Where the Wild Things Go: How Young Animals Disperse

SPRING ’13 A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT THE FOREST Where the Wild Things Go: How Young Animals Disperse The Ballad of Amos Congdon A Gym Floor from Local Trees Old Logging Films, Squirrel Sap Taps, Chainsaw Sharpening, and much more $5.95 ǁǁǁ͘&ŽƌĞƐƚDĞƚƌŝǆ͘ĐŽŵͮ;ϴϱϱͿϰϳϴͲϲϯϮϱ &ŽƌĞƐƚ ŽŶƚĂĐƚhƐĨŽƌĂ&ƌĞĞdƌŝĂů DdZ/y ZƵŐŐĞĚŝǌĞĚƚĂďůĞƚ ŝŶǀĞŶƚŽƌǇƚŽŽůĨŽƌ ƟŵďĞƌ͕ŚĂďŝƚĂƚ͕ ŝŶǀĂƐŝǀĞƐ͕ŵŽƌĞ͘͘͘ ^ŝŵƉůĞ͕WŽǁĞƌĨƵů ͲsĞƌǇŝŶƚƵŝƟǀĞ͖ŶŽĐŽĚĞƐŶĞĞĚĞĚ ͲĂůĐƵůĂƚĞƐŝŶƐƚĂŶƚůǇŝŶƚŚĞĮĞůĚ ͲdŽƵĐŚŝŶƚĞƌĨĂĐĞŽƉƟŵŝǌĞĚĨŽƌŝWĂĚDŝŶŝ ͲůƐŽĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞĨŽƌŝWŚŽŶĞ͕ŝWĂĚ͕DĂĐ͕W ϯ'/ŶƚĞƌŶĞƚŝŶƚŚĞ&ŝĞůĚ ƌƵŝƐĞ&ĂƐƚĞƌ Ͳ&ŽůůŽǁƐyourƐĞƋƵĞŶĐĞ͕ ƉƌŽŵƉƟŶŐǇŽƵƌŶĞǆƚƐƚĞƉ DĂƉƐ DĂŝůͬtĞď ƉƉƐ ZĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ Ͳ/ŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ'/^͕ϱŵƉĐĂŵĞƌĂ Ͳ,ĂǀĞǇŽƵƌŽĸĐĞĮůĞƐǁŝƚŚǇŽƵ :Ğī^ŵŝƚŚ ŽŶƐƵůƟŶŐ&ŽƌĞƐƚĞƌ dŚĞƞŽƌĚĞŶƚĞƌ͕sd ƵƐƚŽŵŝǌĂďůĞ ͲŚĂŶŐĞƚŚĞǀĂůƵĞƐ͖ĐŚĂŶŐĞƚŚĞƐĞƋƵĞŶĐĞ͖ ĐŚĂŶŐĞǁŚĂƚŵƵƐƚďĞĞŶƚĞƌĞĚ ͲĚĚŶĞǁĐĂƚĞŐŽƌŝĞƐŽĨŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͕Ăůů ŐĞŽƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐĞĚĂŶĚƌĞƉŽƌƚͲƌĞĂĚǇ on the web WWW.NORTHERNWOODLANDS.ORG THE OUTSIDE STORY Each week we publish a new nature story on topics ranging from how trees survive the cold of winter to why some animals’ colors aren’t true blue. EDITOR’S BLOG If you’re a sugarmaker who sells any amount of bulk syrup, you should look at the sugarhouse certification being pushed by the Food and Drug Administration, because this is where the industry is going. And it’ll be region wide. WHAT IN THE WOODS IS THAT? We show you a photo; if you guess what it is, you’ll be eligible to win a prize. This recent photo shows a steam donkey. Cover Photo by Chris Mazzarella Sign up on the website to get our bi-weekly “I paddled past this mink on my kayak last spring in northern New Hampshire. With my camera at newsletter delivered free to your inbox. the ready, I was able to snap a couple quick shots before his curiosity expired and he was gone. I For daily news and information, captured this image with a 70-200 mm f2.8 lens on my Canon 5D Mark III.” FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK VOLUME 20 I NUMBER 1 REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS CENTER FOR NORTHERN WOODLANDS EDUCATION, INC. SPRING 2013 Virginia Barlow Copyright 2013 Jim Block Northern Woodlands Magazine (ISSN 1525-7932) is published Elise Tillinghast Madeline Bodin quarterly by the Center for Northern Woodlands Education, Inc., magazine Executive Director/Publisher Marian Cawley Tovar Cerulli 1776 Center Road, P.O. Box 471, Corinth, VT 05039-0471 Dave Mance III, Editor Andrew Crosier Tel (802) 439-6292 Meghan Oliver Carl Demrow Fax (802) 368-1053 Assistant Editor Steve Faccio [email protected] Giom www.northernwoodlands.org Amy Peberdy, Operations Manager Bernd Heinrich Subscription rates are $21.50 for one year and $39 for two years. Canadian Emily Rowe Robert Kimber and foreign subscriptions by surface mail are $26.50 US for one year. Operations Coordinator Stephen Long POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Northern Woodlands Magazine, Jim Schley, Poetry Editor Todd McLeish P.O. Box 471, Corinth, VT 05039-0471 or to [email protected]. Susan C. Morse Periodical postage paid at Corinth, Vermont, and at additional mailing offices. Bryan Pfeiffer Published on the first day of March, June, September, and December. Michael Snyder All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written Adelaide Tyrol consent of the publisher is prohibited. The editors assume no responsibility Chuck Wooster for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Return postage should accompany all submissions. Printed in USA. For subscription information call (800) 290-5232. DESIGN Northern Woodlands is printed on paper with 10 percent post-consumer Liquid Studio / Lisa Cadieux recycled content. Northern Woodlands / Spring 2013 1 Center for Northern from the enter Woodlands Education C BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Among the many priorities crowding school budgets, environmental education Julia Emlen often gets short shrift. Many educators see the value of bringing more Julia S. Emlen Associates Seekonk, MA nature into the classroom, but the reality of other costs – from textbooks to health insurance – leaves very little money for what is broadly defined as Vice President “enrichment” spending. Marcia McKeague Katahdin Timberlands So how do schools fund demonstration gardens, live animal encounters, Millinocket, ME and field trips to beaver ponds? Often, individual educators and community members dedicate their personal time: they apply for grants, sell cookies for cents on the Treasurer/Secretary Tom Ciardelli dollar, or seek in-kind donations. In the end, all too often, they dig into their own pockets. Biochemist, Outdoorsman This year, the Center for Northern Woodlands Education is testing out a new way for Hanover, NH schools to raise funds