Episodes
12 hours ago
Episode 114: Living with Wildlife (Part 2)
12 hours ago
12 hours ago
Paul Curtis re-joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast in Part 2 of an informative discussion about living with wildlife in New York State. He is a Professor and Department Extension Leader focused on Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Paul’s focus is on reducing negative impacts associated with wildlife, as he seeks to integrate his extension programming with applied research. He has published more than 80 papers dealing with the management of human-wildlife interactions.
In this episode, in addition to a discussion on black bears, Paul’s extensive wildlife background provides insights into coyotes, fishers, foxes, bobcats, martins, weasels, skunks, opossums, woodchucks, raccoons and more. This episode will enlighten you on the wide range of wildlife that can be found in New York State and how to successfully and peacefully co-exist with them.
Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas
Guest: Paul Curtis
Photo by: Cornell University
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Episode 113: Living with Wildlife (Part 1)
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Reducing negative impacts associated with wildlife is a common concern of many residents of New York’s Hudson Valley. In this first part of an informative discussion, we explore how to peacefully coexist with black bears, white-tailed deer, and coyotes.
White tail deer are becoming a more common issue in rural and suburban communities with deer/vehicle collisions and their over-abundance is often associated with damage to forests and gardens. Black bears frequently have been regarded by humans as nuisances, but the reality is that they tend to steer clear of humans, unless food (often garbage) is left around for their perusal. Coyotes also have a reputation for targeting pets in the Hudson Valley. In reality, they view dogs as competitors within their territory and thus small dogs should be kept on a leash to minimize contact with coyotes.
Learning about these animals and their behaviors can help us understand how to peacefully co-exist with them and learn how to control any damage created by their presence. When residents need help with their non-human neighbors, licensed wildlife control operators can help. Learn about the on-line training that is available to become a wildlife control operator and some of the issues they encounter.
Paul Curtis is a Professor and Department Extension Leader focused on Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He joins the Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast team in an enlightening discussion about living with wildlife in New York State.
Paul obtained his Ph.D. in Zoology from North Carolina State University in 1990. He is a co-author of the National Wildlife Control Training Program, and a Certified Wildlife Biologist® with The Wildlife Society. During the past 30+ years, Paul has provided leadership for the Wildlife Damage Management Program at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He has published more than 80 papers dealing with the management of human-wildlife interactions. His research interests have included resolving wildlife conflicts in suburban, forested, and agricultural landscapes, wildlife fertility control, and managing community-based wildlife issues. He is currently working on methods to better monitor deer impacts to forest regeneration and enhance biodiversity.
Listen to the first of a two-part discussion about living with other wildlife on the podcast, Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley.
Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas
Guest: Paul Curtis
Photo by: Cornell University
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Resources
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Episode 112: Bob Beyfuss
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Robert Layton Beyfuss (1950-2023) was known as the ‘poet of gardening’ but he wore many hats. A longtime educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties (retiring in 2009), Bob was also a well-known columnist, widely sharing his knowledge and love of gardening. In addition to being an Internationally Certified Arborist, he is perhaps best remembered as having been a passionate expert on the cultivation of ginseng.
His ginseng journey began at Cornell University where he pursued a Masters degree in agriculture, after earning a Bachelors degree in botany from Rutgers University. The title of his Master’s Project was “The History, Use and Cultivation of American Ginseng.” American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is perhaps the most valuable non-timber forest crop in Eastern North America.
During the course of his career, Bob authored several booklets and fact sheets about the growing of ginseng and mushrooms, including “American Ginseng Production in NY State,” “The Practical Guide to Growing Ginseng,” “Ginseng Production in Woodlots,” and “Companion Planting,” among others. He was also an advocate for forest farming as both a conservation solution and an economic opportunity.
Outgoing, opiniated, thoughtful, inspirational, and listener, are some of the adjectives that described Bob. He was also an avid outdoorsman and equally loved the time he spent turkey hunting, fishing, foraging, and gardening in New York, as well as the time he spent fishing, and playing softball. In more recent years, Bob split his time between his homes in Schoharie County, NY and Florida (near his children and grandchildren).
