The Great Adirondack Experiment
Too big, too small, too fast, too slow; looking closely to see what nature is brewing
Much has been written about the Adirondacks. Some of it is true, some the retelling of stories that became truth. As historian John Gildes wrote in The Landscape of History, “as individuals we experience just a tiny sliver of what happens while we live, everything else is hearsay.”
I’m Kent Stanton, photographer, writer, naturalist and outdoor wanderer living in the heart of the Adirondacks and I want to share some of what I’ve seen for myself. We are living through and causing rapid changes in the natural systems that support our well being, we might at least know what it is that we are giving up.
How we learn about the world around us is also changing. Much of what is important in nature operates at scales that challenge our human senses and perception: too big, too small, too fast, too slow. Advances in digital technologies and artificial intelligence make it easier to see and know about these things.
By subscribing you’ll receive regular (once or twice a month) newsletters published via email and sent to you. This is free, no charge, no obligation, and as they used to say, this offer is good for the life of the company.
FAQ:
What is a naturalist? What does a naturalist do? What are the qualifications?
Answer (to all three): A naturalist is motivated by curiosity to learn about nature. That’s pretty much it. Anyone can do it. Curiosity and motivation are the essential qualifications.
What makes the Adirondacks special?
The Adirondack region lies at an ecological crossroads. Elevation and continental weather patterns bring temperatures and precipitation that separate the Adirondack dome from the temperate forests that surround it. But that’s only part of the story. The Adirondack Park (and Forest Preserve) represents a public policy experiment unlike anything else in the world. Six million acres in northeastern New York with roughly half of that land preserved for all time by a clause in the New York State Constitution.
What does it mean to subscribe? How does Substack (this platform) work?
Substack is a platform for publishing newsletters and subscribing means that new posts are sent to you in email. Some authors offer paid subscriptions but my substack newsletter is free. You can see all the posts and links to videos I publish on youtube by visiting the website at www.adirondackforests.com.
