The Naturalist’s Blog

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 [...]

Week of September 25, 2022 – October 1, 2022 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator If you’ve gone hiking at Baltimore Woods, you know that the Preserve is a great place to see animals of all shapes and sizes, from birds and mammals to reptiles and amphibians. But did you know that the Baltimore Woods Interpretive Center is home to several animals as well? Our resident animals inside the building help [...]

Week of September 18, 2022 – September 24, 2022 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator As dusk begins to fall earlier, I’ve been thinking about the wildlife that comes out at night. At our Night at the Woods program this past Friday, we were lucky enough to hear several Eastern Screech Owls calling to each other in the woods! The experience made me look forward to cold winter nights, when owls [...]

Week of September 11, 2022 – September 17, 2022 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator Autumn is the foggiest time of the year. As we approach the equinox, you may notice more fog in the valleys, over the lakes and ponds, through the fields and forests, or in your neighborhood. With the shorter days and longer nights this season, fog will become more common. Fog is simply a cloud that forms [...]

Week of September 4, 2022 – September 10, 2022 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator While many of us may know songbirds as generally diurnal creatures, a mass migration of them occurs at night during the spring and fall. Nocturnal migrants include birds such as warblers, thrushes, vireos, and sparrows. These little birds may fly by night in order to avoid the watchful eyes of hawks and other predators, to save [...]