Tap that!

               With sugar maple (acer saccharum) under increasing pressure from global warming (Jenkins 39), sugarers in the Adirondacks are under pressure to expand their production into novelty syrups from other tree sources.  The most promising candidate: the Birch.

               For centuries in Latvia, the birch sap has served as a celebrated culinary resource (Guttman 2012).  From birch sap syrup to sparkling wine, Latvians capitalize on the many applications of this otherwise undervalued resource, in some cases holding a goblet under the tap and drinking the sap straight out of the tree.  Aside from treasuring birch sap as a national resource, producers make a killing on selling the refined syrup: the going rate is over $10 for a small, 8 oz. bottle (Guttman 2012).

               On this side of the Atlantic, we are a little more hesitant to turn to this new sweetener.  For one, birch sap has a much lower sugar concentration than sugar maple sap and it can take as many as 100 gallons of the raw, sticky substance to yield one gallon of thickened birch syrup (Thill 2014).  This obviously drives the cost of production through the roof, requiring not only more trees tapped and gallons harvested, but also more intensive purification to attain comparably sweet syrup.  Further, the finished product is not necessarily a replacement for maple syrup (those tasting it expecting the sweet traditional maple flavor are in for an unexpected surprise).  Birch syrup resembles molasses more than maple syrup, with hints of balsam, raspberry and iron—an earthy sweetness that tastes better in combination with other flavors rather than overwhelming a pile of pancakes (Thill 2014).

               While Birch syrup is a different product than maple syrup, it does promise economic benefits, especially in the face of struggling sugar maples in the Adirondacks.  Sugar maple requires a succession of freezing nights and warm(er) days for its sap to flow, so sugarers are relying on an increasingly shorter harvesting season.  Birch trees, on the other hand, do not release their sap until the soil has warmed to around 50 degrees Fahrenheit as the tree begins to bud (Thill 2014).  Thus, as the maple sugaring season ends, birch sugaring would just be beginning, adding another dimension to the possibilities (and length) of the sugaring season in the Adirondacks.  Further, the novelty of birch syrup fetches a high price among chefs and tourists seeking out local souvenirs.  

               Maple sugaring in the Adirondacks is shrinking (sad as it is to admit).  Harvesting sap from native birch trees and other sap producing trees provides this important Adirondack industry with another dimension to help absorb the negative implications of climate change.  Let’s tap our Adirondack resources!

References:

Guttman, Amy.  21 May 2012.  “Move Over, Maple Syrup, Birch Syrup May Challenge Your Sweet Rule.”  From: NPR.  Url: <http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/05/21/153194426/move-over-maple-syrup-birch-syrup-may-challenge-your-sweet-rule>.

Jenkins, Jerry.  2004.  The Adirondack Atlas: A Geographic Portrait of the Adirondack Park.  Syracuse University Press: Syracuse, NY.

Thill, Mary.  2014.  “The Other Syrup.”  From Adirondack Life Magazine.  Url: <http://www.adirondacklifemag.com/blogs/2014/02/12/syrup/>.

Experiential Learning

As part of my internship at the Thea Bowman House in Utica, I am working on a capital campaign to raise money to repair the roof of the Refugee Center. Last week, I was interviewing teachers and students about what the building means to them for a video I am putting together to show prospective donors. I got into an offhand conversation with a teacher who had previously taught in the Utica Public School system. She discussed how the rigid curriculum, which is generally too advanced for many of the students, some of whom are immigrants, is currently not effective. While the concept of common core, getting everyone on the same page, is a great idea in theory, in practice it is somewhat of a disaster. The greater amount of time put towards testing takes time away from the classroom.. While listening to her speak of her own personal experiences, I thought of our Adirondack field trip and the importance of experiential education, which common core currently skips over.

The field trip to Lake Placid has been one of my favorite experiences at Hamilton thus far. It is one thing to read about historical locations, such as John Brown’s rock, and see pictures of different varieties of vegetation, but a whole different experience to snowshoe and actually see the vegetation first hand. I found identifying plant species using our field guides more effective than sitting in a classroom. The opportunities given to associate factual information with real life experiences made it much easier to retain knowledge than reading a textbook.

Another benefit not to be overlooked was the relationships formed on the trip. The class definitely became closer and bonded over a common interest in the Adirondacks. I would advocate that meaningful relationships are just important in college as the academic experience.

Something tells me that there would be no room for studying the Adirondacks in common core, and let alone time for a field trip. There is too much time allocated to state testing when students could be having meaningful experiences. An important thing to note is that field trips do not need to be as expensive or as planning intensive as our trip. I recently took part in bringing a group of preschoolers to a local flower shop in Utica. The bus company donated the bus and the store allowed us in for free. We showed the students the different colored flowers and baby ducks in the store. When we arrived back in the classroom, we read a book about ducks and discussed what we observed about the ducks’ behavior. I personally feel experiential learning has a place in our education system that common core is currently missing.

“Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.”

― John Dewey

The Continued Issue of Squatters in the Adirondacks

     Jacoby's Crimes against Nature delves into some of the complications caused by setting rigid boundaries within the park. A particularly interesting issue that arises is the presence of squatters, both those who have lived there for decades and newer residents. While much of this is dealt with through either through forcing people out or working out their property lines, Jacoby mentions that some of the struggles between the state and the squatters have continued into the present.

     An example of this struggle can be found around the Raquette Lake area in Township 40. The problem was first recognized in an annual report in 1904. Due to the errors of tax collectors, assessors, and others, the titles of certain lands could not be definitively confirmed. For over 100 years now, certain squatters have payed taxes for these disputed lands. These owners have had no equity in their homes and have not been able to get mortgages.  Proposition 4, passed in 2013, allowed for the settlement of these disputed lands, though. The DEC sent out letters to the owners of disputed lands asking them to participate in a settlement. This settlement allows participants to claim their land by paying the Town for the inclusion of some land in the Forest Preserve (the township 40 website states that owners agreed to pay this fee to avoid burdening the taxpayers). Those who don't respond or don't agree to the settlement are referred to the Office of the Attoreny General for an action to quiet title. In other words, these cases are brought to court to be resolved.

     Cases like that of Township 40 display some of the complexities caused by the rigid laws of the Adirondacks. They reveal the natural struggle that arises between keeping the land wild and living off of it. It seems that recent propositions, particularly those that involve the trading of land, have been giving precedence to human/business needs. Should we perhaps be more strict with this or is this wiggle room beneficial to the park and its inhabitants, both human and other?



Sources:

"Disclaimer." Township 40 Settlement. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

Mckinley, Jesse. "A Property Fight in the Adirondacks, Brewing for a Century, Is on the Ballot." The New York Times. The New York Times, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.

"Township 40 - Raquette Lake, NY." Township 40. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

How to Not Get Seriously Injured/Killed

Many people perceive the likelihood of an animal attack in the wilderness as much higher than it actually is. In the Adirondacks, it is important to watch out for mammals like the black bear, eastern coyote, and bobcat, as well as some reptiles. There are easy ways to avoid attracting these animals, and it is important to remember the proper way to react to any encounters.

Image of the black bear (Galanty).

While most black bears in the Adirondacks are relatively small—they are not much bigger than a large dog—they are still potentially harmful. In order to avoid attracting bears, do not feed them, make sure your campsite is clean and free of garbage, do not dispose of any cooking grease in the woods, and do not try to compost meat or sweets. If you do encounter a bear, do not approach it. Instead, slowly back away and distance yourself from the animal. If it continues to follow you, then change your direction and act aggressively in order to intimidate it. Do not run or make direct eye contact (“Dangerous Animals...”). Even though the Adirondacks have about 4,000 bears, which is the third largest population in the United States, the chance of being injured or killed by a bear is very low. Between 1960 and 2000, only eight people were injured by bears in New York. Since then, there have only been two more serious encounters (Galanty).

Image of the eastern coyote ("Dangerous Animals...").

Image of a bobcat ("Dangerous Animals...").

Eastern coyotes look like small German Shepards, and they are actually quite fearful of humans. In order to avoid attracting the animal, do not feed them or leave food in easily accessible places. If you do encounter a coyote, be aggressive by standing tall and holding your arms out to look large, and then make loud noises, wave your arms, or throw objects like sticks and stones. Attacks usually occur when coyotes lose their fear of humans, which happens when they associate them with an easy food source (“Dangerous Animals…”). Just like coyotes, bobcats rarely attack humans, and if they do, they are usually sick or rabid. They are about twice the size of a domestic cat, and you can avoid attracting the animal by not feeding them or leaving food in easily accessible places. If you do encounter one, keep as much distance between yourself and the bobcat as possible, slowly back away, and act aggressively by making loud noises. Do not turn your back to the animal or run away (“Dangerous Animals…”).

Encounters with wild animals are going to become more frequent as humans invade and develop the wilderness, but they are still not as common as movies and other forms of entertainment portray. In an encounter, the most important thing to remember is to remain calm and make slow movements. If people were more educated about animal attacks, then they would understand that there is not much reason to fear them, and they would know how to avoid and handle them if necessary.

Works Cited

“Dangerous Animals in the Adirondacks.” Adirondack.net. Adirondack.net, n.d. Web. 13 April 2015.

Galanty, Max. “Animals Could Attack in the Adirondacks.” All Points North. All Points North, Winter 2007. Web. 13 April 2015.

