Regeneration

Last week doggo and I went out for a walk to see if we could find a forester in our woods.  No, we weren't playing Where's Waldo; I had gotten a text from a consulting forester we recently hired notifying me that on very short notice he was conducting a timber cruise.  You're probably thinking this has something to do with a luxury cruise ship or forest ocean liner.  For forestry purposes a timber cruise is a field survey conducted to measure, count and assess the quality, volume and species of standing timber for reasons of management, sales or tax purposes.  Inasmuch as we've not listed anything for sale this is strictly about updating our management plan going forward the next 25 years or so.

Doggo located our guy in short order and after an exchange of pleasantries we discussed past management practices and his professional first impression of what we got going-on in our built-from-scratch forest.

Some of you may recall that after acquiring our crappy piece of farmland in 1994 we decided to naturalize much of it by means of planting native cover - namely trees but also seven acres of pollinator habitat.  In 1998 and 1999 we planted roughly 40,000 native Wisconsin conifers and hardwoods.  For years I imagined I'd never live long enough to see those little seedlings ever amount to anything.  Lo and behold we woke-up one year and discovered we had a real forest on our hands.  It was so thick that in some locations you couldn't see through it, walk through it or even consider hunting it.  

So on the heels of the COVID shitshow we hired a logger to perform a pre-commercial thinning; a practice of removing less-desirable softwood conifers in order to release the more desirable and valuable hardwoods. A release is basically removing the competition so that the oaks had more access to sunlight and other resources.  

And I gotta tell you that opening-up the canopy accomplished two things.  First, the released trees put-on a huge growth spurt.  

Second, with sunlight reaching the understory Ma Nature allowed all manner if little seedlings to sprout and all of a sudden we had thousands of tiny little trees popping-up all over the place.

Naturally, the deer, rabbits and mice eat the tastier oaks, white pine and cedar but as a general rule turn-up their nose at tamarack and spruce.  That doesn't mean there's no regeneration of the former, just less.  And with the exception of something we might stick in the yard we're out of the business of planting trees.  Done!  Nature has assumed responsibility for the process going forward.  If you disregard the original investment in preparation and nursery stock, years of work, capital investment in equipment and time; all of these little trees are free for nuth'n. 

 

And an updated management plan will inform our actions going forward and serve as a guide to any future owners.

Next step is to hire a surveyor and actually determine where the property lines and corners actually are located.

Stay-tuned.....    

Ode To A Fir Tree

Originally a traditional German folk song this tune had little if anything to do with Christmas - or describe a decorated Christmas tree.  The original lyrics had everything to do with a fir tree’s evergreen quality as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.  You see, a Tannenbaum is a fir tree.  

The folk song eventually became associated with the celebration of Christmas when Ernst Anschütz added two additional verses of his own to the traditional verse in 1824.  The custom of the Christmas tree developed in the course of the 19th century and with Anschütz’s changes the song came to be seen as a Christmas carol early in the 20^th century.

Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles.  My contribution to getting my friends in the spirit of the holiday...

Real or Fake?

At any given moment, there are approximately half a billion Christmas trees growing for future harvest that otherwise would not be there.

While they are growing, they’re absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, stabilizing soil and providing valuable wildlife habitat.

As trees are harvested, new trees are planted to take their place.

And unlike artificial trees, real trees can often be purchased from local farms.

And your house will smell nice too.

Raising a toast to sustainability.
 

On This Day In History

Yo!  

Deer Camp Pals....

Been perusing some older digital photos in the collection and came across this one.  It was taken during a rain-sodden deer camp in November of 2005. 

The perspective is looking west out of the second floor blue bedroom. 

Except for low-light conditions there was no way a whitetail could sneak across this stretch of territory without being vulnerable.
 

Twenty years later - not so much. It's some dandy permanent cover out there nowadays. A real forest... 

 

Buddy Squirrel

Meet Sciurus niger - the Eastern Fox Squirrel - the largest of the tree squirrel family.  The common gray squirrel is slightly smaller. 

At first blush you might guess this to be a Red Squirrel.  However, lacking in this photo is the Red Squirrel's distinctive bright white belly and white rings around the eyes.  The rusty coloring and large bushy tail are reminiscent of a fox - implying this is a Fox Squirrel.  

The bright reddish-orange pelt of this animal and it's loud, scolding call make it an easier visual and audible identification.  Unlike the Eastern Gray Squirrel this species has a wider home range and, as is evidenced by all of the photos, spends more time on the ground foraging. 

In the past six years they've been showing-up with increasing frequency on the trail cameras.  My conclusion is that as our forest has matured, along with acorn production from the oaks, is that the resident population has increased.  

They're active year-round and January and February is their mating season so there's likely more chasing of the ladies happening too.  This time of year their frequent appearances are a consequence of gathering stores for winter.

