Site Discussions
A very clear update on the updating of wood boilers. About time. I suppose I will be next in line to get one installed in my house. At present I have an oil burner, which is a cash cow for the oil suppliers, and as far as I am concerned, is draining away all my savings.
From "Clearing the Air: Outdoor Wood Boilers Face Regulation" »
Hey all,
I like this article. You definitely helped readers understand something about how researchers and foresters count trees without giving them the big load of trigonometry and calculus I had to work through in forestry school.
Unfortunately, you missed on one important (to a forester) “point”. When using a penny or other type of angle gage, your eye remains over a central point, not the penny. Foresters usually use a prism calibrated to bend light at the same angle you created with the penny and string. Because the angle is projected from the prism, the prism stays over one point. When you use a penny, the angle is projected from your eye and defined by the width of the penny and length of the string.
Thanks for the great work you do informing all of us about forests.
—Jon
From "Increasing the Value of a Penny" »
I certainly understand your being frightened after being told such a large animal is in your neighborhood.
You (or your neighbor) might want to contact the NY Department of Environmental Conservation to let them know about this animal. Just a heads-up: people tend to misjudge the size of animals, particularly predators. From what I’ve heard from scientists in the field, chances are good this animal is actually smaller that it appears.
I think it’s important to keep your livestock safe no matter what type of animals are in your neighborhood. Not being a farmer myself, I checked out the NY DEC Web site for info on livestock protection and found this:
“It is much easier to prevent depredation from occurring than it is to stop it once it starts. Contact your Regional DEC Wildlife Office or the USDA APHIS - Wildlife Services, 1930 Route 9, Castleton NY 12033, Phone (518) 477-4837 or visit their web site for more information.”
There are some basic things that everyone who lives near wildlife can do: don’t feed pets outside, don’t let pets roam free, don’t approach wild animals, keep your garbage locked up tight, keep an eye on your children, and make sure they know never to approach any strange animal without the animal owner’s permission.
From "Waiting for Wolves" »
My neighbor said he saw a really large coyote the other night, however he said it looked like it weighed about 80lbs. or more. Is it possible that it may be a wolf. I have baby goats and other animals on my farm that would be easy prey if it is a wolf. Please reply soon I am concerned and want to know what I should do if it is a wolf. I stay at home alone with my 2 & 5 year olds and want to take the proper actions. Please email me if you can, I think people in the neighborhood are also concerned, including the hunters.
From "Tale of the Tick: How Lyme Disease is Expanding Northward" »