2026 Group Photo of Fairy Fest Staff and Volunteers Every October, the forest at Baltimore Woods transforms into a magical place for our annual Autumnal Fairy Festival. This magical event would not be possible without many hours of volunteer work leading up to the event and at the event. From helping visitors park, [...]
Week of November 1, 2026 – November 7, 2026 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator November is here, and I find November to be one of the most difficult months working at a nature center. The colors are changing from the oranges and yellows to grays and browns. The temperatures are getting colder, and it’s not [...]
Week of October 25, 2026 – October 31, 2026 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator Last weekend, chilly weather began to set in. On my way out the door for our watercolor leaf painting program, I realized it was time for the first day of wearing my purple owl hat this season! A thin layer of [...]
Week of October 18, 2026 – October 24, 2026 by Amelia Gross, Environmental Educator When you walk through the same forest enough, you start to recognize different landmarks. The curve of the valley, the fallen tree that leans over the Harrison Trail, or the patch of pines deep in the woods. There are mighty oaks [...]
Week of October 11, 2026 – October 17, 2026 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator I find orange is a color I notice in nature in all seasons. The magic of fall begins with a pop of orange in the trees. The days are growing shorter, the temperature is cooling, and the fiery colors appear almost [...]
Week of October 4, 2026 – October 10, 2026 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator When you think of fall colors in Central New York, changing leaves might be the first thing that comes to mind. If you venture out into local meadows, you will notice another source of vibrant colors– flowers! Fall is one of [...]
Dale and Ann Vidler in front of the wetlands at the Baltimore Woods Nature Center Vidler Educational Campus “We’re so happy that we can rest knowing that the land is cared for. Land holds memories and our memories will always live on here” Those are the words that Ann Vidler shared with me [...]
Week of September 27, 2026 – October 3, 2026 by Amelia Gross, Environmental Educator Imagine for a second you are a three week old monarch butterfly. You’ve hatched from an egg laid on milkweed somewhere near Montreal and spent about two weeks as a caterpillar chewing through 200 times your weight of that same plant. [...]
Week of September 20, 2026 – September 26, 2026 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator I have been pondering my own connection with nature as of late. With our busy lives, it can be difficult to take the time out of our day to be in awe of nature – even for those who work at [...]
Week of September 13, 2026 – September 19, 2026 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator Summer is almost over, and there is a certain magic to this change in atmosphere. Around when August hits, it seems like many birds sense that fall is coming before we humans do. Shorebirds gather, wheeling around in large synchronized flocks [...]
