The largest butterfly in North America has expanded its range from the South and Midwest during the last decade and is now appearing in much of New England with regularity. The eastern giant…

When thousands of acres of oak trees across southern New England died following an outbreak of spongy moth, (Lymantria dispar, formerly known as Gypsy moth), from 2016 to 2018, a team of researchers…

The number and size of trees that can occupy a given area has been a key metric in forest management for decades. It’s vital to ensuring the health of forests and the effectiveness of policies…

The life cycles of the three species of stream salamanders native to New England – northern two-lined, northern dusky, and spring – are closely tied to the small streams where they are…

Northern Woodlands reader Ciel Setterstrom was hiking on the Nipmuck Trail in Connecticut and spotted some “fuzzy looking stuff” wedged into this tree hollow. What is it, and why is it there?

As deputy director of the Forest Stewards Guild, Amanda Mahaffey supports programs including Women Owning Woodlands, Foresters for the Birds, and the North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange. Through that…

Every spring, after the last of winter’s snow has completely melted and as I start the wonderful, dirty work of turning the soil of my vegetable beds, I find myself gazing often to the…

Birds use a wonderful variety of materials and techniques to create their nests. Some nests are small and tidy, like grass baskets lined with cozy feathers. Others are large and messily blobbed with…

Northern Woodlands reader Harry Zane discovered these “strange white threads” in an oak log he was splitting. What are they?

Your March photos still included many snowy scenes, but a cheering number of spring sights as well, including spotted salamanders, trailing arbutus, osprey, and a beautiful comma butterfly. Michael…

After earning a college degree in English, Conrad Baker entered the news field and worked for four years generating daily, local online news content. He found himself increasingly drawn to stories…

Each year, soon after ice out, torpedo-shaped fish slip into the lake’s weedy shallows from that offshore zone where the bottom falls away. First comes the female, her flanks green and gold, and…

I’ve seen all kinds of birds on the wooded New Hampshire hilltop where I live, but never – until recently – a duck. So when I spotted a pair of wood ducks loitering in my yard one…

This time of year, a walk through the woods reveals many signs of spring. Can you identify these four?

The first time Karin Tilberg came to Maine’s North Woods, she felt like she was home. Following a childhood in Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey, Karin attended the University of Vermont,…

On a cold November 2020 day, my daughter Lucy and I detected a strange floral scent in our woods. I challenged her to find its source, and promised a reward of chocolate cake. After some sniffing, she…

One late winter day, I heard our dog barking fiercely from the yard. I went outside to find him standing about 6 feet away from a hawk that was on the ground beside our house. I grabbed the…

The birds that made this nest have long since vacated it. Why are there leaves covering the nest? (And thanks to Sandy Dannis for the photos.)

Forester David Govatski’s three-decade career with the U.S. Forest Service included assignments in Colorado, Vermont, Michigan, Oregon, and New Hampshire. In 2005, he retired from his final…

Your February photos showed wildlife tracks in snow, winter-hardy birds, stunning skies, and here and there, the first glimmerings of spring, from common mergansers pairing up, to the fuzzy flower of…