We sure do love the Adirondacks. Today we drove over to Tupper Lake to visit The Wild Center, which has live exhibits and really tells the story of the Adirondacks. This area was covered by ice two miles thick just 15,000 years ago. A slight change in the Earth’s orbit brought a warming that melted the glaciers for several thousand years, then another change in orbit brought the ice back. These extreme changes ended the dinosaurs and other life, but it formed this area. Even today there are glacial fish such as sturgeon still left over from this icy era.
An average difference in temperature of only nine degrees meant the difference between 10,000 feet of ice and today’s average temperatures! In the past 2400 years, some of the best periods of civilizations have corresponded to the warmer periods. The Golden Age of Greece, the height of the Romans, the Cathedral era in Europe, etc., were periods of warmer average temperatures. The colder periods drove the Vikings south and put us into the darker ages. It’s incredible to see the correlation between climate and events that affected the rise and fall of civilizations. I had never connected those dots as a significant factor in history. It’s also interesting that cultural achievements were highest during global warming trends!
So, why are we talking about climate change in the Adirondacks? Because it’s here that scientists can read climate change in one of the few remaining land masses that were part of a one time, pre-historic, massive continent. Beluga whales once swam in these waters. All of this was in the exhibits in The Wild Center, plus several beautiful videos. One is so beautiful and moving, it brings tears to some peoples’ eyes. It’s a series of beautiful still shots by an artist accompanied by specially composed music, and it’s a stunning combination of sight and sound. Some of the pictures were taken from the same spot showing the different seasons, something we have never seen before. Even the way they designed this museum of natural history to fit into the environment tells the story of this pristine area. This area is full of streams that support an almost infinite variety of life, as well as the many lakes, ponds, springs, rills, and swamps. It’s an amazing area, similar in idyllic beauty to Yellowstone Park, and we would love to come back here some day and stay for a summer and watch the colors change at the end of the summer. The rivers look like they were designed for canoes. All in all, this is one of the prettiest areas we have ever seen. Like a favorite summer drink, the Adirondacks are wet, wild, and wonderful!
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