Meet the Marten

 

            It came to my attention the other day, after talking with classmates after a lecture, that many of my peers do not know what a pine marten is. I have experienced this surprise before, when describing the elusive fisher to friends, and was determined to enlighten them about a simply fascinating creature. The pine marten, or officially, American Marten (martes americana), is like the fisher, a member of the mustelid family. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that many people don't know what pine martens are. The truth is, it’s incredibly rare to see a marten, even more rare than fishers, their larger and chunkier counterparts. I myself became aware of these creatures through several British children books when I was younger, as pine martens are a bit better known and more common in the UK. My knowledge grew due to the fact my father was a biology teacher at the time and encouraged me to research them. 

            American martens are small, quick, lean members of the weasel family. They look a little bit like an adorable combination between a fox, squirrel, cat, and of course weasel. Though they have a sweet countenance, they are incredibly smart like other mustelids (think ferrets, otters, etc.) and have powerful little jaws and semi-retractable claws. Still, they are never aggressive towards humans unless threatened. They tend to be shy but incredibly curious. Many a hiker has been lucky enough to turn and find a marten staring at them from a tree branch or log.

            Martens generally live in spruce-fir forests or mixed hardwood-coniferous forest. Their big paws make them even better in deep Adirondack snow than fishers are. However, they are very much arboreal animals, like their primary source of prey, the red squirrel, so don't primarily travel on the ground. Martens, like some other mustelids, are omnivorous and will eat fruits and nuts as well as small animals (birds, amphibians, mammals, etc.). Martens have been seen most often in the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks and travel solitarily, usually gathering with other martens only to mate. 

            The martens’ habitat brings to mind the threats global warming brings to the Adirondacks. These amazing animals are already rare to begin with, and a change in climate in the Adirondacks would shift the current ecosystems completely. It is predicted that the Adirondacks may be totally different in a couple hundred years, and the fir and spruce trees the martens call their home may be overtaken by deciduous trees. The red squirrels may move north. Will the American marten travel north as well? Will they be lost to the Adirondacks forever? It something to think about when considering the effects of global warming. Awareness of what kind of wildlife the human world is damaging is incredibly important. A start is to know what a marten is in the first place. And now you do.

I am happy to be able to share my favorite animal with you all. 

They really are wonderful little beasts.

Sources

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45531.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2010/10/climate-change-what-we-owe-the-pine-martin.html

Photos

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45531.html

http://www.wookmark.com/image/17300/pine-marten-white-mountain-national-forest-nh-flickr-photo-sharing

http://cwf-fcf.org/en/discover-wildlife/magazines/wild-classes/entries/2012/grade-7/pine-marten.html

http://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/FC_SierraNevadaWildlifeRisk/SNWR_SNFMIS.php

An Alternative Choice

           The depth of the Adirondack wilderness offers residents a rare opportunity to live off the grid in a sustainable manner. This self-sufficiency is seldom found in a society as modernized as the United States. Currently, our lifestyles are majorly based around spending long hours at work to achieve a high income that fuels consumption. Instead, those who live off the grid incur little expense and thus are free from pursuing a high income. Now, the time those would have spent in the office is entirely theirs to spend however they please. Of course, much of this newfound time must be dedicated to the countless chores required to live in self-sufficiency, but to those who make the commitment, it’s worth it.

            In addition to the tangible economic differences between lifestyles, the two offer differing spiritual economic dynamics. Again, under our current model of society, consumption is king. Consumption is the goal and drives people everyday from the moment they wake until the day is over. However, the spiritual economics suggest that consumption has a decreasing marginal utility. In other words, after a certain level (i.e. food and water are taken care of), each increased unit of consumption brings less and less utility. With this in mind, the life of an off-grid resident makes much more sense with regard to the derivation of happiness. Adirondack resident Bill Campbell completely communicates this sentiment as he says, “There are really important reasons to simplify our lives. When your expenses are low, you don’t need much income, and you can focus your life on what’s really important,” (Randall). Here we see Mr. Campbell make an important distinction as he separates income from “what’s really important,” (Randall).

