WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Grafted this apple tree about 8 years ago near Margaretville making some big cuts; They’re giving 2 varieties of apples. Finally, some of our grafts are giving some fruit. It takes patience for sure. We’ve also learned not to make such big cuts likeContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Got a chance to camp out for a few days around 3,500 feet. The area I was in is what some might call a “temperate rainforest.” This area of the Catskills receives over 60″ of precipitation each year. It’s a “boreal forest” where you’llContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? We talk a lot about bringing fire back to the forest. Zahra (CFA’s Education Forester) & I finally got to participate last week at the Albany Pine Bush. Prescribed burning up there is used to preserve the Karner blue butterfly and its habitat. Hopefully,Continue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Went hiking up a trail in Delaware County overlooking the Tremperskill Valley last week. One of the few openings poking through the forested landscape was this cemetery. I soon realized it was the newly created cemetery made when the East Branch Delaware Valley wasContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? 10 years ago we grafted an ornamental apple tree in front of CFA’s office using a small cutting or pencil-sized scionwood from Bob Greenhall’s–prior CFA Board member. This year, it’s loaded with apples! Watching this tree grow has been pretty fullfilling; from a pencil-twigContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Found this axe head a while ago from an old farm-site dating back more than 100 years ago. After cleaning it up a bit, I was really surprised how sharp its edge was after all these years being stuck in the muck. Whoever’s axeContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Beneath the mature forest canopy and just beneath the forest floor of vegetation and deepening soil still remain signs of our agricultural past. Recently, I visited this old forest of maple and beech where an old farm-site once stood. It probably ceased to beContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? A couple of weeks ago–when the weather was like breathing into a plastic bag–we went camping. Maybe not the best time, but it was all that we had allotted. On hot, miserable days, I can’t recommend enough escaping the heat by a Catskills streamContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Not really the best photo, but it’s difficult to get a good one when the train is moving. I had to go down to NYC for an appointment recently; First time in over a decade! My favorite part about going to Manhattan is theContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Back in June, I showed the severe defoliation that gypsy moth were having on my white oak; They completely stripped it. As predicted, my white oak has completely refoliated. Healthy trees can withstand defoliation barring other contributing factors such as drought. Make sure toContinue Reading