Ticked Off Again

It seems the price we pay for warm weather is the onset of bug bites. Clouds of mosquitoes suck the fun out of outdoor activities, but one bite from a deer (black-legged) tick can put you out of commission for the whole season – maybe longer.

As recently as a decade ago in northern NY State it was unusual to find deer ticks on you even after a long day outdoors. Technically an invasive species, the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is another gift from…

A Cornell blog site that has information that may be helpful

http://blogs.cornell.edu/woodbury/forest/

As we consider the future of our forests, we often hear natural resource folks refer to “resilience” as a desirable thing to achieve. What is resilience anyway? And why should we be concerned about it with respect to our woodlands? As woodland owners, can we be sure our interests are being met and push our forests towards resilience?

We have heard of ecosystem services in the context of the benefits that forests provide to society. Open space, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, clean…

This blog is a link to the webinar on this topic on Wednesday March 18, 2020.  

Best Practices on a Small Wooded Acreage.

Many woodland owners have parcels that are “small” compared to other owners. These parcels are endearing to the owners, and provide many opportunities for activities to ensure they remain healthy and support the owner’s interests.…

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/40723/20200229/using-buds-to-id-trees-in-winter-and-surviving-on-sap?fbclid=IwAR3_77WrfktZVeXSDTv60A_znUHQY1dkMZt8SrrKnBfHqlmzmF0SJMvV-yI

Trees by the Tub-full

Paul Hetzler

A hot bath is an age-old remedy for calming our nerves, but science has now shown that a better tonic for anxiety and stress is bathing in the forest, fully dressed. True story. Of course, a few details would be helpful.

In a blinding flash of the obvious, research has proven that being around trees makes us feel better. To be fair, the scientific process requires measurable evidence, so in this case, real-time brain imaging with fMRI…

Not Plagued by Black Locusts

Paul Hetzler, ISA Certified Arborist

Sometimes I wonder if the Biblical plagues of ancient Egypt have lingered in one form or another. Blooms of toxic algae, which occasionally turn water a blood-red color, are on the increase. Gnats and lice have been supplanted by deer ticks, which I’d argue are even worse, and there is no shortage of hail in season. Frog outbreaks may not have occurred since Pharaoh’s time, but poisonous cane toads imported to…

Wishbone Trees

Breaking a wishbone, some believe, may impart good fortune to the person left with the bigger half. When a tree splits, though, everyone loses. Fortunately, by engaging a tree-care professional, we can control whether or not a Y-shaped tree splits.

Growing up, our family’s Thanksgiving traditions were well balanced. First we ate a lot, but after dinner my two brothers and I engaged in vigorous exercise for thirty minutes or so. That’s usually how long it took to…

  A particularly insightful article that introduces us to the complexity of the science of forestry, climate change, and carbon sequestration. Few articles integrate the the numerous studies that seemingly contradict each other, but I think we need more integrative science for an accurate assessment of the current situation. …

Scarred for Life

Paul Hetzler, ISA Certified Arborist

It makes sense that dying trees have terminal bud scars. Sounds like an awful condition – my condolences. But the healthiest trees have them, too (terminal scars, not condolences). It’s a good thing, since terminal bud (aka bud-scale) scars provide an excellent way to leaf through a tree’s health records going back 5 to 10 years.

After a woody plant has its full complement of leaves, and they have hardened off, that…

Treeconomics 101: Color-Coded Prosperity

Deciduous trees, lakeside ice-cream stands, and marinas all close down each autumn for the same reason: as daylight dwindles and cold creeps in, their outfits become less and less profitable. At a certain point it makes sense to batten the hatches until the following spring.



Some enterprising holdouts stay open longer; perhaps they have a cost advantage others do not, or have less competition. A few are the opposite, closing shop…

"In addition to cleaning the air and water, forests hold a tremendous amount of sequestered carbon. When trees die and then decay on the forest floor, that carbon is released into the atmosphere, a phenomenon that is one of the drivers of climate change. A first-of-its-kind study by a team that included the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and Purdue University scientists finds that non-native invasive insects and diseases are reducing the amount of…

On Weds, Sep 11 a little over two face cords were cut between 9AM and about 11:30.  David D, Jim M., Greg L. and Dave K. worked the shift.  A neighbor from down the street stopped in and worked for about an hour.

During the break we discussed the need for more volunteers.  Get in touch if you would like to volunteer or get more information.…

Beech Health Update

Paul Hetzler, ISA Certified Arborist

In the early 19^th century, a Prussian diplomat asserted that “when France sneezes, the whole of Europe catches a cold.” Things changed, obviously. For a long while it has been an American financial sneeze able to make the world ill. Though China’s economy is projected to soon zip past ours, other countries still put hankies to their faces when the USA coughs.

Canada has been covering up for some time…

Forest Health Forecast

If you’re tired of hearing about new invasive forest pests, I’m right there with you. Seems they arrive at an ever-increasing pace, and the harm potential ratchets up with each newcomer. At this rate maybe we’ll get a wood-boring beetle whose larvae explode, which would put things in perspective. As distasteful as it is to peer at the cast of ugly new characters, it’s better to know what we’re up against.

Novel pests put everyone on a steep learning…

On August 21st volunteers from NYFOA's WFL Chapter Firewood 4 Charity initiative and Wagner Hardwoods visited Rotary Camp Onseyawa.  The camp benefits from the money raised when the Rotary sells the firewood produced by the initiative.  Wagner Hardwoods delivers donated logs to the work yard where volunteers work year around to produce 40+ face cords. If you would like to learn more or join the group send an E-mail requesting information to …

Currently there are some ares of NY (and the NE) where the emerald ash borer (EAB) impact has resulted in significant mortality of ash, yet other areas without evidence of mortality. The unfortunate reality is that EAB will almost certainly infest all acres of NY woodlands that have ash, and the result will be widespread mortality. 

There are efforts at finding biocontrol agents, and we can remain optimistic that those will prove effective. These scientists are suggesting that while…

Crabby Apples and Other Complaints

We waited a long time for summer to arrive this year, so it is unfair that some flowering crabapples are turning yellow and brown and shedding their leaves already. Mountain-ash, serviceberry, and hawthorn are also affected by the same disorder. Here and there a few maples and other species are also dropping random leaves, which are for the most part still green, often with patches of black or brown. The latter situation has a different origin, but…

The role of sustainably managed forests in climate change mitigation.

Steven Ruddell R. Sampson Matt Smith R. Giffen James Cathcart John Hagan Daniel Sosland John Godbee John Heissenbuttel Stephen Lovett ... Show more

Journal of Forestry, Volume 105, Issue 6, September 2007, Pages 314–319, https://doi.org/10.1093/jof/105.6.314

Published: 01 September 2007

See the pdf in the link.

An early paper on managing forests for…