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 striking white flower in a peatland in central Vermont. What is the name of this plant and what purpose do the fringed petals serve?
This is bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), a common plant of peatlands in the Northeast. The fringed petals likely evolved to keep small nectar-thieving insects that are ineffective pollinators from reaching nectar stores.
This week’s contest winner was Robert Sanford