Site Discussions

As with most Americans I spent my work life indoors at a desk, but when our children were young, we enjoyed wilderness canoe camping in Minnesota and Canada. Tracking was one of the many nature experiences we did not find time for. After reading this article, Im sorry I missed out on this experience. Keep up the good work!

Great photo portrait!  In winter we sometimes see a grouse way up in the treetops. I thought it was eating black cherry buds, but just discovered there is a poplar there too.  It’s always a surprise to see such a plump bird so far from the ground.

How wonderful to read this article. I happened to be hiking the Appalachian Trail back in 2013 and I had the pleasure of catching a live performance on top of Greylock! It was awesome. Pat not only played, but appeared to be leader of the pack! It was amazing.

A richness is found in a life fully embraced and lived. Thanks for being such testimony. May we all strive to be so fortunate!

I grew up near Albany, NY, not all that far from Halfmoon, and always assumed the town was named for Henry Hudson’s ship of the same name.  Hmmmm….

We have toads in our yard and landscape. We also have an almost 5 year old who asked where the toads are. It is April now so we will keep an eye out for the toads. Your article was informative. Thank you! I also followed the link to vagabond way. When our girl grows up a bit more we may try some of the travel ideas. Thanks again!

The fox in my back yard had it only on his tail and nowhere else and is recovering

Echoing Declan - the first time I read his work was in VES, and that prompted me to reach out to him for an essay on “Flat Stanley and the Centipede” drawing on the original VES essay. So, we’re fans here at Northern Woodlands. See below.

https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/flat-stanley-centipede

Thank you Laurie for your kind comments and for all the work you do for VES.  The first natural history article I wrote was for VES and it got me started on what has become a new chapter of my professional life.  I loved the issue on Ross Bell and of course Joyce Bell.  It was beautifully put together and such a celebration of all things Bell!  Nice work.

Shondi, I can’t advise you on the potential lead content of the syrup, or tell you for sure what you’re seeing - however it’s normal for a layer of mold to grow on syrup that has been left out. For our own household consumption, we’ve skimmed off the top and boiled the rest. This is a common practice . Most fungi can’t grow below the surface of syrup, because the syrup’s high sugar content pulls water out of the fungal cells.

Excellent info. The description enabled me to accurately ID what I found on my patio this morning.

Thanks!

I finished the AT Appalachian Trail in 2010 and experimented with several of the plants and mushrooms talked about along the hike.  In 2020 I had saved a bag of Viburnum Lantanoide from foraging in 2019 and started eating the leaves.  Out of all the herbs I have eaten over the past several years I like the Witch-hobble the best.  The Viburnum Lantanoide has a rich tea like flavor in food.  I will forage for this plant in the summers above all.

Hi. I emptied sap from some vintage buckets someone lent me. One bucket that had sat for awhile had transparent slightly flaky film on the surface. Is this lead? I didnt want to dump it but I dont want to poison my family either.

Great article, just what I wanted to find.

I don’t have TV so I don’t have the advantage of having seen this gal on North Woods Law, but I live in the North Woods of Maine and this is an awesome article to read about an awesome gal.  Thanks for sharing this, and Heidi Murphy, you rock!

When do you start TSI in the patch cut? In the stand leveled in 1998, Leak and Yamasaki stood with author Dobbs in “a pleasant grove of young hardwoods.” So, the grove had 20 or so years to become established, at what point do you step in and start thinning?

It is April 2nd 2020 I have just walked past several Ash (Fraxinous excelsiour) that are bursting into leaf. These are mature field boundary trees which last year did not come into leaf until early June. No other trees in the area are coming into leaf. Some of the hedge plants especially hawthorn are just beginning to show. As we are suffering widely in this area from Ash dieback I am interested if any one has an explanation for this early growth.

Thank you so much for the information on chickadee “language”. So many times I wish I had known what their chattering meant. One of the more endearing “talkers” of the bird world. They top my list of favorites!

Thank you for posting this wonderful resource!  Keep up the good work.

I’m from Vermont but enjoyed hearing frogs from my hometown. They are amazing with their different calls. I know that when our ecosystem gets messed up it will show up in frogs.. Thanks for reminding me of the sounds I miss so much.