This week in the woods, river otter families may be moving to new areas to hunt. Every year at this time, we find at least one family of otters (mother and this year’s young) in the same shallow…

Tis the season for spooky stories, and just in time for Halloween, the spider that news headlines have described as “giant,” “flying,” and “venomous” has made its…

This week in the woods, we stumbled upon several yellow birch logs completely engulfed in the fruiting bodies of turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) a polypore fungus that commonly grows on the…

Wandering through the woods this time of year, occasionally I’ve come across a small deciduous tree laden with cone-like structures that resemble the hops used to brew beer. This is the American…

Between our Autumn Open House and Upper Valley Thrives, it has been an eventful couple of weeks for our new pollinator garden. We had a wonderful time toasting our 30th anniversary with friends at our…

Joy Grannis grew up playing in the woods around her family’s Downeast Maine homestead. Although she has always loved art and creating, it wasn’t until middle school that Joy realized art…

We found this seedling in the understory of a Vermont northern hardwood forest, sprouting what look like palm leaves, as well as the dark leaf in the center. What’s going on here?

This week in the woods, Editor Meghan McCarthy McPhaul encountered this garter snake making its way across a field, perhaps on its way to winter lodging. The snakes typically move into hibernacula…

The great annual movements of fall include monarch butterflies winging toward Mexico, whales heading to the Caribbean to give birth, and multitudes of birds in the autumn skies. There’s another…

Patty is a poet and translator whose work often explores the connections and boundaries between the self and the natural world. She’s the author of the award-winning poetry collections Bell I…

Here is a simple and safe tool to remove ticks completely, from people and pets, that fits in your pocket. (No shipping charge on this item - we want everyone to carry this essential tool!)

This pewter key ring is a way to remind yourself of this curiously ungainly ungulate; the magnificent moose holds a special place in our mind’s eye. Danforth key rings are a thoughtful gift that…

We’re pleased to name Meghan McCarthy McPhaul as the next editor of Northern Woodlands magazine. Meghan first wrote for us over a decade ago and has worked on the editorial staff since 2020. In…

This week in the woods, late season caterpillars are making their fuzzy way across the ground in search of the perfect cocoon site. To help them on their way, they use “prolegs,” which…

On warm days through early fall, you can find two large species of “digger” wasps flitting about late-blooming flowers. Like many wasps, these species elicit strong, often negative…

Ever fish around in the dark for your keys? Make the task easier with this double-trout pewter key ring. Handmade by Danforth Pewter in Middlebury, Vermont. Comes on two split rings. Measures 2 1/4…

While walking through a patch of brambles in Thetford, Vermont, we noticed many of the plants had bunched up leaves that were turning pink or brown at the center. What are these bunches, and what do…

Our readers captured a variety of colorful amphibians, fungus, and insects this August. Other intriguing photos include a timber rattler in Benezette, Pennsylvania, submitted by Charlie Schwarz, a…

Susie Spikol is a naturalist, writer, and communities program director at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, New Hampshire. She is the recipient of New Hampshire’s…

This week in the woods, we saw several Andrena bees, most likely peaceful miner bees (Andrena placata) heavily loaded with late-blooming aster pollen. These solitary bees are notable for the…