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Hen of the Woods Mushroom (aka Maitake) is popular this time of year. It grows in clusters around dying oak trees. Keep your eyes peeled though! it blends into the fall leaves! For more information on mushrooms, join us on one of our mushroom woods walks!Continue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? This might be one of the best fall foliage seasons I have seen. When I crossed over into Narrow Notch & into South Kortright, Delaware County, the sugar maples still had all their golden leaves & the red maples had their red leaves too,Continue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? You may disagree, but I think this shrub is great for wildlife & humans alike despite its immigrant-status. Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) has been handed a scarlet letter labeling it as “invasive.” However, its fruit can be delicious. Even better, is that it isContinue Reading

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Apple trees – in many areas of the Catskills – aren’t looking so good this year. First, the apple crop was awesome last year & wild apple trees tend to “go biennial” with fruit production. Second, the Hudson Valley Lab has told me that droughty summer conditions have lead toContinue Reading

Cover, Wildlife Habitat Management

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Have you ever walked through a Catskill Forest and been able to see hundreds of yards in a single direction? It’s a great sight, but signifies a completely unhealthy forest. Where is the cover for wildlife to live in? Cover can be created through our Forestry for Wildlife program by cutting theContinue Reading

Red Oak, Tree, Acorns, Wildlife food

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Red oak trees seem to have a healthy acorn crop this year. This is important for wildlife as a food source, especially with the lack of other mast crops this year, like apple. There has been a lot of deer squirrel, chipmunk, and turkey activity in oak stands this pastContinue Reading

epicormic sprout

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So this is interesting: Beech trees seem to only epicormic sprout when hinge cut, they do not appear to root sprout. This allows for the removal of the shading beech while providing cover for wildlife. There is not vigorous beech growth from the roots allowing for regeneration of other species.Continue Reading

Immediately after.

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Ohh the growth just after two years! Wildlife habitat is coming into its prime on this property with oak trees in the overstory and young oak, maple, and birch vigorously competing in the understory. I found evidence of bear, raccoon, deer, chipmunk, grey squirrel, and countless songbirds on my shortContinue Reading