In Defense of the Fisher

     The fisher, sometimes called "fisher cat", is not a cat, it rarely eats fish, and many people don't even know it exists. Martes pennanti is a member of the family mustelidae, the weasel family that includes otters, ferrets, minks, and martens. Fishers are deep forest animals; stealthy and quick in the trees as well as on the ground. They are clever survivors, eating almost anything, from bird eggs and small mammals, to carrion, nuts, and berries. They are also fearless, and are known for their ability to kill and eat porcupines. They are usually around four to eleven pounds, and the females are considerably smaller than the males. With dark fur and big paws, they look like a big mink mixed with a bear.

(Here's a short video of a fisher, if you've never seen one before! Click here)

     It is no surprise that many people in the Adirondacks have never seen a fisher. In the 1800s and early 1900s fishers were over-trapped and extirpated from the region. Extensive logging in the Adironadacks lead to habitat destruction, and fishers weren't seen again in the park until the late 1900s. Now they are slowly returning with forest re-growth, but not everyone thinks this is a good thing.
     I have always been fascinated by the mustelids (wolverines, martens, fishers, etc.), but throughout my life I have often encountered, especially in my home of Connecticut, a strong aversion towards the dreaded "fisher cats". Throughout New England and in the Adirondacks, the fisher has been a kind of horror story: "Don't go out in the woods at night, kids, or the fisher cat will get you!" I am thoroughly convinced that this is due to a lack of education on the animal. People are haunted and frightened by the cries of the fisher, which is a terrifying, human-like screaming sound, but they don't really know what it is. Another misconception is that if your house cat or toy dog goes missing, it was a fisher that took it. Though fishers have occasionally been known to eat neighborhood cats and small dogs, they are no different than other wild predators that will attack pets that are left outside at night. It is much more likely that a coyote got your tabby.

    Another perplexing urban legend that many people I've met are convinced is true, is that fishers commonly attack people and small children. There has been one documented attack by a fisher on a human, and said fisher had rabies. Healthy fishers do their best at avoiding humans. They dislike going out into open spaces, and won't venture near human areas unless there is readily available food, like an overturned garbage bin or sometimes a tempting chihuahua. I understand the anger and pain of losing a pet, but the solution is to keep your pets inside if you live in an area with large wild predators, or go outside with your pets at night, or even to invest in an electric fence. The fact that fishers sometimes eat pets does not mean they are evil animals and should be eradicated. The Adirondack Almanac's article by Ellen Rathbone captures my opinion perfectly:

"One of the comments I most frequently hear when visitors look at our fisher mount is something along the lines of “these are mean animals.” I make a point of telling them that “mean” is a human characteristic. Fishers are fishers. They are weasels, they are predators ...  If cornered, any animal will fight – a fisher may be just a bit more aggressive because it is a predator and used to taking on others. Does this make the animal mean? No – it makes it a successful hunter."

      The fisher is an important predator in the forest ecosystems of the Adirondacks, and instead of fearing this intelligent, beautiful animal, it is important to remember that it is an endangered species in the Adirondacks and should be supported. The Department of Environmental Conservation has been making several moves to preserve fisher habitat. Hunting fishers is banned in New York State and the trapping season has been reduced to less than a month every year. Slowly, these fascinating animals are coming back into the park. More and more people have been lucky enough to catch sight of these shadowy animals disappearing around a tree or into the canopy. Keep an eye out, and don't get spooked if you hear a shrieking fisher in the woods behind your house. They are no creepier than yelping coyotes, and they are a symbol of the forest ecosystem repairing itself as the natural bigger predators of the woods return.

Sources:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/99836.html

http://www.jamestownpress.com/news/2007-11-08/news/025.html

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2010/09/the-fisher-amazing-adirondack-weasel.html
http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-business/article/Fearless-fisher-gets-break-in-Adirondacks-6093213.php#photo-7555020
http://www.damnedct.com/beware-the-fisher-cat
http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2009/02/13/your-new-neighbors-the-fishers
http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=152
http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/fisher/

Photos:
http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/109926324
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/3-fisher-martes-pennanti-carol-gregory.html

Why the Sage Grouse Matters

On Tuesday, The New York Times' Erica Goode reported on the Obama Administration's decision to keep the sage grouse, a species of bird, off the Endangered Species list. Many were unsurprised by the decision, given the increasing debate on what conservation looks like when human interests are incorporated into the decision making process. "But a growing number of conservationists argue that this view is far too narrow, especially in an era of climate change", Goode reports.

