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Watchable Wildlife: Monarchs at Uplands Farm
 Cold Spring Harbor, Suffolk County
True to its name, Uplands Farm Sanctuary retains the appearance of an old dairy farm, complete with a silo and open fields that were once cattle pastures. A double-loop trail meanders from bird and butterfly meadows through deciduous forests and into a ravine shaded by white pine. In spring and summer, monarchs are among the butterflies found here. Their wings are deep orange with conspicuous black veins bordered in black dotted with white.
Celebrate National Pollinator Week at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center (near Albany) at the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project on June 22. The main goal is to better understand how and why monarch populations vary, with a focus on their distribution and abundance during the breeding season in North America. Learn to look for eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adults.
Read more about monarch butterflies and their struggle to survive in the June 2016 Conservationist.
Nature Note: Other butterflies, such as the viceroy, mimic the monarch's colors to pretend that they are also toxic to predators. However, close observation shows the viceroy has a U-shaped black line on its lower wings that the monarch lacks.
Hike the Scenic Heights at Chimney Bluffs
 Wolcott, Wayne County
Discover some of the most spectacular sights on Lake Ontario's shore at Chimney Bluffs State Park. Millennia ago, Ice Age glaciers formed highlands here called drumlins. Then, wind and water carved the highlands into tall spires of earth. The resulting eerie landscape is a wonder to behold. Several trails take hikers past wetlands, through woods and along towering cliffs overlooking the lake. Roads lead to two parking areas with comfort stations at opposite ends of the park. You'll also find a picnic area and two scenic overlooks along the Bluff Trail. The Chimney Bluffs State Park webpage has directions and other details.
National Trails Day® is June 4! Activities like hikes, paddles, birdwatching and stewardship will be done throughout New York State. Check the American Hiking Society webpage for more information and a list of events.
Fishing Adirondack Ponds
 Spring can be a good time to try your luck for brook trout in Adirondack ponds. Adirondack pond fishing offers an unparalleled experience in an often remote setting. A good place to start exploring this unique fishing opportunity would be to stay in a DEC campground such as Fish Creek Pond Campground, which is located very near the St. Regis Canoe and Saranac Lakes Wild Forest areas, both of which contain numerous brook trout ponds. A canoe, kayak or float tube can be a big help in accessing brook trout ponds, many of which have heavily wooded shorelines. Using the links below, anglers can check on potential waters to fish, techniques and more about brook trout:
Read more in these articles from Conservationist:
Expanded Recreational Opportunities in the Adirondacks
 Outdoor recreationists now have thousands of additional public lands to hike, hunt, fish, paddle and view wildlife in the Adirondacks. On May 10, Governor Cuomo announced the state purchase of the 20,758-acre Boreas Ponds Tract south of the High Peaks Wilderness Area. This is the final parcel of 69,000 acres of former Finch, Pruyn Company lands, completing the largest addition to the Adirondack Park Forest Preserve in more than a century. DEC will develop an interim management plan to allow public recreation access to these lands this summer.
Camping Thompsons Lake State Park
 Berne, Albany County
Thompson's Lake Campground, nestled in the mountains just four miles from the Helderberg Escarpment, is a popular recreation area located within Thacher State Park. It offers 140 wooded campsites and comprises a sandy beach, mixed hardwood and conifer forests, limestone outcroppings and open fields. Amenities include a volleyball court, horseshoe pits, a playing field, swing sets, a carry-in boat launch, row boat rentals, fishing areas and nature trails. The Emma Treadwell Thacher Center, next to the campground, is accessible to campers and offers exhibits, interactive displays and educational programs.
Can't make it to a public campground? Participate in the Great American Backyard Campout (GABC) on June 25, a national event that encourages people to enjoy the outdoors. Sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, the GABC promotes camping in your backyard, neighborhood, local park or campground. Visit the National Wildlife Federation website to register and help meet the goal of 125,000 campers.
Safe and Sound: Even the most physically fit hikers can run into trouble. Read “Lost on the Great Range Traverse” in the June 2016 Conservationist for a riveting story of two lost hikers and the rangers who rescued them.
DEC's Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife App
 Looking for an outdoor adventure close to home this spring? Download DEC's Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife App. Using the app's advanced GPS features, you will be able to identify and locate New York State's many hunting, fishing and wildlife watching sites.
Upcoming DEC Events
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How to Do it: Hiking/Outdoor Safety at Five Rivers, June 4 at 10:00AM
- Surfcasting Clinic at Fire Island NS Beach, June 4 at 12:00PM, Contact robert.mccormack@dec.ny.gov
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Woods Walk Birds at Reinstein Woods, June 4 at 11:00AM
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Guided Walk: National Trails Day at Five Rivers, June 4 at 2PM
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Black Bass Large and Smallmouth Fishing Season Opens, June 18
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Jewels of the Sky at Reinstein Woods, June 18 at 10:00AM
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Free Fishing Weekend, June 25th & 26th. This free fishing weekend is for both saltwater and freshwater fishing, and no license is required.
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How to Do it: Pollinator Gardens at Five Rivers, June 25 at 2:00PM
Conservationist Magazine
You won't want to miss the June issue of Conservationist magazine! In it, you can read about the harrowing experience and rescue of two hikers who narrowly escaped disaster in the Adirondack wilderness. Enjoy stunning photos of the state's young wildlife and learn how it's best to enjoy them from a distance. Ride along with visitors on the Brookfield horse trail system in Madison County, and learn how you can help the monarch butterfly population. We'll also teach you how to introduce youngsters to the sport of fishing, and share how Mercy College is connecting students with their local environment.
There's all this and much more in the April Conservationist. Subscribe online or call 1-800-678-6399.
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