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!).

Spooky Find

While walking along a forest trail in Strafford, Vermont, we noticed these charred zombie fingers poking out of an old hardwood snag – and took a photo before making a run for it. What are these?

Answer

These are the dark fruiting bodies of dead man’s fingers, most likely Xylaria polymorpha (although perhaps a related species). These mushroom-like fungi are found on decaying hardwood and have a long growing season, from spring through October. To read more about them, check out this write-up on the University of Wisconsin-Madison horticulture website.

This week’s contest winner was Don Maki