Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley

It’s been said that people who spend time in nature are generally healthier and happier. In addition, people who have positive experiences in nature are more likely to volunteer and vote with the environment in mind. The Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) is a non-profit organization that brings people together to conserve, appreciate, and enjoy land. Columbia County, in New York State, is home to on...

There’s a lot of food for thought in this episode of Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley. Annie Scibienski is back with another episode of Patch to Plate. This time the focus is on hardy greens like kale, swiss chard, and broccoli rabe. Get out the olive oil and garlic to enjoy these veggies. Do you know how to massage kale for a delicious salad? Interested in learning about what in...

In the second of a two-part conversation, Eli Arnow and Avalon Bunge are back to talk more about Pollinate Now!, their plans for the future of this initiative and how others can get involved. A recent DEC study confirmed that between 38 and 60 percent of the New York State pollinator species studied are at risk. Pollinator populations can be helped by, among other things, conserving habitat, contr...

A recent DEC study confirmed concerns about the health of some pollinator populations in New York State. The survey found that between 38 and 60 percent of the species studied are potentially imperiled or critically imperiled. Although the survey documented 16 bee and fly species for the first time in New York, recent sightings or records could not be confirmed for 79 pollinator species previously...

Welcome to another episode of the podcast, Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, with something for everyone. Annie Scibienski starts us off discussing the wide variety of tender greens that can be grown in spring gardens in the Hudson Valley. You probably know all about lettuce, but arugula and spinach are also great spring greens that are fun to grow, cook and eat! Gain some tips a...

Episode 69: Straw Bale Gardening Do you have rocky soil? Or problems with soil borne diseases? Straw bale gardening might be your answer. It’s a gardening approach that uses a bale of straw as the medium in which you plant. It creates relatively inexpensive raised beds. At the end of the season, you can compost the bales, so it’s the ultimate in sustainable gardening. Ideal for vegetable gardens i...

You’ve probably heard about native plants … ones that have evolved in an ecosystem in a specific area. They can be defined as plants that have been growing in a particular habitat and region for hundreds or years, or longer. Also called indigenous, they are well adapted to the climate, light, and soil conditions that characterize their ecosystem. A native range can vary from a narrow definition (e...

Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley is back with another informative episode that's sure to captivate all nature lovers! Hear from experts with tips on how to cook asparagus, a popular springtime perennial. Then learn about some different fragrant vines that may work in your garden. Finally, explore the validity of popular myths about strong smelling soaps as deer repellents. Up fir...

Just as perennials are long-lasting and recurring plants, Joe Behn, wholesale perennial grower of Behn’s Best Perennials, is back again! He re-joins a lively conversation with Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas about flowering perennials. This time, they cover some of the newer perennial plant choices for the second half of the flowering season – late summer into fall. Joe shares his knowledge of the un...

The word perennial can have two meanings. As an adjective, it can mean long lasting or continually recurring. As a noun, it refers to plants that have a life cycle lasting more than two years. They may die back seasonally, but even in their dormant phases, their root systems are living and will continue growing when conditions are right. While perennials can last many years, that doesn’t mean it’s...

Are you looking for inspiration to connect with nature and improve your gardening skills? In this episode of Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, Master Gardener Volunteers from Cornell Cooperative Extension share their expertise on potatoes, dry shade gardening, and ground covers and vines. Looking for something different to make with potatoes? In Patch to Plate, Annie Scibienski's...

Anxious? The combination of the recent pandemic, world events, plus the looming impacts or climate change have all resulted in many mental health challenges in many individuals. Mindfulness is a technique that helps to improve mental health. Mindfulness can be described as the awareness that emerges through paying attention, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally to an unfolding experience, moment...

Interest in raising chickens has grown in recent years. This interest can be grounded in harvesting their eggs or their meat or simply for home-grown entertainment. If you're wanting to learn more about starting to raise your own backyard chickens, this is an episode that you don't want to miss! With over 20 years of experience in owning, operating, and consulting for small farms, livestock, and p...

