“Love is like wildflowers; it’s often found in the most unlikely places,” written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is one of my favorite quotes in the past nineteen years of life. The wildflowers in the Adirondacks, as one of the unique features of the Adirondacks, attract tons of tourists. Simultaneously, since some of the flowers are rare to find while very useful, it is important that the US government should take initiative to preserve them.

Let me show you a few beautiful wildflowers of the Adirondacks. The Picture 1 shows Buckbean (also called Bogbean), one species native to the Adirondacks. In spring and early summer, it produces clusters of star-like white flowers. Thin silk wound on the petals so that the flower appears in a fancier sense. Do you see the little insect resting on the flower petal? I felt the strong emotional bonding between different organisms when I looked at the picture at first glance. It is one of the typical scenes showing the harmonious relationship among species in the Adirondacks. Furthermore, Buckbean flourishes in “wet soil or shallow water on the edge of ponds, blogs, and marshy ground,” where living conditions are unsatisfactory. Despite this, Buckbean is versatile. It is commonly used as both a food and a medicine. In Europe, the leaves were sometimes used as a substitute for hops in beer brewing and were also boiled in honey to make mead. Powdered Buckbean roots were reportedly mixed with flour as a bread additive (Martin, Zim, Nelson).

Picture 1: Buckbean flowers

Another wildflower that I appreciate is Grass Pink (Picture 2). It often springs from peat or sphagnum moss, and the bearded lip easily recognizes its petal and long, narrow, grass-like leaves (Chapman). Plus, it is famous for its sweet-smelling smell when it generally blooms in late June or early July. The petals of the flower have a delicate fragrance, said to be reminiscent of red raspberries or sweet violets. The lower lip petal is deeply fringed in the center with yellow bristles. Nevertheless, this plant is listed by the US Department of Agriculture as “exploitably vulnerable” in New York State, leading to my awareness that more conservation actions are needed to protect wildflowers like Grass Pink from getting harmed (Newcomb).

Picture 2: Grass Pink flower

As for me, whenever I experience a low point in life, flowers usually bring me hopes as they bloom and create beautiful moments of life in whatever weather conditions. I believe it is the courage and optimism that allow wildflowers like those in the Adirondacks to create serendipity. I am looking forward to meeting serendipity in my future hiking in the Adirondacks!

Work cited:

Alexander C. Martin, Herbert S. Zim, and Arnold L. Nelson. (1951) American Wildlife & Plants. A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits. New York Dover Publication.

(September 2008) Outdoor Recreation Activity Trends: What’s Growing, What’s Slowing?  A Recreation Research Report in the IRIS Series1.

Lawrence Newcomb. (1977) Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Little Brown and Company.

William K. Chapman. (1997) Orchids of the Northeast, A Field Guide. Syracuse University Press.

Before coming to Vermont, I spent most of my life in cities. As a tradition, my parents made traveling plans every summer vacation. The Aurora lights in Iceland, the art galleries in Italy, and the cherry blossoms in Japan all made me think they were the most beautiful scenery. Until I came here, I was conquered by the beauty of Vermont, where represents a mixture of nature, serenity, and serendipity. If someone ask me to recommend a place to travel, I will definitely say Vermont. In fact, tourism is the major business in the Adirondacks. McKibben Bill mentioned in Wandering Home that raft trip was so exciting that he could even hear whoops and hollers of paying customers in the distance. Fort Ticonderoga Museum, as a famous museum demonstrating America’s profound history, also acts as a leader in the economic vitality of the surrounding Adirondack region. Picture 1 shows the outside appearance and the surrounding scenery of the museum. “I estimated that around 12.4 million people visit the Adirondacks every year,” reported by the Adirondack Council. Whatever intrigued by historical value, impressive entertainment activities, or outdoor adventure opportunities, tourism is the key financial source of the Adirondacks.

Tourism develops along with economic benefits. What sort of advantages tourism creates for different stakeholders in the Adirondacks? Let’s take a look at it.

Local hotels are better off. Once people come to the Adirondacks for a trip, it is common for them to live in commercial lodges for one or two nights. Take Fort Ticonderoga as an example. 54% of guests of Fort Ticonderoga spent at least one night in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, rental cabins, etc (Brooke O’Neil). This generates an extensive amount of income for the commercial lodging industry. Without tourism, it would be very difficult for those lodging enterprises to make profits in such a rural region.

