Birdathon
Week of May 24, 2026 – May 30, 2026 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator I still remember when I really got the birding bug back in second grade. I was lucky enough to tag along with some hardcore but fun birding mentors who worked and volunteered with Mass Audubon, where I grew up in eastern Massachusetts. One of my favorite activities was the 24 hour Birdathon each May. This fundraiser for [...]
From Fear to Curiosity
Week of May 17, 2026 – May 23, 2026 by Amelia Gross, Environmental Educator I have to start with a confession. As an environmental educator, and general animal lover, I’m reluctant to admit I was less than excited to lead Nature in the City lessons focusing on aquatic insects. I’m not afraid of bugs per se, but leeches or beetles have never been my particular environmental interest. Alas, with the final two third [...]
Spring Fever
Week of May 10, 2026 – May 16, 2026 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator Spring Fever. The increase in energy many of us have as we come out of the winter months. I certainly have noticed that my mood has gotten better in the last month – even with battling spring allergies for the past 2 weeks or so. While spring fever is not an official medical disease or diagnosis, there [...]
The Joy of Discovery
Week of May 3, 2026 – May 9, 2026 by Kaylen Iorio, Environmental Educator Spring feels like it’s finally here. The blue, cloudless skies allow the sun to shine down on blooming flowers where you can find pollinators busy at work. Each year, I feel a pep in my step during the spring. The awakening and bustling world inspires a positive drive in me. I love observing birds hurriedly building nests [...]
A Bug’s Eye View of Spring
Week of April 26, 2026 – May 2, 2026 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator Have you ever looked really closely at the ground in spring? It can be carpeted with emerging life of all shapes and sizes, from tiny red mites to showy trillium blossoms and soft mosses. The leaf litter provides a safe and cozy place for animals to hide and an insulating layer for new plant growth as temperatures [...]
Why Are There Birds?
Week of April 19, 2026 – April 25, 2026 by Amelia Gross, Environmental Educator “Why are there birds? They don’t do anything.” This was quite a jarring question to hear as I stood in front of 20 fourth graders with two minutes left in their Nature in the City lesson. How could I possibly explain the nuances of what each diverse bird species “does” in that time? Connecting back to our discussion on [...]
A Child Who Found a Trail
Week of April 12, 2026 – April 18, 2026 by Jade Zollo, Baltimore Woods Camper and Intern My name is Jade and I am a seventh grader at The New School in DeWitt. I completed an internship at Baltimore Woods this winter. I have been going to Baltimore Woods for summer camp ever since I was old enough to go. It has made such an impact on me and my life. [...]
The Great Log Roll-Off
Week of April 5, 2026 – April 11, 2026 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator The Great Log Roll-Off is a spring camp tradition. Camp groups explore the preserve and participate in some data collection by flipping over logs and counting everything they see. What can be found under a log? Multiple Arthropoda such as millipedes and centipedes, ants and beetles, or even spiders. Or Gastropods (their name means stomach foot – [...]
Creatures of the Deep
Week of March 29, 2026 – April 4, 2026 by Kaylen Iorio, Environmental Educator Throughout the year, 3rd graders throughout the Syracuse City School District are receiving Nature in the City (NITC) lessons revolving around water. In their first lesson, students identify parts of the water cycle and discuss how humans impact this cycle. They also observe how pollutants like pesticides, road salt, and trash can get into our waterways when large storms [...]