The Otter - Winter 2021

WINTER 2021

TTER

WILDCENTER.ORG

OUT IN THE COLD

PLAY COME OUT & pg.2 Reimagining Wild pg.4 Otters Go Home pg.6 Youth Make

it Happen

pg.8 Branch Office pg.14 Wild Lights pg.16 Dress Like an Otter

WE’RE HERE

FOR YOU When we opened our outdooronly experience in July, we didn’t quite know what to expect. We knew connections with nature have become so important this year—but how many people would turn out in the midst of a pandemic?

As it turns out, a lot. By November, almost 36,000 visitors safely explored our outdoor spaces. And while winter’s on the way, we’re not hibernating. Staying active is so important. So grab your masks and your winter boots, and turn to page 14 to see our plans to stay outside all season long.

Still, we know not everybody can make it to Tupper Lake.

And at a time when so many parents and children are hungry for fun, educational activities, we’ve stepped up our online offerings as well.

NATURE LAB: Teachers (and parents), take a look—these

videos and activities will turn your student into a scientist.

Build a beaver dam, make slime and get your hands dirty all kinds of ways.

LUNCHTIME LIVE: Every

weekday at noon Eastern, you can tune into Facebook for a live Wild Center fix. Some days we’ll introduce one of our resident animals, on others we’ll explore natural phenomena, and on others we’ll use art to explore nature.

VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS:

Since we opened, thousands of students have taken field trips to The Wild Center. The buses have stopped, for the time being—but thanks to these new programs, we’re able to offer private, interactive tours with one of our naturalists. We’ll work with your school to tailor a program, and leave your class with activities to tackle after your visit.

SO WE’LL BE HERE FOR YOU. BUT CAN YOU BE HERE FOR US? In just eight months, we’ve reimagined almost every part of The Wild Center experience. We need your support to ensure we can continue connecting people to nature, whether they’re here or at home.

Please consider a gift today by visiting wildcenter.org/donate 2

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAYS WILD This holiday season, shop with us: Pick up a board game for the family, a gift box of locally made food, or jewelry hand-crafted by an Adirondack artisan. Curbside pickup is available, or we’ll ship it to you. Visit shop.wildcenter.org, where members save 10% using the code member10.

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SAFE AT HOME One wet, black otter nose poked out of its metal crate, which had been lugged to a remote Adriondack creek about 20 miles from the nearest public road. Then another nose emerged. The pair of otters edged out and looked around. Tall grasses waved in the breeze.

After five months at The Wild Center, these two otters had a new home.

In October, following an extensive rehabilitation, we released two pups at the Shingle Shanty Preserve and Research Station. This 15,000-acre tract in the western Adirondacks has minimal usage and is far from human activity, making 4

it an ideal place for the pair to get a fresh start.

Their new home is remote even by Adirondack standards. Shingle Shanty director Steve Langdon led us more than 10 miles down a private access road; then he organized a bucketbrigade of students from Clarkson University who hauled the otter-carriers up and down a steep slope to a sheltered valley.

Before arriving in our care in May, each pup had been found, abandoned, in different parts of the Adirondacks. Working with Saranac Lake wildlife veterinarian Nina Schoch, we helped the pair learn to

hunt, groom and swim on their own.

Otter pups typically spend up to a year with their mothers. But they were already showing signs of independence, and the animal care staff decided to turn them loose before winter. “They are so ready to be out there,” said Leah Valerio, The Wild Center’s curator, moments after the otters had taken their first steps into the wild. “And we’re ready, too.”

Most otters in rehab become too accustomed to humans to return to their natural habitat; many on The Wild Center staff acknowledged it might be the only time

in their careers they’ll participate in a release like that. To the Clarkson students who watched that day, the event was a hopeful sign that even after humans had shrinked habitats for so many animals over time, there are still wide-open spaces where they can thrive.

“And we didn’t really have to drive that far to see it,” said Toby Harmon, a junior studying environmental science and policy.

As for the otters themselves?

They’re doing fine: Every now and then, they pop up on pictures taken by a trail camera left where we set them loose.

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Climate Smarts

START HERE

When students participate in The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program, they get leadership experience that can launch a career. In more communities around the state, those students are asking: Why wait so long?