Small enterprises in the Adirondacks can not only make a living, but they can also create some profits. Local retailers are willing to diversify the food and produce some value-added food due to the rising tourism industry (Walentowicz). For example, some households make honey, maple products, cheese, wine, jams, jelly, and other condiments by hand, catching many customers’ attention because hand-made food is rare and precious for those coming from big cities such as New York, where manufacturing is the major method of production. Other enterprises, including recreational centers, also taste the fruit of tourism progression. Entertainment can take many forms. In the Adirondacks, hiking is the most popular outdoor activity, followed by canoeing and kayaking, skiing and snowboarding, and ever more popular cycling, as investigated by the Adirondack Committee. People can make money by constructing recreational infrastructure, innovating exciting outdoor activities, and getting money from selling tickets or rental fees.

Today, living in harmony with the wilderness is becoming increasingly popular and being regarded as a way to escape stressful workplace environments. Tourism and the following economic prospect of the Adirondack are promising, when humans’ demands for outdoor recreational activities are increasing.

Cited resources:

(1847) O’neil, B. The Adirondack Economic Impact Analysis.
<https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Magellan-FtTiconderoga_EconomicImpactAnalysis-071817-low-res.pdf>

McKibben, B. (2014) Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America’s Most Hopeful Landscape.

Walentowicz, A. (2014) Making the Grade: How We Classify Maple Syrup On New York’s Adirondack Coast. <https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2014/02/food-local-farms-even-winter.html>

“Love is like wildflowers; it’s often found in the most unlikely places”, written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, is one of my favorite quotes in the past nineteen years of life. In my opinion, it is courage and forever optimism that allow wildflowers to create serendipity. The wildflowers in the Adirondacks, as one of the unique features of the Adirondacks, attract tons of tourists.

Unlike wildlife or bird watchers, wildflower watchers in the Adirondacks usually go home with greater satisfaction. To this point, you might be curious about why do I make such an interpretation. Wildlife watchers may hike for many days in hopes to catch a fleeting glance of a moose. Bird photographers may take multiple trips to a specific habitat to catch an admirable view of some precious species. However, wildflowers do not fly away. Different arrays of wildflowers sit on the forest floor, waiting for inspection, identification, and photography. As a result, “viewing / photographing wildflowers” was the fastest-growing category of all outdoor reaction activities in the Adirondacks.

Let me show you a few beautiful wildflowers of the Adirondacks. The picture below is Buckbean (also called Bogbean), one species native to the Adirondacks. In spring and early summer, it produces clusters of star-like white flowers. Thin silk wound on the petals so that the flower appears a fancier sense. When I saw the insect resting on the flower petal, I felt the strong emotional bonding between organisms living harmoniously in the environment. As for living conditions, Buckbean flourishes in “wet soil or shallow water on the edge of ponds, blogs, and marshy ground”, from which we could interpret that it relies on watery conditions to survive and prevail.

Another wildflower that I appreciate is Grass Pink. It often springs from peat or sphagnum moss, and the bearded lip easily recognizes its petal and long, narrow, grass-like leaves. Plus, it is famous for its sweet-smelling when it generally blooms in late June or early July. The petals of the flower have a delicate fragrance, said to be reminiscent of red raspberries or sweet violets. The lower lip petal is deeply fringed in the center with yellow bristles. Nevertheless, this plant is listed by the US Department of Agriculture as “exploitably vulnerable” in New York State, leading to my awareness that more conservation actions are needed to protect wildflowers like Grass Pink from getting harmed.

As for me, whenever I experience a low point in life, flowers usually bring me hopes as they bloom and create beautiful moments of life in whatever weather conditions. The Adirondack wildflowers, at the same time, give me surprise, and I look forward to meeting serendipity in my future hiking in the Adirondacks.

Work cited:

1. (September 2008) Outdoor Recreation Activity Trends: What’s Growing, What’s Slowing?  A Recreation Research Report in the IRIS Series1.
2. Lawrence Newcomb. (1977) Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Little Brown and Company.
3. William K. Chapman. (1997) Orchids of the Northeast, A Field Guide. Syracuse University Press.

Living in Shanghai for many years, I didn’t settle in well when I first came to Vermont, because it’s a huge contrast for me to move from an urban area to another place saturated with natural elements. It was the hiking activity to Lake Dunmore during first-year student orientation that pulls me closer to the wildlife, leading me to appreciate the beauty of nature. However, as a hiking beginner, I would like to explore more about appropriate timing, potential meaning, and preparations for the Adirondack hiking.

The Adirondack Region official website introduces that spring is the best time for hiking. For one thing, unlike frozen and snowy conditions, warmer weather makes hikes much easier and more comfortable. Moreover, exploring beautiful destinations during spring can avoid the huge crowds. After reading the guidelines to hike of Adirondacks, I couldn’t help searching up the prettiest scenery in the Adirondacks. The picture below is the summit of Wright Park, photoed by Mark Meinrenken, which explains why hiking is becoming so popular today. I imagined in my mind that I got up earlier, hiked slowly, intentionally took in the sights, sounds, and smells along the journey when I saw this picture, and I believe that will be the most relaxing moments out of heavy schoolwork.

