naturalist blog

An archive of all of the Naturalist Blog articles written by the Baltimore Woods education team

Anticipation of Spring

Week of March 16, 2025 – March 22, 2025 by Kaylen Iorio, Environmental Educator The weeks before springtime arrives are saturated in anticipation. The snow is nearly gone, the sky is a marvelous blue, and just like the plants and animals, people are feeling revitalized. While the winter has its many festive celebrations and snow-filled activities, [...]

By |2025-03-23T13:43:16-04:00March 23rd, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on Anticipation of Spring

Maple Sugaring

Week of March 9, 2025 – March 15, 2025 by Lizzy Suzedell, Environmental Educator Have you been noticing any early signs of spring lately? Here at The Woods, we found skunk cabbage almost ready to bloom on the Griffiths Trail, we’ve heard many singing cardinals and flocks of snow geese flying by, and we watched much [...]

By |2025-03-16T07:39:30-04:00March 16th, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on Maple Sugaring

A Comfort in Change

Week of March 2, 2025 – March 8, 2025 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator Have you had the chance to read The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl yet? With 52 chapters- one for each week of the year you can spend time savoring the read, or you can read it in one sitting like [...]

By |2025-03-08T18:16:22-05:00March 8th, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on A Comfort in Change

Winter Owls

Week of February 23, 2025 – March 1, 2025 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator Winter often feels like a mysterious, quiet time, especially at night. Fresh snow absorbs sound, but as it melts and refreezes sounds become amplified as their waves bounce off of icy surfaces. Unlike during warmer times, many nocturnal creatures are quiet. Frogs [...]

By |2025-03-01T12:11:10-05:00March 1st, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on Winter Owls

The World of Wildlife Courtship

Week of February 16, 2025 – February 22, 2025 by Kaylen Iorio, Environmental Educator While wildlife certainly do not celebrate Valentine’s Day, this is a fun time to think about the captivating world of mating in the animal kingdom. Every species on Earth has a unique courtship ritual, each one more fascinating than the next. Some [...]

By |2025-02-23T07:36:16-05:00February 23rd, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on The World of Wildlife Courtship

Winter Observations

Week of February 9, 2025 – February 15, 2025 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator With frigid temperatures, frozen lakes, and very little bare ground, it seems like we’re finally having a real winter again in Central New York! I’m glad that the weather has been more normal, but as always in February, I really miss the [...]

By |2025-02-16T09:02:00-05:00February 16th, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on Winter Observations

Under the Frost Line

Week of February 2, 2025 – February 8, 2025 by Catherine McLaughlin, Environmental Educator Many mammals hoard food caches or bulk up during this time of year. We can easily see animals moving around with the tracks they leave behind. But have you thought about what happens below the snow? There is a complex balance of [...]

By |2025-02-09T09:58:00-05:00February 9th, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on Under the Frost Line

Appreciating Tree Bark

Week of January 26, 2025 – February 1, 2025 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator With most leaves gone from deciduous trees during winter, this is the perfect time to appreciate tree bark. Without the distraction of greenery everywhere, you might notice the great variety of bark protecting the trees around us. It can be smooth like [...]

By |2025-02-02T15:56:34-05:00February 2nd, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on Appreciating Tree Bark

Feline vs. Canine

Week of January 19, 2025 – January 25, 2025 by Kaylen Iorio, Environmental Educator Here in Central New York we have many different species of animals, some more elusive than others. We often see White-tailed Deer grazing in open fields, Turkey Vultures soaring above a park, or Eastern Cottontails scurrying to get out of your way. [...]

By |2025-01-26T14:11:11-05:00January 26th, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on Feline vs. Canine

Lake-Effect Snow

Week of January 12, 2025 – January 18, 2025 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator The past few winters in the Syracuse area haven’t been very snowy, but this winter has been feeling at least a little bit closer to normal. The Syracuse Hancock International Airport has had 44 inches of snow so far this season [...]

By |2025-01-18T21:51:30-05:00January 18th, 2025|naturalist blog|Comments Off on Lake-Effect Snow
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