Site Discussions

Dave’s line “We found the beaver ponds that Andy used to fish as a boy but the dam had blown out some time ago” reminds me of what happened around here approx. a year ago, when a beaver dam “blew out”—and how that event reshaped the surrounding forest.

A series of dams atop a local mountain had been in place long enough to make it onto topo maps and old Google Earth photos. But after a prolonged heavy rain, the top dam let go, which overburdened the lower ponds and dams, until a 15(+)-foot section of the lowest dam gave way and dumped thousands and thousands of gallons of water several hundred feet straight downhill.

The wave carved a new canyon through the forest, crossed the main road through the local “gulf” and undercut or scoured off its pavement, ripped out or drowned dozens of mature trees, flooded the drainage system, and swept over the hood of my firewood vendor’s truck as he was driving up to deliver our load, leaving behind a minefield of muck and debris. Thankfully, the driver was unhurt, his vehicle undamaged, and nobody else was on the road at the time. No one’s house was in the way of the deluge. But the road was closed for repair for several weeks, and the surrounding woodlands permanently scarred and reconfigured.

We live a mile or two away on the other side of the hill this occurred on, and believe we heard the crescendo of the event. An isolated rumble/roar, that sounded like thunder but not quite, with no other weather elements involved, occurred around the same time.

It’s hard to believe that a beaver dam caused such damage! But it’s a good illustration of system dynamics among the forests and waters—and humans who live there.

This article is from 2007.  What is the status of this research today?  Is it possible to participate in using Lecanicillium muscarium?

Thank you.

This is the first season for us to watch the fascinating Indian Pipes.

I found one and each weekend since a few more have appeared. This location is an old well established forest with interesting geo formations throughout. The recent rains have given life to many mushroom, toadstool, fungus and algae, all new to us…a plethora of learning and great beauty for me.

At the top of the NE ridge of the sinkhole, there is a lot of activity right now.  The area has grown up with many varieties of hardwoods.

My task is to keep neighbors from dumping grass clippings and tree trimmings onto the above mentioned beauties. The owner, my friend cannot see the wonder in all I described, sadly.

Do Indian Pipes glow in the dark, really???

Barbara Bellehumeur

Well, I guess we know the truth now.

Besides throwing them out, this is actually a pretty good use for a penny - however, I think it is actually a felony to destroy money :)

Unsuccessfully tried to outsmart the bear by hanging the feeders high with rope and pulley. He climbed one tree and grabbed the line with his mouth and shook it until the feeders fell. Next time, one small feeder was afixed firmly and it stayed. He showed his displeasure by defecating in many places. Now the feeders are kept in at night.

I understand the idea of a wedge and shim, however, the trees I am taking down are only between,7”-9” in diameter, some are back leaning and seem too small to use a wedge, as soon as I attempt to back cut my saw jambs & I cannot cut deep enough to apply any kind of wedge?

I’m a bit frustrated. My trees are close together which poses another problem altogether. Do I need to use a come-along to apply pressure in the direction of my fell?

Steve

I’ve also just discovered some today in our woods in Farmington, Maine.  We’ve been here for 20 years and I’ve never seen them before! Could all the rain have something to do with their appearance?  They are fascinating plants!

I’m very happy to hear, Carolyn, that I’m not the only one with half-empty juice bottles in my truck.

I think a wildlife biologist would tell you that the bear will be back—it’s just a matter of time. I’m under the impression that they follow circuitous routes. It they hit a bird feeder one night, they probably won’t be back the next, but in a week or two, when they’re back in the area, they’ll pay a visit. The bear I described in the blog came back and rummaged around the porch 7 days later.

As for why now after 11 years, I like the theory that decreased hunting pressure plays a role. Bears were considered pests in Vermont up until the 1970s, and a nuisance bear simply wasn’t tolerated. There were also lots of bear hunters who ran them with hounds each fall. The theory goes that this fear of people was passed down from mother to cub; was encoded in their genes. There’s much less danger in the valley for them today, and so some of that fear is being lost.

Color photos of both insects, to scale, and images or illustrations of their symptoms and effects in the trees, would be very helpful the layman, and easy to pass around via the Net.