It is hard to judge which hiking trail is the most impressive, and every hiker has their own suggestions for the most beautiful views in the Adirondack Mountains. Here is a list of Adirondack Mountain hikes worthy of a trial: https://www.adirondack.net/things-to-do/hiking-trails/

There are many hiking challenges in the Adirondacks. The most popular is The Adirondack Forty-Sixers, the challenge to finish hiking on 46 mountains of the Adirondacks, including rugged mountain adventures to family-friendly trails with scenic views of cascading waterfalls and rock formations. For those craving hiking challenges, the attraction of this type of recreation is obvious — a measurable reward from each climb in the satisfaction of checking it off a list and bragging rights.

Furthermore, people can hunt during their journey in the Adirondacks. “The Adirondacks have the finest hunting for bear, deer, and small game in the country,” as suggested by the Adirondack Region official website. One notice is that all trappers must be licensed regardless of age, and all first-time hunters must complete a 10-hour hunter safety course, but it is totally free. Also, it is necessary to make some preparations beforehand. For example, hikers should bring enough water, wear appropriate clothes, pack a flashlight with extra batteries, etc. Plus, hikers are responsible for taking out anything they bring in and enjoying wildlife and plant life, but leave them undisturbed.

Thanks to starting my university life around the Adirondacks, I can stop at every hiking spot, find unique beauty, and get attached to the nature that heals our hearts.

Work Cited:

1. Caroline Dodd, “The Art of Slowing Down”, October 1st, https://www.adirondackcouncil.org/page/blog-139/news/the-art-of-slowing-down-1341.html
2. The Adirondack Region Official Website, https://visitadirondacks.com/recreation/hiking

Last Wednesday, still feeling sleepy, I felt the Vermont fog for the first time as I walked out of the dorm and rushed to take my morning class. The first question popping out of my mind is: am I still in Shanghai? Because of the serious air pollution problem, having a foggy day is very common back in Shanghai. It’s obviously not a case in Middlebury where surrounds by mountains and nature power, as I imagined. However, air pollution, in effect, is a problem in the Adirondacks. One big source of air pollution in the Adirondacks is wildfire. This intrigues me to explore a little bit deeper on the cause and history of wildfire of the Adirondacks.

One typical anecdote of the Adirondacks wildfire is in 1903, a wildfire “comprising 643 fires in Adirondack and Catskills region, New York, and lasted for six weeks.” The day was like a “Yellow Day” since for around a week the “sky had a peculiar yellowish color and the sun hung in the air like a hazy red ball,” as recorded by the camp diary of the Scott family on Raquette Lake. It sounds weird, seeming like the end of this era. Why did it happen? “The only spring moisture of the Adirondacks was supplied by snow melting in late March, followed by a seventy-two-day drought.” Therefore, the unusually dry spring created fuel for the fire, resulting in a number of forest fires that burned over 600,000 acres of land in the Adirondack Park. Also, most lumbermen were reluctant to remove all tree branches, especially conifer trees, before discarding the tops. Thus, another factor leading to such a horrible forest fire was everything from trees including small branches that didn’t clear out by loggers.

By 1909, many new laws were passed with the goal to prevent and detect forest fires earlier. For instance, the government required locomotives to burn only oil from April 15 through October 31 to prevent the sparks that ignited so many fires. Plus, logging companies were required by law to limb everything left behind. The latter one wasn’t effective at all because although companies would be fined if they didn’t adhere to the rule, the amount they would be fined was far smaller than that of the profits they would make if they didn’t clear out leftover.

Today, wildfire is still a problem in the Adirondacks. As the local communities know that it needs a long time for forests to recover after forest fire, some prevention strategies are emphasized. Wildfire detection is commonly used in the Adirondacks now. One method of wildfire detection was installing fire towers (with pictures attached below) and hiring observers who stay in the fire towers and use alidade tables to find exact locations of fires.

Nevertheless, between 1993 and 2017, the annual average of wildfires was 217 and 2,103 acres burned. Though last week’s fog might not be the consequences of a wildfire, this experience led me to explore more about the Adirondacks wildfire.

