Beautiful Trail
This is what the summer is all about! Get out there and enjoy some fresh air on your favorite trail this weekend. Find what you need in our environment and the great outdoors while we still have this wonderful weather.
Read MoreLyme Disease
I have Lyme disease. Thankfully most people have now heard of Lyme disease, but for those who have not, Lyme borreliosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the Borrelia type and transmitted to humans (or pets!) by a black-legged/deer tick bite and subsequent feeding by the parasite. It typically takes 24 or maybe 36-48 hours of feeding for the disease to be transmitted if the tick is a carrier, though this is not a guarantee either direction. Lyme disease can cause flu-like symptoms nearly immediately, and if untreated they can be followed by severe headaches, joint and muscle...
Read MoreDeer Tick
Whether it is a warm and sunny day or a cool, cloudy one you can now expect to find some ticks outdoors, especially in edge habitats. The photo shows a tick I recently pulled off of my dog on an inch ruler. In western New York this is rarely a problem, and only a handful of sites have any ticks to be found. However, in places like Connecticut the population is robust, booming, and filled with diseases. Any time that you or your dog goes outdoors this spring, and throughout the year really, you should be mindful of ticks. The best way to protect yourself is to stay covered, change your...
Read MoreBobcat Signs
Can you spot the mammal here? No? Well…yes, you cannot find it because it is not there, but it has left its mark…literally. What do you see? This is a Bobcat scratching post and resting area, the bark stripped away by sharp claws. You can see the lines that have been carved into the wood. It is conveniently located over a pool of water, making it harder for anything to sneak up on the bobcat when it is at rest. It almost seemed similar to a place one of our pet cats would like to enjoy a snooze on! Nearby we found this pile of scat, also Bobcat. If you have a cat at home that may help you...
Read MoreTick Season
Tick season has arrived! Whether it is a warm and sunny day or a cool, cloudy one you can now expect to find some ticks outdoors, especially in edge habitats. In Western New York this is rarely a problem, and only a handful of sites have any ticks to be found. However, in places like Connecticut the population is robust, booming, and filled with diseases. Any time that you or your dog goes outdoors this spring, and throughout the year really, you should be mindful of ticks. The best way to protect yourself is to stay covered, change your clothes, check yourself from head to toe, and shower...
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