JoAnee Foglia from Latham sent in this weather photo of a white squirrel that has taken up residence in her backyard.

If you have a weather photo you would like to send NewsChannel 13 e-mail it to weatherphoto@wnyt.com. Be sure to include the location of the photo.

The Albany County 4-H office is participating in a very important project this summer with Cornell University and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and they're looking for Albany County youth and adults who are interested in science and the outdoors to participate in this great project.  

Environmental scientists have been on the lookout for the Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle recently introduced to New York State. This beetle has been responsible for the death of millions of ash trees in the Midwest. Last year, the beetle was located in Greene County. The big challenge is to determine the beetle’s presence in surrounding communities. The Cerceris Fumipennis wasp is a ground wasp that stocks their nests with this type of beetle.

During July and August, Cornell Cooperative Extension staff will be searching for these wasp colonies in Albany County. The goal for 2011 is to identify as many wasp colonies in New York State as possible.  Following the location of colonies, participants will visit the sites and utilize biosurveillance tools to determine what kind of beetles the wasps are bringing to their nests.  All information collected will contribute to valuable research data at Cornell University.

Don't be surprised if you see a lot of dead fish when the ice melts off your local pond.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation says increased fish kills known as "winterkills" are expected this spring because of the unusually harsh, snowy winter.

Winterkills are the result of oxygen depletion in a water body that has been covered by ice and snow for an extended period of time. The layers of snow and ice block oxygen from entering the water from the air, and prevent sunlight from reaching aquatic plants that would produce oxygen.

The DEC says winterkills are rare in larger water bodies over 20 acres in size, occurring more often in small ponds. The agency says fish populations can often rebound a few years after a winterkill.

DEC says anyone noting a fish kill that they believe cannot be attributed to winterkill should contact their local DEC regional office.