Site Discussions

If you are using glyphosate, which is a toxic poison, I would hardly be concerned about disturbing the soil by pulling up plants.  After all, it is just “weeding”, which loosens the soil and makes room for other plants.

I recently lived on rural land with a lot of invasives.  We fought off many but the buckthorn was pretty hopeless - the next neighbor had an enormous hedge of tall buckthorn running along his wooded lot, producing many thousands of seeds every year.  We just tried to keep those on our property from getting big enough to flower. But I did learn that the two invasive species hybridize so it’s difficult to tell which you have.  Not that it matters; they’re both awful.

One of the problems we found with pulling plants larger than 1/2” or so is that doing so creates a nearly perfect seed bed and seeds are often already present even for a small tree. We have had excellent results from cutting the stems, leaving them about 4” high, and wrapping a layer of very heavy black plastic over them and fixing it in place with either a wire or plastic tie wrap. Within two years 90%+ were dead. A group in MN markets plastic wrap for this purpose called Buckthorn Baggies. Regardless, you are absolutely right that eradication doesn’t happen in a year! Also, I’ve read the berries, while favored by birds, also cause them to poop, thus helping spread the trees.

Many of my S. NE witch hazel leaves were folded and silk-stitched by some insect in late summer. Anyone know what does that?

Ethan,

Interesting reading your entry as I’ve often felt I should “help” my forest. I suggest reading The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. It has changed my approach to everything I do in my forest.

Tom Ward

Thank you! Encouraging!

I LOVE NORTHERN WOODLANDS, and your blog! It has helped me notice things I may otherwise miss. Retired now I am intent on being aware of the seasons, especially right outside my condo building. Thanks!

Wow - thank you so much for the comments and for reading my story. To see the names of folks who taught me at UNH - and especially Bill’s note to include this in Field Denrology - it’s amazing. I still refer to, loan out, and peruse the book you gave me, Warblers, all the time. And I use what I learned in Field Dendrology every day. Cheers to each of you, and thank you for what you all do in the field of natural resources.

I totally enjoyed this!!!

A few years ago, a friend and I found a beautiful patch of jack o lantern mushrooms up in Maine. After IDing them and reading about them, I was very excited to read about their bioluminescence and get a chance to experience it !That night - which was cool, raining, and windy - I went out to see them glow (camera in hand of course). To my disappointment there was nothing glowing. Only later did I learn that I needed to be able to see the gills. The gills were obscured by the adjacent mushrooms and the short stems of the patch. Oh well.

Go, Sam! I didn’t know how many people in Ohio read Northern Woodlands but here in Cincinnati we follow and enjoy this fabulous publication. This article was one of the best!  We know many naturalists who began their careers at Hocking College. Thank you!

Some 30 years ago, camping with my father and nephew in the White Mountains. I really wanted to show them some bioluminescent fungi. It was a moonless night, and we walked up the trail from the campsite without flashlights. I was breaking up old half-rotten sticks, searching for glowing mycelia.  Finally my father found a couple really tiny chunks of glow in an old rotten stump.

When we got back to the campsite, we noticed a glow. It came from inside a hollow log that was serving as a bench next to the firepit.  Inside the hollow was a big mass of glowing mushrooms.

I’ve got more stories about bioluminescent fungi, but that’s enough for now.  I often urge people to learn to walk at night without a flashlight (or use it sparingly and covering most of the light, so your night vision stays useful).  Also works for finding glowworms, which like the fungi are quite common. But most people seldom see either because of all the artificial lights we use.

Lovely post, Declan!  I see these beautiful beetles quite often here in the fields surrounding Denison. I’m also fond of the Phymata spp. I see on the goldenrods as well - beautiful and terrifying at the same time!

I love your column. Helps me in keeping aware of what I am seeing. Taking more pictures too, on my cell phone.

Thanks for “Snapper news” article. I am curious about the actual capacity of a (large) snapper’s bite. Can it break human skin/flesh, tear human flesh off in chunks, break smaller bones, say sever a finger or toe? You hear stories, but I wonder what is reality. I have experimented only a little enticing one to bite a stick when I was younger; I recall no breakage, but not even sure how large that turtle may have been, perhaps 10 - 15 lbs. Anyway thanks for your article!

Thanks so much for honoring my parent’s wishes.  I am so proud to be associated with you.  I couldn’t be more pleased.  It’s what my Mom and Dad always wanted.

“For example, with .325 pitch chain, you should use a 3/16-inch file; for 3/8-inch pitch, use a 5/32-inch file.”  You use a smaller file on a 3/8 pitch than on a .325, or is this a typo?

This is so fascinating! This past summer I became introduced to the tomato horn-worm, and it’s parasite, which was unbelievable to see the white eggs on its back!  Then to watch the worms slowly shrivel and its carcass hang was bizarre!  Thank you for a very interesting piece!

Creating nature trails that are sensory-friendly and accessible for individuals with autism is a wonderful initiative. It’s heartwarming to see efforts being made to provide inclusive outdoor spaces that can bring joy and therapeutic benefits to people on the autism spectrum. Thank you for highlighting this thoughtful and impactful project!

I enjoyed reading the article and in particular was excited to see the section about black ash!! Great work by Nancy Patch.  Great article in the magazine.