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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Seeing trees like this near one’s house is what keeps tree guys in business for sure. The ash trees probably began growing as “volunteers” or from seed and let go over the past 40 or so years. Now they have been infected by emeraldContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I was out pruning some apple trees in Andes, Delaware County and noticed this behemoth sugar maple growing nearby. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but that hollow could fit a few families of racoons for sure. Hollowed out trees can be good forContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Last winter was pretty mild. It probably wasn’t the greatest for snowshoeing or other winter activities, but it was good for maple sugaring. Sugaring requires “warm” days in the 40s followed by freezing nights to induce sap flow. Due to these mild temperatures, IContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? 6 or so years ago, I transplanted a wild sycamore tree from the side of the road to my front lawn. It’s a somewhat poorly drained area where no other tree could probably grow. It’s also far enough away from the road and nearbyContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? We’re in full swing with pruning apple trees. The weather seems to be holding well too. I consider good pruning weather to be slightly below freezing. These colder temperatures reduce the chances of bark tear while pruning. When it gets too warm, the barkContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Last fall I failed to get a buck, but whatever. The 2 fat does I got were some of the fattest and healthiest I’ve gotten in years. Healthy deer have quite a bit of clean, white fat over their rump. Although deer fat isn’tContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? After more than a decade, CFA’s John MacNaught is moving on from CFA to Sportsfield Specialities in Delhi, Delaware County. John & I began a new chapter at CFA years ago by steering CFA towards field-based programs or services. After John was hired full-time,Continue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? My wife and I just finished this “Indiana Jones” hat. This leather was hemlock-tanned from a deer taken 2 years ago. I do the tanning process on the deer, taking it from blood and guts to leather. She does the sewing which takes quiteContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? This is apparently a lithograph of the hamlet of Samsonville, Ulster County in 1855 which Historian Harry Haring said was “the most important town in the entire Catskills” in its heyday. The largest employer was Henry Samson’s tannery that employed over 70 men! HeContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? This map shows states with Prescribed Fire Councils (PFC). Forming a PFC is one step a state can make to bring “good” fire back to field and forest to meet a variety of goals (i.e. ecological, safety, wildlife, forest health, etc.). It’s also aContinue Reading