Do you have some great shots ofPfeifferNatureCenter(orNew York’s forests) that you want to share?
Photography is one of our country’s most popular pastimes. This is your chance to share your photographs ofPfeifferNatureCenterandNew York’s forests.
In honor of International Year of Forests, The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Division of Lands and Forests is holding the Celebrating New York’s Forests Photo Contest. This contest is an effort to increase awareness of and appreciation for all types of forests, urban and rural, large and small, public and privately owned, across the state.
They are looking for the best photos in the following categories:
Nature (wildlife, plants, or natural landscapes, etc. with a forest-related theme)
Enjoying the forest (hunting, fishing, trails, camping, hiking, etc.)
Is there a better place to take pictures for those first two categories thanPfeifferNatureCenter?
So sort through shots you already have, and take a hike on our hills to shoot some great fall scenes.
All submissions must be received by close of business on November 1, 2011. For more information about the contest and the official rules, please see http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/75396.html.
As the seasons change from summer toward autumn the weather provides a great opportunity to explore the trails since there is less heat, humidity and fewer bugs. Looking to take a trek? Here are five tips to get you started:
1. Find a trail. Pfeiffer Nature Center (and Western New York ) is filled with hiking trails of all kinds from easy walks in the woods to challenging terrain and hills. Whether novice or an experienced hiker, finding a trail to suit your pace and physical level is important. Things to consider when choosing a trail include distance, elevation and terrain. Is the trail rocky or a well-worn dirt path? Is it flat or will you have to climb hills or scramble up rocks?
2. Wear the right clothes. Once you pick your trail, check the weather forecast and pick your clothes. You don’t need lots of hiking gear to walk in the woods or try out the sport. “People don’t need to buy expensive hiking boots and poles to start with,” Peluso said. “A good, comfortable pair of sneakers can start you out.” Whether you’re wearing sturdy sneakers or hiking boots the key is to have comfortable shoes which will give you protection on the trails. Even well-worn and groomed paths give your feet a pounding. “The quickest way to ruin a hike is to have sore feet,” Sander said. He also brings along an inexpensive rain poncho available at discount stores if there is any chance of rain in the forecast. “It can be quite pleasant to hike in a light rain,” Sander said. “But it’s no fun when you’re soaking wet.”
3. Bring water and food. Regardless of how long you think you will be in the woods, bring along plenty of water and some snacks. Erring on the side of too much water is better than being without. Dried fruit and nuts make good trail snacks.
4. Expand the adventure. Find a hiking partner who know about trees or wildflowers or geology and learn while you’re on the trail. Sander recommends bringing a simple camera on the hike and a journal. Take photos of interesting trees, flowers, rock formations or water ways. In the journal, add notes to remember specifics about the photo including location, time of day and what interested you about the scene. (Join a local hiking club such as Olean Area Hiking Group)
5. Making it a family day. While it can be a different type of challenge, families with young children can enjoy a day in the woods. The key is to plan ahead and be thoughtful in thinking about what the kids are really capable of. “One of the most important things, and it can be difficult to realize, is to try and get a handle on your own abilities and your children’s abilities because you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew the first time and end up with miserable kids,” said Rob Laing, who has been hiking for 25 years. “I was never into forced marches. I wanted my kids to get involved in the outdoors and have fun. We started with shorter hikes and gradually as they got older we added more climbing.”
Article was adapted from By Amy Moritz, Buffalo News
Have you been on a nice long walk in the woods lately? I have. Yesterday I spent the morning walking the trails at our Lillibridge Property. My original intent to hiking the trails was to look for mushrooms for our Mushroom Walk & ID on Saturday, August 20, 2011. As I wandered Griffin Way, Sally’s Alley, and part of the Loop, I discovered small mushrooms along the trail. I hope that they will be bigger by Saturday. However, while I was walking I saw (and heard) more than just mushrooms. I enjoy walking by myself because I can experience much more of nature than I would with a group. Mainly because it is a lot quieter. On this morning’s walk, I heard two turkeys talking back and forth. The forest was filled with their conversation and not mine. I was also fortunate to stumble upon a fawn eating on the Pinkster trail. We both noticed each other at the same time and froze. The fawn watched me for about 10 seconds before walking about 10 feet farther down the trail. After awhile the fawn walked into the woods. As I approached the spot where it entered into the woods, I heard it snort and take off running. I would have loved to get a picture but I had to settle for a nice picture of the pavilion and the valley. What really sparked my interest was that the fawn still had spots even though it was getting close to full-grown adult size. I have seen many young deer still with spots and I do not remember seeing so many this late in the summer. After some research online, I learned that most do not lose their spots until they start to grow in their winter coat, at which time they lose their spots and reddish brown color. The coat starts to turn to a gray color for the winter.
