August 13th, 2010 What in the Woods is That?

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!).

Wild Shapes

You’ll need to tell us what it is to win, but feel free to also include your Rorschachian interpretations.

Answer

Bark from a Platanus tree – we accepted both Sycamore and London plane.

Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) are commonly found hugging watercourses from the Mississippi River basin north to southern Maine. The London plane tree is a cross between our sycamore and Platanus orientalis, a tree from southern Europe and Turkey. London planes are favored in more urban areas, based on their better tolerance to pollution and disease. The two trees look nearly identical.

Thanks to photographer Erik Gehring for sharing this great picture. Check out more of Erik’s work at www.erikgehring.com, and learn more about his Barks of the Arnold Arboretum show at http://www.erikgehring.com/WebReady/Pages/BarksHome.html

This week’s contest winner was Rich Vacherot of Santa Rosa Valley, CA! We had 75 correct answers.

Visit the What in the Woods is That? archive.