What's Your Nature?
Become a Nature Up North explorer to share your encounters with wild things and wild places in New York's North Country. Post your wildlife sightings, landscape shots, photos from your outings, and even your organization's events!
Just Our Nature - news, updates and insights
Wild Eats Part One: Dandelion Burgers
By India Harvey on
Blog: Farmed and ForagedSome plants are so common that we forget to appreciate them. We see dandelions everywhere during the summer - their yellow flowers speckle the grass at local parks and poke out between the cracks of village sidewalks. Many people feel some hostility towards the plant, as dandelions stand in the way of a perfectly manicured lawn. Dandelions have a bad reputation, which is ironic because they were…
North Country Voices: Anna Knapp-Peck
By Lizz Muller on
Blog: North Country VoicesAnna Knapp-Peck lives in DeKalb with her husband and two children. Originally from Vermont, she settled in the North Country after moving from Washington County with her family in 2007. They now reside on 90 acres of land that they call Zion Farm, surrounded by ducks, turkeys, dogs, cats, goats, chickens, horses, and Anna’s favorite – oxen. Her animals have been on America's Got Talent, in…
Registration Open for the Nature Up North Teacher Workshop, August 3-4
By Jacob Malcomb on
Blog: In the SchoolsAre you a St. Lawrence County teacher interested in incorporating more nature-based learning into your lessons? Do you want to increase opportunities for integrating outdoor learning with STEM content? Nature Up North is offering a workshop for local teachers on August 3rd and 4th during which we will discuss ways to improve STEM learning through hands-on and place-based teaching strategies that…
Pink Lady’s Slipper: Too Precious to Pick
By Cailand Sweeting on
Blog: Just Our NaturePink lady’s slipper, or Cypripedium acaule, is a wildflower that belongs to the Orchid family and is known for its beautiful, bulbous, slipper-shaped blooms. As a child growing up in Maine I was taught to never touch—and especially not pick—these precious flowers. I fondly think back to hikes with my Girl Scout troop and remember how coming across a pink lady’s slipper was like finding a hidden…
Outside of the Doghouse: Keeping Your Dog Safe and Healthy in Nature
By Jane Eifert on
Blog: On the TrailFew activities bring more joy than watching dogs running around outside – leaping from rocks to logs, splashing in the water, and sniffing out nearby squirrels at the base of every tree they pass. It is impossible not to join, chasing them and throwing sticks for them to retrieve – their tongues hanging out of their smiling faces and tails wagging faster than the wings of a hummingbird. For…
The Multipurpose Nettle
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Farmed and ForagedOne of my favorite plants is either highly versatile, or very confused. On the one hand, professional herbivores like rabbits and deer refuse to even touch it, but many people, myself included, will gladly eat it every day it is available. While contacting it is painful, it has been proven to relieve certain chronic pain. It is steeped in over a thousand years of folklore, at one point imbued…
North Country Voices: John Ashley
By Justin Dalaba on
Blog: North Country Voices
John Ashley is a SCUBA instructor and the owner of Bluefin Diving, a SCUBA diving shop in Ogdensburg. A North Country native, he has been diving in the St. Lawrence River for over 20 years, including winter dives beneath the ice. We caught up with him to learn more about the life of a diver and scuba instructor in our northern climate.
Nature Up North: How did you get into SCUBA diving?…
Juneberry: An Early Bloomer
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Farmed and ForagedAnother regional attraction has just opened, and for the next few weeks you can see the show at innumerable open-air venues across the Northeast. The performance is free, although only matinees are available.
The new event is the blossoming of a widespread, though strangely little-known, early-flowering plant. It is either a small tree or a shrub, depending on who you ask, which makes me wonder…
Exploring the North Country, Even on Crutches
By Jane Eifert on
Blog: On the TrailUntil recently, my idea of outdoor adventure was something intense – climbing an Adirondack High Peak, embarking on a multi-day canoe trip, or flying down a steep ski slope. That was until I tore my ACL, an injury requiring surgery, crutches, and a minimum recovery time of six months. While I was initially disappointed, I was heartened to find that St. Lawrence County has an abundance of flat…
Planning a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
By Samantha Haab on
Blog: Farmed and Foraged Bees are key pollinators for a variety of plant species that we rely on for food, medicine, livelihood, and aesthetics. They are obligate pollinators, so their diet of nectar and pollen makes their role in pollination a de facto part of their life. Farmers, gardeners, and all nature lovers alike, should aim to foster a diversity of pollinators in their farms or gardens. Especially in light of…