Butterfly identification is a learning process. It is easier to start with the large, brightly colored species and gradually work down to the small, drab ones. Here is what to look for on some of the most common species of butterflies in North America.
Tiger Swallowtails
Just about every area has at least one of the five kinds of tiger swallowtails found in North America. It is a large butterfly, bright yellow with black wings edges and black stripes that run parallel to its body. Its tiger stripes give it its surname while swallowtail describes the narrow black wing extensions that trail behind it. Plant some wild cherries, such as chokecherry or black cherry (the caterpillar’s host plant), in your yard and thrill to the sight of these spectacular beauties taking nectar at your garden lilies.
Black Swallowtail
These large black-and-yellow butterflies are at home in towns and gardens. Black swallowtails are found throughout the eastern two-thirds of North America. Plant a patch of parsley or dill in your garden and there is an excellent chance that you can watch the brilliant green and black-striped caterpillars grow to adulthood – even if your garden is the terrace of a high-rise apartment in a major city! Males of the two swallowtail species are drawn to the tops of hills, where they wait for females.
Cabbage White
Our small white butterflies are almost all cabbage whites, an abundant and widespread species. One of only two non-native butterflies in North America, the cabbage white is now perhaps our most common butterfly. Its caterpillars feed on a wide variety of plants, including mustards and of course, cabbage. Look for black dots on the wings, one for a male and two for a female.
Orange Sulphur
Replace the white of the cabbage butterfly with lemon yellow to orange color and you have the orange sulphur. The sulphurs are medium-sized butterflies whose colors range from white to orange. This species is one of the most abundant in North America, sometimes swarming in vast numbers in alfalfa fields. It is found throughout the United States and most of Canada. Its close relatives, including the common and widespread, clouded sulphur, are pure yellow above, with no trace of orange. The related giant sulphurs are much larger, almost the size of swallowtails, while the related “yellows” tend to be smaller.
Spring Azure
The brilliant blue of spring azures is a wake-up call for the winter weary butterfly enthusiast. Azures are one of the first butterflies to emerge in the spring to greet the new season and are found over most of the continent. Some of the 30 other species of blues are difficult to distinguish from this one, but only the tailed blues are likely to be found in your garden. They are darker blue above with fine tails.
Mourning Cloak
The mourning cloak is another large butterfly. It is the only black (or very dark brown) butterfly with yellow wing edges. Because it overwinters as adults, they are another early appearing butterfly. They can sometimes be seen on an extremely warm day in January. They will become plentiful again in mid-July. The adults do not usually visit flowers but are partial to tree sap and various decaying organic matter. The caterpillars feed mainly on willows.
Question Mark and Comma
These butterflies are named for the silvery marks in the middle of the underside of their hind wings, which resemble certain punctuations marks.
Monarch
This is the best-known butterfly in North America. Large and brightly colored in orange and black, these butterflies cause everyone’s head to turn as they migrate southward in large groups in the fall. They are such strong fliers that they colonized New Zealand, Australia, and the Canary Islands! Adult monarchs are distasteful to birds because the caterpillars feed on milkweeds and accumulate toxic chemicals. Because these butterflies retreat to Mexico for the winter, they are not common around here until late June. In fact, most entomologists agree that the “returning” butterflies are offspring of those that flew south last fall.
Viceroy
Although unrelated to the monarch, the viceroy takes advantage of the monarch’s unpalatability by mimicking its appearance. At first glance, it looks very similar to a monarch butterfly. It is slightly smaller than the monarch, with which its almost identical orange and black pattern is easily confused. However, unlike the monarch, the viceroy has a black stripe on the hind wing that crosses the other lines.
