Warming up with Wood Pellets
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AUTUMN ’12 A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT THE FOREST Warming Up with Wood Pellets A History of Fire Towers in the Northeast Lessons from Last Year’s Foliage Trapping in the 21st Century Warblers and Ice Cream, Foraging for Wild Nuts, Chainsaws Galore, and much more $5.95 WOOD_AUT12_COVERS.indd 3 8/15/12 10:09:30 AM WOOD_AUT12_COVERS.indd 4 8/15/12 10:09:34 AM on the web WWW.NORTHERNWOODLANDS.ORG THE OUTSIDE STORY Each week, we publish a new nature story on topics ranging from how animals see in the dark to the production of New England’s “other” syrup: birch syrup. EDITOR’S BLOG Like most things in life, the use-less-paper issue is neither black nor white but solidly gray. On the one hand, bless people for wanting to conserve resources. On the other hand, the go-paperless crusaders don’t draw a clear enough distinction between the exploitive forest practices going on in some parts of the world and the responsible, important tree farming that’s going on around here. 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 showed a miterwort plant (Mitella diphylla) gone to seed. Visit our website to Cover Photo by Frank Kaczmarek learn more about this plant. This dewberry plant (genus Rubus) was photographed in northern New Hampshire in early Sign up on the website to get our bi-weekly autumn. Dewberry are common in open woodland areas, and because of their prostrate stems, newsletter delivered free to your inbox. are frequently referred to as brambles. Several related species in the genus Rubus include red raspberry and blackberry. For daily news and information, FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK VOLUME 19 I NUMBER 3 REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS CENTER FOR NORTHERN WOODLANDS EDUCATION, INC. FALL 2012 Jim Block Copyright 2012 Madeline Bodin Northern Woodlands Magazine (ISSN 1525-7932) is published Dave Mance III, Editor Marian Cawley magazine Tovar Cerulli quarterly by the Center for Northern Woodlands Education, Inc., Meghan Oliver Andrew Crosier 1776 Center Road, P.O. Box 471, Corinth, VT 05039-0471 Assistant Editor Carl Demrow Tel (802) 439-6292 Fax (802) 439-6296 Virginia Barlow, Founding Editor Bert Dodson Steve Faccio [email protected] Amy Peberdy, Operations Manager Giom www.northernwoodlands.org Emily Rowe Bernd Heinrich Subscription rates are $21.50 for one year and $39 for two years. Canadian Operations Coordinator Robert Kimber and foreign subscriptions by surface mail are $26.50 US for one year. 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 Gustav W. Verderber for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Return postage should accompany all submissions. Printed in USA. Chuck Wooster 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. NorthernWoodlands / Autumn 2012 1 21112_WOOD_AUT12.indd 1 8/15/12 1:54:41 PM Center for Northern from the enter Woodlands Education C BOARD OF DIRECTORS President When an undertaking is just too big for one person, folks tend to form groups. We’re all familiar Julia Emlen with this in a blue collar sense – the concept of a barn raising, say. But the idea that many Julia S. Emlen Associates Seekonk, MA hands make light work is at the heart of non-profit organizations as well. When people join Vice President together to rally around an idea, a point of view, or a mission, their collective strength can help change the status quo. Marcia McKeague Katahdin Timberlands There are many groups that are devoted to the cause of forest stewardship in the Northeast, Millinocket, ME each coming from a slightly different angle. The New Hampshire Timberland Owners Treasurer/Secretary Association is one of the oldest. It was founded in 1911 to detect forest fires, and over the next Tom Colgan 100 years expanded its mission to include conserving working forests for future generations Wagner Forest Management through education, legislative advocacy, outreach, and cooperation. In 1944, the New England Lyme, NH Forestry Foundation was formed to raise awareness of over-harvesting on privately owned Sarah R. Bogdanovitch forestland in the region. Dr. Svend Heiberg’s work in silviculture led to community forums on Paul Smith’s College the subject – a seed that germinated into the New York Forestland Owners Association in 1963. Paul Smiths, NY The Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine was incorporated