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Newsletter
December 2, 2011
In This Issue
Editor's Blog
The Outside Story
What In The Woods?
Last Week's Contest Answer
Northern Woodlands News
Quick Links

acorns EDITOR'S BLOG
The Acorn Fairy

Virginia Barlow 

 

Last night a friend from the next town over asked me whether I'd noticed an abundance of oak seedlings this fall. "Noticed?" Hell, I've been going nuts trying to figure out how oak seedlings could suddenly be popping up in droves where they never had been before. And so I was relieved to learn that I'm not the only puzzled bushwhacker around... 

 

Full Article Text 

rare earth THE OUTSIDE STORY 

The Future is Made of Rare Earth     

Madeline Bodin 

 

Tom Mortimer of Amherst, N.H., an avid amateur mineral collector, has the most complete collection of New Hampshire minerals anywhere in the state. Most of the time his tabletop-sized display case of nearly 300 minerals is stored in his home office, but several times a year he packs it up and displays it at mineral shows...

 

Full Article Text
rocks of ages WHAT IN THE WOODS IS THAT?
Our Biweekly Guessing Game!

Here's a little woodland mystery for you.

Reader Larry Mulligan has been investigating stone chambers in Putnam County, New York. This picture shows one of about 12 chambers on this particular property. Apparently they predate historical records in that area, so nobody knows for sure what they were used for. What's your guess? Since we don't know the answer either, we'll select a winner based on the most creative answer.   


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, December 14, 2011.
what is it Previous Contest Answer

Congratulations to our winner Randy Wilcox of Leicester, VT! Randy receives a copy of our book, The Outside Story.
 

With late November's trees free of leaves, things once hidden have been revealed. Laury Saligman shared this photo of clumps of leaves and twigs in a cluster of trees. What are they?   


NW Answer: Bear nests.


These clumps of leaves and twigs were made by a black bear sitting in the crotch of a beech tree, breaking branches and pulling them toward her to get at the beech nuts. When the bear was done feeding and climbed down out of the tree, she left these nest-like structures behind.

 

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

NW Woodpecker logo NORTHERN WOODLANDS NEWS

Green Mountain Timber Harvests a Generation Later

The Bennington County Sustainable Forest Consortium is sponsoring a workshop on the Green Mountain National Forest on Saturday December 3, 2011, 9 a.m. to early afternoon. Participants will visit five different harvest sites to view and discuss forest regeneration following clearcut, shelterwood, and patch cut treatments implemented as long ago as 20 years or more. Jeff Tilley, GMNF Forester, will be the guide. Meet at 9 a.m. at the AT/LT parking area on Rts. 11/30 in Winhall, VT (The parking area is on the north side of the highway, somewhat hidden from view downslope.) Dress for the weather! Warm clothing, rain gear, hat, gloves, and waterproof boots are recommended. Contact the Bennington County Conservation District for information at 802 442-2275 or by email.  

Forest Management Roundtable

Good Forestry in the Granite State, a newly revised guide on voluntary forest management practices, will be the focus of an interactive presentation and discussion on water quality, wetlands, riparian areas, and stream crossings. Karen Bennett, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension forestry specialist, will provide an overview of the new edition of Good Forestry and lead the roundtable discussion. Ellen Snyder, board member of Bear-Paw Regional Greenways land trust, will provide an update on New Hampshire's Shoreland Water Quality Protection Act. The event is December 7 at 7 p.m. in the Blaisdell Memorial Library in Nottingham. Click here for more information.  

Work Your Woodlot

Penn State Extension is offering a series of webinars on forest stewardship on the second Tuesday of the month through June. The series kicks off December 13 with hour-long sessions on small-scale logging at noon and 7 p.m. Dr. Peter Smallidge, New York extension forester at Cornell University, will cover small-scale strategies for working in your woodlot in these sessions. Other upcoming topics in the series include the emerald ash borer, wild turkeys, and early successional wildlife habitat. For more information and to register, click here
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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.