Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley

Dr. Charles Canham and Dr. Clive Jones rejoin Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley in a discussion about Forest Ecology. Charles Canham is senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York. He specializes in forest ecology and management. He is also the author of Forests Adrift: Currents Shaping the Future of Northeastern Trees. Dr. Clive Jones is a t...

The spongy moth (lymantria dispar) is a non-native, foliage eating insect that threatens deciduous trees and impacts humans. It is considered one of the 100 most destructive invasive species worldwide. Originally from Europe and Asia, spongy moths made their debut in the Massachusetts in 1869 in an unsuccessful attempt to introduce silk production to the US. They complete one generation in a full...

In New York State, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has regulatory and enforcement authority for Environmental Conservation Law, including two law enforcement divisions, as well as administrative and civil actions. To be effective, state enforcement personnel and policies work in concert with their local and federal counterparts, and citizens must be kept informed and involved. T...

Have you heard the adage that the month of March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? Is there any truth to this? Devon Russ, Master Gardener Volunteer, returns to explore the cultural origins and meanings of the famous proverb that associates lions and lamb with the crazy swings of March weather. What about deer repellents? Do they work? As many gardeners know, deer damage can be a sign...

Part 2 of the Hits and Myths Retrospective focuses on some additional popular nature and gardening myths. In this episode, listen to three short segments of previously aired information on Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, that have been collated together for easier listening. Devon Russ, Master Gardener Volunteer, provides insight into the science behind some common myths that h...

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a myth is a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone. There are lots of myths associated with nature and gardening. A popular one is that the woolly bear caterpillar can predict the winter weather. Another is that plants like companions. And if you are a fan of the Farmer’s Almanac, I suspect you’ve heard about planting...

We, at Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, appreciate all of our listeners. Thank you for your support, feedback, and encouragement! That said, everyone once in a while, we recognize that you might like to check out another special podcast that focuses on the Catskill Region. Kaatscast is an award-winning podcast that focuses on Catskill regional arts and culture, history, sustaina...

Justin Wexler returns to Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley to share his vast wealth of knowledge about the Indigenous People who used to inhabit the Catskill Mountains and the surrounding area. Understanding the past practices employed by the native inhabitants, we can better steward our natural environment today. When first encountered by European settlers, the Lenape were a loos...

John Michelotti rejoins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast to continue his mission to spread information about the incredible benefits of fungi, and their capacity to change the way we look at our relationships with each other and the world. John is the founder of Catskill Fungi, which produces health tinctures from fungi that are wild-crafted or grown on the Michelotti...

A fungus is any member of the group of organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as mushrooms. Fungi, like animals, acquire their food by absorbing dissolved molecules, typically by secreting digestive enzymes into their environment. Fungi do not photosynthesize. Growth is their means of mobility, with spores that may travel through the air or water. Fungi are known...

Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented fruit. Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made from grapes, and the term "wine" generally refers to grape wine when used without any qualification. But note that, wine can be made from a variety of fruit crops, including plum, cherry, pomegranate, blueb...

Annie Scibienski is back with another Patch to Plate Retrospective episode. Once again, she talks about a variety of ways to prepare ingredients from your home garden or your local farmer’s market in your own kitchen. Today’s previously aired short segments feature corn, melons, peppers, tomatoes and a range of brassica vegetables. Corn on the cob, fresh-picked from the garden, farm stand or farme...

In Part 2 of our Patch to Plate Retrospective series, Annie Scibienski is back with four previously aired short segments all about using ingredients from your home garden in your home kitchen. This time, however, they are all in one place. Up first, Annie Scibienski shares her wealth of knowledge on all things asparagus. From growing to cooking and preserving, she provides some great tips to help...

It’s harvest time and also time for some more retrospective episodes. These are a series of previously aired short segments on a common subject that have been packaged together for easier listening. In this case, it’s all about Patch to Plate, which provides lots of ideas on how to prepare all the fresh produce from your garden and/or local farmer’s market and make delicious meals in your home kit...

At the most basic level, nutrition is about eating a regular, balanced diet. Good nutrition helps fuel your body. The foods you eat supply the nutrients your body needs to maintain your brain, muscle, bone, nerves, skin, blood circulation, and immune system. Proper nutrition also helps protect you from illness and disease, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis. For optimal heal...

Ravensbeard Wildlife Center is located in Saugerties, New York. The center is a non-profit (501(c)3) organization that provides wildlife rehabilitation for injured, ill and orphaned animals in order to return them to the wild. For over two decades, Ravensbeard has been supporting the wildlife from the surrounding communities of Woodstock, Saugerties and Kingston. In caring for animals, they promot...

An ecological garden is a thoughtfully designed space that is harmoniously integrated with the surrounding environment. Ecological gardening is a sustainable approach focused on understanding and enhancing the interactions between plants, insects, soil, water, and other garden elements. Achieving a successful ecological garden requires a mindset shift to actually work with nature to foster a vibra...

Rocks are any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals. There are three major types of rock: igneous which are formed through the cooling of lava sedimentary which are formed by the accumulation or deposition or mineral or organic particles metamorphic which result from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock as a result of extreme temperatures or pressure Studying...

Dr. Abbey Cash is in her 20th year as a Master Gardener Volunteer and has a passion for growing Roses in Columbia County. Trained as an educator, having taught in elementary, and at the college level, Abbey is also an avid hand-fan collector as well as a grower of annuals, perennials and bulbs. She joins the podcast, Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, in a discussion about demysti...

Tim Kennelty returns with Part 3 of his Good Plant/Bad Plant Retrospective. In this episode he continues with a wealth of information about native plants that are beneficial to the environment, as well as others that tend to be invasive or noxious. Today, Ironweed, Japanese Barberry, Asters, Tree of Heaven and Viburnums are featured. Ironweed, is a great native, pollinator plant known for its purp...

Welcome back to Part 2 of the Good Plant/Bad Plant retrospective that includes previously aired short segments on beneficial plants as well as invasive ones. In this episode, Master Gardener Volunteer, Tim Kennelty, talks about the benefits of dogwoods, milkweed, and coneflowers, as well as the challenges associated with garlic mustard, multi-flora rose, and mugwort. The first segment features a f...

This retrospective episode consists of previously aired short segments that have been compiled here as they all relate to a common topic. It’s called Good Plant/Bad Plant because each segment focuses on two plants: one that support pollinators, birds and other animals and one plant, or plant group, that is an invasive or noxious weed. In this episode (Part 1 of 3), Master Gardener Volunteer, Tim K...

Episode 127: Native Lawns Have you ever given serious consideration of the limited value of traditional suburban lawns? Sure, they add a certain beauty to the landscape, but is there a better way to incorporate more native plantings to our lawns? Are their native lawns that could become alternatives to the typical field of turf grass that creates a monoculture that is not supporting of pollinators...

Chris Bowser is a professional educator and environmental scientist with experience in citizen science, estuary and river monitoring, conservation biology, and fisheries science. Part of Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, he coordinates a team with NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Hudson River Estuarine Research Reserve. He joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hud...

The state bird of New York is the eastern bluebird, one of the first birds to return north each spring. Bluebirds are insectivores and part of the thrush family. Three types of bluebirds inhabit the United States: the mountain bluebird (found in western North America); the western bluebird (in California, the southern Rocky Mountains, Arizona, and New Mexico in the United States) and the eastern b...