in 1975, and meetings Tom Ciardelli were held right in the members’ forests so that they could learn from each other first-hand. Hanover Outdoors Around the same time, the Eastern Connecticut Forest Landowners Association was formed. Hanover, NH Their 300 forestland owners manage about 20,000 acres. Vermont Woodlands Association cur- Esther Cowles rently has 1,064 members who manage more than 350,700 acres of forestland. Environmental Educator Northern Woodlands is an ideological partner with all of these groups. Many of them offer Hopkinton, NH the magazine to their members as an educational tool. Dicken Crane We were sad to learn that one of our partners, Tug Hill Resources Investment for Holiday Brook Farm Tomorrow (THRIFT), is disbanding after 31 years of advocacy. This landowner group, Dalton, MA located on the western side of the Adirondacks, was founded to teach landowners about the Timothy Fritzinger value of their woodlands – this to counteract the threat from fast-buck developers swaying Alta Advisors inexperienced cash-poor/land-rich residents. London, UK THRIFT has been giving Northern Woodlands to its members for many years. They saw it as Sydney Lea one way to accomplish their educational goals. When the group decided to close its doors – after Writer, Vermont Poet Laureate making many laudable contributions – the balance of their bank account was entrusted to us to Newbury, VT use for our work. No strings, no restrictions, just keep getting the word out, they said. Peter Silberfarb We gave them our word that we’d do just that. Dartmouth Medical School The threats to the Northern Forest – from development, poor forest practices, the decline Lebanon, NH of the forest products industry, parcelization, invasive organisms, and unprecedented weather Henry Whittemore events – can seem overwhelming. Add to this the fact that private landowners, the key Four Winds Capital Management stewards of our forests, are aging and transferring their land to a new generation who may Hallowell, ME not share their stewardship ideals, and one can be forgiven for feeling a little uncertain. Ed Wright This is why partnership is more crucial than ever. At face value, we’re a non-profit with a W.J. Cox Associates staff of five shouting its message into the wind. But with the collective strength of our readers Clarence, NY and partners, we’re thousands strong. Small organizations, linked together through common purpose, have the power to achieve something large and lasting. Amy Perberdy, Operations Manager 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 NorthernWoodlands / Autumn 2012 21112_WOOD_AUT12.indd 2 8/15/12 1:54:46 PM in this ISSUE features 24 Whole-House Heating With Wood Pellets CHUCK WOOSTER 30 Where’s the Peak? How Weather and Climate Affected Last Fall’s Foliage JOHN BURK 36 On the Lookout: A History of Fire Towers in the Northeast KRISTEN FOUNTAIN 44 Why Regulated Trapping Still has a Place in the 21st Century 36 MIKE FREEMAN 24 departments 2 From the Center 4 Calendar 5 Editor’s Note 10 Letters to the Editors 13 Woods Whys: A Sawyer’s Lament MICHAEL SNYDER 15 Tracking Tips: Breakfast in Bed SUSAN C. MORSE 30 16 Knots and Bolts 23 1,000 Words 34 Field Work: At Work Celebrating Raptors with Mark Baker TALBOT ECKWEILER 42 The Overstory VIRGINIA BARLOW 50 Birds in Focus: Fat, Flight, and Fitness in a Blackpoll Warbler BRYAN PFEIFFER 54 Discoveries TODD MC LEISH 57 Tricks of the Trade 44 CARL DEMROW 63 Upcountry ROBERT KIMBER 64 WoodLit 67 Mill Prices 71 Outdoor Palette ADELAIDE TYROL 72 A Place in Mind 34 JULIA SHIPLEY NorthernWoodlands / Autumn 2012 3 21112_WOOD_AUT12.indd 3 8/15/12 1:54:50 PM CALENDAR A Look at the Season’s Main Events By Virginia Barlow September October November FIRST WEEK The flesh of the giant puffball is delicious The date of the first frost varies widely, An inconsequential fence has been enough when it is snowy white. Off-color ones but in our region it is now on average to keep deer out of the garden – until aren’t so good / Pileated woodpeckers about six days later than it was in 1960 / now / Off the New Hampshire coast, and many songbirds eat the fruits of As freeze-up takes place in the far north, minke, fin, humpback, and right whales Virginia creeper, a high-climbing vine / many ducks move south through our area are swimming toward the warm waters Joe Pye weed and boneset have finished / The fox sparrows passing through take of the Caribbean / Tamaracks begin to flowering.