Bob Beyfuss’ influence and impact on the ginseng industry are immeasurable. His own ginseng activities in New York State and his extensive cooperative extension activities outside the world of ginseng earned him, in 2021, declared a ‘State Treasure of New York”.
Anna Plattner, ginseng grower and educator from Wild Hudson Valley, joins Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley in a tribute to Bob with this episode being aired on the anniversary of his birth. Anna and her husband, Justin Wexler, manage the field operations of American Ginseng Pharm (AGP), a large-scale agroforestry farm in upstate New York that uses innovative methods to cultivate American ginseng in a way that benefits both humans and the Earth.
Hosts: Jean Thomas and Teresa Golden
Guest: Anna Plattner
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Episode 111: Veggie Patch Retrospective (Part 3)
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Part 3 of the Veggie Patch Retrospective wraps up with 4 more short segments about gardening for edible food crops. Master Gardener Volunteer, Teresa Golden, continues to provide advice to the beginner and experienced gardener about how to tend a successful vegetable garden.
The first segment focuses on root crops including beets, carrots, radishes, onions, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, among others. The category gets its name because their edible roots grow under the soil. Knowing the growing season of the specific crop you are growing i s one key to success. They tend to be directly sown into the soil but proper spacing is also very important. Consistent watering is also key as is storing them properly once harvested.
Next is all about garden maintenance and tools. Maintenance revolves around weeding, watering, and fertilizing. Make sure to water the soil, not the plants. One way to control weeds is to mulch, but whatever you do, don’t let the weeds got to seed to prevent an even bigger challenge in the future. Adding organic matter (like compost) is the preferable way to fertilize but if you do use supplemental chemical fertilizers, make sure to read the labels and apply them correctly. The right tools can make garden maintenance easier so listen in to learn the best tools for the job.
The segment on extending the gardening season focuses on various ways to keep the soil warm. Cloches, cold frames, row covers, low tunnels and high tunnels are all discussed. Hopefully, this discussion can help you decide which approach might work best for you.
Finally, the Veggie Patch series ends with a segment about putting your garden to ‘bed’ for the winter. Once your crops are harvested, this involves pulling all dead or unproductive plants and either composting them (if they don’t have seeds) or discarding them. Remove all cages and supports, making sure to clean them before storing them for the winter. Testing your soil pH in the fall will inform you of any needed amendments (like compost). This is a great time to sanitize, oil, and sharpen your garden tools for the next season.
We hope this series gives you the confidence to start and nurture your home vegetable garden.
Host: Teresa Golden
Photo by: Teresa Golden
Production Support : Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Resources
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Episode 110: Veggie Patch Retrospective (Part 2)
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Welcome back to part 2 of the Veggie Patch Retrospective where we compiled together three previously aired short segments on various aspects of vegetable gardening. Instead of searching for the content in previous episodes, we’ve put these shorter segments together in a single episode for your listening convenience. Especially as winter drags on, it’s helpful to be able to dream of warmer weather when you get back into enjoying your garden.
This specific episode is about three popular vegetables found in home gardens: Tomatoes, Beans, and Cucurbits (cucumbers and squashes).
Tomatoes are one of the most beloved garden plants, but they can also be frustrating to grow. Learn about the best time to plant them (soil temperature is key so don’t be in a hurry), space them, and water them. Unfortunately, you will learn that tomatoes are as popular with pests and pathogens, as they are with humans. Learn how to spot them and manage them so that you can have a productive and delicious crop to harvest.
Legumes are another category of popular crops. They include the popular pea (garden, snap, snow and other types) and beans. Legume seeds can typically be planted directly in the ground so there is no need for seed starting or buying transplants. There are also many types of beans to experiment with. There are the traditional bush beans (perhaps one of the easiest to start with), pole beans (that require supports but produce a larger yield) and runner beans (whose plants are sized between bush and pole). Beans can be enjoyed raw, or cooked and can also be dried for future use. Legumes are very versatile crops, as well as being delicious and healthy too!
Cucumbers and squashes (members of the cucurbit family) are also home garden favorites. One of the secrets to a productive crop is to harvest the fruits regularly before they get too big. There are so many options available to grow so experiment with them to determine your favorites.
Listen to Teresa Golden, Master Gardener Volunteer, as she talks you through the various aspects of growing these vegetable crops and enjoy!
