Site Discussions

I have 30 acres of natural forest. At least 4 types of conifers, almost every type of oak, sugar and red maple, poplars and birch. It has remained natural with the exception of putting in a trail.  About 3 yrs ago we had a blowdown and about 70 percent of the trees uprooted or became snags. I’ve learned so much from allowing nature to repair.  Snags are very valuable for peckers and cavity nesters. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees all eat beetles and insects. I have all of them. Im hoping they will combat EAB if it arrives. Downed trees and understory hold moisture in soil. I believe this helps PREVENT forest fires (90% are started by humans). Rotting logs provide perfect mediums for new pine seedlings. Many of the uprooted trees still had enough roots in the ground to survive.  I have a green Balsam completely on the ground surviving after 3 yrs.  Mosses, club mosses, ferns, wildflowers and tree seedlings would have all been taken away if I had succumbed to the forestry people. My forest thrives today. I learn something new every time I go there. I did clear my trail again, but put the logs off to the sides.  Bushy pine tree tops, I cut so they dropped to the ground to prevent excessive drying out of needles. There is so much more to a forest than trees.

Claude will be truly missed. I logged for him for a number of years up to him closing the doors of Paul Bunyan Logging. The best boss I have ever had. A truly great friend that I am proud to have known.

Patrick, a great article.  I worked with Claude off and on when I was with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Bennington County.  I always learned something and I think I was probably on the TV show.  Thanks to people like your Dad, Jim White and Claude working in Bennington county was fun and interesting.

In areas where Black Bears are common, they are a major predator of turtle eggs, both Snapping and Painted turtles. I have seen many times where they have violently dug out nests, scattering eggs far and wide. Raccoons also may be one of the causes of the decline in Wood Turtles. Few nests escape.

I’m sorry but you did not write any positives about woodchucks….are there any?

Thank you for this information! I was curious about all the ants on our peonies.

A.  This is the sort of thing lawmakers do that make people respect them less. 

B.  We do eat waaaay too much sugar.  But I wonder if this will be like when fat was demonized.  Everything in excess is bad for you even sleep, sunshine, exercise, and water. Moderation is the key.  Like “healthy fats”, honey and maple sugar almost have to be the “healthy sugars”. 

C.  Let’s skip all the studies, health articles, and confusion for the next 30 years and just use common sense.

I’ve seen the most snapping turtles this year then ever before.

Had a chance to watch about 20 snapping turtles hatch when I lived on Westover Field on the farm in the late 1940’s. What s treat for a 10 year old!

Nice if you want them otherwise they are very destructive.I do not agree with feeding them they end up dependent of humans. No thanks.

Thanks Dave. I’ve commented.

Are they planning to put “Added Sugar” on bags of granulated sugar?  If not, they can’t do it to honey or maple syrup either.

The term “added sugar” means extra sugar has been added to a product—not that the natural content of the product has its own high sugar content. Will the FDA now require sugar packaging to contain the words “added sugar?” because it has more sugar than is nutritionally appropriate?  How much did the sugar lobby contribute to get this change. Please do not require the words “added sugar” on maple syrup and honey on the packaging as it is NOT true.

“Added” should mean what is added to an item of food. Not that it is “added” to my diet.

Sadly the emerald ash borer has recently been found in Maine. See article

https://www.pressherald.com/2018/05/29/experts-wondered-when-the-destructive-emerald-ash-borer-would-come-to-maine-its-here/

Can this frog be found on a gutter outside a porch?

Terrific article on fascinating research!  Thank you.  Just as in medical research, various organisms HAVE BEEN DOING what we seek to accomplish.  Very fascinating to use the “expert fungi” to break down wood.

My family is caring for one after the rehab center said they were full (much like Scott said) and they are the fastest and most adorable things ever. We also got a tin of walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds and he hid them all in one night (some even ended up in my bag for school).

I had a similar experience this year, Michael, in that many of my proven grounds did not produce well. But I did find good flushes in places that were new to me, so all in all my volume picked this year was about the same as last year. Last year’s picking window by me ran from April 30th to May 11; this year’s ran from May 14 to May 23, so quite a bit later. I seemed to find more around elm this year than I did last year. I, too, have wondered about mushroom mast years, but have been unable to come up with anything definitive beyond wet years are good and dry years are not. Would love to hear others’ observations.

While living in New Hampshire years ago, the elegant old Queen Mary-style shared adult home where I worked had a couple of ‘chucks who came close, so we made friends with them, and the residents absolutely loved them, taking turns feeding them treats (they probably became diabetic from the white bread). The administrator brought his lab over to ‘take care’ of them but the old folks put up such a howl he reconsidered. Eventually only one came, his name was Chuckles, and he wanted to come inside, but we figured that was pushing it with administrtion.