and crops. But in...
How to Better Attract and Support Butterflies
Many of us dream of having a butterfly haven in our own backyard, but creating a utopia for these enchanting...
World’s First Bee Vaccine Expands Pollinator Potential
The next time you see a honeybee buzzing around a flower or a shrub or an apple tree, you can...
It’s National Moth Week
by Dalvin Aboagye Step outside your home on a nice night and take a look around. What do you see?...
Tackling Ticks
Enjoying outdoor exercise helps boost our immune system and relieve stress, which has never been more important. But while a...
#WildlifeLove
Series
Series
Coexisting More Peacefully With Coyotes
As human activity over the centuries has drastically altered the American landscape, the makeup of wildlife in the country has...
Winging It With New York Bats
Despite their spooky rep, there’s much more to bats than Dracula and Halloween decorations. Around the world, bats serve as...
The Valley’s Various Frog Species Make Moves
Frogs may be the most familiar and observable amphibians in the Hudson Valley. Unlike their secretive cousins the salamanders, frogs...
The Opossum, a Surprising N.Y. Fan Fave
They may not look like the cuddliest creatures, but opossums are still beloved by many New Yorkers. In May, they...
Look Out For These New York Snakes
Cryptic, mysterious, and too often feared, snakes are among the most misunderstood animals that share our planet. New York is...
Making a Big Effort to Save a Little Turtle
Around late April, bog turtles began to emerge from their muddy hibernacula, or winter shelters, to greet another season in...
Forget Forecasting — Appreciate What Groundhogs Can Actually Rock
Will he or won’t he? That will be the question on everyone’s mind on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, when Punxsutawney...
Why the Tiny Shrew Will Blow Your Mind
Shrews aren’t just terms out of Shakespeare. In fact, Shakespeare is brand-new compared to actual shrews, animals that have been...
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...
#Invasives101
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How Bad Is Water Chestnut, Really?
When it comes to invasive species that have affected the Hudson River, water chestnuts are one of the most common....
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Eat ‘Em
Invasive plants wreak great havoc in the Hudson Valley, crowding out native species that birds and other animals depend on...
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...
Woolly Adelgids Threaten Eastern Hemlock Trees
For generations, the canopies provided by the Eastern hemlock trees have been integral to the Empire State’s forest ecosystems. Although...
Watch Out for Spotted Lanternflies
The spotted lanternfly is one beautiful bug. With its wings outspread, an adult resembles an abstract painting, sporting geometric splotches...
Solving a Knotty Knotweed Problem
“When I first started working here, I didn’t realize this could be such a beautiful view,” says Scenic Hudson Parks...
Don’t Touch That Plant!
Trees, shrubs and wildflowers contribute so much beauty to the Hudson Valley — and joy to our lives — but...
Trees That Eat Things
Scenic Hudson Land Stewardship Coordinator Dan Smith photographed an ice skate being “eaten” by a tree on one of our...
#TrailCam
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Cameo: Valley Foxes in Snow
The Scenic Hudson team uses cameras to help monitor our parks — but sometimes, wildlife makes a guest appearance. What...
Cameo: Valley Coyotes
The Scenic Hudson team uses cameras to help monitor our parks — but sometimes, wildlife makes a guest appearance. What...
Cameo: Valley Bears
The Scenic Hudson team uses cameras to help monitor our parks — but sometimes, wildlife makes a guest appearance. What...
Cameo: Valley Deer
The Scenic Hudson team uses cameras to help monitor our parks — but sometimes, wildlife makes a guest appearance. What...
Cameo: Valley Raccoons
The Scenic Hudson team uses cameras to help monitor our parks — but sometimes, wildlife makes a guest appearance. What...
#PlantLife
Series
Series
As the Climate Changes, Which Perennials Will Thrive in the Hudson Valley?
Only every decade or so does the U.S. Department of Agriculture release the latest edition of the Plant Hardiness Zone...
The Tiny, Mossy Forest Below
Generous forests and elegant mountains might command your attention when you’re enjoying the Hudson Valley outdoors. But if you shift...
Seed Saving: How the Valley Has Helped Lead the Nation in Preserving Heirloom Plants
When you hold a seed in your hand, “once upon a time” might not be the first words that pop...
The Apples of Your Ancestors’ Daydreams
Centuries-old apple varieties that were almost pushed out by industrialization have started to get popular again in the Hudson Valley...
Huckleberry Picking, An Old Summer Tradition in the Shawangunks
The poor, acidic, and shallow soil on top of the Shawangunk Ridge was never ideal for farming — but it...
Blooming Now: The Valley’s Own Native Cactus
With all the emphasis on native plants these days, you’d be forgiven for shaking your head when stumbling across a...
Go Spring Ephemeral-Spotting
The Valley may not host showy fields of tulips or bluebonnets. Yet for the hikers, painters, students, explorers, photographers and...
How and Why To Plant Native
Like many, Millbrook resident Liselotte Vince earned her green thumb as a kid years ago, when beauty was the big...
Vertical Gardening at Home
A decade ago, Bryan Meador was an art student in New York City alienated by too much concrete. He felt...
#HappyTails
Series
Series
The Valley’s Different Breed of Zoo
Sure, NYC offers world-caliber collections of wildlife like the Bronx Zoo — but the Hudson Valley is home to two...
Safer Summer Hiking With Dogs
The warm sunshine is here, and it’s time to hit those sizzling trails in the Hudson Valley — but how...
From Alpaca to Sweater: HV Fiber Farming
Sheep and goats are classic Hudson Valley grazers, and in the past few years, a handful of regional farmers have...
Winter Hiking With Dogs
Once upon a time, I adopted the best trail buddy a gal could dream of. Roxy is a 50-pound mutt...
Invite a Goat to Your Next Online Meeting
As Kathy Stevens sits in the shade contemplating the Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s next move, she loses her train of thought...
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