The Associated Press FORT MYERS, Fla. — A woman in route to get her morning coffee was jolted awake with pounding on her front door she later discovered to be two alligators fighting in front of her home in Florida. The video of the surprising encounter in Fort Myers was posted on ...

If you live in the Adirondacks, or anywhere with nearby wilderness, hopefully you’ve heard of “Leave No Trace.” If you haven’t, the term refers to the set of 7 Principles created by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. In their language, these “provide an easily understood ...

Forest rangers with the state Department of Environmental Conservation were among the first responders who had their hands full with firefighting this past week in and around the Adirondack Park. Plus, rangers had multiple wilderness search-and-rescue missions to deal with. Rangers ...

RAY BROOK — Nina Schoch had a loon in her bathtub. It wasn’t the first time. Schoch, a wildlife veterinarian and executive director of the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation in Saranac Lake, rehabilitates injured animals from her home semi-regularly. This was the first loon this ...

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking angler feedback through June 25 on a proposed plan to manage trout in inland streams, with the goal of safeguarding wild trout and expand fishing opportunities. “New York is blessed with a wide array of trout stream ...

ALBANY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos on Wednesday reminded New Yorkers to appreciate wildlife from a safe distance and resist the urge to touch or pick up newborn fawns and other young animals. Human contact with wildlife can carry ...

Wildfires that kept Franklin and Essex County fire departments busy over Memorial Day weekend were set up by warm weather and in many cases started by unattended and unextinguished campfires. All six wildfires in Essex County from Friday to Monday were caused by campfires, and each was ...

LAKE GEORGE — Lake George business and government officials say more visitors came to the area than they expected, despite the COVID-19 pandemic — an encouraging sign for the season. Village Mayor Robert Blais said Saturday was slow but Sunday seemed to pick up a quite a bit as a lot ...

This Memorial Day weekend was, by some accounts, a rough one in the Adirondacks. In the most obvious cases, underlying tension felt between permanent residents and seasonal visitors here seemed to reach a boiling point against the backdrop of the angst and frustration that has built up over the ...

Tourists meandered down Lake Placid’s Main Street this weekend, eyeing the scenery. Parking lots for multiple popular High Peaks trails filled to capacity early on Saturday and Sunday. Small groups of people took walks around local parks, stopped by restaurants to get take-out, and took to ...

Tourists coming to the Adirondacks on the Northway may have been surprised as they got off on Exit 30 over the weekend. A few cars were parked there with signs, such as a bright yellow one reading, “YOU’RE WELCOME ... TO GO HOME!” The posterboard signs were created by Kelly Thoreck ...

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says some state beaches will open up for Memorial Day weekend, albeit with serious restrictions to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. He said municipalities can open their beaches, too, if they follow state guidelines, but don’t expect local beaches to be open this ...

Millions of Americans are getting ready to emerge from coronavirus lockdowns and venture outdoors to celebrate Memorial Day weekend at beaches, cookouts and family outings, raising concern among public health officials that large gatherings could cause outbreaks to come roaring ...

PAUL SMITHS — Paul Smith’s College’s Adirondack Watershed Institute will provide free boat inspections and decontaminations starting Memorial Day weekend at nearly 100 locations across the region to help the public stop the spread of aquatic invasive species. The AWI operates the state ...

Tourism experts continue to predict a sluggish return to normalcy amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the Adirondack Park’s unique draws — millions of acres of wild lands and a wealth of outdoor destinations — has many locals still anticipating a rush of nature seekers this Memorial ...

Tick season is heating up in the Adirondacks, and while most people are focused on not contracting COVID-19 right now, local physicians, infectious disease experts and tick-borne illness experts are worried people may forget that another viral danger lurks in the woods. Tick-borne ...

With fishing season and turkey hunting season underway, the state Department of Environmental Conservation reports an increase in hunting and fishing licenses, said Lori Severino, a public relations officer for the DEC. Between March 1 and May 3, resident annual fishing license sales ...

The state Department of Environmental Conservation made five wilderness rescues in the Adirondack Park in the past week and also trained for future possible rescues at the Flume waterfall in Wilmington. --- Flume rescue training ---- On Wednesday, May 13, DEC forest rangers, Troopers ...