And those students are doing real work: In Saranac Lake, for example, seniors Cedar Young and Tucker Jakobe lent their digital-native savvy and took over the reins of the village’s climate-focused Instagram page.

This fall, Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos tipped his cap to a group of students in Homer and Saranac Lake who helped earn Bronze certification in the state’s Climate Smart Communities Program.

He visited Saranac Lake in September, where he welcomed 13 communities into the program. “The youth are going to inherit these issues,” he said. “The earlier they start, the better off we are as a country.”

“It feels very empowering to be part of this,” said Young, who said she earned an appreciation of the amount of collaboration it takes to make even slow progress at the public level.

Of the 62 places that are part of the program, five have drawn on insights from Youth Climate Program participants.

Andrew Fagerheim, a Homer resident and first-year Columbia University student, credited local leaders with welcoming new voices to create ways to participate in government and find progressive climate policies.

“Saranac Lake and Homer have pioneered a new way to do things,” Fagerheim said.

“Youth can be the link to pull the two together.”

See our video at www.wildcenter.org/climatesmart

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The Wild Center's Youth Climate Program

YOUTH HAVE P WER PLUGGING INTO CLIMATE ACTION

COVID-19 has changed a lot of It looks a little different than things. One thing that hasn’t usual. For more than a decade, been touched: the urgency ofThe Wild Center's ourYouth Youth Climate Summits Climate Program climate change. Which is why have been synonymous with our Youth Climate Program has PLUGGING inspiring to get into INTO students CLIMATE ACTION pushed forward through the their communities and take pandemic. action. But this year’s goal is more inwardly focused, said Starting in October, we’ve been coordinator Erin Griffin. In the bringing students together spring, students will focus virtually every week through on exploring green careers, our new Youth Have Power building social media chops program. We’ve hosted climate and bolstering organizational leaders from around the world, skills—things that not only look brought together students good on a resume or college from as far away as Cyprus to application, but will ultimately hang out, and even sponsored pay dividends when the world challenges in which students gets a little more normal. “If can explore climate solutions in the way that you engage with their own community. climate action now is different from before the pandemic, that’s OK,” she said.

YOUTH HAVE P WER

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BRANCH OFFICE

To understand the impetus behind Patrick Dougherty’s art, you need only reach back to your childhood. “A kid senses potential,” Dougherty says. “They just need a couple of sticks.” Dougherty, famously, uses many more than “a couple of sticks” in his work. Over the past 38 years, he’s dreamed up sweeping, oversize creations made of interwoven branches and saplings—mazes and domes, huts and castles. His work has taken him to most states and around the world, and in August 2021, he’ll be at The Wild Center, erecting a one-of-akind sculpture beneath Wild Walk.

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Close Ties (2006). Scottish Basketmakers Circle, Dingwall, Scotland. Photo: Fin Macrae.

Dougherty visited Tupper Lake in September, scouting the site. His work is interactive: Once finished, visitors will be able to walk through and around the sculpture, marveling at the intricate structures. As for what he’ll build, Dougherty isn’t quite sure yet. But he won’t lack for materials. A local artisan has offered a stand of young red maples—the work literally requires a truckload—which will leave Dougherty free to dream up something majestic.

TOP: Ready or Not (2013). North Carolina Zoo, Asheboro, NC. Photo: Juan Villa BOTTOM: Patrick Dougherty on a scouting trip to The Wild Center.

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CREATURE FEATURE NAME: Luna, Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio)

live to 20 in a zoo, while they typically live just 7 years in the wild.

DIET: Whatcha got?

Screech owls aren’t picky. They’ll eat insects, reptiles, rodents and small mammals, even bats. They hunt at night, scoping prey with their big eyes and swooping in to snatch food with their sharp talons.

NAME GAME: Despite what you’d expect, screech owls don’t really screech. Their call is a high-pitched trill that actually more closely resembles the whinny of a horse.

SIZE: This small owl can grow to about 10 inches tall and weigh up to about 9 ounces, or the size of a robin. Its wingspan can reach 2 feet across.

RESCUE ME: Luna arrived at The Wild Center in 2011 after being hit by a car.