The article continues to highlight the increasing debate on the placement of human interests in conservation behavior. One of the key points of the article was on the rise of "eco-pragmatism" and how it is becoming an increasing necessity in today's politically charged environmental movement. No longer, the article argues, can the bulk of endangered species funding be diverted toward animals and habitats that best suit human interests for charismatic animals or easy solutions. This has been a common problem in many environmental groups that deal with animals. The human psyche is setup so that we are more likely to empathize with individuals that resemble certain human characteristics. This is why a baby chimp is thought of as more appealing than, say, fish larvae. This thinking should no longer cloud government funding of conservation. Instead, there must be a reckoning between two century old philosophies belonging to John Muir and Gifford Pinchot. Muir felt that nature needed to be protected from humans while Pinchot argued that conservation needed to take place to maintain a certain standard of living for humans. Arguably, this will require a certain degree of discomfort on the part of humanity. But an argument can be made that this burden is a reasonable, if not necessary, one. This debate continues to rage on, including in our course.

Perhaps an over reliance on Pinchot's philosophy has resulted in the environmental catastrophes that we are currently surrounded by, and a shift closer to Muir's perspective is precisely what our generation is set to do. Regardless, the changes occurring around us cannot be ignored and protected areas only go so far in salvaging certain species. This is why regions like the Adirondack Park are so important, they serve as examples of what conscious lifestyles can look like while supplying a litany of dead ends and false starts. The road toward Bill McKibben's "graceful inhabitation" is long, but is a necessary one. Cases like the sage grouse, ones where the species in question simply do not represent human interest enough are not uncommon. In order to protect these shrinking populations, we must culturally move toward practices like those that have been instilled in the park. As we progress toward a hopefully greener future, regions like the Adirondack Park become all the more important in leading the way toward practical policy implementation and lifestyle shifts that balance environmental consciousness with human needs. Before we move into understanding what true human-nature harmony will look like in the future, we must first ensure that there will be natural entities to exist with.

Works Cited

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/science/a-shifting-approach-to-saving-endangered-species.html?_r=0

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4019884/

Racing Stripes: Zebra Mussels' Impact in Northern Waters

Zebra mussels

          In class, zebra mussels have come up many times in our discussions of invasive species, especially when concerning aquatic invasive species.  Zebra mussels originally occurred primarily in Russia and the Black and Caspian Seas, but they are an incredibly resilient invasive; they've colonized and stayed in Great Britain, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Italy, and much of the USA's north and west.  They are thought to have been spread to the USA by large ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Europe and have spread throughout the USA largely from recreational boats.  Similar to other invasive aquatic species, they spread between waterways on recreational boats due to boat owners not washing down their boats well after use.  Because the mussels can survive for days without water, they can ride on the bottoms of boats being brought from one waterway to another, thus colonizing those new waterways.

A sign raising awareness of how invasive zebra mussels are transported

          These zebra mussels can cause huge problems for the ecosystems they colonize.  In Lake Champlain, they kill other native mussels, cover everything from rocks to docks to sandy bottoms to submerged chains with their sharp shells that can harm humans, obstruct water intake pipes, and compete for food resources with other native species.  Although zebra mussels have these negative effects on ecosystems, they also have certain positive effects.  Invertebrates such as insects thrive when zebra mussels colonize waterways because they offer protection from predatory fish.  In an experiment detailed in the Adirondack Almanac this week, areas with zebra mussels were twice as popular with invertebrate populations than areas without them due to their offered protection.  Insects can find cracks and chasms between shells that fish can't access, providing shelter for insects.

