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Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper-Midwest regions of the United States. While a doctoral student Katharine Walter at Yale School of Public Health describes, “the Lyme disease bacterium has long been endemic,” she said, “but the deforestation and subsequent suburbanization of much of New England and the Midwest created conditions for deer ticks—and the Lyme disease bacterium—to thrive.”

After more than three decades serving the region as the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, our organization is excited to announce a new chapter and a new name: Everwild Land Trust.

Whether you love them or hate them, bats are incredible creatures. At over 1,300 species, they are the second most numerous order of mammals and make up almost a quarter of the entire mammal kingdom!

After months of gray skies, frozen toes, and solitary walks past snow-covered gardens, spring arrives like a child rushing out for summer break. The sun lingers longer, birds burst into song, and suddenly you…the long-winter-cabin-fevered homeowner…feel an irresistible urge to grab gloves, wield a rake, and declare war on every last stem, leaf, and twig. Finally, you think…I can actually go outside and do something! But here’s the reality in March: your garden is still hittin

Pileated Wood Pecker ( Dryocopus pileatus) adult and two juvenilles in a nesting cavity . By Jan Bowman. A dead tree is often considered a danger of sorts depending on where it stands from a human perspective, but dead trees provide a lot more than just potential nutrients once fallen to the ground. As they stand, they may hold more life than meets the eye. Some animals hollow out dead and dying trees to provide homes for themselves (primary cavity nesters), and many other an

(Spotted Lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula ) Cities are often noticeably warmer than the countryside that surrounds them. This phenomenon, known as the “urban heat island” (and sometimes called an “urban heat bubble”) can raise temperatures by several degrees compared to nearby rural areas—especially at night. In major metropolitan areas such as New York City or Chicago, the difference is well documented, but the same effect also occurs in much smaller developed areas. The cau

One of the many things Western New York is known for is its cold, often unforgiving winters. While recent years have brought more variability, those cold months continue to play a vital ecological role across our region. Native plants and wildlife are adapted to seasonal rhythms shaped by snow cover, deep frosts, and predictable dormancy. These seasonal cues, known as phenology, refer to the timing of biological events such as bud break, insect development, flowering, and mig

As of late, a very large portion of the continental U.S. is extremely cold. Wind chills have fluctuated from the teens to -20’s. There is an actual super fun formula based on the National Weather Service and Environment Canada to figure out wind chill, and it looks like this: 35.74 + 0.6215T – 35.75 (V^0.16) + 0.4275T (V^0.16). Without even using that, we all know it is wildly cold out there. Why is it so darn cold? Aren’t we experiencing global warming? Yes. Yes, we are. To

As I looked out my window at the two feet of snow that vanished in a single day of January rain, it occurred to me that our winters are trying to tell us something. For generations, winter in western New York followed a dependable script. Snow arrived early and stayed. Temperatures remained cold enough to freeze lakes, slow wildlife, and send plants into dormancy. Spring waited its turn. Nature understood this rhythm, and life revolved around its reliability. Winter was not s

You’ve heard me extol the virtues of nature-based solutions to environmental problems plenty of times. Much of our habitat restoration work and other best management practices intentionally favor natural approaches over engineered, hardscaped alternatives. And for good reason: many of the environmental challenges we are trying to fix – flooding, erosion, poor water quality – exist because the natural systems that once prevented them were removed or degraded. Riverbank restora

On a cold winter day, it’s easy to think of the landscape as frozen, silent, and asleep. Snow covers our fields and forests, trails crunch underfoot, and most signs of life seem to disappear. But just beneath that snowy surface exists a hidden world, and this world is very much alive. Welcome to the subnivean zone. “Subnivean” simply means beneath the snow. This narrow space forms between the ground and the snowpack when fluffy snow traps heat from the earth, creating an i

Newgrange The winter solstice is upon us and is happening on December 21st. It’s the moment when the Earth’s tilt makes our hemispheres lean farthest away from the Sun, creating the shortest day and longest night of the entire year. In our Northern Hemisphere, this happens yearly around December 21st or 22nd, while in the Southern Hemisphere it occurs around June 20th or 21st. The solstice has been a vital day of recognition for many early societies that were dependent on agr

Wild turkeys doing what they do best this season: traveling, talking, and gathering together - just like us. Thanksgiving is a day built around family, gratitude, and gathering close - and yes, often around a turkey dinner. But while we’re settling in with our relatives and favorite dishes, our local wild turkeys are out in the woods doing something remarkably similar: spending the season in tight-knit family groups, reconnecting, squabbling, calling to each other, and moving

Every November 17, outdoor enthusiasts across the country lace up their boots for National Take a Hike Day—a perfect excuse to stretch your legs, breathe fresh air, and reconnect with the landscapes that sustain us. It’s a celebration of the outdoors and a reminder of the mental and physical benefits that come from simply walking in nature. Here in Chautauqua County, few organizations embody that spirit better than the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy (CWC), whose network of

Black Bear at a birdfeeder. Photo by Idaho Fish and Game. November is that time of year when bears are in full “snack panic mode.” They’re packing on last-minute calories before winter, and your bird feeder? Basically, a bear-sized granola bar hanging from a hook! If you’re in bear country, please be aware: these overstuffed creatures have an excellent sense of smell and zero sense of boundaries. Natural foods are getting scarce, so they’re wandering around on a last-minute

Milkweed seeds bursting from their pods. Photo by Carol Markham. Native plants don’t just grow - they belong. They feed the birds, the bees, the butterflies, and the soil itself. And right now, many of them are dropping seeds and blowing them quietly into the wind, gently preparing for next year’s bloom. Which means it’s the perfect time to be a native plant fairy duster. Break off a stem or gather seeds from your favorite natives - milkweed fluff, coneflower cones, NY I

For centuries, aquatic plants in Chautauqua Lake have sparked debate – usually over whether to remove them or leave them alone, but rarely about planting more. Many lake users believe there are already too many plants, especially invasive ones, a perception not without reason given the challenges dense vegetation creates for recreation, navigation, and lakefront enjoyment. Battling invasive species is a continual and demanding effort, especially as new threats emerge each y

This might be a little controversial, but it’s been on my mind for a while. I was recently sitting in my backyard with my friend Mackenzie beneath the coverage of the 200+ trees that surround my home. We started talking about invasive trees, and I found myself asking her a question I’ve been wondering about for some time: What if we were to intentionally keep some non-native trees, or even some invasive ones? We all know invasive species are a problem. Invasive plants, in

Fall is a season of transformation. The air turns crisp, leaves shift from green to vibrant shades of gold, orange, and red, and our...

Across meadows, forests, and backyards, the familiar buzz of bumblebees has grown quieter. Scientists have been sounding the alarm for...