for environmental education, with much better margins than your Si Balch standard bake-sale brownie. In January, we launched Subscriptions for Schools in Maine and Consulting Forester Massachusetts. The concept is simple: Northern Woodlands will support local fundraising Brooklin, ME campaigns for up to 50 schools in each state, permitting PTOs and other school volunteer Sarah R. Bogdanovitch groups to sell subscriptions to the magazine for $21.50 and keep $10 per sale. Paul Smith’s College Northern Woodlands couldn’t offer this program without the support of donors, both Paul Smiths, NY individuals and nonprofit organizations. In the Bay State, the Massachusetts Forest Alliance Esther Cowles (www.massforestalliance.org) is cosponsoring the program. Founded in 2012, the MFA was Fernwood Consulting, LLC formed when several groups concerned with forest stewardship joined together. It represents Hopkinton, NH forest landowners and industry professionals, provides continuing education and public Dicken Crane outreach, and advocates for a strong, sustainable forest economy. Holiday Brook Farm Another key participant in the Massachusetts program is the Hitchcock Center for the Dalton, MA Environment (www.hitchcockcenter.org). This highly respected nonprofit serves over 6,000 Timothy Fritzinger children, youth, and adults each year through educational programs that foster a greater Alta Advisors understanding of the local environment. The Hitchcock Center will be using Subscriptions for London, UK Schools to raise money for the children of low-income families to attend its summer camp. Sydney Lea In Maine, we recently had the opportunity to share information about the program at the Writer, Vermont Poet Laureate annual meeting for the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine (www.swoam.org). Newbury, VT Incorporated in 1975, SWOAM has an impressive history of promoting forest stewardship and, Bob Saul through its land trust, protecting forestland while also promoting multiple-use management. Wood Creek Capital Management So, Maine and Massachusetts readers, please check out these organizations, and help Amherst, MA spread the word about Subscriptions for Schools. More information is available by calling our Peter Silberfarb office at (802) 439-6292, or by emailing us at [email protected]. Dartmouth Medical School One other school-related note: on page 21, you’ll find an essay by high school student Kia Lebanon, NH Amirkiaee, focusing on the value of working forests in Vermont. This is the winning essay Ed Wright in a contest supported by the French Foundation, Vermont Woodlands Association, and W.J. Cox Associates Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Congratulations, Kia! Clarence, NY Elise Tillinghast, Executive Director, Publisher The mission of the Center for Northern Woodlands Education The Center for Northern Woodlands is to advance a culture Education, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) public of forest stewardship benefit educational organization. in the Northeast and to Programs include Northern Woodlands increase understanding magazine, Northern Woodlands Goes of and appreciation for the natural wonders, to School, The Outside Story, The economic productivity, Place You Call Home series, and and ecological integrity www.northernwoodlands.org. of the region’s forests. 2 Northern Woodlands / Spring 2013 in this ISSUE features 30 Amos Congdon TONY DONOVAN 42 Protecting Nature. Harvesting Timber. How Conservation Groups Got into Managing Forestland, and the Lessons They’ve Learned. JOE RANKIN 50 Cutting the Apron Strings: How Young Animals Disperse KURT RINEHART 58 From Forest to Floor: the Gym a Community Built JULIA SHIPLEY 30 42 departments 2 From the Center 4 Calendar 5 Editor’s Note 6 Letters to the Editors 7 1,000 Words 9 Birds in Focus: Misfit Migrants 58 BRYAN PFEIFFER 11 Woods Whys: Is Soil Scarification Good or Bad for the Woods? MICHAEL SNYDER 13 Tracking Tips: Squirrel Sap Taps SUSAN C. MORSE 14 Knots and Bolts 26 Field Work: The Treehouse Guys KRISTEN FOUNTAIN 56 The Overstory VIRGINIA BARLOW 62 Discoveries 50 TODD MC LEISH 22 65 Tricks of the Trade CARL DEMROW 67 Upcountry ROBERT KIMBER 68 WoodLit 71 Mill Prices 79 Outdoor Palette ADELAIDE TYROL 80 A Place in Mind JOHN ELDER Northern Woodlands / Spring 2013 3 CALENDAR A Look at the Season’s Main Events By Virginia Barlow March April May FIRST WEEK Praise be to the mole, for shrews, mice, Sugar molecules in evaporator steam can Star-nosed moles give birth in May or and voles all use its tunnels / You might seed clouds and produce microbursts of June to three to seven young. Look for hear a saw-whet owl at night. This little sugar snow – it’s sort of like falling maple them in wet, mucky areas. They use their bird sounds like the beeping made by syrup-flavored ice cream / “If it thunders excellent swimming skills to hunt aquatic heavy equipment when it’s backing up / on All Fools’ Day, it

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