Whatever draws us into the forest—be it birdwatching or logging, hiking or hunting—all of us are unified by the sense of wonder we feel in the outdoors. The forests, fields, and streams of our region are full of mystery, and if you stop and look closely, you’ll see all sorts of oddities.
Below find a picture of one such woodlands curio. Guess what it is and you’ll be eligible to win a Northern Woodlands woodpecker magnet designed by artist Liz Wahid. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner’s name, will appear when the next column is posted and in our newsletter (sign up here!).
We found this gray birch with splashes of red on its trunk. What caused this tree’s blush?
The discoloration is red bark phenomenon (RBP), caused by green algae containing orange-red pigments. (For more about RBP, check out this February 2021 entry of This Week in the Woods.)
This week’s contest winner was Byron Murray