Site Discussions

It may not be fair to malign the noble Beech tree, as dodging ‘the work of the World’ as Peattie mused… Indeed, it was at one time, renowned for the very New England values mentioned above… hardiness and resilience! Well known is the beech’s contribution to wildlife, though I never realized how high the protein of the beechnut was… That explains the frenzied harvest of them by Nature’s minions, only exceeded by the race for the butternuts. Nor would I have realized that resilience from my experience in the sugar-bush, removing beech stems from close proximity to the sugar maples for greater sap production. The wood produced was some of the best firewood available in Northern New Hampshire, having a higher BTU content than sugar maple, red oak, and yellow birch, which are nearly in a ‘dead heat’ for second place. <grin>  Only white oak rivals beech for heat output, until we roam a ways south and run into stands of hickory, which beats them all. But, trying to store beech for future use is quite a problem… so many organisms like to devour beech, that it is one of the least durable hardwoods. A pile left one season in the woods will turn black, and a stack of beech firewood will seldom last three years before turning into a pile of punky wood, insects, fungi, and compost. So how was this champion of wildlife hardy and resilient? Beech is one of the hardest ‘wearing’ of the hardwoods… it was used in the construction of wagon wheel hubs because it could take wear so well. For the same reason, it was sometimes used for flooring, where it outlasted other species. The most prevalent use though, was for shoe pegs. Beech shoe pegs were among the most long-lasting and durable. In the late 70’s and early 80’s we were still able to sell beech bolts (appx. 4ft. lengths) to a religious outfit in Bartlett, NH that still made shoe pegs made from round slices cut from the bolts. The Old Timers knew specific uses for each specie like the one described here. They knew things we have nearly lost now… such as tamarack will last nearly forever if used underwater (as in a dock footing) and a black locust sill board could nearly outlast the concrete it was laid upon. Poplar, is now more widely used for trim (because pine is more expensive) and is among the most glue-able and paint-able of the hardwoods - but it won’t hold a nail as well. It is fascinating to me just how much specific knowledge of each species our forebears had… knowledge we use less often in today’s world of injection-mold plastics and man made materials…. and when a tragedy like a house fire occurs, all those plastics and vinyl (etc.) are liberated into the atmosphere as toxins. Maybe we should go back and use the old knowledge and old materials to a greater extent. There are some 330,000 house fires in the US every year - there were 13,000 structures lost in the Camp fire alone last year (Pasadena, CA), and the smoke output was five times the combined industrial output of the US at the time. The trees are not only our friends. They are our future as well.

Thank for an informative article as we have a beech by our house about 28"in diameter by the base. Besides the beach of beech nuts we get every year and clean up, we love it.

Last year, had a baby stay in our rear yard for two plus months.  Left a cooler on its side with blankets in it for shelter.  Fed “Luna” daily about dusk, generally dog food, seeds, fruit, cereal etc.  This year, either she returned or a new buddie. Made another shelter / food and she comes out each eve.  Be kind to them as they are said to be smarter than some dogs in specific ways.

Don’t forget iNaturalist -

The cracking from drying can be prevented by simply soaking even just one end of green cut wood in saturated salt water for a few days. The salt is transported into all water spaces in the wood including between wood cells as well as inside the cells (by osmosis) such that when the wood dries the salt crystals are left behind and the wood prevented from shrinking and cracking. The Finns have used this method for centuries for making everything from tools to table ware.

Just discovered a pile of spruce cones in my side yard and another in the shed on that same side of the house.  Turned my dining table to face out that window and happily viewed the ‘owner’ navigating the trees in the yard.  Amusing little animal…something more for me to watch.

Can a raccoon remove an ear of corn that is screwed on to an eyebolt from a caribiner? One got taken off and we are baffled!

We have so many grey squirrels in our yard each fall and they are really interesting to watch, whether in trees, on power lines or along stone walls. They are acrobats, sprinters and clearly territorial as the article notes. Thanks Susie, this wonderful article as it made me stop and recall these furry little guys and their relationship to oak trees!

I’m here in South Eastern New Brunswick and have many what I thought was wild raisin, and certainly enjoy them. I’ve only eaten them thus far however. But after reading your article I can’t wait until Spring so I can properly identify, in case it’s a tualy a Nannyberry lol. Thank you so much for this.

I have found a tree with three or four nesting cavities only 3 or 4 feet off the ground. They are similar in size it pileated woodpecker cavities. Would the make cavities so close to the ground?

Thank you. An article I will share.

And in the Fall, I always bring back a bag of acorns for my local squirrels from the forest when we take a hike. I get kidded by my friends who find it an odd behavior.

I love reading your stories!  Beautifully written with education and fun.

Having lived in the same location over 20 years the chickadees in my area know me as someone who feeds them.  I don’t feed in the warmer months because of bear.  Only as it gets cooler in the fall, if I walk in the woods chickadees will start to follow me and vocalize, in a way that suggests:  “isnt’ it time to start putting out seed for us?”  And I have noticed a sentinel chickadee perched in a bush near my feeders, who will call out when I refill the feeders, which then brings in the larger community of feeder birds of several species.

There is a skunk somewhere on my property. I have two dogs and they have both gotten sprayed, separate times, in my yard. I thought, considering it’s Winter, the skunks would not be around. Nope!  My entire house wreaks. I’m going to look for their tracks in the snow. Sadly, if I trap it, there really isn’t anywhere to bring it. I also don’t want to stress it out and kill it. But, on the other hand, this thing has tortured me. Are skunks considered rodents?

Nice article, thanks for sharing

Great article! Answers to questions I’ve had for years.

My family contracted with tanneries in Johnston, NY until the seventies. We specialized in reptile leather and goatskins.

His original business was south of the Brooklyn bridge in the swamp area.

Thanks for your article.

What happens to heat regulation in a beaver lodge when the pond water levels falls below the entrance. Does this introduce winds that cause cooling (and perhaps freezing temperatures) inside the lodge?

Love the article. I love chickadees. I used to feed them seeds off my bedroom deck and they got quite friendly and close to me.

They are gorgeous, clever little birds with that delightful Chick-a-dee call and I loved the “mobbing” as you call it.

Thanks again for the delightful and informative article.

What a fine time for such an article!  I have just begun work on some red cedar carving blanks (chickadees of course) and expect to make a lot of good fragrant sawdust in the short days ahead.

Passed the story along to several friends.  Thank you.