WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? It’s that time of year already. Summer is closing and some signs are more obvious than others. Take this doe I snapped a picture of last week near Smallwood, Sullivan County. She refused to move and continued to chew her cud comfortably. Her coatContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? The pear tree & my daughter–Metta Mae–keep on growing. Both were brought to our home at about the same time in 2013, so it’s fun to watch each grow. May the forest be with you, Ryan Trapani Director of Forest Services Catskill ForestContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? So, I arrive the other day at a member’s property near the Pepacton Reservoir to assess an apple tree. After looking up at it, I tell him there’s a porcupine in it right now. As I’m pointing at the little guy, I’m thinking thisContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I have one really sandy, dry spot in my yard where nothing seems to grow well and the deer can munch away just about anything too. This place is also pretty close to the house and therefore doesn’t lend itself well to large plantsContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Earlier this July I got a chance to revisit a section of woods I haven’t really seen in 27 years. I can say they don’t seem as big as they once did, mainly because I’ve grown up some since then. 27 years isn’t theContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? On my way home the other day from Sullivan County, I saw this catastrophic tree-failure over a playground. The tree split where a tight-crotch or included bark had created a weak union. If this tree were in the woods, then it would never beContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I remember going hunting with my friend in High School; He was showing me around and it seemed we ended up beneath powerlines quite a bit in pursuit of either turkeys or deer. I asked him back then, “Why are we always by powerlines?”Continue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? More rainy day blues. Sycamores have already dropped their leaves from leaf-diseases fueled by the overly abundance of rainy days. Now, this otherwise weeping cherry tree has been diagnosed with Phomopsis, a fungus that attacks the leaf and twig of a variety of woodyContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? This cool, rainy spring has been great if you’re a leaf fungus. Casualties of leaf diseases can be seen by early leaf-drop and die-back upon sycamore trees. Noticeably bare sycamores can be seen while driving state route 28 or through most large valleys in theContinue Reading
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? I have been watching this large ash tree across the road from CFA’s office for a few years now; It is one large ash tree. Unfortunately, strong symptoms of emerald ash borer have now revealed themselves in Arkville/Margaretville area of Delaware County as theyContinue Reading