What's the Buzz?

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While Wildlife Education Center (WEC) Manager Taylor O. was cleaning out the wax from the bee box hive that had been abandoned by its former residents, an inquisitive man walking his dog by the WEC asked about the hives and her project at hand. They quickly struck up a conversation regarding all things bees, and Kevin R. introduced himself as a neighbor as well as an at-home beekeeper along with his teenage son Zach. Almost immediately he kindly began dispensing advice and wisdom. This was much appreciated by Taylor who was undertaking hive maintenance for the first time and is still learning the full process. Near the end of their serendipitous meeting, he offered to volunteer his time and expertise whenever we decided to get a new colony. They exchanged information and encouraged her to contact him with any questions.  

Just a few hours later, Taylor received a surprising phone call. It was Kevin asking if he and his family could donate a Nuc (Nucleus colony) of honeybees (which includes the Queen, worker bees, and the frames they build their comb on to) to the Nature Museum in addition to his son Zach’s time to maintain the hives and care for the bees. This includes checking on the health and well being of the Queen, looking for and dealing with parasitic beetles or mites, and any other issues the hive may be dealing with.  What makes this story even sweeter (pun certainly intended) is that Zach is an alumnus of HHNM’s Young Naturalist Preschool, saying;

“When I was three and four years old I attended the Hudson Highlands preschool. I remember going on hikes in the woods by the museum with the preschool and seeing all the wildlife.

I also remember the indoor view of the beehive inside of the nature museum and looking for the queen bee. As a family we have very fond memories of the museum and the Outdoor Discovery Center.

I like beekeeping because it feels good to be doing my small part to help out the environment. After installing the bees, they will go to work in their new home. Initially, I will feed them with sugar water to try to give them a good start. I will periodically inspect the hive to look for queen activity, make sure they have enough space, and monitor the general health of the hive. In the fall, I will treat the hive for mites as well as feed them and prepare them for winter. 

Having a hive at the museum means I can share what I am learning about beekeeping with my community. And, if everything goes well, we may be able to enjoy some local honey!” 

We were extra excited when we heard that the bees were moving in on Earth Day. Zach, Kevin and Taylor worked in cold and windy conditions to make sure the newest residents of the WEC had a great night in their new home. THANK YOU to Kevin and Zach- we’re all buzzing about this exciting new project! #TogetherOutside 

By Joanna Marvel

Earth Day 2021: Restore Our Earth- Maintain Your Trail

Happy Earth Day! The theme of Earth Day 2021 is "Restore the Earth" and a small way in which you can make a BIG impact is to help maintain the trails at your favorite wooded hiking spots. With the help from some of our Homeschool Naturalist students and Nature Educator Carl, you can learn how you can help --and it's as simple as moving some sticks and leaves and can be done in just a few minutes!!

What happens is that if a patch of a hiking trail is muddy or flooded, especially during the Spring, people tend to create alternate paths along the trail--destroying and disturbing important flora and fauna. In addition, water, which takes the path of least resistance will then run down these newly created paths, further exposing and weakening tree root systems causing them to fall. By creating a deterrent to these newly created shortcuts using large sticks and branches, and disguising the head of the path with leaves, you can help to restore the earth by maintaining the trails whenever they're in need of a little Earth Day magic!

Together Outside: Searching for Salamanders

Searching for Salamanders

Searching for Salamander is a great outdoor activity for all ages! Salamanders, like frogs and toads, are amphibians meaning they lead a "double life." They spend their early existence as aquatic animals before undergoing metamorphosis and transforming into land-based ones. Unlike frogs, salamanders keep their tails into adulthood and move around by crawling rather than jumping.

While you may see one scurrying along the trail and ducking under leaves, your best bet is to find them under dead trees and logs- with an activity we often do call Log Rolling. As with everything in nature, respect and safety are the names of the game. You don’t want to hurt the animal or damage its home so be sure to do your log rolling carefully and mindfully.

Place your feet approx. 1 foot away from a log and reach over to the other side of the log, then GENTLY roll the log towards you . If you find a salamander PLEASE don't touch it! Your hands have bug spray, hand sanitizer, and/or your own natural oils on them which will damage their ability to breathe, which they do through their skin! If the salamander moves from their depression under the log, scoot them out after observing them and then roll the log back so they can burrow under again. Be sure to roll the log exactly as it was as to not dry out their underground home

After the rain is best time to look for salamanders (along with frogs!) but sunny days work as well. The list below is of all the salamanders that call New York home, but in our area, you’re most likely to find the Red Backed (most easily found), and Spotted (which are mostly nocturnal). You can learn all about the Salamanders of New York State with this wonderful identification guide from New York State Conservationist. #TogetherOutside

  • Mudpuppy

  • Marbled Salamander

  • Jefferson Salamander (Special Concern)

  • Blue-spotted Salamander (Special Concern)

  • Jefferson Salamander Complex (Hybrid)

  • Spotted Salamander (Special Concern)

  • Eastern Tiger Salamander (Endangered)

  • Red-spotted Newt

  • Northern Dusky Salamander

  • Mountain Dusky Salamander

  • Redback Salamander

  • Eastern Hellbender (Special Concern)

  • Northern Slimy Salamander

  • Wehrle's Salamander

  • Four-toed Salamander

  • Northern Spring Salamander

  • Northern Red Salamander

By Joanna Marvel with information from Carl Heitmuller

Together Outside: Nature Moment with a Giant Grub

Together Outside: Nature Moment with a Giant Grub

One of the exciting elements of going out on a nature walk is that you never know what you may find, see, hear, or experience. That’s what’s so special about a "Nature Moment", there's no scheduled time and it’s fleeting, but it makes you feel more connected to the world around you, and lets you in on some of its magic. This is exactly what happened during a nature walk with our Homeschoolers! While playing along the creek, they found what was first thought to be a rubber fishing lurer submerged in a bit of water on the creek’s bank. Educator Adam pulled it from the water to show Educator Carl after realizing it was in fact real. In his 25 years of teaching…

Winter Wildlife at the ODC Part 2

Photos courtesy of Educator Carl Heitmuller

Let us re-set the scene: A deceased young buck (male deer) was found on one of the trails of the Outdoor Discovery Center, unable to survive this year’s harsh winter. So out of curiosity, Educator Carl set up his trail camera near the deer and captured images of a cottontail rabbit, red fox, and our resident Bobcat!

Cut to last week: after the first round of photos proved to be a success, Carl set up the trail cam again in the same place. This time around, it captured wonderful images of even more amazing animals, including a Grey fox, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, and Crows! In addition, some of the stand-out moments include a pair of Coyotes, one in mid-feast, one in the light of day, getting a glimpse of the impressive Turkey Vulture’s wingspan, and watching a Coyote and Bobcat pass each other without incident. Check them out below!