Each year, Thanksgiving provides us with an opportunity to reflect and recognize all that we are thankful for. As part of a course I’m taking, I’m currently learning about a technique called appreciative inquiry. We’re learning to focus our questions and discussions on the positive. This ...

We think of autumn as a time of harvest and brilliant color, a time when we can start to read more books and slow down and not feel so guilty doing so. Some might think of it as the ‘waiting room’ of the holidays, anxious to put up their lights and greenery. Still more might see work — ...

By Carol Markham CWC Conservationist Fall is a season of change and beauty. We gaze upon the vibrant colors of changing fall leaves, drink in the cool, crisp morning air and observe the migration of some of our favorite backyard birds that adorn our yards. As the brilliant reds and golds of ...

As the trees are signaling the end of another growing season in quite a spectacular fashion, I reflect on the less obvious end-of-season changes to the submerged aquatic vegetation in Chautauqua Lake. CWC’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Early Detection Network may appear similarly ...

There are plenty of animals I have never seen in real life, including many that call Western New York home. In most cases, I am absolutely fine with this. Life goes on and if I ever happen to come across a new plant, fungus or animal, it is just an extra bonus of my time outside. I say most ...

A friend once asked for advice about painting a seasonal mural. She wanted to know what plants and animals best represented each season in our region? There are so many options! Evergreens and red cardinals in winter, flowers and frogs for spring, butterflies and bees in summer are just a ...