Winter From an Animal’s Perspective
Week of February 19, 2023 – February 25, 2023 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator This past weekend, I visited the Morgan Road marshlands at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge around sunset. As I watched flocks of Snow Geese, Trumpeter Swans, and ducks flying to their roosts on whooshing wings, the mild daytime temperatures began to drop. Beavers and Muskrats were swimming busily around me, and I thought about how chilly the [...]
A (Very) Early Sign of Spring
Week of February 12, 2023 – February 18, 2023 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator This past week, we had a spectacularly sunny day in between the clouds, snow, and rain. Temperatures warmed up enough to melt most of the snow and ice on the trails, providing a brief glimpse of spring in the middle of winter. Although the warmth was unusual for this time of year, I couldn’t help but [...]
Animals in Motion
Week of February 5, 2023 – February 11, 2023 by Sunny Guyette, Environmental Educator The Baltimore Woods Nature in the City program visits every K-5 grade classroom in the Syracuse City School District three times a year for a one-hour hands-on/minds-on natural science lesson. The current lesson that we give to Kindergartners is “Animals in Motion”, where the educators have the pleasure of introducing how and why non-human animals move certain ways [...]
Hope in Winter
Week of January 29, 2023 – February 4, 2023 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator Winter can feel bleak. With frigid temperatures, everything covered in snow and ice, short days, lifeless plants, and an apparent lack of animal activity, I am longing for the summer, when everything is so vibrantly green and the sun is bright all day. While I do feel down during this season sometimes, I can’t help but [...]
The Harrison Trail
Week of January 22, 2023 – January 28, 2023 by Sunny Guyette, Environmental Educator The Harrison Trail is one of our newest additions (extending the Harrison Loop) and was one of the last trails that I had explored since starting at Baltimore Woods. Recently, I decided to take my first stroll along the whole Harrison Trail to find inspiration for writing a social media post and what I noticed was [...]
A Winter Day at the Pond
Week of January 15, 2023 – January 21, 2023 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator Phillip’s Pond is a favorite summer spot for many campers, hikers, and visitors at Baltimore Woods. However, in the winter, the pond transforms into a new world with its own fascinating experiences to offer. On a cold day last week, I took a walk to the pond to see what I could find. While the summer [...]
Barred Owls
Week of January 8, 2023 – January 14, 2023 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator As a new year begins, I enjoy pausing to reflect on special experiences in nature from the past year. One of these moments happened just as the year was ending, when my dad and I were birding in one of our favorite spots: Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, on the north shore of Massachusetts. As we [...]
Favorite Experiences at Baltimore Woods
Week of January 1, 2023 – January 7, 2023 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator As 2022 ends, I find myself reflecting on the past year at Baltimore Woods. I am especially thinking about all of the connections with nature that this preserve has provided us. Through the trails, the Interpretive Center, public programs, Summer Nature Day Camps, and Nature in the City lessons, so many people of all ages were able to [...]
Nature Through a Visitor’s Eyes
Week of December 25, 2022 – December 31, 2022 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator This holiday season, I’m looking forward to spending some time in an ecosystem very different from that of Central New York. I’ll be spending the holidays with my family on the coast of New Jersey, where I grew up. Although I love Central New York, visiting the coast always renews my appreciation for the beauty and [...]