Zebra mussels attached to and slowly killing a native mussel in MN

           Last year I learned that the Chesapeake Bay of Maryland and Virginia was having dire problems saving its native oysters from a sharp population crash because of disease, over-harvesting, and habitat loss.  Oysters are a vital part of the Chesapeake ecosystem, acting as a primary filter-feeder.  So after reading about zebra mussels, I was wondering if they could be introduced to the Chesapeake Bay and have a positive impact on the ecosystem, helping the declining oysters filter the bay.  If zebra mussel populations could be monitored and contained, I can see them having at least a somewhat positive impact in the area.  I did some follow-up research on this idea, and, unfortunately, this has not been the case.  Zebra mussels have in fact already invaded the Chesapeake Bay and do much more harm than good.  Although they help with filtration, they maintain the same negative effects and also kill the native oysters that are in decline and still so vital.  Also, because the Chesapeake Bay is such a huge system, zebra mussels have been allowed to spread even more past the Chesapeake.
          Zebra mussels cause huge problems for aquatic ecosystems and cause smaller problems for humans (either in the form of sliced-open feet or financial effort for removal).  If you own a boat and ever transport it between bodies of water, wash it, drain it, and dry it to protect other ecosystems.  If you really want some mussels for dinner one night, you can even eat these killer invaders, but be cautious if you take them from highly polluted waters—then they may even kill you (because you'll get really sick from eating bad mussels).


Sources:
http://cisr.ucr.edu/quagga_zebra_mussels.html
http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/10/understanding-zebra-mussel-impacts-lake-champlain.html#more-56197
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/zebra_mussel
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/issue/invasive_species#inline

Photos:
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/zebra_mussel
http://www.aci-net.org/news/2014/01_hello_zebra_mussels.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/25/science/science-takes-on-a-silent-invader.html

The Importance of Safety While Hiking

Many people in the Adirondacks hike as a way to get outside, spend time with friends, and enjoy nature. While hiking seems like a straightforward, relatively safe activity, (if you stick to the trail) it can quickly become deadly if hikers don’t take the right precautions. The many hikers who have died or disappeared in the Adirondacks over the past years serve as an unfortunate reminder of what can happen to even the most experienced hikers.

Often these deaths can come from a lack of preparation. In 1990, David Boomhower disappeared near the Northville-Placid trail after beginning his hike without enough food or the proper equipment. It appears that he tried to hike out once he realized this, but got lost off trail. His body was recovered four months later.

However, other times, they are not so easily explained. For example, the death of George LaForest. LaForest was a longtime fisherman, and even had a cabin on Indian Lake, so he knew the area well. He disappeared in 2006 near his favorite fishing hole – his cell-phone and bait were found still in his truck. And just two months later, another experienced adirondacker, Jack Coloney disappeared in the same area on the second day of an 8-10 day solo camping trip. He was only declared missing after a park ranger passed by his campsite over the course of two days and noticed that nothing had moved.

While it could be tempting to hear these horror stories and want to lock yourself in your house for the rest of your life, not all of them end so badly. In fact, between 2006 and 2010, there were only 84 searches in the Adirondacks, and almost all of them ended with the missing person(s) being found. Modern technology has also helped in the search and rescue process. For example, there is now a device called a SPOT finder, or personal locator which will send your GPS coordinates to a rescue crew who will send a squad in immediately. However, definitely don’t misuse this device – after using his SPOT finder because of his wet boots and clothes, Carl Skalak spent the night in jail, for falsely reporting an emergency.

However, when hiking, it would be best to not get lost to begin with, or not to have to use a SPOT finder at all! Here are some tips to stay safe while hiking in the Adirondacks (and probably many other places as well):

• Tell at least two people where you are going and when you plan to be back
• Be sure to sign the register at the trailhead
• Bring a map and compass (and know how to use them! Too often people are over-reliant on their mobile phones, only to find they don’t get service in the Adirondacks!)
• Check the weather reports and pack appropriate clothing – and remember the weather can change quickly in the Adirondacks
• Always carry adequate water and food with you, as well as a knife
• If possible, don’t hike or travel alone
• Stay on the trails! (This is also important to keep plants safe)
• If you get lost – stay dry and stay put

Hike Safely Everyone!

Works Cited:

Federman, Adam. “Lost.” Adirondack Life Magazine October 2010: 37-44. Print.

