Archive for category: Live blog posts

June 21-27 was National Pollinator Week.  This international event celebrates and supports pollinator health and spreads the word about what we can do to protect them. Why should we take an active role in the health and well being of pollinators?  Simply put, their existence is critical to the health of the Earth’s ecosystems.

The sun is out, pandemic restrictions are lifted, and we’re all itching for a summer adventure. Before striking out, take a moment to plan for a trip that’s as easy on your wallet as it is on the planet.

Teatown has a funny way of luring people back. As an educational organization, we pride ourselves on inspiring children, teens, and young adults to be the environmental stewards of the future.

Have you looked into the twilight sky and seen the quick, agile silhouettes of bats in flight? For some it can be frightening to see bats nearby, but take heart that these amazing little hunters use their keen eyesight and powerful echolocation to find prey and stay away from humans! While there are 1,400 species of bats in the world, only 9 call New York home. Do you know your bat neighbors?

Parks are a popular destination for families to gather for picnics and to enjoy the fresh air. There are also wildlife families going about their daily lives searching for food and raising their young in the same parks.

Spring is also known as baby season. Many animals have and raise their young at this time of year. Food sources are plentiful, especially plants that are at the base of the food chain. There is also considerable time for the young to grow and learn important survival skills before winter comes.

In the wetland below the cliffs, observed through the remains of the snow and ice, the burgundy-rimmed horns, scattered about, signal the change of season. The curved mottled spathe provides a hood for the rounded spadix peeping from within, which bears indistinct petal-less flowers with both stamens and pistils.

Looking up into a bright blue sky on a January day brings tears to my eyes; the brightness stings just as much as the cold does.  I scan the sky and surrounding area with my binoculars over the confluence of the Hudson and the Croton Rivers.  It is low tide, and many waterfowl are gathered in Croton Bay to rest and search for food.

As we approach the fourth season of this pandemic, I wonder if the groundhog may have it right. Pass on the winter by burrowing down in a soft nest below ground when the autumn leaves fall and foraging becomes a chore. Emerge when green shoots are bringing promise and the world is brightening

The outdoors have been a popular escape for many during the COVID-19 pandemic. The desire to travel, get some sun, and enjoy a semblance of normal life has generated peak interest in outdoor activity.

Fall is a time for harvesting and tidying up our gardens, but fall is also a time to plant. We typically think of prepping and planting our gardens in the spring, however fall is just as good a time! Planting perennial flowers, trees and shrubs in the fall can bring you great rewards with a little time and effort.

Fall is a time for harvesting and tidying up our gardens, but fall is also a time to plant. We typically think of prepping and planting our gardens in the spring, however fall is just as good a time! Planting perennial flowers, trees and shrubs in the fall can bring you great rewards with a little time and effort.

Monarchs appear in Teatown’s fields to lay their eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves. The caterpillars remain there, busily munching away until they crawl off to undergo pupation inside a gold-speckled chrysalis. Hence, no milkweed, no monarchs! Life is rough for an organism whose life cycle is so tied to one plant for its survival. As the sole host plant for monarch caterpillars, the relationship between milkweed and monarchs is crucial.

We are now past the Summer Solstice which means summer is in full swing!  Looking around me as I drive to my hiking destination, I see a sea of green.  It is such a glorious color and it comes in a vast variety of shades!