The Naturalist’s Blog

Week of November 27, 2022 – December 3, 2022 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator In late fall, the forest seems to settle into a deeper level of silence. Buzzing and chirping insects have vanished and many animals are moving into dens for the winter. This past week, I took a walk through Baltimore Woods on a particularly quiet day. Without the usual backdrop of noise and activity, my attention focused [...]

Week of November 20, 2022 – November 26, 2022 by Sunny Guyette, Environmental Educator For the Syracuse City School District 5th grade Ecosystem Exploration field trips, I like to take my groups to a pond located along the Boundary Trail. Next to the pond, is a bat house. Oftentimes, when I ask the kids what kind of home they think it is, they rightfully mistake it as a birdhouse. I [...]

Week of November 13, 2022 – November 19, 2022 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator We have already had our first frost in Central New York, and waking up to a thin glaze of ice crystals covering the grass, other plants, and our cars is becoming more common as we approach mid-November. You may have occasionally noticed some thick dew throughout the autumn, and even though frost is ice, both dew [...]

Please note: This week’s Naturalist Blog contains somewhat graphic images and video links captured via a trail camera of real animals feeding on a deer carcass. Viewer discretion is advised. Week of November 6, 2022 – November 12, 2022 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator A couple of weeks ago, some of our educators and Trail School participants set up trail cams on a deer carcass that we found near the edge of the [...]

Week of October 30, 2022 – November 5, 2022 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator As Halloween approaches and children dress up as bats, cats, and werewolves, our thoughts turn more frequently to creatures that inhabit the night. While we are sleeping, a whole world of activity is taking place right outside our windows. Imagine coming to Baltimore Woods late at night. If you were to follow a moonlit trail to [...]

Week of October 23, 2022 – October 29, 2022 by Sunny Guyette, Environmental Educator Crunch, crunch, crunch! As the season changes, we may notice the trees that turn from green to vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red are losing their leaves, while other trees stay green year round. But why does this happen? Why do some trees lose all of their leaves in the fall and some keep their [...]

Week of October 16, 2022 – October 22, 2022 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator They appear right before dusk, over fields and wetlands in the cool fall air. As you look towards the horizon, you might see what appear to be low, quickly moving clouds approaching. At a closer range, they become a series of twisting shapes in the air, like abstract art come to life. While it sounds like [...]

Week of October 9, 2022 – October 15, 2022 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator The Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights, is perhaps the most magical sight we can see in the sky from here on Earth. An aurora is a beautiful show of dancing, colorful light that is seen at night near the earth’s poles. While it’s rare in Central New York, the aurora is still seen here every [...]

Week of October 2, 2022 – October 8, 2022 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator As summer turns to fall, many of the fields here at Baltimore Woods gradually become carpeted in gold. Along with the crimson, orange, yellow, and violet colors of autumn leaves, blooming goldenrod adds a pop of color to the landscape. There are many different species of goldenrod, all belonging to the aster family. Not only are [...]