Mr. Simmons’ attitude is one of two requirements to live an off-grid lifestyle. The Adirondack’s themselves fulfill the second requirement as they offer a wilderness large enough to provide isolation from the bustle of society. The former of these two requirements is rare enough to be considered odd. However, because the latter requirement is a mammoth landscape centuries old, anybody who fulfills the first requirement is lucky enough to act on his or her desire thanks to the wilderness. Although they may not be the majority of the park’s composition, off-grid residents are out there, happy as can be enjoying what their lifestyle has to offer.

Works Cited

Levine, Justin. "Cabin Life: the Decision to Live "Off the Grid"." Adirondack Almanack. 2012.Web. <http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2012/03/cabin-life-the-decision-to-live-off-the-grid.html>.

Randall, Thom. "Living off the grid in the Adirondacks." The Sun. 2014.Web. <http://www.suncommunitynews.com/sports/living-grid-adirondacks-savoring-rhythm-nature/>.

Neature

           “I could do this everyday”, my father would always call out as we were tossing a line in the water at our small camp located in the North East Kingdom of Vermont.  As a young kid who was naïve to the upcoming pressures of work, bills, and other details of life, this statement hardly resonated with me at the time.  Lately however, under the pressure of getting good grades in school and setting myself on a career path I have found myself thinking of the simpler times and how one could achieve a life of that nature. 

            Noah John Rondeau sought out this lifestyle and saw it through to fruition.  Fed up with the pressures and authority figures of civilization he decided to escape to the wilderness of the Adirondack Park.  Rondeau resided alone in the wilderness for almost 40 years from 1913 to 1950.  His humble abode consisted of two rickety shacks alongside the Cold River, a 14-mile trek away from any civilization.  Despite his modest dwellings, Rondeau squatted on a plot fit with a view that would sell for a fortune.  It was in this setting that Noah found true happiness, feeling at one with nature.  He gained the nickname “Mayor of Cold River” as recreationists frequently visited him to fish his waters and learn about his interesting lifestyle (noahjohnrondeau.com).

            The increased effectiveness of enforcement within wilderness areas seems to have made it impossible for those who wish to disappear from society today.  However, a hermit of a different type of self-sufficiency has recently been discovered in the wilderness of Maine.  Christopher Thomas Knight abandoned society at the age of 20 and lived in the Maine wilderness alone for 27 years.  Before being caught, Knight’s only human contact since entering the woods was an exchange of “Hi” with a passing hiker.  A phantom in the woods, and in burglary, Knight maintained subsistence through breaking in to surrounding homes and stealing food and supplies (firsttoknow.com).  Chris Knight’s means of survival deviated from Noah Rondeau’s; living on a supply of stolen junk food versus relying on the resources of the wilderness. However both of their intentions for disappearing were the same.

          “Solitude did increase my perception. But here’s the tricky thing—when I applied my increased perception to myself, I lost my identity. With no audience, no one to perform for, I was just there. There was no need to define myself; I became irrelevant. The moon was the minute hand, the seasons the hour hand. I didn’t even have a name. I never felt lonely. To put it romantically: I was completely free.” – Chris Knight on living in complete solitude (firsttoknow.com)

            While reading Cloudsplitter in the beginning of the semester many were able to relate to Owen Brown’s envy for the simple life of the fur trappers.  While some may not desire to go to the extremes reached by the hermits, the pressures of society leave many longing for an escape.  This may serve as an example as a necessity for accessible park wilderness areas where people can explore to recover and nurture their mental and physical health.

           

Sources:

