Does Snow Have a Purpose?
Week of December 18, 2022 – December 24, 2022 by Sunny Guyette, Environmental Educator I used to dread winters, I really do not like being cold. But that apprehensiveness to accept winter changed when I had to go outside for two hours everyday for my Environmental Science class in High School. I realized that if I lived in an area where it was always warm, then I wouldn’t appreciate being [...]
Winter Dryness
Week of December 11, 2022 – December 17, 2022 by Elizabeth Suzedell, Environmental Educator Last week was rainy and drizzly. We had gloomy days with the ground continuously soaked with water. If there was so much moisture in the environment, why does our skin still feel so dry? The answer is because of the cold. Air in our atmosphere consists of several gasses, including water vapor. Warm air holds a [...]
Frogs in Winter
Week of December 4, 2022 – December 10, 2022 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator As December’s chill sets in, I fondly think back to days of catching frogs at the pond or marveling at frogs and toads hopping around on the forest floor. Do you ever wonder how these critters survive in the depths of winter? Some frogs, such as Northern Leopard Frogs and Green Frogs, sit deep below the [...]
Sounds in a Still Forest
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 [...]
Giving Thanks To Nature
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 [...]
Frost
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 [...]
Nature’s Cleanup Crew
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 [...]
The Nocturnal World
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 [...]
Leaf Loss
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 [...]