What in the Woods Is That?

Play our biweekly guessing game!

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!).

Leaves of Three

“Leaves of three, let them be” is the old saying to help keep you from touching poison ivy, but not all plants that have leaves or leaflets arranged in groups of threes have the potential to cause you discomfort. These five plants were observed in mid-summer in southern Vermont on average to richer soils. What are they? (We’re just looking for common names.)

Answer

1. Hog Peanut
2. Jack-in-the-pulpit
3. Pointed-leaved Tick Trefoil
4. Trillium
5. Virgin’s Bower

This week’s contest winner was Deborah Grabber