She suffered a bit of head trauma, and has some lingering vision problems as a result. Now that she’s here, Luna can expect a long run. Screech owls can

THIS OLD NEST: Screech owls are common throughout the East, but they’re small and can be hard to find. Typically, they live in tree hollows and abandoned woodpecker nests, but the easiest way to locate them is to listen.

Did you hear about Rocky, the saw-whet owl that was found in the Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree after making the trip from upstate? They know how to hide! We have saw-whets, also—and they’re easier to spot here.

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OPENING DOORS

Since the day we opened, The Wild Center has played a vital role in not just introducing our guests to nature, but showing how each of us are connected to it. A visit to The Wild Center can be transformative—but for many people, it’s a visit that’s stubbornly out of reach. Finding nature, to many, is a luxury they can’t afford. And in a pandemic, it can seem farther away than ever.

Each of our three newest board members, Meadow Hackett, Juan Rodriguez, and John Sammon 3rd, can attest to the power of our message. And like us, they’re committed to ensuring that more people from more communities find their way through our doors.

Juan Rodriguez

Curator, Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute “I grew up in D.C. I never knew I could be a zookeeper. I never knew I could be a curator. The first time I went camping, as part of a wilderness course, it transformed my trajectory and where I was going to go in my profession.

The Wild Center has that same pull, in being able to inspire people. It just grows exponentially throughout their lives.”

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John Sammon III

Entrepreneur and Adaptive Sports Instructor “I spend my winters on a ski mountain, working with students who live with either cognitive or physical disabilities.

My students and their caregivers become more aware of not only what is possible, but how special the natural world is. Connecting with nature is a human touchstone—one many people are deprived of because of physical disadvantages as well as socioeconomic ones. The Wild Center can make that connection.”

Meadow Hackett

Sustainability Manager, Deloitte & Touche “I grew up in the Adirondacks, where my dad was a guide and encouraged me to get outside, every day. This place shaped the person I became. As a woman, I can trace my leadership skills and confidence to the many women I saw in leadership roles at The Wild Center and the Youth Climate Program.

But many students inside and outside the Park don’t have a role model or mentor to introduce them to the natural world.

That’s our responsibility. We need to help people build that connection before we can ever expect them to respect the planet, be stewards of pro-environmental behavior or lead the transition to a low-carbon future.”

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Winter’s here, but that’s no reason to stay inside.

While our indoor exhibits remain closed because of COVID-19, our 115-acre campus is yours to explore.

It’ll be cold—be sure to dress for the season—but you’ll find warming huts and fire pits to keep you toasty warm. And you can buy hot beverages and warm food with a credit card.

Reservations are limited and masks/social distancing are required. All guests and members must have timed reservations. Visit our website (wildcenter.org) for more information.

PRESENTED BY MERRILL L. THOMAS, INC. We’ve festooned The Wild Center campus with thousands of twinkling lights. Join us after dark for this all-new experience that is bound to become a holiday tradition. See Wild Walk after dark for the first time and immerse yourself in Forest Music from 5–7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, December through March. Evening hours also are included during the holiday weeks of Dec. 26–Jan. 2 and Feb. 12–Feb. 20. Admission to The Wild Center after 5 p.m. is included with daytime admission; evening reservations alone are free for members, or $10 for adults and $5 for youth.

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WINTER WILD WALK Get some snow on your boots, see sweeping vistas of the mountains and capture the magic of the season on our elevated walk through the treetops. Accessibility is limited and not guaranteed. Please dress for the weather for this outdoor experience as it may be slippery and cold.

FREE KICKSLED AND SNOWSHOE RENTALS Bring your own snowshoes or borrow a pair of ours to explore our grounds. Or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, join the millions of Scandanavians who enjoy kicksledding.

You can kick, glide and zip down our trails with ease.

Free for members and with paid admission.

ICE FISHING Ever wonder what happens in Adirondack lakes and ponds during winter? Take a peek under the ice into the amazing winter world of fish as you try your hand at ice fishing and learn more about the techniques used to catch fish in the winter. Equipment will be provided.

OTTERS, OTTERS, OTTERS (AND MORE) Fact: Otters love winter. Another fact: People love otters.

