Site Discussions

It’s impossible to give good advice, Diane, without seeing the trees in person. They’re going to have all kinds of funky tension on them, and what you’re describing is a dangerous situation for a tree feller.

We have a tree that the wind storm brought half way down. It has fallen onto another tree and both trees are bent over badly from heavy snow. We have cut down trees our whole life but not sure about these. Now you know my husband won’t ask…but I have no problem getting some sound advice. This site seems to me to be professional and trust worthy. Anyone with the best answer? Would appreciate any suggestions besides paying someone else…ain’t gonna happen!

We just bought an 1866 farm house in western Maine and seem to have something living beneath the floor or the ell/summer kitchen. We are only there on weekends, but consistently It stirs every night just after the sun goes down for a few minutes and then becomes quiet again. From the sound of it, its a bit bigger than most of the critters mentioned in this article! Still it has made a home for the winter there and I’m curious as to what it is. Our dogs go nuts every evening for just a few minutes and then everyone settles down. It has also stirred when the dogs are not there as well. Given how incredibly cold its been this winter, whoever is it sure got a nice cozy spot to hibernate!

Let’s not forget that higher albedo may slow warming but it does not remove CO2 from the atmosphere. High atmospheric CO2 has its own negative effects such as ocean acidification.

Here, here. Thank you!

Things are seldom clearly black and white, and unbiased coverege of emotional issues separates true journalists from propagandists. 

We have the same name, and I’m also a teacher. So I get LOTS of undeserved compliments about your essays! Just thought you’d like to know that many people like your work…..

When I was studying to become a UVM Extension Master Gardener, I’m almost certain that I read something about plants thriving on CO2. I may have even recently read on line something about plants now thriving where they hadn’t been, providing food for hungry people. All because of climate change causing additional CO2 where there had not been enough. Mainstream media probably missed that one.

Amen.

Hello,

I am in need of some wisdom/expertise. I live on the west coast of canada, I primarily split fir but I am going to start going to the beaches and buck up washed up lumber and then split them. This is to sell and because I enjoy it. I am tired of using crap tools and I want to get either a gransfors large splitting axe or gransfors splitting maul. I can’t decide which one to get. The rounds I will be splitting will primarily be between 25-35 inches. Let me know what you suggest. Thank you.

I am so happy you have chosen to co-exist with your old friends now new roommates. I would have been disappointed, given that section of your “Keepers…” books that I have on my bookcase if you did otherwise! Put up some owl boxes and let them do the work for you! Thanks for the article, I enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed all your books!

Very much appreciate this new web addition to Northern Woodlands!

Thank you for your nice comment Nancy, you can click here to browse several articles he has written for us over the years.

Warmly,
Emily
Northern Woodlands

I loved the way this was written. It was entertaining and funny. I can just picture him. I am going to look for more articles written by Michael Caduto.

I appreciate the fact that you used good old fashion snap traps instead of the harmful pesticides commonly used in today’s home. Often times, critters that ingest harmful chemicals inadvertently pollute the bodies of the creatures that feed upon them. With all those critters around, you must have a healthy owl habitat nearby.

Thanks so much for writing this incredibly helpful piece. My husband and I are looking at buying an existing farm (neither of us have grown Christmas trees before,) and the thought of starting from scratch seemed both daunting and fraught with peril :) You brought up several points that we hadn’t thought about, as well as some we had, but with great perspective. I’m bookmarking this for reference!

I loved your pics of the owl, excellent! Whenever we have a snowy winter, we usually get a Barred Owl that will hang around our feeders all day. I started saving the mice I would catch in the mouse traps, in our basement,and freezing them.
( my wife was not very excited when she found them in the bottom drawer of the freezer!) Whenever the owl would show up, I would throw a mouse out in the snow underneath him, and he’d swoop down and snatch them up. Thanks for sharing those great pics!

Lots of them on my property! I note that their bark preferences are the same as the beavers’. Probably the whiter barks just taste better and are easier to digest. Sort of like people liking white bread!

Answer to Sarah Thorne:

Thanks for your question. I’m almost certain I asked Terry Delaney that question, but a check of my notes shows I don’t have anything on that topic. I’d be surprised if various species of jelly fungi didn’t have preferences for particular tree species. For instance, my “Mushrooms of Northeast North America” by George Barron notes that witch’s butter fruits on hardwoods while orange jelly prefers conifers. Some jellies, like white coral jelly fungus, fruit on the ground under hardwoods, other species fruit on debarked logs, others on dead twigs and branches, some through cracks in the bark. Every species has their niche.

Best regards,
Joe Rankin

I believe in the picture the entrance is a hole and the rest of the house is solid.

Snowshoes seem to have had a population growth in our area. Seem to be taking areas back from Cottontail rabbits. Is this the same story otherplaces as well?