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!).

Penny For Your Thoughts?

Reader Dick Pearson submitted this picture of two tiny fleur de lis’. What are they? And where did they come from?

Answer

A birch seed.

Believe it or not, these tiny seeds might someday become birch trees – probably gray birch, since paper birch seeds ripen in late fall. (Both species are often referred to as “white birch.”)

This week’s contest winner was Barbara