WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Been talking quite a bit about fire in the forest recently on CFA’s radio show program–FROM THE FOREST. The remnants or legacy of fire–though dwindling–can still be seen today in some forests of the Catskills, especially near the Escarpment or front range, where theContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Finding these little golden nuggets is truly a treat that’s “from the forest.” Golden chanterelles are emerging right now in the woods; One benefit of all the rain we’ve received recently. These aren’t large mushrooms. Sometimes they barely raise their “head” above the forestContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Finished 1 of 2 deerskins into leather last week. This hide was from a doe down in the Wallkill Valley. Doeskins are normally thinner than buckskins. Making leather reveals in some part, the lives these deer lived. Scars from tick bites, barbed wire, andContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Well, I never seem to have luck with my planted serviceberries. Serviceberries–also known as Juneberry, shadblow, bilberry, or shadbush–seem to grow well in the Catskills, but just as they really begin to fruit, they “fall apart.” Before fully ripening, they often get a rustContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Had to go down to New Jersey for the day in search of a new mini-van for the family. Got bored at the dealership and took my hungry kids outside in search of something to eat. I thought I might find some volunteer mulberryContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Now is the time–from Memorial Day to mid-August or so—to peel hemlock logs. As a hobby, I like to use hemlock bark to tan deerskins into leather. Seeing these “naked” logs was once a common thing in the forest back in the early 19thContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Been working on another doe-skin over the last month or so. It’s gone from that fleshy & hairy thing to almost full-grain leather. Everything has been done in the de-hairing and scraping department. Now, all that is left is patience and waiting for theContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? CFA has been receiving quite a few calls/emails recently on sick or dying trees losing their leaves. Don’t fret. Your tree might have been frosted by that one day in late May that reached 27 degrees or lower. Newly emerging leaves are most susceptibleContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Sounds resembling raindrops can be heard on a perfectly sunny day in parts of the Catskills. Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) has reappeared in central and southern Ulster County. It attacks mainly oak trees in significant numbers about every 10 years. Healthy trees can normallyContinue Reading

WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FOREST? Pitch pine (Pinus rigida) is one of the most interesting trees on the Shawangunk Ridge. Got to see them again last weekend on a short excursion. Pitch pine on top of the ridge is “dwarfed” since the soil is next to nothing up there.Continue Reading