Fun to observe and without destructive tunneling in our septic mound I'm tickled (so far anyway) to have them around.

 

 

Mama Rosa

On a recent visit to the Naked City we took some time to take a stroll through a new park in our former community; Wauwatosa’s Firefly Grove Park.

 

Meet Mama Rosa, a towering 24-foot troll sculpture created by world-renowned artist Thomas Dambo.  She's the first of his trolls in Wisconsin and a striking symbol of sustainability and imagination.

Made from trees recycled from Wauwatosa's urban forest and other materials from the city, Mama Rosa weighs over 4,000 pounds and features flowing hair crafted from oak branches. In her hands, she holds a bouquet made from old Wauwatosa streetlight posts—an artistic nod to her curious, flower-picking nature. 

The park is a one-of-a-kind experience featuring a picnic shelter, accessible play area for children of all ages, a pump track for BMX and mountain bikes, a living willow hut, sledding hill, walking paths and stormwater management features that filter up to 600,000 gallons of stormwater during major rain events.  There is a solar power facility at the park that reduces its carbon footprint, LED lighting from repurposed city lamp posts, landscaping incorporating native trees and plants and future plans to connect with the Oak Leaf Trail.

Firefly Grove Park was built 100% with grant funding—no local property tax dollars were used.   "Mama Rosa", was funded using hotel and motel room tax revenue—specifically through Wauwatosa’s Tourism Commission, intended for tourism and community attractions.

 

Check it out; it's located at 1900 North 116th Street in Wauwatosa, WI. 

Fall Feast

Quercus bicolor​ - the swamp white oak​ - is a North American white oak species​.  A key player in our overall reforestry plan we planted thousands of them decades ago.  Its acorn development follows a fairly consistent cycle, typical of white oaks, but with a few species-specific traits​.

Like all members of the white oak group swamp white oak acorns mature in a single growing season (roughly 4–5 months after pollination).​  Fertilized flowers begin to swell in late May–June​ and the acorns remain small through early summer.​ Beginning now the acorns enlarge rapidly.

The cap is distinctive​ - shallow and scaly​ - covering about one-third of the nut, often with loose, fringed edges.​  The acorns reach full size (about 1–1.5 inches long) in September–October​ and are light brown to chestnut brown when mature.​  They drop to the ground soon after ripening, and because they lack a dormancy requirement, they often germinate in the same autumn if soil conditions are​ optimal.​  They're ​dispersed mainly by gravity, squirrels, and jays.

​This species of oak tends to have high acorn production in mast years, but irregular cycles ​with bumper crops every 4–7 years.​  As a wildlife food source they're relatively sweet (low tannin) compared to red oaks, making them highly favored by deer, turkeys, duck​s and squirrels.

​I have an aux naturele bait pile.....

Bushwhacking

Recent cool weather has been a welcome relief on multiple levels; including the chores list.

This is an odd-numbered year which means that several wildlife openings and the ancestral campsite receive a haircut.  Actually a close clipping with the Rhino mower hitched to the back of the tractor and connected to the Power Take Off (PTO).

At 540 RPM, sharp blades and with a five foot cutting deck you can take town brush (slowly) almost up to an inch in diameter. 

Yesterday I finished the larger of the meadows - a six acre one located on the northeast corner of the property that also sports a deer hunting tower - Clayton 2.0.  With a commanding view for hundreds of yards and a haircut no whitetail is gonna be able to sneak past a hunter with a straight-shooting deer rifle.

Anyway, it's done.  All the tall grass, emergent willow and dogwood have been brushed-out.  My casual observation is that there is an incredible amount of ash seedlings in the turf along with all sorta native wildflowers and grasses that have migrated more than a quarter mile to establish themselves.  A mowing won't hurt them.  Finally, over the last three clippings I've spared about twenty tamarack and oaks that have taken-up residence in the turf.  The oaks aren't as likely to survive the bunnies and deer unless I install a collar (tree tube) around them.  It's a low priority chore; time will tell.

In case you're wondering wildlife opening are important in that they create additional "edge habitat" important for a diverse collection off wildlife.  100% open isn't any better than 100% forest.  Variety is the key. 

Final result...

Panorama southeast

View north

Deer stand  

Volunteer swamp white oak 

 

 

Cordless

This isn't some sort of new-fangled kitchen appliance and it isn't even mine - although I suppose I'll be allowed to use it from time-to-time.

Cordless, battery-powered, 12 inch chainsaw by DeWalt. 

It is for The Frau.  Everyone's wife should have one... 

Wood Is Good

I've owned and lived in multiple old houses over the years and engaged in countless repairs and remodeling projects.

You?

If so, have you ever noticed how much the 2 x 4 studs have evolved?

