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!).

Memorial Day Mystery

Red petals decorate the forest floor in Windham County, Vermont, on Memorial Day weekend. What are they?

Answer

Diana Todd sent along the photo. She reports that they look like flower petals but are, in fact, leaf bracts from a black cherry. Here’s a second photograph showing an unshed leaf bract at the base of newly budded leaves.

This week’s contest winner was Michaeline Mulvey of Bowdoin, ME