WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Now is the time–from Memorial Day to mid-August or so—to peel hemlock logs. As a hobby, I like to use hemlock bark to tan deerskins into leather. Seeing these “naked” logs was once a common thing in the forest back in the early 19thContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Been working on another doe-skin over the last month or so. It’s gone from that fleshy & hairy thing to almost full-grain leather. Everything has been done in the de-hairing and scraping department. Now, all that is left is patience and waiting for theContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? CFA has been receiving quite a few calls/emails recently on sick or dying trees losing their leaves. Don’t fret. Your tree might have been frosted by that one day in late May that reached 27 degrees or lower. Newly emerging leaves are most susceptibleContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Sounds resembling raindrops can be heard on a perfectly sunny day in parts of the Catskills. Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) has reappeared in central and southern Ulster County. It attacks mainly oak trees in significant numbers about every 10 years. Healthy trees can normallyContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Pitch pine (Pinus rigida) is one of the most interesting trees on the Shawangunk Ridge. Got to see them again last weekend on a short excursion. Pitch pine on top of the ridge is “dwarfed” since the soil is next to nothing up there.Continue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Got a chance to revisit one of my favorite little brook trout streams; It’s been a couple of years. A portion of this stream is flat and meanders through a sandy bed, indicating it was once a beaver swamp many years ago. From theContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I’ve showed this timeline before, but here’s a 2023 update on the growth of my pear tree & my oldest daughter–Metta Mae. It’s fun to watch them both grow. May the Forest Be with You, Ryan Trapani Director of Forest Services Catskill ForestContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? The stream conditions were just right & I had the time to take the rod for a walk in the woods. Got lucky & landed these 3 brown trout beauties. The one was just about 12 inches! To me, trout fishing is just anContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? It’s fun to compare & contrast the growth of trees & kids throughout the years. My youngest daughter–Magnolia–seems to be growing more than the tree since 2021. However, the tree did produce some beautiful flowers this April in ’23. My middle-daughter–Maple–wanted her photo tooContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Maybe you’ve heard the saying before about apple tree pruning and cats. The old timers would often state, “An apple tree wasn’t pruned enough until you could throw a cat through it.” After we finished pruning a member’s apple tree, the neighbor’s cat decidedContinue Reading