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Newsletter
December 4, 2009
In This Issue
Editor's Blog
The Outside Story
What In The Woods?
Last Week's Contest Answer
Northern Woodlands News
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deer blog picture EDITOR'S BLOG
L-O-L-A Lola?

It's not uncommon for pictures of hunter-killed buck deer to show up in my email inbox; what was strange about this case was the title of the email: antlered doe. As you can see from the picture at left, this was an exceptional...
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Waterbear Tyrol illustration THE OUTSIDE STORY
Water bears: Cute Little Survivors are Everywhere

So you think you're tough surviving a northern New England winter? Well, consider the amazingly resilient "water bears," creatures that live all around us but that can only be seen through a microscope. They live the world over and can withstand levels of...
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What in the Woods contest image WHAT IN THE WOODS IS THAT?
Our Weekly Guessing Game!


This native tree is common throughout the Northeast. What is it?

Each week we run a photo of something unusual found in the woods. Guess what it is and you'll be eligible to win a copy of The Outside Story, a paperback collection of our Outside Story newspaper columns. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner's name, will appear in next week's column.


View the full image and enter this week's contest

This week's contest deadline is 5:00pm, Wednesday, December 9th.
What in the Woods contest image Last Week's Contest Answer

Congratulations to our winner, Paul Griner of West Lafayette, IN! We had 49 correct answers. Paul receives a copy of our book, The Outside Story.

No hints on this one. What in the woods is it?

NW Answer: An oak gall wasp.
 
There are a variety of gall-forming wasps in the northern forest, and several species that target oak trees specifically. Gall-forming wasps usually overwinter as adults away from their host trees. In spring, as the buds begin to break, a female wasp will seek out an oak tree and lay her eggs in the expanding plant tissue. When an egg hatches, the wasp larva secretes growth-regulating chemicals that, when combined with the oak tree's own plant chemicals, produce a gall. After a brief period of cell growth, gall development stops. The insect remains in its "house," and feeds on gall tissue until it's mature.
 
Thanks to photographer Andy Crosier for sharing this wonderful photo.
 
We're also still receiving theories on the McIntyre sawmill picture we ran a few weeks back, and we'd like to share one interesting one that was submitted by Windsor County (Vermont) forester Jon Bouton:
 
"Perhaps McIntyre invented this saw to provide wooden buttons to the Johnson Wool Mill for Paul Bunyan's work clothes. The trees back then were much larger than we usually see today, and the sawyer would cut off some wide 8/4 and 12/4 planks. Then they used this button saw to cut buttons out of those planks. The 2-inch thick buttons were for Paul's longjohns, and the more rugged 3-inch buttons were for his coats and pants."

We left messages at the Johnson Wool Mill to see if they could shed any light on this for us, but the calls were not returned by press time.

Visit our What In The Woods Is That? contest archive.

NW Woodpecker logo NORTHERN WOODLANDS NEWS
Reserve Your Advertising Space by 12/29/09

Our Spring 2010 issue hits news stands on March 1st. But now is the time to make sure you are included as an advertiser.  Northern Woodlands magazine reaches 15,000 readers across New England, New York, and beyond.

Take a look at our website for specifications and rates. You'll also see our free online listing of print advertisers in the Northern Woodlands Market Place.

 You may contact Amy Peberdy through the website advertising inquiry form, by email: amy@northernwoodlands.org and by phone: (802) 439-6292.
We Welcome Your Questions and Comments
Postal Address:
Northern Woodlands
1776 Center Road
P.O. Box 471
Corinth, VT  05039
Toll-Free: (800) 290-5232
Phone: (802) 439-6292
Fax: (802) 439-6296
Email: mail@northernwoodlands.org
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The mission of the Center for Northern Woodlands Education is to encourage a culture of forest stewardship in the Northeast by producing and distributing media content to increase understanding of and appreciation for the natural wonders, economic productivity, and ecological integrity of the region's forests. Our programs give people the information they need to help build a sustainable future for our region. Through Northern Woodlands magazine, the Northern Woodlands Goes to School program, and special publications, we make a difference in how people care for their land.