Naturalist Notes: December, 2019

When fall turns to winter, it's time for many wonderful sights in the world of nature. One of my favorites is winter bird activity- and the ease of viewing them in the sleeping majesty of bare forest trees. Another that gets little attention but amazes me every time I see

Naturalist Notes: November, 2019

Fall brings cool weather, colorful foliage and migrating animals...usually. So far we have had an atypical fall, with October days in the 90's and green forest canopies in the middle of the month. Birders have been searching far and wide for warblers, offshore fishermen are awaiting the tuna reports, and

Naturalist Notes: October, 2019

There are so many wonderful things about fall that it is hard to pick a favorite, but high up on the list of reasons to love autumn are mushrooms.  Mushrooms come in an amazing variety of colors and shapes, make a great addition to dinners, and their importance in the

Naturalist’s Notes: September, 2019

One of the things that I love about the Nature Center is getting to see so many people outside enjoying nature. The number of people from so many walks of life doing so many different things always amazes me. From dog walkers to birdwatchers to kids catching their first fish,

Naturalist’s Notes: June, 2019

Summer is almost here and we are gearing up for another round of our summer program. Each year we try to offer an exciting and affordable science-and-fun-filled outdoor experience for 4- to 14-year-old's. We have two classrooms:one is the Nature Center cabin, and the other is the outdoors: our 136-acre

Naturalist’s Notes: May, 2019

One of the many functions of the Closter Nature Center’s Board of Trustees is to manage this amazing parcel of land and do what's best for its inhabitants. Over the last couple of years we have taken this job seriously and are devoted to protecting not just the forest itself,

Naturalist Notes: April, 2019

  Each spring, ponds like our very own Ruckman pond go through an amazing seasonal shift. First, the increasing day length and higher sun angle lead to a melting of the ice and a warming of the pond’s water and bottom sediment. The shallow nature of ponds lets some of

Naturalist Notes: March, 2019

Many of the animals that we love and care for here at the Nature Center were once brought here as unwanted pets. Their stories vary considerably, but they all have a common thread - they really needed a new home. Sometimes it is a simple case of: "I never thought

Naturalist Notes: February, 2019

For many years now we have offered programs for kids during school vacations. These programs started due to the number of calls I would get prior to (and during) vacations asking if we have anything for kids to do while they are out of school.  We started to offer school

Naturalist Notes: January, 2019

When winter really sets in, there is no better place than the Closter Nature Center for a quick hike. Considering the ordeal of getting dressed for the cold and snow, it gets hard in the winter to go outside for some exercise, but the benefits are tremendous. To offset our tendency to spend

Naturalist Notes: December, 2018

December is here and the days just keep getting shorter. The phenomenon of long days in the summer and shorter ones in the winter is one that we learn to live with, but it’s the real calendar for the comings, goings, and doings of Nature. While quite a few organisms

Naturalist Notes: November, 2018

     The first time I started a fire with two sticks and a small pile of tinder it changed my life. My interest in the skills of our ancestors started when I was a small boy. I had learned that there were people who lived in the forest, speared