Mid-19th Century balloon framing utilized long 2 x 4s that were actually a full 2 x 4 inches running continuously from foundation to roof.

Dimensional lumber was standardized  in the early 20th Century  and the 2 x 4 shrank  to 1 3/4 x 3 3/4 after milling.  

Mid 20th Century replaced balloon framing with platform framing utilizing shorter 2 x 4 studs for each story.  The lumber was further standardized resulting in the modern 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 size.  

Older growth rings on older lumber

My current home was constructed within the last couple of decades and makes considerable use of solid wood.  It also utilizes engineered wood products - namely manufactured materials made by binding wood strands, fibers, or veneers with adhesives to create strong, durable and consistent building materials designed to maximize the use of wood while improving performance relative to solid wood.

Modern commercial construction makes regular use of steel studs for building-out office space within a larger big box. 

Consider The Tannenbaum

Tannenbaum is a German word that translates to fir tree.  It is pronounced tah-nuhn-boum. 

It is that time of year folks - two weeks ago already I was returning home from a Lions Club meeting and took note that one of my neighbors had their Christmas tree up and lit already.  We'll have to see if we do the same.  For now there is this small specimen of retro craziness on the fireplace mantel.

Quite a few families prefer a real Christmas tree over an artificial tree made from PVC plastic in China.  

The reasons are multitude; and among them are getting out and selecting one from a neighborhood or church tree lot.  Or getting out to a tree farm and picking out a tree, cutting it down and dragging it back to be bundled for the drive home.  Most trees are grown on family farms.  They're natural, completely recyclable and renewable.  They smell terrific too.

Depending where you live the supply of farm-grown trees might be tight for the 2024 Christmas season.   Best practice for this eventuality are to shop early for best selection.  

Roughly 21.6 million real Christmas trees were purchased in the US in 2023 at a median price of $75, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.  It is the period of time immediately following Thanksgiving that is peak time for real trees.  With Thanksgiving coming late this year growers face a short sales season.  Compounding the situation is the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Helene on western North Carolina, which produces more Christmas trees than any state except Oregon.  Who knew?

Delivering one of the most popular Christmas tree varieties, the Fraser fir, is a real challenge. One out of four Fraser firs sold nationally - and virtually all the Fraser firs sold on the East Coast - are sourced from western North Carolina.  

Compounding this is the impact of Hurricane Helene will persist for years.  It takes roughly a decade to grow a full-size Fraser fir.  And many of the trees damaged were several years from maturity, impacting supply for years to come.  The loss of 200,000 seedlings to flooding is staggering to a family tree farm.  And unlike soybeans and corn difficult to insure.

Labor is an additional problem and North Carolina is one of the largest users of the H-2A visa program for agricultural workers.  It's one thing to crack-down on illegal immigration; however the heated rhetoric about clamping-down on legal immigrants has made the hiring of foreign workers fraught and increasingly burdensome.

Growing Christmas trees is a lot like any other agricultural crop - only it takes longer.  When The Great Recession of 2007-09 caused many growers to plant fewer trees or go out of business as consumers curtailed spending.  That resulted in a supply problem along with price hikes a decade later.

Farmed trees are also challenged by other shifting consumer habits.  Aging baby boomers are putting-up fewer live trees.  According to the USDA trees harvested in the US has declined 30% since 2002; despite a population increase of 16% over the same period.

So maybe we'll wander out back and cut down a live spruce - not too small and not too big - and string some lights on it for the holiday.

You can learn more about the impact of Helene here...

Foxy Redhead

Meet Sciurus niger - the Eastern Fox Squirrel - the largest of the tree squirrel family.  The common gray squirrel is smaller.

At first blush you might guess this to be a Red Squirrel.  However, lacking in this photo is the Red Squirrel's distinctive bright white belly and white rings around the eyes.  The rusty coloring and large bushy tail are reminiscent of a fox - implying this is a Fox Squirrel. 

The bright orange pelt of this animal and it's loud, scolding call make it an easier visual and audible identification.  Unlike the Eastern Gray Squirrel this species has a wider home range and spends more time on the ground foraging. 

In the past five years they've been showing-up with increasing frequency on the trail cameras.  My conclusion is that as our forest has matured along with acorn production from the oaks is that the resident population has increased.  

This time of year their frequent appearances are a consequence of gathering stores for winter.

They're active year-round and January and February is their mating season so there's likely more chasing of the ladies happening too.

Fun to observe and without destructive tunneling behavior I'm tickled (so far anyway) to have them around.

 

Living and Dead

From our walk today there was both living and dead.

An aspen tree  shimmering in the breeze as it begins to assume its golden autumn foliage.

And a stately snag of an old dead elm.

Woodpeckers holes everywhere!