Access to Medical Care in the Adirondacks

In early March, Aaron Beguelin wrote an interesting post on healthcare in the Adirondacks.  His blog post focuses on various public health concerns within the Adirondacks, as well as and the Adirondack Rural Health Network Organization.  Reading this piece sparked my interest in the healthcare resources that are available in the Adirondack region, leading me to share a few thoughts this week on available medical care in the Adirondacks.

The Adirondacks, being as remote as they are, present complications for urgent medical situations, along with accessibility to primary care.  The Lake Placid area, for example, is four and a half hours from the New York City hospitals such as New York Presbyterian Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital.  The Adirondack region is equally far from the University of Rochester Medical Center, and about an hour closer to SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse.  It would take less time for an Adirondack resident to drive to the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont, or the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, than it would take to travel to a New York City hospital for an appointment.

However, people generally do not want to drive three to five hours to see their primary care physician or dermatologist, nor do they have time to travel the aforementioned distances in the case of an emergency.  For years, as the Adirondacks’ popularity continued to grow, the park’ remoteness presented an issue for those needing medical care.  For the second half of the twentieth century, the park’s medical care was primarily provided by five hospitals, most of which were undergoing economic challenges.  (Jenkins, 164)

Today’s Adirondack health system is significantly improved with the updated Adirondack Medical Center.  The Adirondack Medical Center’s main hospital in Saranac Lake has 271 beds, which is quite large for a region such as the Adirondacks.  The Saranac Lake campus’s Emergency Room serves approximately 15000 patients in a year, and the OR performed approximately 3000 procedures (US News and World Report).

Although today’s access to medical care in the Adirondacks is not in any way equivalent to living in the vicinity of a major medical center, it has come a long way in recent years.  Promoting health care in the Adirondacks is good not only for those living in and visiting the area who require medical care, but also for the region’s economy, in that hospitals and clinics provide jobs, while promoting tourism by bringing doctors, nurses, and their families into the park.

Sources:

1. Jenkins, Jerry, and Andy Keal. The Adirondack Atlas: A Geographic Portrait of the Adirondack Park. 1st ed. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse UP, 2004. Print.
2. US News and World Report. "Adirondack Medical Center." US News:Best Hospitals. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. <http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ny/adirondack-medical-center-6210007>.

The New Adirondack Boat

Source: Tom Bessette, Hornbeck Boat Little Tupper Lake

In the minds of many Adirondack boating enthusiasts and historians, the guideboat was the finest watercraft to come out of the region. It was perfectly suited to carry two people and all their gear, plus it was light enough to easily carry over impassible water. In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries the Adirondack Park saw more use by the middle class, and the expensive guideboat was replaced by the cheap and durable canoe. The canoe has seen very little improvement since it became popular, other than the use of newer materials, but in 1975 Peter Hornbeck decided to make a boat better suited to the Adirondacks than the guideboat before it (McKibben 1996). The result was a small single person canoe paddled like a kayak, and light enough to carry almost anywhere. While the guideboat may have been well suited to its own time and clientele, the Hornbeck canoe is the true master of the current Adirondacks.

There’s no denying that in the 19^th century there would have been no substitute for the guideboat and the role it played in exploring the park. Few other boats could handle the tasks they were subjected to, but times have changed and its role no longer exists. People no longer hire guides to paddle themselves into the wilderness and do everything for them. People want to be involved now, and learn to do things for themselves. This is where the Hornbeck canoes fit in perfectly. The average weight of one of the canoes is 15 lbs and its shorter length makes it easily maneuverable like a kayak (McKibben 1996). It’s easy to learn to paddle one and as an open top canoe it has more storage room than a kayak, allowing individuals to pack plenty of gear for an excursion.

The other area where Hornbeck canoes really excel is when being carried to and from a body of water. Their light weight makes it possible to carry them to places that only float tubes could access before, which appealed to a lot of anglers in the early days (McKibben 1996). The lightweight boats also found another market in female and older paddlers. The beauty was that anyone could lift a short and lightweight canoe off their car, unlike the large 20 ft canoes which were popular in the region (Roberts 1979).

Hornbeck canoes aren’t just designed for the small lakes and ponds of the Adirondacks though. They have made their way across the country and have been used on larger lakes and even for running rivers. Like the guideboat before it the Hornbeck canoe is a jack of all trades, and the only thing it can’t do is carry two people. It may sound like a limitation but it’s what makes this boat so unique. It’s also what makes the Hornbeck canoe the perfect boat for the Adirondacks.

Sources:

McKibben, Bill. "The Bearable Lightness of Boating." Adirondack Life, March 1, 1996, 10-14.

Roberts, Harry. "Picking Your Boat." Adirondack Life, May 1, 1979, 20-24.