We lived in our rural hilltown for 11 years without sighting a bear—and still haven’t seen one—although we awoke in April to a demolishment akin to what Dave reports. In this case, bird feeders (several, and all). Every day and night for those 11 years my bird feeders stood or hung outdoors, unmolested. Why this spring did that change?

After replacing or repairing the damages, I began bringing in all feeders every night. Of course, I forgot now and then. So of course, 5 weeks later, the midnight marauder returned. I haven’t forgotten since then!

What I really wonder is, now that the bear knows our yard offers a buffet, why hasn’t it come back to raid our lush, prolific berry patches? Or the vegetable garden? The kitchen-scraps compost pile? The stinky trash can? Or open vehicles with candy wrappers and half-empty juice bottles inside?

I live in an artist condo in Newtonville, MA (a town west of Boston).
We have a number of groups of Indian Pipes under dense undergrowth.
This is the fist year I have seen them - any ideas why after 25+ years here they appeared now?

Thanks, all, for your comments. This is very interesting . . ..

I would like to make contact with Charles Johnson as he is part of the family tree I am collating in New Zealand.
If I have the right Charles, his mother was Margaret and his sister Marjorie Hunter married John Plamenatz.
I would appreciate if someone in this discussion group maybe able to advise Charles of my request please.
Thank you.
Allan Steel.
New Zealand

We’ve noticed most of the phenomena and effects Dave mentioned; also, it seems that many perennials are blooming earlier than normal. The first tell-tale red leaves in the middle of the green canopy, which usually appear mid-August, showed up mid-July. Several bird species arrived early, too. We have the usual range of species but there seem to be fewer individual birds. Conversely, we are seeing species such as titmouse and red-bellied woodpecker expanding their range northward.

There’s been a definite shortage of bats—owing, I presume, to the white-nose disease decimating their population. Early in the season, we noticed fewer bees, but now I’m seeing more of them. Fewer wasps, fewer mosquitoes, fewer black flies, fewer insects altogether.

For the first time, we experienced a slug problem in the garden (in fact, they appear to have taken over the yard!), along with a tomato blight and themes-and-variations of mildews, rusts, funguses, and pest invasions. But the raspberry crop is astounding, for the second year in a row. Wildflowers and perennials have been awesome.

Along with the extraordinary wetness this year, there was a cold, dry start to the growing season. Latest frosts we’ve had in a decade, requiring a second planting in the veggie garden, which in turn might have affected crop development and sensitivity to the various malaises.

There’s been a dearth of activity in our pond, which normally houses fish, shellfish, and associated bugs, and draws kingfishers, herons, wood ducks, and things that prey on all of the above. But aside from an intense “peeper” season, we’ve neither heard nor seen the usual pond-related wildlife. The water has remained high, and summer scummy plant life bloomed very early. Not sure what to make of all that.

We’ve also noticed many more garden and field snakes than ever before.

—Carolyn

We have a pretty big stocked pond on our property and very skinny rainbows and brookies this year.  So we KNOW that hatches are down due to the daily and nightly drenchings.  Nor is the surface of the pond being suddenly broken by natural fly assaulting trout.  But we remain hopeful and the fly rods are by the side door primed for quick action!

I think the reason for the lack of mosquitoes, at least in Lincoln, is due to the fact that we have had rain almost daily which washes out the pools of standing water before the larvae have time to hatch.  It’s just a thought.

Marty

I have read a lot of articles on this plant, but no one seems to know that this plant is known as a ghost plant because it glows in the dark.

Dave—It occurs to me that these successive summers of substantial moisture, paired with relatively mild winters that have featured long-season snow cover, must be about optimal for tree growth. I’m seeing enormous growth of white pine shoots and limbs on a usually dry site near our house. Perhaps these luxuriant seasons are just what the forest requires to bank the reserves needed to withstand the next insect attack or drought or whatever comes down the pipe. Nice thought anyway - helps offset the rotting squash.—Chuck

Hey Vicky,

By this time next year I will have installed a wind turbine to supply electricity to my house, hot tub, barn, and my outside wood boiler. Are you going to have a problem with my wind generator too?

If your neighbor installed one would you be the type that complains about the noise, the way that it might appear, or that a bird might fly into it and lose its life? Or would you be proud of the fact that your neighbor is doing his part to help the environment?