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Newsletter
| October 7, 2011
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 EDITOR'S BLOG
Weight Bearing Trees
Virginia Barlow
Soon after the ice storm in January 1998, I passed through an apple orchard on my way uphill to an ice-shattered woodlot. The birches surrounding the orchard were bent into, the maples were a terrible mess of broken branches, some on the ground, some dangling helplessly from the trees, but the apple trees looked as though nothing had happened...
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 THE OUTSIDE STORY
Autumn Foliage Has Botanists Red in the Face
Chuck Wooster
Last weekend, my four-year-old niece asked me why leaves turn red. Dang it; why couldn't she have asked me an easier one? Like, why do leaves turn green?...
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 WHAT IN THE WOODS IS THAT?
Our Biweekly Guessing Game!
Penny Harris of Cambridge, Vermont took this photo of a pine branch near her home. What's protruding from the branches?
Every other 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.
This week's contest deadline is 8:00 AM, Wednesday, October 19, 2011. |
 Previous Contest Answer
Congratulations to our winner Edna Greig of Kinnelon, NJ! Edna receives a copy of our book, The Outside Story. Bennington County forester Chris Stone took this picture on Friday, September 16. Well?
NW Answer: Boogie-woogie aphids.Well, that's just their nickname. This insect's true name is beech blight aphid (Grylloprociphilus imbricator). Many people guessed incorrectly that this was the woolly alder aphid, which looks remarkably similar, but is a regular pest of alders, not beech trees. The beech blight aphids, which feed primarily on the sap of beech trees, have white filaments protruding from their bluish-white bodies, giving them a wooly appearance. They gather by the thousands to form colonies on branches and the underside of leaves - colonies so extensive they can sometimes be mistaken for a dusting of snow. But it's these pests' defensive antics that earn them their nickname: when threatened, these aphids raise their posterior ends and sway back and forth, creating their own little aphid dance. This week's winner is Edna Greig, who went the extra mile by giving us the insect, the tree, and their scientific names. Visit our What In The Woods Is That? contest archive. |
 CORRECTION
So there we were, feeling all smug that we'd stumped everyone with our September 23rd WITWIT on maple seeds, when it was brought to our attention that Barbara Mackay's sixth-grade enrichment group at Newport City Elementary School in Newport, Vermont had, in fact, submitted the correct answer. The oversight was our mistake. Below, find a picture of the class standing in front of the sugar maple that sparked their interest in the contest. They are, from left to right: Alyssa, Jacob, Anthony, E., Cole, and Melodee. Congratulations to these savvy dendrologists! 
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NORTHERN WOODLANDS NEWS
New Publication on Harvesting Biomass from Your Woods
UMass Extension has a new publication aimed at landowners who have concerns about harvesting biomass from their woodlands. "Harvesting Biomass from Your Woods: Make an Informed Decision" explains, in eight pages, what biomass is generally used for, what a biomass harvest entails, and its effect on aesthetics, wildlife, and forest soils. The publication also provides guidelines for such harvests. It can be downloaded here.
Forest Stewardship Course in Connecticut
Two state agencies and two non-profits have joined forces to sponsor a six-session course on forest stewardship. The course will be held at the Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center in Hampton, Connecticut. The first session is on October 13. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. The cost is $30. Click here to view the course brochure for more details.
Tree Steward Training, Urban Soils Seminar at Harvard Forest
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is holding its annual Tree Steward Training Program and a new one-day Urban Soils Seminar at Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts October 27-29. The soils seminar will be an intensive review of soil science and soil management with a focus on urban soils management. Tree Steward Training provides foundational instruction in tree physiology, tree care, and other urban and community forestry issues with the aim of developing better tree stewardship in Massachusetts. Information about these programs can be found here.
Silviculture Workshop: 'Pulling the Trigger'
The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and Granite State Society of American Foresters present "Pulling the Trigger: Even-Aged Silviculture," a two-day workshop about the pros, the cons, and the how of seeing even-aged management through to the end of one stand and the start of another. Indoor informational sessions as well as field demonstrations are included in the full workshop, which takes place October 13 and 14 in New Hampshire's Fox State Forest and Annett State Forest. For full workshop details and locations, click here. To register, click here.
Forestry Loans Available Through ShadeFund
ShadeFund, a joint project of the Conservation Fund and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities, is providing loans for small businesses that use natural resources sustainably. Loans range from $5,000 to $50,000 and can be used for equipment or working capital, such as inventory, new staff, and certification. Click here for more information. |
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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
General inquiries form
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The mission of the Center for Northern Woodlands Education is to advance a culture of forest stewardship in the Northeast and 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.
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