Site Discussions

Thank you so much for this article which contains pertinent information for each insect covered. I was able to identify the caterpillars that were munching away on my kitchen window sill parsley plants as Black Swallowtail. I had just purchased the them 2 weeks previously and never thought to look for butterfly eggs. Also, some years ago in my urban Monarch Way Station garden, I observed an amazing-looking moth with transparent wings basking on the stepping stone next to my Buddelia. I was able to identify it as the Snowberry Clearwing and am truly sorry to say that I saw it only the one time. Again, thank you for the enjoyment I received from learning about these particular creatures.

Excellent piece, thank you!  Sally M. is a North Country treasure who is doing tremendous work.

There’s no doubt land conservation has been a huge success in the Northern Forest with 6 million acres, or almost a quarter of the entire region, conserved.  

But not so for the goal of rebuilding the region’s economic vibrancy.  In the past 25 years the population has fallen in many Northern Forest sub-regions (for example, Coos County NH), town centers have hollowed out (Berlin, Whitefield), social and demographic metrics have worsened (look at Coos County vs. NH state averages) and, no surprise, young people have been leaving for better opportunities elsewhere.

How are we to assess the overall Northern Forest effort when the critical regional economy component has largely failed?

And now that land conservation has been a success and economic redevelopment has failed, what is to be done?

The answer is unlikely to be motorized recreation.  

To us, motorized recreation is another short- to medium-term economic revival dream similar in many ways to the flawed mega-projects cast as saviors.  

Just like a new prison, new transmission line or new solid waste facility, the key to motorized recreation is that the North Country is selling out “siting rights” at a sharp discount.  In economic theory, it’s just another extractive industry.

The endless stream of pickups pulling side-by-sides and sleds up the interstates are coming from further south where these activities would be shunned (and couldn’t be sited) if they reached scale.  So they come up here instead and over-use cheap North Country public goods.  

Are we “smart” for mispricing the siting rights?  And will our motorized recreation payoff survive the transition to a non-carbon economy any better than the biomass plants?

New approaches are needed.  To use the terms from the article, perhaps it’s time to move past the tired “divide” between “outsiders” and “locals”.  

This divide may be old news.  We see it less and less in today’s world where classifications are suspect, populations are always in flex and, most important, relationships, communities, ideas, movement of capital and value creation are no longer hemmed in by physical locations.

As one example, is the new trend to remote working a Northern Forest opportunity?

Maybe focus public funds and the creativity of our best and brightest on designing and building broadband, other infrastructure and critical mass minimums in key services that would attract remote workers (yes, “outsiders”) to our region?

Done well, and depending on whether the transition to remote work is a lasting trend (an open question), creating successful magnet areas for remote workers could bring a spending power that would dwarf motorized recreation and might start to transform local economies.

Why not launch a crash program to set up a few of these on a trial basis to see if they work and can persist?

This could be a public/private partnership.  For private landowners considering land conservation, would it be equally valuable and socially responsible to look at land use initiatives that would attract remote workers?  Say a 100-acre cluster development with common areas and amenities close to a town center in the midst of 2,000 acres of preserved land?

Done right, with respect for the land and in recognition of the benefits to all (“locals” included) of more diverse and strong communities, could this be a step beyond the old “divide”?  A step in the new direction of breaking down “the space between”?

Jeanne, thank you. Our assistant editor Meghan McCarthy McPhaul manages the series, and our amazing long-term artist for the series is Adelaide Tyrol. Check out her website! http://adelaidetyrol.com/

I love this feature “Outside Story”. I love the entire newsletter, actually but I wish to express my great admiration of the illustrator. I cannot make out the person’s name. Just lovely artwork. Thank you.

About 3 years ago, I had just backed out of a driveway on Spear St in East Charlotte,  close to the south end of Spear St. A very large cat, the size of the biggest Labrador retriever, was slowly crossing the road just in front of me. I stopped the car. He/she didn’t seem interested in me at all. He/she was all one color, the color of a yellow lab or female lion. He/she had a distinctly cat face with round cat ears, not bobcat ears. His tail was long. His body was longer than a dog’s body. He/she was muscular and moved gracefully in a loping manner. I have since been on safari in Botswana, Africa where I saw lionesses. He/she looked a lot like a lioness. At the time, I was so astounded that I immediately looked up “mountain lion” on my phone and what I saw was exactly the same. I have also seen bobcats in my yard. They look very different from what I saw. This cat was MUCH larger, totally different ears, all one color, long tail.

A pair of mourning doves have nested in one of my hanging geranium baskets on my front porch for two summers now.  The second of two chicks just left the nest today.  It has been so interesting and heartwarming watching the mother and father care for their two babies.

