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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST I was going through my maple photo archives the other day and came across this one. It shows me pouring a bunch of sap on a “big run” day during the 2010 maple season. This was also the day that dumped a record 3Continue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? During the summer and fall you can go for a walk and find something sweet to eat hanging from a vine, bush, or tree in the form of berries, apples, or grapes. But the winter is often bleak for such sweet things. Unless youContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? The large, dark tree in the background is a red oak. All those tracks are from deer in search of last fall’s acorns. It’s amazing how roughed up the snow is from these hungry deer. All the more reason to open up your oakContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Although winter has been quite “wintry” this year and the forecast is calling for 2 more days below 0 at night, mid-February is right around the corner and showing highs in the upper 30s in central Ulster County. When those temperatures arrive, the firstContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I’d say most of the apple trees we prune at members’ properties are less than 50 years old. Once in a while, we get to prune much older ones like this old “orchard” on an abandoned farm. Some of these trees may date backContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Hard to tell from the photo, but those are powerlines growing through the middle of those planted cherry trees. When thinking about siting a tree to plant, don’t forget to look up and think about the future of that tree(s). Either this tree needsContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? The winter pruning season is underway. It’s a real winter pruning day when you have to shake the tree or brush off each limb with the back of your handsaw before making a proper pruning cut. Hopefully, all this work will lead to aContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Each summer I tan 2 deerskins from the prior fall’s harvested deer into leather, using hemlock bark. This year I made a simple rifle sling for a new rifle Santa Claus brought me this Christmas. Thankfully there are many templates online with video instructionsContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Every time I see this mountain’s silhouette, it sure does remind me of home. It’s the silhouette of Paltz Point or “Sky Top” on the Shawangunk Ridge that sits above the Wallkill & Rondout Valleys. The stone fire tower was built in 1923 andContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? My 2nd oldest daughter–Maple–finally got her wish when it snowed recently. She’s been asking for “Maple on Snow” or “Jackwax” as some call it. This is when maple syrup is heated up to about 235 degrees and poured over fresh snow to make aContinue Reading