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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? This was certainly a historical find. One of our members in Otsego County has existing on his property, perhaps the last pile of hemlock bark leftover from the barkpeeling days of the 19th Century. Hemlock bark was used to extract tannins to make leatherContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Found this large red oak recently while bowhunting in Ulster County. The photo doesn’t do it justice, but it was probably around 45″ in diameter at breast height. Even more impressive was the health of its crown; It didn’t seem to be slowing downContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Finally got out to bowhunt without swatting flies or sweating too much. Leaves are still on in most places, restricting sight of deer movement. Soon enough, those leaves will fall, leaves will crunch-up, and bucks will become frisky enough to move does around. EarlyContinue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Got a chance to do some metal detecting beneath a canopy of mature trees. Hidden beneath leaves and a century of accumulating soil, I found what appears to be an old scythe and cooking pan. Hard to believe that this extremely remote and “wild”Continue Reading

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WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? After 10 years, CFA’s grafted apple tree in the front yard has grown from a pencil to this year bearing almost 15 gallons of cider. Last Saturday, CFA demonstrated making apple cider.  May the Forest Be with You,     Ryan Trapani Director ofContinue Reading

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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