Tag: Bob Confer

It seems like Western New York forests are under constant attack, in wars that they can’t win. In the early 1900s, chestnut trees were all but exterminated from our woodlands…

There’s a strange perception among folks that most any wildflower that blooms after June is a weed. Maybe it’s because those summer and fall plants normally aren’t found in the…

Heading off to one of our family vacations in the Adirondacks, I — of course — had to include fishing gear on the list of necessities. When it comes to…

I have a love-hate relationship with porcupines, the giant tree-climbing rodent of the Southern Tier. If I encounter the prickly creatures in the forest I can’t help but enjoy their…

It’s not uncommon to hear tales of people claiming to have encountered poisonous snakes in Western New York, specifically water moccasins and copperheads. In all cases, the person is dead…

Back in 1928, Herbert Hoover wanted a “car in every garage”. If he were alive today, with that goal realized, his new slogan might be a “kayak in every garage.”…

You might say that I’ve had a love affair with bogs that goes back decades. Back in the sixth grade, my science fair project was all about the acidic, mossy…

A few weeks back in this column we looked at the Onondaga trail, the most underappreciated trail system of the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge. This week, we’ll look at the other…

Earlier this year, while driving on County Route 38 in Allegany County, I saw a turtle crossing the road. Like any nature lover worth his salt, I got out of…

Nearly everyone is familiar with the Venus flytrap, the famed carnivorous plant of the southeast that snaps shut on insects that might end up within its mouth-like leaves. Many folks…