http://firsttoknow.com/north-pond-hermit/

http://noahjohnrondeau.com

I'll Be Honest

     In perfect honesty, I am having a very difficult time writing my blog post this week. The seemingly unending parade of tragedy marching across the world stage in past days makes it difficult to focus on personal, local, or even regional issues with any sort of sincerity. Even my daily search for a relevant environmental news article to discuss has left me with a pittance of possibilities worth any real discussion.
    It is this experience that has granted me an opportunity to adopt a perspective I have long since abandoned: that of the environmentally unconscious. The past few days has let me become increasingly aware of what it is like for the bulk of the world, or at least nation. In ignoring the drip of environmental news in favor of the flood of international tragedies, I have come to realize just how easy it is to not care about seeing the forest for the trees in a very literal sense.
     One of the many privileges that come with a position in academia is the ability to have abstract conversations about the world's "Big Issues", including environmental concerns. Oftentimes, these issues can be discussed theoretically and in an isolated bubble. This is a benefit of higher education that I am thankful for; the opportunity to discuss environmental degradation without having to experience the brunt of the world's atrocities. Being educated in this sheltered existence has some obvious drawbacks, namely a sense of ignorance that can creep in if an individual is not careful to think beyond The Hill's confines.
     This is leading me to the realization that when we talk about environmental issues, we must also discuss how these larger issues such as predator reintroduction or sustainable farming fit into a larger context of not just environmental theories but also world concerns. In doing this, I believe that we can grow a more palatable and pervasive environmental movement with a deeper awareness of where peoples' priorities lie.

The Potential Dangers of Lean-tos

      This past summer I stayed in a couple of lean-tos along Long Lake while leading an Adirondack Adventure trip. The lean-tos were well taken care of and in good shape although they are on the popular Northville-Placid trail. Each lean-to even had a shelf where previous occupants had left things like spare toilet paper and bug spray. At the time I didn't give the items much thought and had dismissed them as a friendly gesture from other hikers. It turns out leaving these things behind in lean-tos not only breaks the Leave No Trace rule but can also be deadly. I know this seems to be a dramatic consequence for something that is supposed to be well intended, but the items left behind encourage mice to nest in lean-tos. When then mice nest in the lean-tos they leave behind urine and feces that contain a deadly virus called Hantavirus.

      Hantavirus is a virus that does not effect rodents but is deadly when transmitted to humans from rodents. Humans contract the disease when they touch an infected rodent's urine, saliva, or feces. Hantavirus is not a prevalent problem in the Adirondacks but as the amount of litter left behind at lean-tos increases, the risk of the virus spreading does too. Items left in the lean-to are not the only problem. Branches and litter that collect under lean-tos provide another sheltered area for mice to nest. According to Dan Crane's article on the Adirondack Almanack mice can use toilet paper, old tennis shoes, underwear, or branches to make insulation. Park agencies and non-profits such as Lean2Rescue try to clean out lean-tos so that the structures aren't hospitable to mice, but they can't regularly maintenance them. At the end of the day it's up to Adirondack Park matrons to keep the lean-tos clean.
     
        If you plan on using a lean-to in the future here are some important tips to keep in mind.

-Always follow Leave No Trace rules and take everything you bring into the park out with you, including any litter you find along the way. Leaving spare toilet paper behind may seem like a nice gesture but it could cause more problems.

-If there are sticks gathering around the base and/or under the lean-to, move them away.

-If you decide to sweep out a lean-to (sometimes there are brooms in lean-tos), do it right before you leave, unless there is someone who is using it right after you, and use a long handled broom. Sweeping a lean-to can aerosolize rodent urine and droppings which increases the risk of inhaling Hantavirus particles.

-Avoid making alterations to lean-tos, such as adding a shelf, because structures like that can encourage people to leave stuff behind.


          Following these suggestions reduces the risk of Hantavirus in the Adirondack Park, and can make lean-tos cleaner and healthier facilities to use!



Sources Cited

Crane, Dan. "Adirondack Lean-tos, Mice and Hantavirus" November 18th, 2015. Adirondack Almanack. http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/11/adirondack-lean-tos-mice-hantavirus.html#more-56887

Biotechnology Company Myriad RBM Shut Down

            Earlier this year, one of the two existing biotech companies in the Adirondacks officially shut down. The company, Myriad RBM announced it would close its Saranac Lake facility as a part of its plan to realign operations at its testing facility in Austin, Texas. For those who do not know what biotechnology is, I will go into brief detail. The industry supports the advancement of new drug and diagnostic development. Specifically, Myriad RBM has created a Multi-Analysis Profile (MAP) that generates reproducible, quantitative data from a single drop of blood serum or plasma. Through the discovery of the compounds biological activity, efficacy, and safety profile, the Human DiscoveryMAP® provides a more thorough understanding of the disease or condition under concern.

