Ever walked through a forest and wondered exactly what you were surrounded by? Sure you might have covered the broad categories --- trees, animals, grass, weeds, insects. But there is something unique about the forests in the North Country.

Adirondack Park encompasses about two-thirds of upstate New York,-- it's a six million acre park that consists of both private and state land. Nearly half of it's wilderness area. This haven of nature is woven between various types of civilization. The state has been able to keep the conservation on track, and has also managed to build a society surrounding it.

There are seventy tree species native to the park, some of which are called "Krummholz," the stands of balsam fir at tree line that form a ragged line of shrubs. Twisted and stunted from their battle with wind and cold, these dwarf forests are named after the German word meaning "crooked wood."(http://www.northnet.org/adirondackvic/adknature.html )

Encircled by mountains, with valleys of lakes, streams, and ponds, the park is a picturesque accomplishment of nature. There are 46 mountains that exceed 4,000 feet in elevation -- the highest peak is Mount Marcy, at 5,344 feet. The Adirondacks have over 2,000 miles of hiking trails -- it's the largest and most complex hiking system of all American parks. Canoeing and kayaking can be enjoyed on 30,000 miles of brooks and streams, 6,000 miles of rivers, and almost 3,000 lakes and ponds.

Adirondack Park is a breathtaking area. Yet some of the largest threats to the park come from outside the park's boundaries. One of the first reports on acid rain in the Adirondacks in the mid-1970s came from Bill Marleau. Marleau was a New York State Forest Ranger. Not a trained scientist, he grew up and spent much of his life working, fishing, hunting, and camping in the Big Moose area. Over time, he noticed a collapse in the fish population of Big Moose Lake and found the same situation in the surrounding ponds and lakes.

Located in the western Adirondacks, Big Moose Lake is on the first high ground hit by the prevailing winds from the mid-west, and is especially vulnerable to pollutants carried eastward from high sulfur coal burning electric generating plants in the Ohio Valley.

" We want to hear your bark."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How to Properly Plant a Tree 1. Dig the hole as deep as the rootball and twice as wide (if it's a seedling, usually 6 in. deep is a good size hole.) 2. Check to see if the soil around the hole is too hard - if it's, loosen it up a bit with the shovel. 3. Remove the container from the rootball. (The roots are like the tree's blood vessels and they work best if they are not all twisted and knotted up, so you might need to straighten them out if they are circling around after having grown in the container.) 4. Place the tree in the hole; making sure the soil is at the same level on the tree as when the tree grew in the garden center. If your tree has burlap around the rootball, place the tree in the hole and then carefully untie the burlap. Leave the burlap lying in the bottom of the hole (this is Okay - the burlap will simply turn into organic matter over a period of time.) 5. Fill in around the rootball with soil and pack the soil with your hands and feet to make sure that there are no air pockets. 6. Make a little dam around the base of the tree as wide as the hole with left over soil or grass clumps to hold in the water. 7. Give your new tree a good soaking of water to help settle it into its new home. 8. Name your tree. 9. Repeat the process as often as you like. 10. Need more help? Contact your state or community foresters listed in your telephone directory or call your local nursery for help and / or advice.