Site Discussions

My kids and I have often talked about trying to make a batch of birch syrup, but were always too busy with the maple sugaring.  I didn’t realize that the season runs later.  Why does the birch sap run differ from the maple sap run, and when exactly should birch trees be tapped?

Thanks for the post.

It is sad that our beloved pet dogs do not often enjoy a life as long as the captive Raccoon or Red Fox. That’s just wrong!

I have maple tree in my yard that is infested with these things. Will they attack my kids?

I hear you with your frustration about jargon, Bruce. I hate it when people use the word “community” to mean anything other than the town they live in. Every time I hear the phrase “ecosystem services” my eyes glaze over and I want to hit my head against the wall.

But why not make your point without sarcasm? And why take words as a personal insult? We’re on the same team here.

Well, yippee-ca-yay!  I was actually interested in this article until the author called “blow down”, “WINDTHROW”!
Just like the new fad of calling a FARM, a CSA. (Community Supported Agriculture for you old schoolers).  Changing the names of things, or making up new ones like WINDTHROW, seems to validate these peoples sense of importance or knowledge or something. I’m sick of the jargon!
By the way, SAW LUMBER out of an increment bored tree, and tell me that that process does no damage to the trees inherent value as lumber, or its NATURAL lifespan. Woods grow, oh, wait….I mean FORESTS. Humans use the trees at all stages of their lives for many many things, and have for millennia. Likely will continue to as well. I don’t need someone to tell me if a tree is “OLD” or not. As a responsible land owner, (and logger) I don’t cut the “Big Boys”. We all know they both act as “seeders” and are beautiful, majestic, homes to a myriad of life. And that the hearts are often rotted. But then again, nowhere in the article did this SPECIALIST tell me that the trees were beautiful, and majestic. Maybe they really are not. Sure hope someone else graduates college so they can tell me the facts .  All sarcasm aside, sell these stories in NYC, NOT in the northeast woods. You keep romanticizing our lives up here, and more twerps will come and tell us what we can and must do with them. Land and its usage included.

Yikes, this stuff is wicked. I am trying to clean out my over run raspberry patch and this weed seems to find the soil perfect there.I was not prepared for the reaction I got when I brushed up against it. It has been an hour and I still have the welts where it touched. I tried vinegar and that seems to have calmed it down. Looks like I will have to dig it out to get rid of it. It is really bad.

An important feature of Japanese knotweed that you might want to know is that this plant is one of the richest sources of the antioxidant resveritol (also found in grape skins and seeds) known. By eating the plant, you are not just helping to curb its invasive activities. You are treating yourself to a wonderful supply of anti cancer and microbial agents.

I suffer from chronic Lyme disease and need all the anti microbials I can get. Thus, I rinse and dry the stem tips and whitish roots that come up when I pull the plants. Once dry, fill a mason jar to within an inch of the top with the product, then fill with the strongest (150 plus proof) vodka, tequila, or rum you can find and soak it.
Being nightshade sensitive, I do not use vodka (from potatoes).

Let it stand several weeks, filter out the plant debris and store it tightly covered out of the light in a cool, dry place. Use a few drops daily (up to 30 twice a day, but start with 5 and build up to it gradually) in 8 oz water, iced tea, or a smoothie to add these fantastic nutrients to your healthy diet.
To your good health.

Meghan, I SO hear you on the Japanese Knotweed topic. When I travel over the Smuggler’s Notch road onto the Stowe side, this noxious invasive starts to appear on the sides of Rt 108S like a radioactive tsunami. I’ve watched over the years as it has almost entirely taken over most of Stowe’s roadways all the way to the bottom into the village. I hope (and I think) they are aware of its presence, but I’m afraid there is little they can do about it now it is so pervasive. I’ve noticed a large patch of it in my neighbors back yard and so want to address the issue with them about how bad this plant is. And it’s mostly selfish as I do not want it to make its way onto my woods and fields. What to do, what to do? :^(  Thanks for the culinary article!!  Penelope

Thank you for this advice. I am about to plant some trees.  I recently had a huge poplar crash to the ground. I then noticed wire through it - it may have been there for decades.

Call a consulting forester and have him or her walk your woodlot with you. He’ll give you a sense of the trees’ value, local markets, good logging contractors in your area. http://forestry.msu.edu/extension/extdocs/consulfor/consult.htm

I own a property where a tannery once stood.  Whenever I dig near that sight I smell a distinctive noxious odor.  Could that be from residue of the hemlock tanning process that was dumped there? Is it hazardous or just obnoxious?  It was probably active in the late 1800’s.

Very insightful article, well done ;)

I have 30 acres of mostly sugar maples, I have what I think are many straight veneer logs,  How do I go about getting a fair price for my trees?

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  From what I can see in reading commentary on this bill is that it brings nothing of real value and has potential for much trouble.

Bob Z

My six year old son jumped into a bush that resembled deadly nightshade but the doctors said it wasn’t night shade.  My son had boils and swollen legs within minutes of jumping in.  He was screaming his legs and arms were on fire.  The docs gave him high doses of steroids and soaked his legs in a salt water solution.  I guess I’m wondering if you know of any plants that can cause that? By the time I took our German friend up to look for the bush- the maintenance folks had dug it all up.

I think the age given for White Pines (“maybe as old as 200”) is a little low. In 2004 I cored a group of five White Pines in a forested wetland about 60 miles north of here near the Kennebec; they showed ages of from 217 to 330 years.The tree centers were deteriorated but the ages were based on the rings counted; had to use magnification.

In keeping with Earth Day 2012, this is a great article and is an example of how we can utilize technologies to better understand our environment. There are a couple of other apps out there that might be of interest to your readers. The first helps to document and map invasive species, plants and animals. http://whatsinvasive.com/ “What’s Invasive” help collect information about Invasive species that are a threat to native plants and animals, crowding natives, consuming food sources, or acting as fire hazards. Another app is focused on river systems. http://creekwatch.researchlabs.ibm.com/ “Creek Watch” help engage citizen scientists and help “crowd source” data collection -  something the Audobon Society pioneered over 100 years ago. Tech apps aid nature http://shar.es/rOFKE using mobile & social tech to crowd source data for protecting water

Having worked on State land and as a County Forester since 1948,
except for Army time, I have seen many “faces” on trees in the woods of Northern Vt. I like this even though you have to use your imagination.
Perhaps Northern Woodland ought to “gather” such things up into a
booklet or so. Glad to hear others see faces in the woods also.

Just wanted to pass along that the gypsy moth was not the downfall of the once mighty Chestnut. It is a blight introduced by well meaning idiots in NYC from Chinese chestnut trees in 1904.

Hi.  Thanks for the great article.  I am interested in using some of the photos of hemlock bark logging and leather tanneries for an interpretive sign panel I am developing as part of an Interpretive Media course at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point.  The sign may potentially be published at the Van Vliet Hemlocks natural area in Vilas County, Wisconsin.  Who should I contact about acquiring permission for these photos?  I am particularly interested in the photos of the hemlocks laying on the forest floor, and the one of the tannery workers striping hides.

Thank you very much!
Jennica