Adirondackers welcomed the establishment of the Myriad RBM in 2012. Many saw the new business as great source of hope for possible future economic growth in the area. Unfortunately, however, it was a corporate decision to shut down the business and bring their operations closer to headquarters. As a result of the shutdown, 20 local employees were laid off. However, four of these former employees, led by Laurie Stephen, took their own initiative and founded a new biotech company that will replace Myriad in Saranac Lake. The new business, Ampersand Biosciences, will do contract work for Myriad to help launch their company. Initial business will also be secured by previously existing Myriad customers. This will be made easier since Ampersand is located in the same building that Myriad used to be. Stephen and her coworkers aim to cultivate a biotech cluster in the area centering on the Trudeau Institute, a non-profit biomedical research organization based in Saranac Lake. Today, Ampersand Biosciences specializes in the development and manufacturing of high quality immunoassays, a biochemical test that measures the presence or concentration of certain macromolecules in a solution. Hopefully Stephen and Ampersand Biosciences can serve as an example for future Adirondack businesses, and help boost the local economy.

Sources Cited:

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/27272/20150123/saranac-lake-loses-one-gains-one-in-biotech

(Picture) http://www.ampersandbio.com/

http://rbm.myriad.com/

https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/methods/start/1/

http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/544665/Blow-to-biotech-cluster.html?nav=5017

Foraged Feast

Ever wonder what Adirondackers might have eaten back in the day? They didn’t have Hannafords or Wegmans to get their next meals from. Adirondackers hunted and fished for their meat, and farmed if they could, but more often than not, much of their food had to be foraged. They made resourceful and adventurous choices when it came to food, giving us a wide variety of resources to try our own backyard-scavenged concoctions today. Below are just a few forest finds that have made their way into Adirondack foods and drinks.

Helicopters:

Also known as samaras, keys, or whirligigs, these seedpods from maple trees are edible and delicious, although there are varying accounts of what their taste actually is. They are packed with protein and carbohydrates, and once they’re peeled from their pods, these maple seeds can be eaten raw, roasted and spiced, added to salads, or dried and made into a flour.

Cattails:

Sometimes referred to as ‘nature’s supermarket’, almost every part of the cattail can be used. The pollen in the flower spikes are high in protein and vitamin A and are boiled and eaten like corn on the cob. Stalks can be eaten raw or cooked just like asparagus, and roots full of carbohydrates and can be baked, broiled, or made into a flour as well.

Dandelions:

They’re not only for salads. The flowers can be made into dandelion wine, or battered and fried into fritters, and the roots roasted, ground, and brewed into a caffeine-free coffee substitute.

Crickets:

A favorite among entomologists, crickets can be fried up as fritters, sautéed with vegetables, and dried and ground into a flour. They’re low in calories, high in protein, and contain many vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium.

If none of these foraged items appeal to you, don’t worry, there are thousands more that can be added to your next meal. You can make teas from black or yellow birch, make syrup from not just maples, but also birch and black walnut trees, or even drink the sap straight from the tree. You can make alcoholic beverages using persimmons, elderberries, juniper berries, pumpkins, corn-stalks, hickory nuts, sassafras bark, birch bark, as colonial New Englanders used to. You can add wild mustard, red or white clover, common sheep sorrel or common wood-sorrel, wild violets and oxeye daisies to your salads and other dishes. The list goes on and on. 

As always, if you’re considering exploring the world of foraged foods, be cautious against potentially toxic plants. Make sure to double-check your finds and how they should be prepared properly. And of course, don’t lose your curious mind and adventurous stomach.

Sources:

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/07/cattails-culinary-tale-nine-lives.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/06/samaras-maples-delicacy.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/08/wild-foods-cattails.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/05/wild-salads-eat-your-weedies.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/04/forgotten-drinks-colonial-new-england.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/04/black-and-yellow-birch-tasty-teas-from-trees.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2014/11/this-thanksgiving-pass-the-crickets.html#more-49710

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/04/maple-syrup-isnt-our-only-tree-sap-product.html