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Just Our Nature - news, updates and insights

2023 Calendar Submissions Are Open!

Foggy sunrise over green hills and valleys with a lake in the middle
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our Nature
September 8th through October 23rd Calling all North Country nature photographers! Got your camera at the ready? Nature Up North is once again hosting our annual calendar contest for nature photos that will be featured in our 2023 wall calendar. At Nature Up North we hope to inspire exploration and appreciation of the North Country environment. One way we do this is through the Encounters feature…
Back cover of 2022 calendar featuring the 12 months

Tree Sign Language: Early Fall Color

a rainbow of maple leaves on a gray stone
By Paul J. Hetzler on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Deciduous trees, ice-cream stands, and marinas close each fall for the same reason: as daylight dwindles and cold creeps in, they become less profitable. When income dips down to equal the cost of doing business, a wise proprietor will turn out the lights and lock the doors until spring. Some enterprising holdouts stay open longer. Perhaps they have less competition, or a better location.…

North Country Summer: A Photo Essay

By Abigail Lateer on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Do you know which nature center in the North Country is home to this (and other) spooky and beautiful tree carvings?As a summer naturalist intern for Nature Up North, one of the things I was most excited about was getting to live in the North Country for the summer. I feel so lucky I got the chance to explore this beautiful place, and I made this photo essay to capture some of my favorite places…

North Country Nature Noises

Image taken on the Little River of the evening sunlight against the trees
By Leslie Herold on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Nature Up North has spent the summer getting back outside after a hiatus from summer activities due to COVID. We have really focused on being outside as much as we can and encouraged ourselves and other North Country community members to connect with nature this summer. There is so much to see, but our sight is only a small part of how we can really connect. Using all our senses when we are…

Ask A Fairy: Spring 2022 Answers!

smiling person in front of a fairy house
By Thimble & Blossom on
Blog: Ask a Fairy
After a lengthy stay on North Country trails and in our backyards, our favorite naturalist fairies decided to continue north for the rest of the summer. But, before they left they made sure to write back to all of your wonderful nature questions! They wanted us to tell you that they loved answering your questions, and they hope you keep exploring and being curious about all the wonderful things…
small child in front of a fairy house on the ground fairy house covered in bark and moss in a tree three small houses hanging from tree branches in front of a larger fairy house on the ground

On the Importance of Dirt

Diagram showing the difference in composition of compacted soil versus uncompacted soil
By Abigail Lateer on
Blog: Just Our Nature
Have you ever spent time on a farm or around farmers? Do you remember helping your parents weed their garden as a kid–or do you make your kids help you weed yours? Chances are, you’re connected to agriculture in some shape or form, even if it’s just through the food you eat. Some issues with the U.S. industrialized agriculture system seem more or less obvious. Most people intuit that…

Shell-ebrating North Country Painted Turtles

A baby painted turtle
By Leslie Herold on
Blog: Just Our Nature
As soon as the ponds thaw and the temperatures warm, we know the earth is preparing for spring and summer. The flowers begin to bud and the grasses green again. We pack away our winter jackets and dig out the t-shirts and shorts. But it’s not just humans who recognize this transition. Our North Country wildlife recognize these same changes in the environment and come out for the warmer months of…
An adult painted turtle

Fanfare in the North Country

Trumpeter Swan spreading its wings
By Liz Hart on
Blog: Just Our Nature
It’s nesting season, which means the skies and waters are filled with life; chirping birds calling out for a mate, waterfowl patrolling the waters for a place to roost. But for a few centuries, wetland areas have been missing the notable honking of the largest species of waterfowl in the world. Weighing an average of 26 pounds and growing up to 6 feet in length, the massive Trumpeter Swan is…
Swan a-swimming Swan over water Family of Trumpeter Swans

Ask A Fairy: Spring Into Summer With the Fairies!

Fairy house under a log
By Thimble & Blossom on
Blog: Ask a Fairy
We just heard that Thimble and Blossom, our migratory fairy naturalists, are back in the North Country! In the spring they like to bounce on blooming buds, zip around with dragonflies, and take cold dips in freshly melted puddles! Through all their woodland time they’ve become excellent naturalists, and are now here to answer any questions you may have! Between May 27th and June 24th, use the…
White birchbark fairy house in between tree trunks on the ground Brown bark fairy house with moss in between three tree trunks

6th Annual Earth Day 7k Recap

Two slu runners coming onto the avenue of elms during the 6th annual earth day 7k
By Kayla Edmunds on
Blog: Just Our Nature
By now any sore muscles have been iced and the race signs have been put away until next year, but we're still thinking about what a great time we had with the runners and walkers who attended Nature Up North's 6th Annual Earth Day 7k last Sunday! Although the morning started off a bit dreary with some sprinkles, by the time the starting countdown hit "go" at 10:30am, the sun was shining and…
Happy faces were caught on trail cams that were placed on the course during our 6th annual earth day 7k More excited runners coming onto the avenue of elms during our 6th annual earth day 7k Prizes are raffled off to all participants during our 6th annual earth day 7k