Posts Tagged 'Wilmington'
472 acres of ADK land protected through Adirondack Land Trust and Lake Placid Land Conservancy merger
KEENE — The merger of two nationally accredited land trusts streamlines operations and ensures continued open space protection in New York's Adirondack Park.
Effective January 1, 2023, the Lake Placid Land Conservancy (LPLC) will merge into the Adirondack Land Trust as approved by the New York State Attorney General's office and the Secretary of State. The assets, programs and land stewardship responsibilities of LPLC will be transferred to the Adirondack Land Trust.
Through the merger, 472 acres in the towns of North Elba, Jay, Keene and Wilmington will be added to the Adirondack Land Trust's portfolio of land protection sites. This includes the Three Sisters Preserve in Wilmington, which is a popular destination for mountain biking, trail running, hiking and snowshoeing, and serves as a community connector between the town's bike skills park and Forest Preserve trails adjacent to Hardy Road. Public access will remain the same and preserve signage will be updated.
New signs installed around Mirror Lake describe ecosystem, challenges, & protection efforts
WILMINGTON, NY — Pedestrians along popular lakeside routes in the Village of Lake Placid will find four new interpretive signs describing the Mirror Lake ecosystem, challenges to it, and protection efforts underway. The Ausable River Association (AsRA), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and Paul Smith's College Adirondack Watershed Institute partnered to design and produce the four educational signs.
The colorful and accessible signs provide information on the aquatic food web, the watershed, road salt impacts, and monitoring efforts on Mirror Lake. Jon Stetler of RPI developed the idea for the signs working with AsRA's staff. They were designed by Andre Guilbo and produced with funds from the National Science Foundation through RPI and from the Lake Champlain Basin Program and NEIWPCC through AsRA.
Dr. Curt Stager to present at Ausable River Association Dinner, Sept. 28
WILMINGTON, NY — The Ausable River Association will host their first ever "September Shindig" on September 28 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. All are welcome for an evening of fine dining and camaraderie at The Hungry Trout Resort in Wilmington, NY. The night will feature Dr. Curt Stager, author and professor of natural sciences at Paul Smith's College, as guest speaker. Dr. Stager will present an update on climate change in the Adirondacks based on a long-term study he is preparing to publish.
YouTube Personalities, Singletracks Writer Bike in the Adirondacks
LAKE PLACID, NY (July 12, 2022) – The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism is promoting the growing network of mountain bike trails in the region by arranging for travel writers and video content producers to visit the area. YouTube personalities Mo and Hannah, along with a writer from Singletracks, visited the region at the end of June.
Mo Assoum and Hannah Binder, also known as Awesome MTB, produce travel-related mountain biking and paddling videos that they share on their YouTube channel, blog and social media accounts. They visited the region from June 27 – July 2 to ride trails in Lake Placid, Wilmington and Elizabethtown. They also spent time paddling, exploring the communities and speaking with local residents to learn what makes this area special.
The mountain bike duo rode the Hardy trails in Wilmington with a group of local mountain bikers and the Blueberry Trail System in Elizabethtown a few days later with riders from that community. "I think the Blueberry trails are our favorite in this part of the Adirondacks," Mo said. "But the Hardy trails were incredible, too. The entire mountain bike community here is pretty special."
Adirondack area organizations announce promotions/new hires
Several Adirondack-area nonprofit organizations, including the Ausable River Association, Adirondack Council, and View Arts Center, recently announced a lineup of promotions and new hires.
Carolyn Koestner joins Ausable River Association and Lake Champlain Sea Grant
Carolyn Koestner. Photo provided by the Ausable River Association.
Wilmington, NY — Carolyn Koestner of Saranac Lake has joined the staff of the Ausable River Association (AsRA). Her position as geographic information system (GIS) mapping and science communications fellow is made possible through a partnership with Vermont-based Lake Champlain Sea Grant (LCSG). Earlier this year, LCSG awarded AsRA a two-year competitive fellowship that provides $25,000 a year toward the hire of an early career professional. A generous donor gave the required match commitment to AsRA to make this new opportunity possible.
Scouting out potential future mountain biking adventures
by Tim Rowland
It was January, and the snow was crusty and slick but not deep, not the sort of base you would want to ride a mountain bike on — so of course that's exactly what someone had done at Otis Mountain where we were doing a little hiking on an excellent trail network that in summer will be filled with cyclists.
He had ridden across the famed Otis Mountain waterfall, which was frozen solid up top with a precipitous drop as reward for an untimely slip, and he (it had to be a he, right?) had ridden up and down some gawdawful slopes with attendant slides and spinouts evident by his track.