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/50f5783ae4b0c7661ad4947b/t/50fc1097e4b0dc8c8e2da233/1358696599685/Lost-Adk+Life-Adam+Federman.pdf

http://www.adirondack.net/hiking/safety/

The North's Appalachia

            Although the Prohibition era is often coupled with the Appalachian Mountains, the period held its grasp on the mountains to the North as well and the Adirondacks played a large role in the illegal industry. Infamous gangsters such as Pietro Tanzini, Eddie and Jack ‘Legs’ Diamond, and Dutch Schultz flocked into the region to get a piece of the action (Edwards). A lucrative business, bootlegging flourished between the years of 1920 and 1933 as the laws of Prohibition prevented the legal sale of alcohol within the US borders (Edwards). 

 Mugshot of Jack 'Legs' Diamond

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JackDiamond.jpg

Due to its illegality, the industry required a secluded area with plenty of places to hide. Of course, the Adirondacks couldn’t fit this description better and the mountains offered bandits a nearly carefree environment in which to engage in this activity. Additionally, the Adirondacks’ proximity to the Canadian border allowed for easy access and the smuggling of Canadian alcohol into the states. North of the US border, the sale of alcohol was still legal and Canada served as the perfect source for the Adirondack smugglers. However, smuggled legal alcohol did not account for the entirety of the contraband. Adirondack farmers grew large quantities of apples, corn, and hops to fuel hidden stills throughout the mountains (Kourofsky 31). These same farmers earned extra coin by offering their barns and garages as both storage spaces as well as hideouts (Kourofsky 31). This type of team-effort enhanced the tightly knit communities of the mountains and put residents in direct contact with the business (Riley).

This contact often ensured that the local towns bore witness to numerous car chases or the occasional shootout. Many firsthand accounts exist of epic getaways through the mountainous region from both authorities as well as “hold up parties” that would ambush smugglers in an attempt to steal their loot (Edwards). Some of the people involved even became friends with the townspeople and Saratogan historian Minnie Clark Booster said of gangster Louis ‘Doc’ Ferrone: “I knew him as a friend. His sister was my landlady and I liked him,” (Williams). Ironically, the region’s quiet nature and secluded location drew this excitement into these locals’ lives.

Works Cited

Edwards, Ryan. "Bootlegging in the Adirondacks." North Country Living Magazine. 2015.Web. <http://nclmagazine.com/features/bootlegging-in-the-adirondacks/#sthash.sZsRkeUz.dpbs>.

Kourofsky, Niki. Adirondack Outlaws: Bad Boys and Lawless Ladies. Helena, MT: Faircountry Press, 2015. Print.

Riley, Howard. "Prohibition and Saranac Lake." Adirondack Daily Enterprise. 2015.Web. <http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/527144/Prohibition-and-Saranac-Lake.html?nav=5043>.

Williams, Stephen. "Off the Northway: Saratoga's Bootlegging History." The Daily Gazette. 2012.Web. <http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2012/aug/25/0825_northway/?print>.

Come Back Cats

           After almost a 100-year hiatus one of the North East’s original predators appeared back in the North East.  Early in the 1980’s numbers of sightings including those by experienced observers began to pop up in the Adirondack region.  Eventually DNA tests were able to confirm their presence in Vermont and the surrounding northeast (51, Atlas).  To some it is exciting to hear prospects of the North East becoming home to North America’s big cats while others hope they remain away.

            Established breeding populations in the west are beginning to migrate east and have established populations in the Mid West.  Male cougars are known to roam thousands of miles as evident by the DNA testing of a cougar that was hit by an SUV in Connecticut in 2011 (Obrien).  Further DNA testing after a sighting confirmed that this particular cat passed through Lake George in the Adirondacks before continuing on to Connecticut.  The reason for these cat’s travels is to search for a female to settle down with.  Unfortunately due to the fact female catamounts do not often roam to quite these lengths it is unlikely for them to find one in the North East.  In order for a breeding population to establish, it is likely that humans would need to relocate female cougars to the area (Ring).  Relocation of a major predator is an extremely controversial idea.

            The main opposition to reintroduction of Eastern Cougars relates to their original extirpation due to the threat they pose to farmer’s livestock.  The elimination of threat to livestock results in another issue as the prey of the top predators populations boom and vegetation suffers.  Farmer’s mindset against large predators can seem hypocritical as crops are greatly affected by the large deer populations feeding on crops.

