Over the past several months, I’ve begun to explore the role that dams play in the Adirondacks. There are about 750 in the North Country. About 30 are a hazard with known safety problems. That’s the worrying part about dams. But, at the … [Read more...] about Dams and lakes
Water Line
The EPA, a gorilla in the closet
Last week, after magazine deadline, I took a few days to attend an online workshop hosted by the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources. In normal years, the institute offers fellowships for reporters to travel around the country and … [Read more...] about The EPA, a gorilla in the closet
Time scales
Tomorrow happens to be my first anniversary at the Explorer. I’m still on deadline for the next print issue of the magazine, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. One of the interesting things about working for a magazine is thinking about … [Read more...] about Time scales
Fishing for many returns
I joined the Explorer last year in October — just in time to miss peak fall foliage. So, this is my first full fall back on the East Coast. We never find things, even seasons, as we left them. This year’s first frost was colder than I … [Read more...] about Fishing for many returns
The long, long wait for road salt legislation
Covering legislation can be maddening — and following coverage of legislation can be even harder. First, there are the bills that get introduced each year. It’s hard to know which ones of those to take seriously. Then there are the various … [Read more...] about The long, long wait for road salt legislation
The fight against lampreys
Last fall, driving toward Crown Point, I came across some officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service checking one of Lake Champlain’s New York tributaries for lampreys, a fish with a bad reputation in the modern era because it’s ugly and … [Read more...] about The fight against lampreys