With Earth Day tomorrow, April 22, you can find some opportunities for cleanup events and more happening throughout the Park. Plus, we have good news to report for Paul Smith’s, The Wild Center, the Adirondack Artists Guild, and the Town of Inlet.

Earth Day Events, Art Shows & A Women’s Hike Are Coming Up
Here’s what’s going on around the ADK:
- Earth Day Ramble to the River in Old Forge: April 22
- Opening Reception for 71st Annual Central Adirondack Art Show: April 22
- Poetry Meets Art at Hotel Saranac: April 22
- Earth Day Celebration at Raquette River Brewing: April 23
- Day of Caring With United Way of the Adirondack Region: April 23
- Ausable River Cleanup in Wilmington: April 23
- SAMfest at Paul Smith’s: April 23
- Inlet’s Adult Easter Egg Hunt: April 23
- CATSWomen Spring Hike on West Valley Trail: April 28
See the events calendar for more >>
4 Good News Tidbits to Celebrate Around the Park This Week

Adirondack Watershed Institute Receives Important Certification
The 14 staff members at Paul Smith College’s Adirondack Watershed Institute (AWI) are celebrating a new state certification for a water testing lab, reports South Burlington-based WCAX Channel 3. Until recently, the AWI’s data from monitoring over 90 lakes and 25 streams in the Park was not used for any state-funded grant programs, because it wasn’t yet a state-certified lab. But as of last week, it is.
The certification is not retroactive in terms of information already collected. But going forward, this is will be huge in terms of the AWI’s ability to put their data to good use, helping to promote robust watersheds and clean water. It took them a year and a half of working towards this goal to get the certification.
The Wild Center Named a Finalist for IMLS National Medal for Museum & Library Service
In other exciting news, The Wild Center of Tupper Lake is one of two institutions in the state and 30 altogether to be selected as a finalist for the National Medal for Museum and Library Service; the Children’s Museum of Manhattan is the other NYS contender.
“This selection as finalist inspires us to continue our work to connect people to the natural world around them – which is more important now than ever,” Stephanie Ratcliffe, Wild Center Executive Director, said in a statement.
The Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, the organization behind the award, works to advance, support, and empower this country’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grants, research, and policy development. The National Medal winners will be announced in early June.
In the meantime, the Wild Center is asking you to share stories, memories, pictures, and videos on social media to get in on the excitement of the nomination, using the hashtags #ShareYourStory and #IMLSmedals.

Adirondack Artists Guild to Host First In-Person Reception in 2 Years
On May 6, Adirondack Artists Guild will host their first in-person reception since COVID began, with an exhibit that was largely created by the artist during the isolation times of the pandemic.
“I welcomed the extra studio time to work with the challenge of waterworks,” Suzanne Langelier-Lebeda said in a statement about working during COVID. “The paintings are more ‘inner landscapes’ of imagined terrain from memory rather than specific places. . .Watercolors aren’t forgiving or easy to control, so there are errant strokes and stubborn drips in some of these inner landscapes. However, the challenges and the unexpected surprises keep me working with watercolors.”
The Adirondack Artists Guild gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm, and 11am to 3pm on Sundays. Watercolor Moods and Seasons by Suzanne Langelier-Lebeda will be featured at the Saranac Lake gallery from May 6 through May 31, with an opening reception to take place on the 6th.
Cell Service is About to Get Better for Inlet
The Adirondack Park Agency has approved two new towers for cell phone service and emergency radio communications, reports Adirondack Explorer. One will be 95 feet tall and the other 100, and they’ll both be constructed in Inlet.
One seasonal resident interviewed by the publication cited a drowning in Fourth Lake that was not responded to promptly because of an inability to call 911; she argues the safety and health of the community should trump concern over a few cell phone towers blemishing the landscape. These two towers will be disguised as evergreen trees.
Enjoy all the springtime adventures the ADK has to offer >>
Source:
- Adirondack Explorer: APA approves Inlet communications towers, Crown Point solar project
- WCAX Channel 3: Paul Smith’s College gets state certification for water testing lab