WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? One of our members found this bark spud in a swamp located in western Delaware County. It probably dates back to sometime in the mid-19th Century. Bark spuds were used to debark or peel hemlock bark in the late spring to early summer. BarkContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Shortly after Memorial Day or so & into August marks the best time to peel bark from hemlock trees. Hemlock bark was traditionally used in the Catskills–and many parts of the eastern US–for making tanning liquor from. Bark is grinded up and water addedContinue Reading