It reminded me of a Lollapalooza I had attended (long story, not worth it) where I saw a bruised and blood-drenched kid staggering out of the mosh pit and heard one of his friends gush, "Wow, you must have really been having fun."
Town of Wilmington and the Ausable River Association team up to offer live stream winter road conditions camera
The Ausable River Association (AsRA) and the Town of Wilmington are collaborating on a winter road conditions camera. The camera will offer a live stream of road conditions and can be viewed by town employees, residents, and visitors of the Ausable River watershed. The effort supports the Randy Preston Salt Reduction Act and AsRA's Salt Use Reduction Initiative.
The camera builds upon existing salt reduction efforts in Wilmington. It will allow town road crews to monitor and respond to current road conditions and give the public access to the live stream 24/7.
It's an important part of the town's and AsRA's efforts to maintain safe roads while reducing road salt usage and to keep road salt pollution out of our lakes, streams, and drinking water, according to Roy Holzer, Wilmington Town Supervisor.
"We hope to continue the legacy of Randy Preston and his wishes for the Wilmington community and the Adirondack Park,"Holzer said.
Wilmington Highway Superintendent, Lou Adragna, said he looks forward to using the new technology.
"The camera system will let us quickly assess snow, ice, and road conditions on Whiteface Memorial Highway," Adragna said.
WOW! A new challenge in Wilmington
In an effort to share the community's outstanding natural resources with everyone, Wilmington has recently launched the Wonders of Wilmington (WOW) Challenge. This is no ordinary challenge: participants here are invited to complete the Hiking, Mountain Biking, or Family Fun challenges to receive their patch.
Ausable River Association presents Wild & Scenic Film Festival
On Saturday, December 5 from 7-9pm, the Ausable River Association (AsRA) will be hosting a virtual "Wild & Scenic Film Festival."
Inspired by the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City California, it is designed to celebrate the beauty of wild places and the work being done to protect them.
For December 5, AsRA has chosen 12 films which will be showcased on their virtual platform. AsRA's Executive Director Kelley Tucker, along with Donor Outreach Associate Tyler Merriam will introduce the films and establish their connection to the local natural world.
Police Investigating Fatal Skiing Accident at Whiteface
The New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Ray Brook is investigating a fatal skiing accident that occurred on Whiteface Mountain on Monday, December 23, 2019.
According to police, Nicholas Koch, age 21, from Danville, Pennsylvania, was visiting at Whiteface with family. On December 23, 2019, at approximately 12:30 pm, Koch was descending Lower Northway Trail on skis when he exited the trail and struck a group of trees. » Continue Reading.
Adirondack Refuge: Where The Wild Things Go
by Jackie Woodcock
It's no secret that throughout time, we've been seeking a human – animal bond. The American Veterinary Medical Association defines a human – animal bond as a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors essential to the health and well-being of both.
Today we see this drive to understand and be part of this bond from anthrozoology to the average pet owner. The American Pet Products Association says that the number of U.S. households that own a pet is on the rise. They say about 68 percent of U.S. households have a pet, more than 90 million dogs and 94 million cats. People are also changing the way they view their relationships with animals, both in the home, and outside it. » Continue Reading.
Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival Call for Volunteers
Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) is seeking volunteers for the Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival, set for August 30th to September 1st. Festival volunteers will be a host for the event, a resource for activities in the region, and a critical part of making this a successful event.
If you plan to volunteer, organizers ask that you dedicate at least four hours to be "on-call" during the specific time slot that you agree to fill, in order to receive the benefits listed below. » Continue Reading.
Wilmington Notch Campground Closing Early
The Wilmington Notch Campground and Day Use Area will close early, on September 4th, to install a new well and water system and provide time for repairs and maintenance work before the onset of winter. The nearby Meadowbrook Campground and Day Use Area will remain open until Columbus Day. » Continue Reading.
Wilmington Festival Showcases Expanding Mountain Bike Trails
The Town of Wilmington is set to host their third Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival, showcasing the area's rapidly growing web of mountain biking trails, from August 30th to September 1st, 2019.
The three-day event capitalizes on Wilmington as a hub for over 25 miles of locally-built and rider-maintained single track trails. The town was recently named one of America's 20 Best Mountain Biking Towns by National Geographic. » Continue Reading.
Ride for Ausable River Sunday, July 21
Ausable River Association (AsRA) and Cycle Adirondacks (CycleADK) have announced the 8th Annual Ride for the River is set for Sunday, July 21st. The family-friendly event is a fully supported road cycling tour featuring four distance options, all showcasing the Ausable River watershed. » Continue Reading.