Host: Teresa Golden
Photo by: Teresa Golden
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Episode 109: Veggie Patch Retrospective (Part 1)
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
It’s that time of year to start dreaming about and planning for your vegetable garden. Whether you are a novice gardener or an experienced one, there is always something new to learn.
So we’ve pulled together a treat for you! Listen to this compilation of five already aired short segments specific to vegetable gardening. In this Veggie Patch Retrospective (part 1), you’ll learn from Master Gardener Volunteer, Teresa Golden, how to:
- determine the best place to site your garden,
- choose what veggies to plant to best serve the needs of your family,
- prepare the soil for a productive crop yield,
- start seeds at home,
- grow a family of vegetables called brassicas such as cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower
Also, check out the rich set of resource links below that can help you with your garden. There’s more to come, so make sure to check back for the next two parts of this sequence. We aim to demystify how to grow your own vegetable garden and/or help your garden be more productive.
Host: Teresa Golden
Photo By: Teresa Golden
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Resources
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Episode 108: NYS Forest Rangers
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Forest rangers are the wilderness’ police department. Think of them as ‘guardians of nature’ who protect and conserve natural resources in forests and parks. Their jurisdiction usually encompasses terrain filled with wildlife and treacherous landscapes. Forest rangers are often unsung heroes who work long hours in extreme conditions.
Many people associate forest rangers with "Smokey Bear', the lovable bear who warned us not to start forest fires. But rangers do more than prevent and fight fires. They are involved in law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, as well as public education and outreach.
Unfortunately, forest fires continue to be a threat to New York State’s forests and forest rangers are at the front lines in the fight against forest fires. They help educate and train fire departments in the best course of action to fight fires. They also engage in preventive measures, which may include setting controlled burns or clearing brush that may be a potential hazard in the event of fire. When a fire occurs, forest rangers work in conjunction with local fire fighters in controlling and putting out the fire. After a fire is contained, the rangers conduct investigations to determine the cause and source of the fire.
Every year hikers, campers and casual visitors get lost in the wilderness of state forests in the Hudson Valley. When they do, it is the forest rangers who play a critical role in search and rescue operations. Rangers travel over rough terrain in search of lost people. They help coordinate and lead search teams through the forest. Rangers are skilled in emergency training so they can administer first aid if needed. Forest rangers also keep track of campers and hikers by the use of checkpoints at the entries to parks and forests. This helps them monitor the number of visitors in the forest as well as alerts them to when someone could potentially have gotten lost, if they do not check out at the expected time.
Keeping the forests safe for visitors and wildlife is the most important part of a ranger’s job. Learn more from Anastasia Alwine, a New York State Forest Ranger, who joins the podcast, Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley, in an informative discussion of the role of forest rangers in the Hudson Valley. Anastasia is from Syracuse, NY, and graduated from Cornell University as an art major. Prior to taking the civil service exam, she wasn’t aware that the Forest Ranger job existed, but you will hear how she loves working at this role now.
Hosts: Annie Scibienski and Jean Thomas
Guest: Anastasia Alwine
Photo by: Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Resources
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Episode 107: Master Naturalist Program
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Are you a nature lover? Are you interested in conservation or habitat restoration? Do you have a passion for our natural environment or want to learn more about the ecosystems, habitats, plants, and animals of New York State? Then this program might be for you!
The Master Naturalist Program is a science-based training program designed to teach adults about New York’s natural resources, empowering them to educate others and participate in on-the-ground conservation and monitoring projects.
The Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley podcast team had the opportunity to meet with Kristi Sullivan, Director, NY Master Naturalist Program and Extension Associate, at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. With a focus on natural resources and the environment, Kristi was a ‘natural’ to create the Master Naturalist Program in New York State.
Over 500 people have completed this adult education program, with ~100+ active volunteers (who have reported their hours) in any given year. Only 30 people are admitted into the program each year, so there is an application process to be followed to ensure broader coverage across the state. You can become a Master Naturalist by taking the 16-hour mandatory “Naturalist Trainee” course, supplemented by 14 hours of additional coursework and 30 hours of volunteer work tailored to your personal interests. The mandatory “Naturalist Trainee” course is held at Cornell’s Arnot Teaching and Research Forest located in Ithaca, NY. It covers topics such as reptiles and amphibians, invasive species identification and control, insects, bats, ferns, wildlife and more.
