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Start The Conservation Bloggers

Kristel Guimara Hello everyone and welcome! My name is Kristel Guimara and I currently live in the beautiful northern Adirondacks. I have my Bachelor's degree in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science from Paul Smith's College located in Paul Smith's NY. Currently, I am in my second year of graduate school pursuing my Master's Degree in Conservation Biology from Green Mountain College in Poultney VT. I am currently researching the effects of black carbon concentration in the Adirondack snowpack which will be compared to samples taken in the Arctic Regions. This I hope will continue beyond my thesis requirement.

I have been blessed to have wonderful opportunities at such places as; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Wildlife Conservation Society and much more. Yet, my love of the outdoors goes beyond literature, research and endless days spent on top of a mountain; it's a sense of place. I am not here to stand on top of my soapbox and sway you on your own personal opinions and views in topics that I post. I am here merely to open some topics up that will get a conversation going about the on-goings happening in the Adirondacks. So kindly pull up a chair, get your coffee ready and join me in a lively conversation.

This time of the year, the Saranac Lake Carnival once again celebrated its 116th annual tradition. The 10 day festival was jam packed with performances, parades, live bands and historical traditions. The celebration noted an ice castle built by local hands, families and friends.

The term sustainability encompasses and maintains the existence of humans to co-exist with nature, which permits the fulfillment of social and economical factors for current and future generations. Yet, understanding all the facets of how an individual, community or state can be sustainable is a daunting task.

Sparkly, glittery snow has deposited on our landscape. Its beauty is never fully known until the precise moment the sun's rays reaches the snow crystals and a sparkling, twinkle effect radiates off the surface. This precise moment is the moment I look forward to with each snowfall. It is also the moment that I begin to look through various recipe books that have been handed down to me by family members.

Merry Christmas

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Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

As the year begins to wind down, the seasonal tidings bring family and friends from far and wide. As I stroll down tinytown, windows are decorated with Christmas bulbs and painted words are etched in the windows.  Santa's sleigh and several reindeer sit on top several homes, and melted snowmen hide underneath their top hat. Several children pass me on the sidewalk and diligently tell their parents how good they were this year and to put in a "good word" to Santa.

This time of the year I enjoy venturing into the woods, just as the sun enters into the horizon. I have been out on the trail for a mere half hour when I turn and look to the horizon. Colors of red and grey fill the morning sky and greet the landscape for another day.

This week marked the annual Adirondack Youth Climate Summit, at The Wild Center, located in Tupper Lake New York.

This is the first year I was able to attend and I came away with not only many things to ponder about but also many great ideas I can implement in my classroom. The two-day conference was filled room to room with local and regional youth attending private and public educational institutions.

The erratic Autumn weather teases all who live in the Adirondacks with dips of cold and warm spells. It is as if it is trying to prepare us, gradually, for the upcoming winter season.

Warm weather has graced the landscape today. Jackets are optional and shorts are worn by many who are defiant against the upcoming season. I silently rejoice their stubbornness as I am cloaked in a warm jacket.

Hello everyone,

First and foremost let me begin by apologizing for my delayed blog entries. I have recently begun teaching a college course and time allowance has ceased to exist.

White Pine Tea

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The arrival of the autumn season has brought with it cool nights and warm days. This is the perfect temperature to get outside and watch as the trees change to hues of red.

The temperatures have begun to dip each night in the forties and thirties and I have found myself dusting off my cookbooks in search of a good tea recipe.

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