And the 2022 MTC "Best Project" award goes to....Luis Mikelsons!  

Luis Mikelsons from Fourth lake completed, not one, but three self-directed projects.  He visited an Adirondack Watershed Institute boat washing station, conducted water clarity measurements using a Secchi disk, and cleaned the lake front around his camp.  Congratulations Luis for a well-deserved honor!  

ADIRONDACK WATER WEEK - the weeklong regional event is a collaborative celebration of our freshwater resources and our precious watersheds. It is meant to raise awareness of water-related issues, recognize the value of water to our region's economy and environment, and highlight ways that people can protect our waterways.  MTC is thrilled to partner with AWI to help protect the lakes and watershed of the ADK park.

Scientists planning a survey of climate change want to take the temperature of Adirondack lakes — continuously and at different depths.

Researchers can bank a continuous stream of data on water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels across all seasons by deploying a network of data loggers throughout the water column. The measures are key to the survival of trout and other cold-water species and are central to the growing effects of climate change on Adirondack waters.

Despite the continuous threat of invasive species entering or spreading in the Adirondack Park, around three-quarters of Adirondack waterways remain free of aquatic invasive species. The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, a program that coordinates efforts to fight invasives in the park, released its annual report this week. 

ECO Howe responded to a complaint of a black bear cub lingering around a residence with no signs of its mother. The cub was malnourished and would not have survive on its own. Officer Howe safely captured the bear and transported it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center, where it will be cared for receive until it can be released back into the wild

The summit of Whiteface Mountain fell to minus 40.2 degrees Fahrenheit at about 3 a.m. Saturday, February 4th, setting the record for the coldest recorded temperature recorded. The station recorded the previous record, minus 38.9 degrees Fahrenheit, overnight on Valentine’s Day in February 2016. The center has operated the Whiteface weather station at the summit since the 1940s. 

The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the start of the Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery annual spring seedling sale, which is open to the public and runs until May 12. Each year, the nursery offers low-cost, New York-grown tree and shrub species for sale to encourage plantings that help conserve the state’s natural resources and foster the next generation of forests.

Harmful invasive pests put the health of ADK forests at risk. Scientists are working to combat the threat of invasive pests on hemlock trees around Lake George with other pests that feed on the harmful invaders.

State agencies, such as the Environmental Conservation and Health, warn people to avoid algae-like formations in lakes and ponds and caution that even cyanobacteria blooms without toxins can be harmful.

The Lake Flower boat launch waterfront is abloom with pollinator-friendly plants. A successful public-private partnership between New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and AdkAction transformed the waterfront from a suburban lawn into a necklace of various native shrubs, trees, and many pollinator plants.

Protect the Adirondacks has created Cougar Watch, a project to record public sightings of cougars (Puma concolor) around the Adirondack Park. There are regular reports of cougar sightings throughout the ADK, but there has not been a publicly available repository to record these sightings. Cougar Watch will organize and map these reports. Cougar Watch will provide regular reports of sightings from around the Adirondacks in the years ahead. Protect the Adirondacks asks that people have as much information as possible when making a report, including the date, time, and location as well as any other information such as paw prints, print measurements, and hair samples, if available.

Adirondack Conservation News is a collection of the most current events taking place in New York’s Adirondack Park, a unique national treasure and legacy we inherited over 100 years ago that we must protect for future generations.  Maintain the Chain is honored to be listed as one of the 5 things you need to know about the Adirondack Park.

What began as a family tradition of sprucing up the area around their Fourth Lake camp has evolved into a widespread clean-up event dubbed Maintain the Chain (MTC) that focuses efforts on the Fulton Chain of Lakes.  MTC is featured in the Adirondack Explorer. Read all about MTC including the history behind the event.

At launches across the Adirondack Park, stewards from the Adirondack Watershed Institute form the last line of defense against the spread of invasive plants and animals that latch onto boats and trailers on their way to a new water source. 

How can you reduce the environmental impact of your hiking trips? Leave No Trace, the outdoor ethics program founded in 1994, provides tips on protecting the environment while enjoying the great outdoors.

A gray wolf has been spotted in the Adirondacks for the first time since the start of the 20th century. Currently, the gray wolf is under both New York and Federal protection. State endangered species regulations prohibit the taking of an endangered animal without a permit. 

According to The World Bank, the world produced 242 million tons of plastic waste in 2016. Plastic is not biodegradable. It continuously breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, and never goes away. These are called microplastics, which are a big problem in the Adirondack Park. In 2014 it was discovered that at least 15 streams in the Adirondack Park contain microplastics, as reported by the Adirondack Explorer.