Volunteer opportunities may include “hands-on” management, conservation or monitoring activities, or educational outreach. Examples of appropriate volunteer activities include working with a local land trust or nearby park to remove or monitor invasive species, collecting citizen science data for an ongoing program, inventorying wildflowers at a local park or preserve, participating in riparian buffer plantings or restoration, conducting wildlife surveys, contributing to water quality monitoring or research. Potential outreach activities may include leading a “woods walk”, writing articles, giving presentations, or developing educational brochures. Each Master Naturalist can pursue volunteer activities tailored to her/his own interests and strengths.
Always remember that YOU can make a difference in the natural environment.
Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas
Guest: Kristi Sullivan
Photo by: Tim Kennelty
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Resources
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Episode 106: Great Backyard Bird Count
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
If you like birds, you will love this episode! Birds spark a deep wonder and help us to understand the living world. When birds disappear, they’re signaling that we’ve stressed our landscapes and oceans. When we make changes and they rebound, it signals hope that we can find ways to flourish and protect the natural world.
Becca Rodomsky-Bish, Project Leader from Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, joins us in a wonderful conversation about our feathered friends, the Lab, and the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Becca's focus in environmental education includes native habitats, sustainability, and conservation. Beyond the Lab, she is an avid gardener creating beautiful gardens to feed her family as well as the wildlife in her area.
The “GBBC” is a February event that has united birdwatchers around the world for over 25 years. For one weekend each year, citizen scientists submit their bird observations from their home or in their community. The GBBC engages backyard bird watchers and helps guide people in creating bird-friendly homes and yards. This is something that everyone can engage in as a citizen scientist.
And it’s just one project supported by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology whose mission is to interpret and conserve the Earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds and nature. The Lab brings together the agility and impact of an on-the-ground nonprofit organization with world-class science and teaching as part of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Together, they transform data into knowledge by pioneering new techniques that combine citizen science, machine learning, and data visualizations. Their studies explore the earth’s biodiversity, the processes that have generated it, and ways to conserve this abundance of life. Key partners in much of this research are the many thousands of people who volunteer for citizen-science projects.
The Lab created Merlin, a very popular application that helps identify birds by answering some simple questions, or via their photos, songs and calls. The Lab also developed and manages eBird, a database that engages a global audience in sharing observations to empower research and conservation of birds and ecosystems. Through the exploration, analysis, and visualization of massive data sets, insights are revealed on the distribution, movements, status, and trends of birds through time and across hemispheres.
Learn how you can participate in this process with the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas
Guest: Becca Rodomsky-Bish
Photo by: Cornell University Lab of Ornithology
Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connolly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski
Resources
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Episode 105: NYS Master Gardener Program
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
The podcast team recently took a road trip to Cornell University in Ithaca, NY to meet with Ashley Helmholdt, Extension Associate, Cornell Garden-Based Learning, School of Integrative Plant Science Horticulture. With a passionate interest in garden-based learning, Ashley manages the New York State Master Gardener Volunteer and Seed to Supper programs as well as professional development for Cornell Cooperative Extension educators.
She shares a bit of the history of the MGV program which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. She’s heavily involved in the continual enhancements to the program and shares her enthusiasm for what’s to come. She also talks extensively about the Seed to Supper program, a six-session series, which helps new vegetable gardeners get started. Vegetable Varieties for New York State is also under her purview which is an excellent resource to help gardeners select varieties that will grow well in New York soils and climate.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer network is also working to strengthen understanding and inspire us to take action in our gardens and communities that will help address the global crisis of climate change. Supporting this effort, a curriculum is available for gardeners, homeowners, educators, volunteers, teachers, students, and anyone interested in exploring how we might examine our gardening practice through the lens of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
If you are interested in the Master Gardener Program in Columbia and Greene Counties or have a gardening question, please call or email the Master Gardeners at (518) 826-3345 ext 212 or ColumbiaGreeneMGV@cornell.edu. If you live outside these counties, please contact your local county extension office.
Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas
Guest: Ashley Helmholdt