            Scientists have reversed the methodology of the food chain to a top down approach.  “A scientific consensus is emerging that (Apex predators) are critical to ecosystem function, exerting control over smaller predators, prey, and the plant world” (Fraser).  According to these findings the biodiversity of the North East has existed below its potential health since the arrival of humans and the disappearance of the top of the food chain.  Caroline Fraser, an author for Yale Environment 360, compares the removal of apex predators to a “global decapitation of the system that support life on earth”. 

            It must be pointed out that this support system is also one that humans rely upon.  Humans were the ones that removed the great predators from our region, why is not our responsibility to help them return?  If the benefits provided by apex predators to biodiversity and the ecosystem are not enough, then consider the demand for ecotourism ($) that these wonderful creatures could provide.  Go Cats Go.

Cited

Fraser, Caroline. 2011. The crucial role of predators: A new perspective of ecology. Yale Environment 360.

Lehman, Don. DEC confirms wild mountain lion in Lake George. 2011 [cited October 8th 2015]. http://poststar.com/news/blotter/dec-confirms-wild-mountain-lion-in-lake-george/article_f70da502-ca83-11e0-b0bf-001cc4c03286.html.

O'Brien, Keith. Welcome back, mountain lion: Is the north east ready for predators? 2014 [cited October 8th, 2015 2015]. https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/04/11/welcome-back-mountain-lion-northeast-ready-for-predators/c4scczENUHJD3xTwUalidK/story.html.

Ring, Wilson. Expect cougars to return. 2015 [cited October 8th 2015]. http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/expect_cougars_to_return_to_no.html.

Photo courtesy of BigStockPhoto.com

Are Invasive Species Always Problematic?

      Last week when we discussed the destructiveness of invasive species. One milfoil plant has the potential to ruin an entire lake, and an Emerald Ash Borer can wreck havoc on an entire forest. When discussing our personal experiences with invasive species, zebra mussels were mentioned. Zebra mussels are native to Europe. They have razor sharp shells that cover up sandy lake bottoms. Since their discovery in Lake Champlain twenty-two years ago, they have been known to kill native mussels, ruin anchor lines, and cover up water intake pipes.
       The article on the Adirondack Almanack spends little time on the negative impacts of zebra mussels. Interestingly enough the guest writer, Declan McCabe, spends most of the article discussing the positive aspects the mussels have on Lake Champlain. Zebra mussels are incredible filters and have the ability to filter one liter of water a day. While the mussels do take over the sandy foraging ground of fish, the layers of mussels also provide good hiding spots for insects that are usually eaten by those fish. The mussels also give lake floor invertebrates a source of food via their excrement. Zebra mussels can also improve diversity where they colonize. The writer, who is a biologist, conducted an experiment with Ellen Marsden and Mark Beekey to compare parts of Lake Champlain's bottom that contain and don't contain zebra mussels. The results showed that areas with zebra mussels had twice as many species in them than areas without mussels after one month. Even in an aquarium setting, invertebrates in tanks with zebra mussels have a higher survival rate than those without. Zebra mussels may be an invasive species but they aren't completely destructive.

      McCabe acknowledges it would be better for the lake if the zebra mussels weren't there. However, like most invasive species, they are here to stay and it is critical to see how they interact with the Lake Champlain ecosystem. As it turns out they're not completely bad, and follow up studies have shown that the zebra mussels are past their peak numbers. They are still in the lake but their numbers are leveling off, suggesting the ecosystem could be reaching what he calls an equilibrium. Perhaps we will start to see other invasive species in the park (especially ones that are difficult to remove) reach an equilibrium and not be too harmful to their environment.

Sources Cited:

McCabe, Declan. "Understanding Zebra Mussel Impacts on Lake Champlain" Adirondack Almanack. October 6th, 2015. Accessed October 8th, 2015. http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/10/understanding-zebra-mussel-impacts-lake-champlain.html

Photo: The 100th Meridian
http://www.100thmeridian.org/photobank/US_Fish_and_Wildlife_Service/Zebras/DSCN3674.JPG

Snowmobiles in the ADK

Snowmobile Pollution in the Adirondacks

            It is difficult to measure the precise number of snowmobiles in the Adirondacks, but statewide registrations have been rising significantly in the past years. Snowmobiles are becoming more prevalent because of the recreation they provide, the parts of the park that are made accessible only through snowmobiles, and their ability to support manual labor. As with most cases involving pollution, the dose makes the poison when it comes to snowmobiles. Using snowmobiles for work, emergency services, or gathering supplies is not under question; rather it is the snowmobiles that are used for recreation with such frequency that adversely affects the region. Intense noise and air pollution, damage to soils and vegetation, and habitat destruction are just some of the harmful byproducts.

