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 invertebrate in a wetland in Franklin County, New York. What is it? What kind of wetland conditions does this species prefer?
This is a bog copper butterfly, a species that lives in acidic bogs across the Northeast and in southern Canada. Its caterpillars only feed on cranberry leaves, and adults prefer the nectar of cranberry flowers, meaning they are never found far from bogs!
This week’s contest winner was Alexandria Soldo