The Naturalist’s Blog

Week of January 4, 2026 – January 10, 2026 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator We officially made it through 2025! I see a lot of people creating resolutions for the New Year, from exercising more, eating better, spending less. However, I find myself aligning less with resolutions and more and more with the seasons. The winter has just begun – and when we look at nature in winter it is a [...]

Week of December 28, 2025 – January 3, 2026 by Kaylen Iorio, Environmental Educator During last week’s Winter Solstice Hike at Baltimore Woods, one participant expressed how year after year this hike helps them reset and remember what’s really important during the holiday season and I couldn’t agree more. It feels like we are often frantic this time of year, trying to find the perfect gifts or plan the perfect party. [...]

Week of December 21, 2025 – December 27, 2025 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator At precisely 10:03 am this morning, did you notice an extra chill to the air? I am just joking; winter solstice isn’t guaranteed to cause more chilliness, but it did take place this morning. Winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night of the year. 10:03 am was the precise moment that the Northern Hemisphere [...]

Week of December 14, 2025 – December 20, 2025 by Lizzy Suzedell, Environmental Educator Have you heard about the polar vortex on the news lately? This week, I saw article titles saying that the “polar vortex has broken,” and that this will bring a “wrecking ball” and “mother lode” of “icy vortex air” across the country. While this weather phenomenon does bring us extremely cold temperatures, I always laugh a little [...]

Week of December 7, 2025 – December 13, 2025 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator Did you know that there is an old Christmas tree farm at Baltimore Woods? Originally planted in the early 1980s, this area has grown to astounding heights. It is located near the northern side of the boundary trail; you can spot an evergreen stand that looks a little odd. Within this area is a plethora of Abus [...]

Week of November 30, 2025 – December 6, 2025 by Kaylen Iorio, Environmental Educator As I have been preparing for the Discovering Wildlife Through Trail Cameras program here at Baltimore Woods I’ve been able to take the time to reflect on why I am so drawn to this type of technology. Anyone who knows me knows I am not tech savvy in the slightest. Computer systems? Confusing. Smartphones and all their gadgets? Nonsense. [...]

Week of November 23, 2025 – November 29, 2025 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator Onondaga Lake is one of my favorite local areas to go birding. During spring and fall, you can find a colorful variety of ducks on the water. In winter, I have counted almost 100 Bald Eagles there at one time. It is teeming with life, but it hasn’t always been this way. Factories once dumped waste into [...]

Week of November 16, 2025 – November 22, 2025 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator As we continue to get further into November, we’re seeing more and more signs that winter is on the way. Most of the trees have dropped their leaves, squirrels are busily collecting the last of this year’s nuts, and the birds are starting to visit the feeders more frequently. We’ve been waking up to more frosty mornings, [...]

Week of November 9, 2025 – November 15, 2025 by Katie McLaughlin, Environmental Educator As we headed out with their class this field trip season, a teacher told me “I will give you a lifetime of after-school detention if we find a snake on this field trip.” Now, she happened to be someone I have known for the last 27 years, so I will give her a pass… Especially after actually [...]