            Snowmobiles use two-stroke engines, which mixes fuel and oil and is not able to combust close to 30% of its fuel, filling the air with harmful pollutants. Some of the pollutants they emit, such as nitrous oxides, can lead to acid rain. Additionally, snowmobiles are especially loud, which not only disrupts humans, but also organisms that rely on hearing for survival and mating. While some state and national parks have banned off road vehicles, the ADK still allows for snowmobiling on designated trails; however, there is little that can be done to enforce this, thus snowmobiles often leave the designated trails. The worst of the environmental degradation is done when the snowmobiles go off trail, as there habitats and vegetation beneath the snow cover are much more prevalent because no trail has been designated. Even staying on the delineated trails compacts and erodes soil, crushes vegetation, and damages plant roots.

            While snowmobiles currently are a major source of pollution, there are ways to curb the effects that ravage the region during the winter months. The state could enforce strict trail regulations, increase permit fees, require licenses to operate, and/ or encourage the use of cleaner engines. Recently, towns in the ADK, such as Old Forge, have become hot beds for snowmobiles, angering permanent residents, flora, and fauna alike.

Works Cited

"Sno-Buds Intro Why." Sno-Buds Intro Why. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.

"Snowmobiling in the Adirondacks." Web log post. Snowmobiling in the Adirondacks.

            N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.

Gormley, Michael. "Snowmobiling Raises Pollution Concerns." Web log post. Press

            Republican Archive. N.p., 2 Apr. 2004. Web. 7 Oct. 2015.

Great Camps

As we have learned, the Adirondack region is incredibly diverse and has a rich history. Our trip to the Adirondacks enabled us to see the diversity of people and professions in the area, as well as its natural beauty. It is interesting to imagine how different our experience would have been if we had visited 200 years ago. We would have seen a wilder place inhabited by many different kinds of animals and covered with different trees and plants. Since that time, much has changed in the region, but our time at Camp Wenonah afforded us a great opportunity to see into the past.

            From the late 19^th century until World War I, various wealthy American families purchased large tracts of land in the Adirondacks and constructed multi-building estates. These have come to be known as “Great Camps,” and are now often used as lodges where the general public can stay. Most of the families who commissioned the construction of these estates lived in mansions in cities, namely New York City, and therefore the exteriors of the Adirondack structures were completely different from their main homes. However, these families still enjoyed all the comforts of their city homes within the Adirondack camps.

            The popularity of the Adirondack Great Camps coincided with the construction of the railroad from Saratoga Springs to the Adirondacks in 1871, which was led by Thomas Durant. This railroad offered far easier access from urban centers to the Adirondacks. Because there was far more wealth in urban centers than rural areas, the railroad allowed for an influx of capital into the Adirondacks. Thomas Durant’s son, William Durant, greatly increased the popularity of the Adirondacks, as he believed they were an up and coming destination. He marketed the region to wealthy clients in the hopes that they would commission the construction of more Great Camps. In this endeavor, he found great success. In fact, he helped influence how many of the Great Camps were constructed. The style that he helped create in the Adirondacks is now referred to as “rustic.” Durant was interested in the way Japanese architecture focused on nestling structures into the surrounding landscape as well as various different aspects of Swiss chalets. He combined different parts of these two styles into what can now be seen throughout the Adirondacks in the form of Great Camps.

            The Great Camps are an integral part of human history in the Adirondacks, with their initial construction marking the time when wealthy city-dwellers began to flock to the Adirondacks for the purposes of leisure. In modern times, many view the Adirondacks as a place to relax and experience nature, but this was not always the case. Our class visit to Camp Wenonah enabled us to experience the way some of the first urban visitors to the Adirondacks lived, and that is something we will not forget for a long time.

Citations

"American Experience: TV's Most-watched History Series." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2015.

“Santanoni – A Brief History.” Adirondack Architectural Heritage. AARCH, n.d. Web. 05 Oct.   2015.

The Adirondacks. PBS, 2008.