Site Discussions

I enjoy these little pieces thoroughly; I cannot imagine why anyone would want to harass a writer!???? Thank you so much for making this time of year so interesting!

Thank you so much for this lovely article!  I learned a bit more about these wonderful little creatures. However, I have to say that I have really enjoyed seeing our skunks periodically on our property over the last 10 years. I don’t mind at all that they den under our house.  And forage near our ridiculous $600 specialty built compost bin, even digging a hole under it!  The several that have gone down to our campsite with our Airbnb Guests apparently have no problem visiting while they’re cooking dinner and they’ve never threatened to spray which is so charming! Just minding their own business going after grubs… I don’t consider them an annoyance at all and I am grateful that our property is a haven for skunks, porcupine, raccoon, mink, fisher cat, deer and bear. As well as the chipmunks, Barred Owls, squirrels and a host of incredibly wonderful songbirds!

I read this aloud to my husband. Beautiful writing, and we learned some good skunk facts to know!

Yikes, I just cut one of these junk trees down. Now that I know they are foods for birds I’ll think twice next time. Nice story!

My Dad raises Elk in South East Iowa (Wildlife Lakes Elk Farm). He has produced thousands of Elk in the past 20+ years and they have gone to places all over the US. They are beautiful animals and a very healthy, high protein, low fat meat. I can understand them being killed but never understood just killing for that point. Kill what you eat.

Great message. We are still reeling from a 13 inch storm in July 2023. Slowing the flow with fallen logs and branches, then allowing the forest to take care.

What a wonderful article!  Many details about petrichor I never knew before. Thanks for this, Ms. Mirus and Northern Woodlands.

I have known Mary since her time in Dorset and at Dorset Elementary School.  Our children’s lives were enriched and their curiosity about nature forever piqued. How well we remember ‘ELF’ classes.  I believe that as a class ‘helper’, I learned as much as our children and have continued with my love of nature and all that it offers.  Thank you always, Mary.

I thoroughly enjoyed your article on Mary Holland. I have known Mary since our days as fledgling environmental educators in Vermont. She has continued to hone her creative talents as an educator bringing her sharp eye for photography and her ability to write clearly and concisely about the natural world around us. Who else would find such excitement in the discovery of, “red raspberry slime mold!”

Mary- I really enjoy your blog posts and books, it is nice to read more about your process. Thank you for your fine work! And hurrah for beavers! We are surrounded by them, so great.

I love Mary’s work and look forward to her blog updates.  Naturally curious is the perfect thing for a classroom teacher to share with students, and I have for years (especially the day by day).  She’s a treasure and we are lucky to have her as a resource!

Lived in Sunapee, NH, extensive gardens, fields, & woods.  Now @ RiverWoods (CCRC) in Exeter, where I share every “Naturally Curious” with fellow members of our Forest and Trails committee.  (Our campus is designated as one of the 2 NH Arboretums.)  My late son, disabled by a rare gene passed to him through his adoptive mother, lived in Weston, MA with his wife & 2 sons.  The “Rail Tail” is close to their late 1800’s home.  For over a decade, I took my grandsons (and their dog) on walks during my weekly visit and inevitably spent a LOT of time at the beaver ponds.  I cannot thank you enough for sharing your expertise and photographs.

Mary,  you are such an inspiration and an amazing source of information.  Thank you!!

Thanks Peter for this edifying article. It filled a gap in my knowledge of trees.
Aleta

Thank you very interesting!

There is a very noticeable absence of the striped maple in our local forests. I went online to see what information I could find and there has been a big decline due to die-off of the female plants. Deer browsing, drought and other climate related impacts appear to be what is negatively impacting them. Sadly, another species disappearing.

Yes, I often hear the fisher blamed for missing house cats and would agree that fox and coyote are the more likely predator. I have never suffered a fisher attack on my chickens, but have had to deal with mass killings from raccoons and especially mink. Ironically, while weasels have quite the reputation for killing chickens, they’ve never bothered mine. Weasels have however cleaned out my barn of rats who were living under the floor boards and creeping out in the night to steal grain from our dairy goat stalls. In all the years I’ve lived here (more than 30) I’ve only ever seen fisher sign once on my property. That’s not to say that that they’re not here, we’ve successfully trapped a few not far away. I just get the sense from my own experience that they are more reclusive than their cousins; mink and weasel.

Well done!  The interview with Bird-Huggers was excellent!  You tackled a huge project and brought it to completion for the benefit of many who will enjoy it for years to come..people, pollinators and birds. 
Thank you for your efforts.

Loved reading about your technique.  It seems mine changes year to year and is based on wood I’ve had access to. I’m in a moderately cold part of the state, mean when it’s cold here, most of you would roll your eyes.  However a few storms last year left be set with firewood this year, now it seems hurricane Helene has provided me with more than I can process.  While my primary goal has been to help our community clear the roads, there are hundreds of oaks laying on the ground or hanging in the air, waiting to be cleared.  And while I’m at it the wood trucked back to the house. I can’t stand to see it go to waste. What recommendations do you have for storing wood for 3 or 4 years?  Thinking of building some kind of woodshed but am facing a problem I’ve not faced before. Wood wood everywhere.

We have a nesting pair of bald eagles and have seen juveniles in the past. This year we had 3 different juvies, each one a different year and thus various heads of white. One almost white, one quite mottled white and one just barely turning white. We’ve seen the circling, but I didn’t know what it meant, now I do. We’ve seen other various adult/juvie behavior, most recently there was a big ruckus in the tree