Gray Hairstreak
Hairstreaks are wonderfully vast group with more than 1,000 species found in the American tropics. About 60 species are found in North America, the most widespread being the gray hairstreak. Its caterpillars have one of the broadest tastes of any butterfly, but seem especially to enjoy various mallows, including hollyhocks. Some other hairstreaks have a similar bright orange spot on the hind wing below, but few are as evenly gray as this species.
5/18/2011 // Roger DiSilvestro Campers enjoy an oasis of light on a dark night in this photo by Derek Gulden
That day on which thousands of people across the nation pitch tents and roll out sleeping bags is almost here—National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Campout, slated this year for June 25.
Camping, even for just a night in a backyard, is a way to put children in touch with nature. A study in the 1990s found that people who grew up to be conservationists almost invariably had someone in their lives who introduced them to nature as a child.
Former president Jimmy Carter put it more eloquently: “It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honor nature’s gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever.” Introducing a child to the outdoors can create a commitment to nature that lasts a lifetime.
Some of you participating in this camping event may wonder what to do after nightfall. Here are seven activities that may keep you and the kids amused:
Build a Fire: But of course! If you are in an area that allows you to build a fire, do so. Let the kids help, collecting kindling and other wood, and show them how it is done, starting with the flaming of small twigs and fluff and building with larger pieces of wood. “The fire,” Henry David Thoreau once pointed out, “is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter, and is about as ample at one season as at another. It is as well for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness.”
Fish: If you are near a lake or pond, consider a little night fishing. Some fish are attracted to light. Put up a lantern near shore or hang one on your boat as you sit in one place. Kids may find a boat confining, especially at night, but for older children a night fishing trip—pulling the thrashing catch from the foam of dark waters—will be a camping memory not soon forgotten.
Bug Watch: You can use a light to attract insects and see what comes in. In fact, if you have a camp light, you probably will attract insects like it or not. So make a game of it. Put up a white sheet between trees and shine a light on it. Insects will land on the sheet, and you can use field guides to identify them. You can set up your sheet at different sites—on poles in an open space, between trees in a wood, near water, not near water—and see if different types of insects show up. Keep a list of species. How do the lists differ, and if they do, why? The insects will provide astute young wildlife enthusiasts with a lesson in the importance of habitat.
Night Sounds: Trying sitting quietly in the dark, without fire or flashlight, and just listen. Within a few minutes your eyes will adjust to the darkness, and you surroundings will be seen in a new perspective. Listen: what sounds do you hear? Depending on where you are camping, you may hear the yapping of a coyote, or the hooting of an owl (count the hoots; they can provide a clue to what species you are hearing; check a field guide), or the scurrying of night creatures in the grass, or the prrrnnt of a nighthawk, or the chirps of frogs. Try sitting in different locales and listening. Do you hear different creatures at different sites? Or try mapping the sounds you hear, putting the place where you are sitting in the middle of a sheet of paper (X can mark the spot) and writing down the animals you hear, showing on the map where they are in relationship to you. In daylight, check out the places where sounds came from. Do they tell you anything about habitat preference?
Stargazing: Tradition says that ancient shepherds lay out with their flocks at night and watched the myriad glittering stars, passing the time by picking out images among the stars, like Orion the Hunter or the Big Dipper. But naming constellations doesn’t have to end with ancient shepherds, for whom the sky was a sort of celestial video game. You can pick up the tradition, inventing and naming your own constellations: is that a Toyota Prius, the Empire State Building, an X-Box, a lamp? Is that mom over there, and dad over there? Alternatively, get a star-gazer field guide and pick out the traditional constellations.
Hiking in the Rain: “Rainstorms,” humorist Dave Barry wrote, “will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds, for the opportunity to rain on a tent.” But rain is no reason to give up on your campout. Take advantage of a drizzle—on wet nights, frogs, toads and salamanders, and maybe ever a water turtle or two, may be out and about, taking advantage of the moisture to move from place to place. Put on raingear, grab a waterproof flashlight, and see what amphibians you can find. You may see creatures you otherwise would never or rarely encounter.