The parents even became used to me watering the the geraniums in their basket while sitting on the eggs….....not even moving when I was doing so.  Amazing!  (Of course I was careful to try and not flood the nest)

Just another of our Creator’s amazing creations!

I have a couple of foxes I’ve been feeding for almost three years now. This year a smaller one has shown up with what I believe is mange on its tail. I really want to help it out but am afraid the other two will get the meds as well. I’ve noticed this one coming early to eat but sometimes the other ones come and chase off the little one. Any ideas will be appreciated.

On July 16 2020,I spotted something on my flower. It was the first time I saw or even knew there was such a thing as a hummingbird moth. Very interesting. I only saw it for about 2 minutes.

On Saturday 7-27-2020 my two grandchildren dipped a water scorpion from a small lake in central Maryland.  It was quite impressive and totally black in color.  I can send a picture it via text if you like. We released it unharmed.

I have loved watching my Phoebes who return year after year to a well established nest under my deck.  My anxiety is that I am due for deck repair and staining and don’t want to disturb them if they are raising another brood.  Help?

I appreciate the information about the acidity in wild grapes, which I wasnt aware of when I made my jelly.  I will juice the last batch of grapes and following your refrigeration instructions.  The first & second batch I made I’ve tasted/eaten and although it has an incredible grape flavor and sets up perfectly without store-bought pectin, there is a little ‘bite’ to the jelly.  Thank you.

Just had my second Fisher sighting this morning, around 9:30am, in my yard.  I live in a rural area surrounded by heavy woodland.  The first time was several years ago when I saw this large black head with tiny ears poking out if the hedgerow in my yard.  I had no idea what it was, so I called my husband, who knew immediately what it was.  This morning, as I opened my side door, I saw the Fisher come out of the heavy bush on the side of the road, where it proceeded to lope across.  It reached the edge of the other side of the road, stopped, reared up on it’s hind legs, looked ahead, then continued to enter the scrub across the road.  He/she was quite large, with a big bushy tail.  Was quite an impressive site.

I noticed no one specified Boiled Linseed Oil. You have to use it because raw linseed oil will never cure. BLO will seal the end grain as well as the handle. Doing as earlier said put it on heavy the first time to let it soak into the wood then wiping off the excess, and let it cure over night or even a full 24 hours, then daily for 4 or 5 days add thin coats while sanding with fine grit paper lightly wiping the wood down to get rid of the sanding dust, then adding a thin coating, I normally apply it a little at a time and then spreading with my bare hands and rubbing into the wood, rubbing hard enough to make your hands warm, if you do this well there really won’t be much or any oil to wipe off, go ahead and wipe it if you can see wet patches. BLO never completely dries and will continue to penetrate the wood!
What I’ve described is how I’ve finished rifle stocks. But I usually apply from a minimum of 8 coats and for a really great finish up to 16 or more. The hand rubbing is the trick. For hand tools you can add coat of oil every year to keep it in best condition.
I hope I’ve helped,
Bill

Lisabeth, Thanks for an informative and inspiring article on turtle conservation. My husband and I have 260 acres of forested property in Newark, Vt that contains several beaver ponds, some sedge meadows and a medium size stream corridor. We are managing the property for wildlife habitat and are wondering if we might have any turtles using the variety of habitats.  We have never seen any painted or spotted turtles basking in the ponds or come across any wood turtles on land.
Are there any pointers you or others might share on how we might have better luck in discovering if turtles are using the property?  Thanks!

Has anyone succeeded in evicting muskrats from a pond? If so, how did you do it?

Really enjoy reading the comments.
I happen to have Mourning Doves nesting just below the gutter at my front door (first noticed them 7/6/20). Recently placed a birdbath nearby; neighbors both have feeders out. Read elsewhere that they get their water from the bugs they eat (kinda gross!). Am excited to see when their chicks (?) hatch!!

We have had an increase of wood thrushes on our property this summer We have 4 acres in woodland surrounded by natural streams on three sides. Just yesterday,we had at least 3 wood thrush calling back an forth both in early morning and again in the early evening. I was so delighted to hear them. They seem to enjoy singing high in our oak trees.

I am finding many Box Elder burls here in Missoula.  For some reason the trees are very prone to burls.

I have a red fox that trotted through the clearing on edge of woods outside my work window.  Short hair no hair on tail and laid down in front of the window scratching its back. Emaciated.  I started ivermectin today.  I had given it a rotisserie chicken on thurs when I was leaving work.  Chicken is gone. I’m using a dog squeaky toy to let it know there is food. This sounds like a rabbit to them. I just don’t want it laying in front of my window with clients gasping at how aweful it looks.  I will see if this treatment works.

Thank you, Douglas. We’re committed to keeping it going for a full year, at minimum. We started the series as a way to help people connect with local nature and seasonal change during the pandemic. Really appreciate the positive feedback!