Spring in Western New York can be less than inviting. In months where others see the first blooming flowers and ever warming days, we often have grey skies and can have rain, snow, and temperatures anywhere from 20 to 80 degrees. As a grownup, I look outside on these grey days and think ...

Spring arrives with fairly stunning regularity. My nature journal shows that last year the phoebe arrived on March 31. This year, it was March 26. The year before was March 27 and the year before that, March 26. The trend continues going back, not that it is a decades-long journal. Phoebe, ...

For my first Watershed Notes article, I felt inclined to talk about something that I am really passionate about. For those of you who know me – no, it is not about recycling or composting – it is about water conservation! The list of things that I am particularly passionate about is rather ...

I start many days at Audubon with a quick hike to the Blue Heron Overlook. It’s a fast hike that I can do in a few minutes, but it centers me and lets me focus on the day ahead. Sometimes there is amazing wildlife on the trails: otters, swans, and cranes; sometimes there is just a few ...

Much attention has been focused in recent months on finding a reliable, stable source of funding for Chautauqua Lake management and protection programs and deciding which activities should be prioritized for action in the lake and its watershed. It’s a good time to take a look at prior ...

When I venture outdoors, I usually end up in forests. I find myself meandering through evergreens in the winter, walking by flowing creeks in the spring and crunching through colorful leaves in the fall. Whatever the terrain, there are usually a variety of forests along the way. But every so ...