Hudson River Almanac
The Hudson River Almanac is a natural history journal that covers the Hudson from the High Peaks of the Adirondacks to New York Harbor. It seeks to capture the spirit, magic, and science of the river by presenting the observations of many individuals who delight in the diversity of nature in the Hudson Valley.
6/17/12 - Town of Poughkeepsie: In mid-morning the NY62 eagle nestlings, 82 days after hatching, became fledglings. At 11:15 AM, I followed the "passive" bird as it made its maiden flight - a short circle over the edge of a field - before clumsily crashing, unharmed, into the canopy of a tall white pine 200 feet north of the nest. I missed the "assertive" bird's first flight, but it was longer - across a wide field at least 600 feet to some riverside hardwoods where I lost it in the greenery. I could hear the adult(s) in the distance. It was a successful launch; I'm sure the adults have enough experience to handle things now.
- Tom Lake
Since 1994, observations have been compiled from the contributions of more than 1700 volunteers, ranging from elementary school students to professional biologists. In presenting these records, the Almanac provides valuable river information to the public, places contemporary observations in historical perspective, and encourages others to look more closely at the Hudson and share what they see. In addition to recording what nature is doing over the year, the entries offer a fascinating measure of human emotional responses to natural phenomena.
Over time, the Almanac may serve as a comprehensive program to document changes in the ecosystem. Often, information about obscure animals and subtle changes can come only through direct observations made in many places over long periods of time. By compiling records from volunteers who observe nature as scientists or simply for their own pleasure, the Almanac builds a data base that can be used to guide future studies of Hudson Valley ecology.
Subscribe
From 1994 to 2001, The Hudson River Almanac was compiled and published annually as a bound book. To make its information more timely and to distribute it more efficiently, the Almanac is now a free electronic newsletter delivered weekly via email through DEC's GovDelivery service.
To subscribe to the weekly newsletter, first use this link to subscribe to GovDelivery and enter your e-mail address. Fill in and submit the requested information on the "New Subscriber" page. Clicking on submit will take you to the "Quick Subscription" page which lists the topics about which you can receive email updates from DEC. Scroll down; under the heading "Natural Areas and Wildlife" is the section "Lakes and Rivers" with a listing for the Hudson River Almanac. Check the box. You will receive a welcome email from DEC confirming your subscription(s).
You can read recent almanacs and weekly archives back to 2003 online or order past annual volumes (1995-2005) from the publisher.
Contribute Your Observations
The Almanac is compiled weekly. Share your observations with other Hudson River lovers by e-mailing them to trlake7@aol.com by 9:00 pm on the Monday previous to publication. See something really special? Give us a call at (845)297-8935. The Hudson River E-Almanac is compiled and edited by Tom Lake and e-mailed weekly by the Hudson River Estuary Program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. To sign up to receive the E-Almanac, send an email message to hrep@gw.dec.state.ny.us and write E-Almanac in the subject line.
More about Hudson River Almanac:
- Hudson River Almanac Ordering Information - Ordering Information for bound versions the of the Hudson River Almanac from 1995-2001.
