CNWE Green Header Image Bar
Newsletter
October 3, 2014
In This Issue
Editor's Blog
What In The Woods?
Last Week's Contest Answer
Northern Woodlands News
Quick Links
woodworking EDITOR'S BLOG
On Writing and Woodworking
Dave Mance III           

 

I built a front door for camp last weekend. Step one involved pulling some moderately dry 2x12s off the pile of rough cut lumber we're working from and planing them. Step two involved ripping them down with the help of my partner...

 

otters THE OUTSIDE STORY 

The Odor Side of Otters                  

Susan Shea                                                     

 

We slid our canoe over the beaver dam and paddled into the upper, smaller pond. A breeze rippled the water and rustled the reeds lining the shore. Suddenly I spied four long, sleek brown figures cavorting in the water...

 

Full Article Text
clubmosses

Ancient Forests, Chipmunk Height   

Edna Greig                                                       

 

You've discovered a tiny evergreen forest of what look like diminutive hemlock or cedar trees barely taller than a chipmunk. They're spread across the cool shade cast by a canopy of hardwood or coniferous trees. This Lilliputian forest is actually a clump of clubmosses...

 

Full Article Text

uey tree

What the heck happened to make this tree "turn" out this way? (Thanks to Rick Russack in New Hampshire for the photo. 

   

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 More Than a Woodlot, our paperback guide to forest stewardship. A prize winner will be drawn at random from all the correct entries. The correct answer, and the winner's name, will appear in our next e-newsletter. 

 


This week's contest deadline is 8:00 AM, Wednesday, October 15, 2014.
foliage fail Previous Contest Answer

Congratulations to our winner Ali Kosiba of Jericho, VT! Ali receives a copy of our book, More Than A Woodlot.

 

 

 

Leaves are turning beautiful colors this time of year, but these spots aren't so pretty. What are they? Bonus points for identifying the tree.

 

NW Answer:

Linden leaf blotch on a basswood leaf. (Basswood is a close relative of lindens, which are common landscaping trees.) Although it looks like the more recognizable giant tar spot, which is a common disease on Norway maple, giant tar spot does not affect basswood.     

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

NW Woodpecker logo NORTHERN WOODLANDS NEWS

Our cup runneth over. Actually, our inbox spilleth over. Either way, we have a lot of interesting news stories that cross our desks. Here were some of our favorites:


NATURE

An argument against planting trees? In the last episode, we learned that plants can sing. Now we hear that trees can talk. Can you tell a raven from a crow? This guy might actually figure out whether a tree falling in the forest makes a sound. A sad and unusual black bear attack in New Jersey. Here's some more typical bear behavior - at bath time. The latest trend: Turning cemeteries into forests. And a monarch cloud that stumped the meteorologists.

INDUSTRY

Got yours yet? Firewood is in short supply. Also, the latest developments surrounding EPA's wood heat air quality regulations. The timber industry faces challenges in Alaska and forest biomass in the southwest will soon fuel Southwest's planes. Two stories on the strange powers of biochar: here and here. A new Army contract for biomass power at a northern New York base.

STORIES YOU'VE SHARED

On November 1, a special evening of storytelling will be held at the Flynn Theatre in Burlington to support Vermont Parks Forever, a new foundation supporting Vermont State Parks. The evening will be hosted by Tom Bodett and feature writer/raconteur Roy Blount Jr., Vermont's own astrobiologist Kevin Hand, and others. To purchase tickets or learn more, click here. 
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) 368-1053
Email: mail@northernwoodlands.org
General inquiries form

Top of Page
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.