According to a recent article in the journal Science, if you were alive in the year 1970, more than one in four birds in the US and Canada has disappeared within your lifetime. What’s happening, and which birds are most in danger?
Vassar professor Debra Elmegreen is president-elect of the International Astronomical Union – the largest organization of professional astronomers in the world – and will begin her three-year term as president in 2021. Like Maria Mitchell more than 150 years ago, Elmegreen was recently elected into membership of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Friday, Nov. 22: Can the Earth heal itself as quickly if we stop polluting it, or are we already irrevocably past the tipping point? If you’re losing sleep worrying about that existential question and could use a dose of hope, you might want to catch Dr. Lourie’s talk He is known for having initiated the largest climate action in North America: phasing out coal in Ontario.
When and why do deer lose their antlers? How do squirrels organize their nut hoards? What do shrews eat? Are bobcats making a comeback in the mid-Hudson Valley?
Unlike horns, antlers grow anew each year. But why?
Saturday, Nov. 2: Are you a vegan or vegetarian who feels a little left out of the fun this time of year? Is your favorite part of Thanksgiving the presidential pardon for a couple of turkeys? The Catskill Animal Sanctuary is planning some festivities this weekend that will help get you into the holiday mood.
Wednesday, Nov. 6: Recent studies show that almost 90 percent of the bee population has disappeared in the last few years. And 70 percent of the world’s agriculture depends exclusively on bees.
Different tree species are associated with different colors. Hickory and sycamore leaves are golden-orange. Ash leaves tend to be yellow and purple. Oaks hold onto their leaves the longest and produce russet-brown foliage. Sugar maples take on an orange or red tone. There is evidence that red leaves are more prevalent when days are warm, dry and sunny, and the nights are cool (but not freezing). Red foliage has also been linked to fungus and drought.
The lower Hudson Valley region and the Lake Champlain region are two of the largest and most important apple production areas in New York state, which ranks second in the nation for apple production and first in the country for canned apple products, although much of that crop is produced in western New York.
Saturday, Oct. 26: Meet rescued animals and enjoy pumpkin-painting, hayrides, vegan food vendors and more.