Adirondack Family Time™

By Diane Chase It was a long winter, though I did enjoy every minute of it. My family was able to ski, snowshoe and skate through most of those cold winter months. As Chaucer wrote, “…all things have an end,” so there goes winter in the Adirondacks leaving us to celebrate spring with all its most delightful changes. It is easy to let the seasonal changes go by without appropriate fanfare. When blackflies start biting or mud washes out our favorite trails, we want to remember the flower buds, robins and rock-hopping adventures rather than focus on the negative. One annual event that emphasizes the change of season is the Northern Lights School (NLS) Mayfaire. For the second year the NLS Mayfaire has joined forces with the Adirondack Carousel in Saranac Lake for its May 31 st  (11:00 am – 3:00 pm) celebration of spring. The schedule is set for an afternoon of community art, nature crafts, and live music. Green Goddess Natural Foods will have an array of their wonderful food a

A Farm to School Festival , Lake Placid School Carniva l and Saranac Lake Mayfaire are just a few events happening around the Tri-Lakes (Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake) this weekend. In addition to the plethora of hiking, kayking and canoeing opportunities, make one or all of these three (3) great events a stopping place for children of all ages.  The 2nd annual Adirondack Farm to School Festival will take place on May 30 from 4-7 pm at the Lake Placid High School Oval. The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted to support the Adirondack Farm to School movement The event will have local farm products, crafts, games and even a "farm to school" dinner. Music will be provided by local band, Big Slyde with a 6-7 pm presentation at the Lake Placid High School Auditorium by  Essex Farm' s Mark and Kristin Kimball , author of The Dirty Life .  The ADK Farm to School Initiative works in collaboration with Adirondack North Countr

Check out the first in the Adirondack Family Time™ four-book series of Adirondack Family Activity™ guidebooks for the Adirondack Park, published by Hungry Bear Publishing. Tri-Lakes/High Peaks edition covers the towns of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Wilmington, Keene, Keene Valley, Jay and Upper Jay • GPS coordinates for each Adirondack Family Activity • Adirondack Trivia • Seasonal sections with events and activities • 33 mini-hikes • 19 swimming holes and beaches • maps of each town • maps of 33 mini-hikes/ski centers and 33 trails to snowshoe/XC ski in winter • map of 21 Historic and Olympic Sites • 18 games to play either inside for a rainy day or outside on the trail Click on the upper right corner for a preview of what's inside!

Dragonfly Nymph     Large, bulbous eyes Thick, round or oval bodies that may end in three pointed extensions Six long, segmented legs Unique, scoop-like lower jaw Gills are internal and not visible Ecological Role Dragonfly nymphs are prominent predators of other aquatic macroinvertebrates.  They are also known to prey on small fish and amphibians.

T he sampling of aquatic macroinvertebrates provide s a convenient and cost-efficient method for determining the water quality of a stream. Aquatic macroinvertebrates are water animals that have no backbone and can be seen without magnification.  Aquatic macroinvertebrates include such animals as crayfish, clams, aquatic snails, aquatic worms, and the aquatic larvae of winged insects. Aquatic macroinvertebrates can be classified into three groups based on their ability to tolerate water pollution: Pollution Sensitive:  This group of macroinvertebrates are very sensitive to water pollution.  They are generally only found in water of good quality. Stonefly Nymph Caddisfly Larva Water Penny Riffle Beetle Mayfly Nymph Gilled Snail Dobsonfly Larva Water Flea Planarian   Somewhat Sensitive:   This group of macroinvertebrates can tolerate low levels of water pollution.  They can be found in water of good or fair quality. Crayfish Sowbug Scud Alderfly Nymph Fishfly Nymph

Pendragon is pleased to announce that Witter Swanson, a student at Saranac Lake High School, will receive a full production of his play “Elmer.” The runner-up receiving a reading of her piece is Amber Baker, a student at Beekmantown, for her play "The Esteemed Institute."  Pendragon would like to thank all of the young playwrights who submitted their work and making this festival a success. Please join Witter, Amber, and the Pendragon crew at the theatre on  April 5  for a full day of festival activities: From  10 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Pendragon invites children in grades 1-6 to join Jessica Deeb and Executive Artistic Director Karen Lordi-Kirkham for a workshop entitled “Playwriting on Your Feet.”

For those of us not fortunate to have wildlife come to us, we need to go to the experts. This winter Adirondack raptor experts are offering opportunities to come across such majestic creatures as the snowy owl, or at the very least learn how to sight them on your own.