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!).

Sparkling Stones

These sparkling stones(?) were found in a southern Vermont trout stream. What are they?

Answer

If only these emerald rocks were jade. Instead, they’re glass slag, the byproduct of an 1800s iron foundry. The pig iron produced at this site was used to make horseshoes for union troops during the civil war, and train tracks that connected Vermont with the Appalachian coal belt. Later, real coal replaced charcoal as an industrial heat source, and much of the nation’s iron work consolidated into the Midwestern and Appalachian coal states. If you’re a history buff, stay tuned for a fascinating article on the wood chemical industry in our Winter issue.