One more time, we’re providing a potpourri of interesting topics in an episode. If you're interested in cooking with fresh, locally sourced produce and are looking for creative ways to use winter vegetables, you'll love Patch to Plate, hosted by Annie Scibienski. In this episode, Annie shares an easy recipe for sweet potato and black bean salsa that can be used in everything from salads to pasta d...

Did you know that there are 800 species of eels? They are an important element of the natural food web as well as a source of food and bait. Eels are born in the ocean but live most of their lives in fresh water, before returning to the ocean to spawn. The American eels are born in the seas around Bermuda, before they start a year-long migration to the Hudson River. They can be found along the Atl...

Joellen Lapman from the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program joins Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley for a fascinating (and scary) discussion, All About Ticks. Learn about the latest news and research on ticks and tick-borne diseases Ticks are related to spiders but can be much more dangerous to humans. How many diseases are connected with ticks? Unfortunately, it’s m...

This episode is a mosaic of multiple gardening topics. It starts Tim Kennelty (The Cover Up) discussing the merits of the family of sedge plants as a great pollinator-friendly ground cover, which can also be used as a living green mulch or a ‘lawn’ substitute. Jean Thomas then espouses the wonders of hops. This aromatic and robust vine can grow to 15-20 feet tall and has white cone-like flowers. I...

Everyone knows that the monarchs love milkweed plants as a critical food source for their caterpillars. Monarchs tend to show up in the northeast just as the milkweed plants start to bloom. But herbicides and development are impacting the population of these colorful pollinators. We also know that the adult butterflies migrate south for the winter months. But do you know where they go? Master Gard...

On this week's podcast episode of Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, learn from Rochelle Ashley from Story’s Nursery in Freehold, NY … a gardener’s destination. She discusses some favorite houseplants including suggestions about how to grow them. She focuses on plants that are relatively easy to grow as well as some that are quite dramatic or a bit fussier to handle. Whether it be...

Tim Kennelty returns with another Good Plant/Bad Plant segment. This time he talks about Ironweed, a great native, pollinator plant known for its purple flowers and impressive height that will add ‘presence’ to any garden. Then, he explains why the invasive Japanese Barberry is not such a good choice for your garden as it creates a great habitat for the white-footed mouse which is known to be a ca...

New York State residents tend to have a love/hate relationship with deer. Many people enjoy watching deer in nature, and others look forward to deer hunting season. But when a driver has a collision with a deer, a gardener finds that a garden has been harvested by one, or a patient is diagnosed with a tick-borne disease, the admiration of this wildlife quickly shifts to frustration. Teresa Golden,...

Keri-Sue Lewis from Common Hands Farm, located in Philmont, NY, joins the podcast to talk about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Their mission is to provide healthy, affordable food access by way of bringing small farming into the future. Using Certified Naturally Grown methods, they provide their CSA members with weekly boxes (between June and November) of their bountiful harvests of 100+ v...

Learn about the rich history of New York’s Hudson Valley in a unique new way. Join Anna Plattner and Justin Wexler from Wild Hudson Valley, located in Cairo, NY. They own a 95-acre farm and sanctuary consisting of forest, meadow and wetlands. There they offer walks, workshops, forest farmed products and camping to help inspire others to become better stewards of our planet. Listen as Anna and Just...

Climate change is all over the news but what exactly are the implications of higher carbon dioxide levels for the Hudson Valley? While New York State is at the forefront of climate leadership and environmental stewardship, what should we expect relative to extreme temperature and rainfall events? Join Jenna and Zach, two CCE climate resiliency experts, to learn about potential climate hazards in N...

Do you know the difference between a red-tailed hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk. What’s the difference between a bird of prey and a scavenger? Which birds prey on fish versus rodents versus carrion? Our favorite birder and author of Birding the Hudson Valley is back once again, this time to talk about Birds of Prey. Among other things, Kathryn Schneider explains about the importance of ‘feet’ for the sur...