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!).
Reader Ann Basehore found this squiggly, gelatinous mass on a red cedar tree in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. What is it?
That’s cedar apple rust, a funky-looking fungus, but one that rarely causes much damage to host trees. Check out this post from the University of Minnesota for more information.
This week’s contest winner was Sam Dengel