Category: Conservation and Climate

4 minute read   What were you doing 17 years ago?  For Brood X cicadas, 2004 was the last time the notoriously loud insects saw the light of day.  But this spring, the skies will be buzzing across the mid-Atlantic and Midwest as millions of cicadas in this brood emerge to mate.  Likely beginning sometime in May (though the […]

5 minute read   You love to hike, but do you know the names of different trail formats and the common components you’ll encounter on an outing? The following is excerpted and adapted from the newly updated AMC’s Complete Guide to Trail Building and Maintenance, 5th ed.   The general trail format will most likely be determined by […]

5 minute read Above tree line, conditions can be extreme. Temperature swings, high winds, icy winters, blowing snow, and acidic soil all make the so-called alpine zone a tough place for plants to live and grow. Yet many plants have adapted to rely on—and thrive in—these environments. Plants found in Arctic regions also live in the alpine areas […]

4 minute read   Editor’s note: Each spring, AMC volunteer and professional trail maintenance crews take to the trails across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic to get them ready for the summer hiking season. The following article is excerpted and adapted from the newly updated AMC’s Complete Guide to Trail Building and Maintenance, 5th ed., detailing some of the […]

4 minute read   By this fall, Appalachian Trail (A.T.) thru-hikers will have a more reliable overnight option between North Carter Mountain and Mount Moriah in the White Mountain National Forest. This field season AMC’s Campsite Program will begin restoration of Imp Shelter, which was last rebuilt in 1980 and was the last native timber shelter built in […]

4 minute read Reaching the summit after a long hike can feel like entering another world: amazing views, occasionally wild weather—and unique plants. Despite the harsh conditions associated with being above tree line in the so-called alpine zone of northern New England, many plants usually found only in the Arctic regions extend into these habitats. These include many […]

3 minute read In a few short weeks the winter snow will be gone from the forest floor. After a few sunny days, the soil will warm beneath the leaf litter, especially on south facing slopes of deciduous forests. Quickly, before the trees leaf out, spring ephemeral wildflowers will push through to the sun and bloom. Once the […]

4 minute read To reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, many individuals and organizations, including AMC, have advocated for alternative methods of transportation—including bicycling. Many cities across the country have implemented bike sharing programs, which allow residents to borrow bikes from public stations near them for short periods of time. But as cities implement these […]

17 minute read The following was published in the 2016 Winter/Spring edition of Appalachia. Twelve years ago, in December 2003, the Appalachian Mountain Club bought Little Lyford Pond Camps (as it was called then) and the surrounding 37,000 acres of forestland. The property, known as the Katahdin Iron Works or KIW property, marked the club’s first steps on […]

6 minute read Permanent ponds are scattered across the highest elevation ridges and ravines in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. All of these ponds are accessible by hiking trails, and many feature AMC overnight facilities nearby. The best known of these high-mountain ponds are Lakes of the Clouds and Hermit Lake on Mount Washington, Star Lake on the northern […]

8 minute read Late in the summer of 1996, by the banks of the Colorado River where it crosses through Austin, Texas, a group of researchers demonstrated something remarkable. While examining how water moves underground through a karst region—an area built on porous, soluble rocks, such as limestone—they poured a fluorescein dye into a sinkhole. Their plan was […]

5 minute read While it’s not uncommon for residents throughout the Northeast to report bear sightings in their neighborhood, spotting a bear during the winter season might raise a few questions. Black bears typically hibernate from mid-December to the end of March or beginning of April, sustained on the stored-up energy in their bodies until the warm spring […]

4 minute read Solar panels are a win-win: they produce electricity without emitting greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change with the added benefit of likely lowering your electric bill. According to the U.S. Office of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, solar installations have increased 35-fold since 2008, building enough capacity to power the equivalent of 12 million […]

3 minute read   What is the value of a striking vista, and what would we do to preserve it from development? That is the question being asked by Protect the View, an online, AMC-led campaign seeking to build awareness and support for the protection of trail views and experiences within greater Philadelphia’s Circuit Trails network. “From the […]

4 minute read As electric vehicles are increasingly being seen as a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change, one category of vehicle has seemed to lag behind: trucks. But now, many electric truck models—including Ford, General Motors, and Tesla—are set to become available in the next few years. And soon, some New Jersey businesses […]

7 minute read Climate change does not affect all regions the same. And its impacts vary from season to season. These regional and seasonal discrepancies are attributed to the fact that weather patterns across the globe already differ in “normal” climate conditions. As these patterns shift, the climate in different regions shifts accordingly—and sometimes unexpectedly. “It’s not like […]

4 minute read Michelle Bradley says she used to be one of those people who would toss her food in the trash and forget about it. After all, once the garbage truck hauls away the trash, she shouldn’t have to worry about what happens next, right? Growing up in New York City, Bradley associated food waste with trash […]

9 minute read   For New England and Mid-Atlantic states experiencing stronger and more frequent storms and hurricanes, warmer and less snowy winters, dangerously high sea levels and storm surges, and the loss of critical ecosystems, the stakes for inaction on climate change could not be higher. Most states across the region have enacted bold plans to reduce […]

5 minute read A more sustainable future on the roadways is closer than ever. Many states are setting ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and, in a major announcement at the end of January, General Motors (GM) committed to phasing out gasoline-powered cars by 2035. That makes GM the first major American automaker to make a commit […]

4 minute read If there’s one thing that almost everyone can agree on, it’s that sitting in rush hour traffic is not fun. Yet, three-quarters of Americans drive themselves to and from work, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Beyond being a daily headache, commuting actually has a major impact on the Earth’s atmosphere and environment. Every time […]