Work cited:

1. Adirondacks Journal. <https://www.theadkx.org/the-adirondacks-are-burning-a-brief-history-of-forest-fires/>
2. Yellow Days: Adirondack Forest Fires And Air Quality by Sheila Myers. <https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2015/05/yellow-days-adirondack-forest-fires-and-air-quality.html>
3. David A. Paterson & Alexander B. Grannis. “Fire Tower Study for the Adirondack Park.” NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Although manufacturing and services sectors are increasingly important these days, agriculture, as the primary sector of every country, should be fundamental in regards to humans’ daily life. However, as we have learned from primary school, farming is not an easy business since it highly depends on sunshine, rainfall, and soil quality,  etc. Horribly, a sudden natural disaster could ruin all fruits of one harvest season. Farmers might suffer from revenue loss, and customers that regularly rely on those farming products might experience a rapid price increase, along with an economic slowdown within certain farmlands.

Human-induced greenhouse gas emissions has influenced the Adirondacks agriculture greatly during the 1940s and 1950s, and the Adirondacks experienced increased temperature in the atmosphere and unpredictable climate. As temperatures continue to rise, crops including “dairy, apples, potatoes, and cabbages” which are major components of agriculture will be difficult to grow in the Adirondacks (US Global Climate Change Research Program 2016). Other examples include the arrival of hurricane Irene in the High Peaks region, bringing torrential downpours, soil erosion, and flooding that largely destroyed Champlain Valley farms.

Apart from natural factors, market forces in the economy also makes Adirondacks agriculture hard to sustain. One typical tragedy is the “sour pricing system,” a totally unfair pricing system that is highly manipulated by major dairy corporations at the expense of the producers and customers. Take the case that happened between 1998 and 2007 as an instance. During that period, dairy farmers saw their share of the retail milk price drop by 25 percent, while retail prices increased by 40 percent (USDA NASS. Milk Production 2018). Thus, producers are worse off as the price they received decreased, and the customers are put at a disadvantage because the price they had to pay for products increased. Plus, as shown in the Chart 1 below, even ten years after 2007, though milk price dropped, the cost of production even increased to a point that was larger than the milk price, leading to net losses for most of the producers. As a result, a large portion of dairy producers went bankrupt and chose to leave the market.

Issues like unfair pricing systems are not limited to the dairy production industry, and a majority of agricultural production sectors experienced the same thing even till today.

Trying to save producers from this agricultural crisis caused by environmental variabilities and failure of economic mechanisms. So far, different types of organizations work together in a wish to make the agriculture of the Adirondacks continue to survive and become sustainable. For example, Farm Aid provides counsel and distributes emergency funds to farm families by hotline, and Governor Cuomo launched a $1.4 million dollar grant program to “mitigate the negative impact climate brings and increase the resiliency of farms throughout the Adirondacks”(New York State Governance, 2015).

Hopefully, in the future, local government can initiate a more standardized and fairer pricing system or grant more subsidies in support of the Adirondacks agriculture.

Works cited:

1. USDA NASS. Milk Production (February 2018) <https://release.nass.usda.gov/reports/mkpr0218.pdf.>

2. US Global Climate Change Research Program. Web. April 28. 2016. <https://hamiltoncs.org/forever-wild/farmerondacks/farmers-and-climate-change/>

3. “Governor Cuomo Announces Launch of $1.4 Million Climate Resilient Farming Grant program” New York State Governance. October 9th, 2015. Albany, NY. <https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-launch-14-million-climate-resilient-farming-grant-program>

Several hundred years ago, people immigrated to the Adirondacks, cleared land, strived for making a living on this land through developing agriculture. Today, the Adirondacks local people make use of the land properly and cultivate many delicious food to make a living or offer to customers as well. Why not explore the history of farming in the Adirondacks a little bit and find something different from today?

It is very interesting to see what has changed throughout a few hundred years. Phillip G Terrie wrote in the book Contested Terrain that, “ An additional crop that nearly every Adirondacks family harvested was maple sugar.” Since I come from China, I don’t know what maple sugar is before I read that book, but it really intrigued me to explore the difference of making maple sugar during distinct periods of time. In Glynn Pearsall’s novel, Leaves Torn Asunder, he mentioned that “ they didn’t use galvanized sap buckets for collecting from the trees but rather hand-made buckets of maple and birch with a staghorn sumac spile.” Maple sap is boiled in a large cauldron over an open fire to make syrup. Can you imagine how hand-made buckets looked like? Here is a picture below.