Night Waters: If you are near a pond, take you flashlight or your headlamp and go to it. Immerse a waterproof flashlight in the pond, preferably on a rope or with some other device for easy retrieval. Some creatures will be attracted to light. See what shows up. Perhaps you can capture some with a net, jar or bucket and identify them. Also collect a water sample from dark waters. Do you find different creatures in this water sample? You may need a magnifying glass and field guide to help with identification. What do you think accounts for the differences you find?
Whatever you do, have fun during your Great American Backyard Campout. Thoreau again: “We need the tonic of wildness—to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the ground.” (Oh yes, another bonus activity might be the reading of such classics of conservation as Thoreau’s Walden or Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac . . . in the tent . . . or by the fire.)
When it finally stops raining again, I am sure that these little flowers will be popping up everywhere. Why not take advantage of natures bounty and can a little sunshine!
I ran across this recipe/article through one of the emails that I recieved this week. I love jam and look forward to giving this one try. Pictures to with steps available at http://www.simplycanning.com/dandelion-jelly.html
Dandelion Jelly Recipe
Dandelion jelly tastes a bit like honey. It is true. My youngest took a taste and proclaimed the “honey” good.
This was a fun project to try out. I was a little leery as to how it would taste so I only made one batch the first time. I didn’t want to use all that sugar and find we really didn’t like it.
I had no reason to fear. It is delicious. I made another 2 batches to have for Christmas gifts this year. (Uhm….. if you are a relative of mine pretend you didn’t read that.)
Be sure and pick your dandelions where you know they have not been sprayed. When we asked our neighbor farmer if we could go out in the field and pick dandelions. He said sure. Then looked at me a little funny! I gave him a little jar of dandelion jelly as a thank you.
I sent my sons and a visiting friend out picking with a gallon drink pitcher and they were back in a jiffy. I think their friend probably though I was a little kooky too! I think I’m getting a reputation!
Pick at least 10 cups of dandelion blossoms. Just blossoms no stems. (they are bitter)
Snip off base of each flower until you have just yellow petals. You need to end up with 4 cups petals.
I tried several methods of getting the petals. I finally settled on pinching the flower and using a scissors to cut off the base.
This is a little tedious… ok it is a lot tedious. But it is worth it!
Then I used my fingers to pull off any green parts that were left. It is ok if there are little bits of green.
Next pour boiling water over the petals. Let this sit until room temperature or overnight if possible. When this has brewed you will have a darkish yellow dandelion “tea”.
Now you are ready to make the dandelion jelly.
Gather your canning supplies
water bath canner
canning jars
canning lids and rings
jar lifter
canning funnel
bowls
large pot
large spoons
towels and dish cloths
scissors
Ingredients
Boiling water
4 Cups dandelion petals
4 1/2 Cups sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 box powdered pectin
Fill your canner 2/3 full of water and begin heating the water as you make your jelly. This only makes 4 cups of jelly so you can use any pot that will cover whatever jars you choose to use. The pot needs to hold enough water to cover your jars by 2 inches of water and have a rack to keep the jars off the bottom.
Strain the “dandelion tea” through a coffee filter or or jelly bag to remove all petals. Add additional water if needed to measure 3 Cups liquid.
Add “tea”, lemon juice, 1 box of pectin and sugar into large saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling 1-2 minutes.
Pour hot jelly into hot canning or jelly jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Use pints or 1/2 pints.
Process
1/2 pints or pints
process for 10 minutes if you are below 6000 ft elevation.
15 minutes if you are above 6000 ft elevation.
The bloodroot is in bloom on the top of Lillibridge Road. This sweet, little garden circle is near the cabin door, and at this time of year, only bloodroot, a patch of meadow rue, and a bit of violet is visible.
This area was already shaded when I was there this afternoon, so the bloodroot flowers had already closed their white faces. I wandered around till I found some in a sunny spot so you can see what it looks like open.
Formally known as Sanguinaria canadensis, bloodroot is a perennial that grows from rhizomes – a thick, horizontal, underground stem. It’s a low-grower, 7-9″ tall. Bloodroot blooms in early spring, with clear, white, simple petals and yellow stamens. The leaves are distinctive: broad with several lobes, rather thick, and their undersides are much lighter green than the tops. There’s often only one leaf per plant.