Get your fill of our resident river otters at their outdoor play area, where you can watch them cavort in the snow. Catch a glimpse of our other animal ambassadors in newly installed animal areas. Our naturalists will be on hand, also, to explain what you’re seeing.

GO WILD, STAY HOME Our critters are ready for their close-up! Join The Wild Center’s Animal Club, where you’ll get to meet a new member of our menagerie each month. We’ll hang out with otters, kestrels, turtles and more during these 45-minute virtual programs. Your school-age children (and everybody else in your family) can tap their creative side with animal-inspired challenges that merge art and science.

2nd Tuesday, January-May (Jan. 12, Feb. 9, March 9, April 13, May 11).

Members: Free; Non-members: $15/household. Register at wildcenter.org.

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TRY IT!

GETTING WARMER

Winter’s coming, and The Wild Center will be open for outdoor fun. But if you’re going to try your hand at ice fishing on Greenleaf Pond, or bound across Wild Walk, you’ve got to come prepared.

So take it from Squirt, Louie, Scarlett, Rohsno:re and Ta wi:ne—and dress like an otter!

OTTERS ARE OILY. Otters have two layers of fur.

To keep cold water away from their skin, otters secrete oil that keeps that top layer of guard hairs waterproof. Your winter jacket has a waterproof shell.

OTTERS ARE INSULATED. Did you know that river otters have about 300,000 hairs per square inch?

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All those hairs create air pockets near their skin that trap warm air, and act as an insulator. You have only about 2,000 hairs a square inch.

Best make sure you’re wearing another kind of insuluation.

When otters start to get cold, they’ll leave the water and come on land to fluff up their fur, which creates more air pockets— helping them get warm.

For animals that live up north, staying warm in the winter is a big deal.

Otters have fur, and we wear warm clothes. Other animals have different strategies. Think of polar bears—how do they survive in the Arctic? That’s right— blubber.

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4 TRY IT YOURSELF!

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Put your hand inside the bags without the shortening.

Immerse it in ice. How long can you keep it there before getting too cold?

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Now, do the same thing with the other bag. Smoosh the shortening so your hand is covered. Put it in the ice. How long can you last now?

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 4 ZIPPER BAGS VEGETABLE SHORTENING LARGE BOWL FILLED WITH ICE AND COLD WATER SPATULA TOWEL

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Turn one of the bags inside out and put it on your hand.

Take the spatula and cover the outside of the bag with the shortening.

Put the shortening-covered bag inside a clean bag. Seal the zipper on the inner bag with the outer one.

Turn a clean bag inside out, place it inside the other bag, and seal.

The shortening is a good insulator because it doesn’t conduct heat, and functions like blubber. So the heat from your body, which is 98.6 degrees, stays close to your skin rather than escaping to the water.

You can try this experiment with other materials, too.

What else can you put in bags to try to stay warm? What works best?

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Oh, it was good to see you this summer.

Even though our buildings stayed closed, we were open and able to welcome 36,000 of you to Wild Walk, Forest Music and our trails. And we’re set to do it again this winter. But as summer fades to memory, here’s our favorite pic of the Instagram bunch from @csnev.

INSTA GRAMM 18

Our other favorites, clockwise, were submitted by Instagram users @cyril.erica.rmt, @lindsayviolavu, @love_longisland and @proteinpapi.

We’re sending copies of “A Wild Journey,” our photographic history of The Wild Center, to each of these Instagrammers.

Your turn, now. Charge your phone, head to Tupper Lake, and tag your shots #WILDCENTER. Another batch of hot shots coming at you in the next issue.

MERS

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Stephanie Ratcliffe Executive Director

Nancy K. Simpkins Chair

The Wild Center is a not-forprofit 501(c)(3) organization chartered as an educational institution by the New York State Board of Regents.

Printed on paper proudly produced at International Paper’s Ticonderoga mill using fiber from sustainably managed Adirondack forests.

The Otter is published by The Wild Center 45 Museum Drive Tupper Lake, NY USA 12986 wildcenter.org 518.359.7800

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The Wild Center 45 Museum Drive Tupper Lake, NY 12986