Today, procedures to make maple sugar are spread online. Here is one on the YouTube, and it might be helpful if you would like to have a try! https://youtu.be/Bru16wld5PI

What about farming machine and harvesting methods in the old Adirondacks time? John Deere had patented the first steel plow in 1837 that the Adirondacks people also put into use. Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown showed that the first practical mowing machines were developed in the 1850s, but the Adirondacks didn’t taste the fruit of this so early. It was not until after civil war that “the first har mower pulled by two horses was introduced,” as told by Glynn Pearsall. Before that, harvesting of hay and gain crops were done by hand using long handled scythes. Moreover, wheat was the major crop for most parts of the Adirondacks, but buckwheat was the fundamental crop in the southeast Adirondacks: “there are some 300 buckwheat farms scattered from the edge of the Adirondacks,” as published on the New York Times.

Cattle, of course, should be important in farming. According to records, farmers generally had twenty five heads of cattle. However, here is a fun fact. “By 1837 there were over one million sheep in Vermont,” as indicated by Vermont History website. One another fun fact is that since sheep wander and scatter, it becomes necessary to keep track of who owned which sheep, and the Johnsburg Historical Society had archives specifically for a list of registered sheep marks!

Today, technology regarding farming brings residents of the Adirondacks convenience and revenue, but it is still entertaining to look back, see how traditional farming method supported people at their time, and compare it to that of today.

Cited resources:

1. https://vermonthistory.org/william-jarvis-and-the-merino-sheep-craze
2. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/20/dining/national-origin-finger-lakes-a-heartland-crop-a-new-york-address.html
3. https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2016/10/mid-19th-century-adirondack-farm-life.html
4. Contested Terrain by Phillip G Terrie

Tourism is a major business in the Adirondacks. McKibben Bill wrote in his book Wandering Home that raft trip was so exciting that he could even hear whoops and hollers of paying customers in the distance; William Henry’s advice and anecdotes on his camping trips in the Adirondacks also attracts thousands of people to come; Fort Ticonderoga museum, as a famous museum demonstrating America’s profound history, also acts as a leader in the economic vitality of the surrounding Adirondack region…… Whatever intrigued by historical value, amazing entertainment activities, or outdoor adventure opportunities, tourism is the key financial source of the Adirondacks. “It is estimated that around 12.4 million people visit the Adirondacks every year,” reported by Adirondack Council.

Tourism develops along with economic benefits. What kind of advantages tourism brings for different stakeholders in the Adirondacks? It’s very interesting to find out.

Local hotels are better off. Once people come to the Adirondacks for a trip, it is very common for them to live in commercial lodges for one or two nights. Take Fort Ticonderoga as an example. Analyzing by Magellan Strategy Group commissioned by NY, “54% of guests of Fort Ticonderoga spent at least one night in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, rental cabins, etc,” which generates a great amount of income for the commercial lodging industry. Without tourism, it would be very difficult for those lodging enterprises to make profits in such a rural region.

Small enterprises in the Adirondacks can not only make a living but also create some profits. Local retailers are willing to diversify the food and make some value-added food due to the rising of tourism industry. For example, some households make honey, maple products, cheese, wine, jams, jellies, and other condiments by hand, catching many customers’ attention because hand-made food is rare and precious for those coming from big cities such as New York, where manufacturing is the major method of production. Other enterprises including recreational centers also taste the fruit of tourism progression. Entertainment can take many forms. In the Adirondacks, hiking is the most popular reported outdoor activity, followed by canoeing and kayaking, skiing and snowboarding, and the ever more popular cycling, as investigated by the Adirondack Committee. People can make money by constructing recreational infrastructure, innovating exciting outdoor activities, and getting money from selling tickets or rental fees.

Development in different industries to some extent alleviates unemployment problem of the Adirondacks. Labors are in various needs: some clean up trashes on trails, some help with hotel management, some drive rafts to help visitors go around, some maintain biodiversity by protecting species from any dangers…… In general, the employment rate of Adirondack park town had increased from 47.8% in 1970 to 53.6% in 2010, decreasing local government’s burden on unemployment subsidies and relating expenditures. When it becomes easier for residents to find a job in tourism industry, the region has huge labor force momentum to aid in further progress of the Adirondacks.

Today, living in harmony with the wilderness is getting increasingly popular and being regarded as a way to get out of stressful workplace environments. The tourism prospect of the Adirondack could be promising as humans’ demands for outdoor recreational activities are increasing. Who can resist the fresh air, beautiful scenery, and relaxed feeling?

Cited resources:

1. The Adirondack Economic Impact Analysis:
   https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Magellan-FtTiconderoga_EconomicImpactAnalysis-071817-low-res.pdf
2. McKibben, Bill. Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America’s Most Hopeful Landscape. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2014.
3. Food:
   https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2014/02/food-local-farms-even-winter.html
4. Employment trend:
   https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2019/06/40-years-of-employment-trends-in-the-adirondacks.html