WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST?
I spent the weekend in the Adirondacks on a Wilderness First Aid training in order to satisfy both 1st Aid & CPR in case an unfortunate event should occur in a remote area. In any case, I haven’t been in the Adirondacks in quite some. The Adirondacks are surely beautiful. If you’re into lakes, this is the place to be. As a kid, I was most intrigued by all those small islands and remote inlets each lake seemed to have; Each lake is like a world unto itself. As a “tree guy” though, I was reminded of my dendrology experience there when I attended the NYS Ranger School back in ’04. Diversity is definitely lacking in the tree department. We are pretty blessed in the Catskills to have such good quality sugar maple, a variety of oak (in places), northern and central hardwoods combined. I first learned the names of trees (Latin) at the Ranger School. When I returned back home on winter break to the Hudson Valley, I instantly realized the disparity. The culprit for the difference is beyond the scope of this message, but the appreciation for the Catskills is worth noting. Call me a snob, but I’m glad to be back home.
Ryan Trapani
Director of Forest Services
Catskill Forest Association