Site Discussions

Weasels taking on more than they can handle explains why our late cat, “Purr Puss”, on at least 3 occasions, brought weasels home for us to admire. Unlike other game she caught she would not eat it and leave that little round organ on the step. I had always assumed the weasel should have killed her until after the first time. She lived well into her teens, however.

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Alex -Glad you liked the article and are carrying the torch for these special places. Connecticut has lost so much of them that I am resorting to seeding a limited amount of pitch pine and scrub oak after burns and harvests where there is none.

Keep up the good work.

We have tapped our red maples for the past two years and are really enjoying the hobby. I am wondering about the sap-syrup ratios…is it 40-1 for red maple or is that just for the sugar maple? Our yield seems very low in comparison to the sap.

Thank you!

Nice article. I was wondering what causes these marcescent leaves to fall—that is, do they essentially “wear out” and get blown off, or do expanding buds push them off. Today I noticed that a shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria, a marcescent species) was losing leaves over time with some falling today, but no new growth is yet visible.

Thanks for the great article! I am involved in prescribed fire and other habitat restoration.  Through this work I have had the pleasure of working in many of the remnant pitch pine/scrub oak forests in New England and New York, including many of the sites you mentioned. 

I am dedicated to preserving and restoring this important habitat, and its great to read about it’s history.

In response to Sandy in Ohio, I was talking to a grower in Pennsylvania today, and he said that the Heartnut is indeed a good pollinator for a Butternut tree. I have only one tree in my yard, and it had few nuts last year, so I think its pollinator friend may have either died or been removed. As for recipes, you can substitute butternuts for any walnut recipe, only since I grew up with the butternuts, I think they are much better!

I have been told that skunks hang around or return to the place where they were born. So, if that was under your porch, you have a problem. But after reading this piece, I am not sure that is true. They seem singular and nomadic.

This article proved to be quite helpful. I have heard of black birch trees, but they aren’t that abundant where I come from. I recently visited Irvington, New York and, while walking on the recently finished Tree Trail, I saw a sign for Black Birch. I sniffed its bark and I loved the smell so much that I started an essential oil company! Thanks for your inspiration.

Todd, great article about skunks, and very timely! I am a beekeeper in Vt. and skunks are more than a nuisance to bees, and have been to mine, this past few weeks. They scratch at the front entrance to the hives (at night) and as the bees come to defend the hive, the skunk scoops them up and eats them. In the course of one night they can eat hundreds, in the course of a week, many. In a weak colony this can be devastating, but more importantly it puts the hive on high defense, making it difficult for a beekeeper to work them. I have electric fencing around all my apiaries, to keep both bear and skunks at bay,and do my best to keep one strand low enough to keep them out. Every so often I’ll smell skunk near the fence and chuckle when I think of that wet nose touching the wire that is putting out a minimum of 6,000 volts! One other funny story.  When I lived in Ct., a friend of mine loved to play horse shoes on Tuesday nights, during the summer. After horseshoes there was always a bit of imbibing, and on one particular night, more than usual.  As he drove up the dirt road towards his house, he saw a skunk in the road in front of him. As he got closer, it flew up off the road, and kept flying right in front of his truck as he chased it. He swore off ever drinking again, just as the skunk dropped back down to the road. What he had experienced was a Great Horned Owl trying to fly off with the live skunk, but when it couldn’t get up high enough, the owl dropped it!  He laughed and laughed, and was relieved he’d never have to stop drinking! Thanks for a great article. Gib the beekeeper

I was recently given some 1920’s photos that I believe are of the Townshend fire tower.  They don’ look quite like the Marlboro one.  Are there any photos of the original Townsend tower?  Carol N. lives just up the street from me.

In making choices for cutting firewood, leaving the dead standing trees most suitable for wildlife (ie maple) is very important to me.  At this moment I am concerned about a very large yellow birch and a similarly large ash.  Please advise.  Thank you very much, Melvin Osborne

Just returned from a retreat at Oakwood Retreat Center in Selma, Indiana. Was very content to be amongst stands of Shagbark.  Selma, IN is 7 Miles East of Muncie Indiana.

I have several mature butternut here in Waterford. Contact me if anyone is interested in determining the health of the trees here.

Hello.  Listening to VPR 3/24/16 on this topic.  My home in Hartford was built in 1941 from wood salvaged from 1938.  Of more interest, my dad, age 90, grew up in Northampton, MA, where the eye passed over.  He’s told the story many times, it might be of interest?  We’ll see him this weekend…

I think Robert and Collin are both part right. Here’s a column written by Tim Wilmot of the Proctor Maple Research center which explains the sap flow mechanics of a tree fairly well. If after reading it you pretty much understand what’s going on, then you’re doing better than most. http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/wilmot_underpressure.pdf

Robert, the sap comes from the roots. It gets collected by the leaves and stored in the roots for the winter. Releases the sugars and amino acids in the spring which is sap.

Lynn, the short answer is that we haven’t heard of weasels attacking hibernating woodchucks or seen references describing this, but of course that doesn’t mean it has never happened. I’d be interested to know your source.

I actually wanted to plant 1000 trees each year starting with this year but am rethinking the idea. 10 years? Holy smokes. I thought 8 and that included buying a 3yo tree.

In a recent conversation I was told that weasels feed on hibernating woodchucks.  Is there any truth to this?