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!).
We’re going to purposely ignore the fact that there’s fresh snow on the ground at the moment and offer up a more hopeful look at the forest floor. What kind of flower is this?
Wild ginger, Asarum canadense. The unusual, maroon flowers can be hard to see, as they’re typically hidden by the foliage of the plant.
We had 51 guesses this week, 46 of them correct.
This week’s contest winner was Ryan Owens of Keene, New Hampshire.