So if the flower is white and the leaves are green, why is this plant called bloodroot? It’s actually the color of that rhizome, which is a reddish orange.
According to lore, juice from the rhizomes were used as body decorations by early Native Americans. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but bloodroot does make a colorfast dye for fabric.
Like many native plants, there are said to be many medicinal uses of bloodroot from relieving sore throats to curing cancer. We’re not advocating any of them.
I do hope that you’ll take a ride to the top of Lillibridge Road and wander down by the cabin to see these spring lovelies. Don’t wait too long – they’ll be gone before you know it.
“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring? ”
– Neltje Blanchan
The best part of Springtime is the smell.
You can’t describe the smell of fresh cut grass after an April shower, the smell of newly bloomed flowers, or even the smell of the mud that forms when all the snow melts.
The combination of smells and glorious rays of sunshine brings a sense of happiness and warmth to those who venture outside to play with their dogs or hike in the forest.
Trees and flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the air is fresh, and people are outside. What could be better?
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water image courtesy of http://www.filterclean.co.uk/informationpagespringcatchment.htm
Build a Bond with Birds By Jason Martin, NestWatch
Eastern Bluebird nest. Photo by J. Brindo
Whether in a shrub, a tree, or a nest box, bird nests are all around us. By monitoring a nearby nest you can help scientists study the biology of North America’s birds and how it might be changing over time. Every spring and summer, volunteers from across the country visit nests and report their findings to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch program. As a NestWatcher, you keep tabs on bird family life, following the progression from incubated eggs, to fuzzy chicks, to gawky youngsters ready to take their first fluttering flight. All the information you gather is submitted online to the NestWatch database.
“NestWatch helps people of all ages and backgrounds connect with nature,” says project leader Jason Martin. “The information that our dedicated citizen scientists collect allows us to understand the impact that various threats, such as environmental change and habitat destruction, have on breeding birds. Armed with this knowledge, we can take the necessary steps to help birds survive in this changing world.”
Eastern Bluebird chick hatching. Photo by Mary Thomson
Instructions and all the materials you need to participate are available on the NestWatch website at www.nestwatch.org. You’ll also get directions on how to find and monitor nests without disturbing the birds. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s free.
The Cornell Lab’s immensely popular NestCams are back too. Cameras broadcast live video over the web from the nests of Barn Owls, bluebirds, wrens, Wood Ducks, and many other species. Our newest camera is focused on a Great Horned Owl family in Houston, Minnesota. Check it out at www.nestcams.org.
And please join us for NestWatch this season—you’ll build a bond with birds and with nature in your own backyard.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab’s website at http://www.birds.cornell.edu.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca NY 14850
Call toll-free (800) 843-BIRD (2473)
Do you enjoy taking photographs?
As I wandered Griffin Way, Sally’s Alley, and part of the Loop, I discovered small mushrooms along the trail. I hope that they will be bigger by Saturday. However, while I was walking I saw (and heard) more than just mushrooms. I enjoy walking by myself because I can experience much more of nature than I would with a group. Mainly because it is a lot quieter. On this morning’s walk, I heard two turkeys talking back and forth. The forest was filled with their conversation and not mine. I was also fortunate to stumble upon a fawn eating on the Pinkster trail. We both noticed each other at the same time and froze. The fawn watched me for about 10 seconds before walking about 10 feet farther down the trail. After awhile the fawn walked into the woods. As I approached the spot where it entered into the woods, I heard it snort and take off running. I would have loved to get a picture but I had to settle for a nice picture of the pavilion and the valley. What really sparked my interest was that the fawn still had spots even though it was getting close to full-grown adult size. I have seen many young deer still with spots and I do not remember seeing so many this late in the summer. After some research online, I learned that most do not lose their spots until they start to grow in their winter coat, at which time they lose their spots and reddish brown color. The coat starts to turn to a gray color for the winter.
Tiger Swallowtails
Black Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Orange Sulphur
Spring Azure
Mourning Cloak
Question Mark and Comma
Monarch
Viceroy
Gray Hairstreak
When it finally stops raining again, I am sure that these little flowers will be popping up everywhere. Why not take advantage of natures bounty and can a little sunshine!
