WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Saw 2 of these little guys while deer hunting recently; One was near a stream and the other by a marsh. It’s the mink. I remember while camped out and lounging along one stream a few summers ago, I watched one of these littleContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? It’s that time of year again–Christmas. We got another nice fir tree for the living room from Bell’s Christmas Tree Farm near Kerhonkson, Ulster County. I counted the rings, and this tree was 9 years old. Good things take time I guess. Besides time,Continue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? The view from “my office” (or campsite) when I was an Assistant Forest Ranger in 2004, 2005 on Giant Ledge. I got a chance to take a quick hike up there last week. I’ve stayed away from Giant Ledge for awhile, since I spentContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I’ve been looking at this oak tree for 35 years. The first time I can consciously say I was aware of its presence was as a Kindergartner’s pressed face against a yellow school bus’s glass window. I remember staring out the window as theContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? CFA’s Forest Program Manager was on a member’s property near the Rondout Creek in Ulster County when a bald eagle dropped off and stashed this animal’s hide in a nearby tree. If you zoom in, you can see that it is a deer hide.Continue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Over the weekend, especially if you were over about 1,700 feet in elevation, parts of the Catskills saw their first snow. I was over near Claryville by the Red Hill Firepower when I ran into a few inches. Temperatures seemed to climb down inContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I hope it lasts, but the kids’ favorite food is venison steak. They’ll choose steak over nuggets any day. When I was a kid, I probably would have gone for the nuggets. In any case, the bucks are chasing the does pretty well rightContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Foliage this year has been exceptional. Beyond the beautiful golds of sugar maple and reds of red maple, are yellow birch and American beech that are giving sugar maple a run for its money with their beautiful golds. Another tree with beautiful dark redContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? My planted grapes in the back orchard are finally gone, but it seems the wild concords are still going strong just down the road. Some people may not like their tart taste, but I enjoy them as a snack while walking along the roads.Continue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Fall foliage is peaking here in eastern Delaware County. The yellow or golden fall foliage of sugar maple and the brilliant reds of red maple are something to slow down and stop to look at. If you miss the foliage in the upper elevations,Continue Reading