Standing dead trees, snags, are crucial to wildlife because they provide essential habitat for a wide variety of animals providing nesting sites, shelter and food sources.  Particularly, for cavity-nesting birds, mammals and insects.  Snags are a vital component of a healthy ecosystem.

From Little Acorns

From the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association newsletter there is this:

In Wisconsin, the white oak seem to be having a “mast year,” which occurs every 2-5 years, with smaller acorn crops in between. Boom and bust cycles of acorn production do have an evolutionary benefit for oak trees through “predator satiation.” In a mast year, animals can’t eat all the acorns, so they leave some nuts to grow into future oak trees. Years of lean acorn production keep predator populations low, so there are fewer animals to eat all the seeds in a mast year. A year of heavy acorn production may use up much of a tree’s stored nitrogen, and few acorns may be produced the following year while the tree’s nutrient stores are replenished. 

The importance of acorns as a food source for wildlife is primarily related to their widespread occurrence, palatability, nutritional value, and availability during the fall and winter months, when they provide an excellent source of needed energy. Historically they were a source of food for humans also, however care must be taken to remove the tannins prior to consuming them.

Oak trees take decades to mature and one oak produces more than 2,000 acorns every year, but only one in 10,000 acorns will manage to develop into oak tree. 

Pictured are one of our swamp white oaks planted from two-year-old bare root stock in 1998 and a seedling growing in a sunny spot in the forest understory.

 

 

Progress

Here's a walk down memory lane.

Photos from November 28, 2005.  

 

I remember it clearly as a very soggy and muddy deer camp experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is notable in the photos below are thousands of little trees planted in rows.  

 

At the time I was discouraged.  Those trees seemed to stay as small as twigs FOREVER.  I figured I would never live long enough to see them amount to anything.  

For a significant number of years you could easily see a quarter mile distant and any whitetail sneaking across these fields did so at their own peril.  Things have certainly changed.

I went upstairs to the blue bedroom and took photos from all the principle compass points.  These are to the southwest...

 

 

And to the northwest...

 

Same views after almost eighteen years of reforestation progress.  Southwest....

And northwest...

 

  

You can hardly see anything beyond the edge of the yard.  Not even the road or the western property line.  

Jungle it is....

 

Wile E Coyote

I was chatting with a friend earlier this month about the uptick in coyote sightings here at The Platz over the last couple of years.

My hypothesis is this is a consequence pf either den habitat or prey (food) resources.  A reasonable conclusion is likely a combination of both.  Consider this.

Following the logging operation performed in 2021 there is considerable slash (limbs, bark, smaller logs and random woody debris) left laying on the forest floor.

After a couple of winters it is noticeably breaking-down and slowing returning to the earth.  Nevertheless, it does provide den cover for coyotes.  But more importantly considerable cover for the critters that coyotes prey-upon; namely small mammals and rodents.

More cover = higher populations of prey (food resources).  Thusly, healthier (better-fed) coyotes and larger numbers of them.

Log it and they will come....

Sustainable Holiday

Why buy a Real Christmas Tree?

 

There are many environmental benefits to buying a live Christmas Tree:

• Farm-grown Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water, and provide habitat for wildlife.
  
• Christmas tree farms often utilize soils that can't support other crops effectively.
• For every Christmas tree harvested, 2-3 seedlings are planted, making live Christmas trees a sustainable, renewable resource.
• Live trees also absorb carbon dioxide and release fresh oxygen, which helps fight climate change.
• 100% biodegradable! Artificial manufactured trees are made from man-made plastics and metals that will never decompose and add to our landfills.
• Pruned Christmas tree branches are used in wreaths and other evergreen holiday decor allowing most or all of the tree to be utilized. 
• There is nothing like the scent of a live tree infusing the household atmosphere to contribute to the holiday spirit.
  

Go to the link for the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association Member Farm Map.

Consider The Larch

I cannot get enough of my favorite tree.  The tamarack or larch - Larix laricina.  Also called the hackmatack.

The larch can tolerate cold temperatures better than any tree in North America which is why you'll find it in the northernmost tree-line regions of the continent.  Rot-resistant they make excellent shingles and fence posts.  Historically, the bark was used in the leather-tanning industry.  It's a damn useful tree.

I suppose I'm biased since we've nurtured several nice stands of tamarack on the tree farm.  They're well-suited to some of the soil types and are thriving. 

They sport some crazy branches that would almost make you think they belong in a Dr. Seuss story but the part I like best is the fall color found in this species.

The needles turn a blazing golden color - then they drop.  It's done.  In the spring the tree grows an entire new set of needles and begins the process all over again.

Functional and good-looking, consider the Larch......
 

Stove Wood

Over the last couple of weeks one of my pals and I cut a ginormous pile of ash harvested from our forest into stove wood lengths.

Last weekend our wives joined-in on the fun and we split and moved in two trips (by rough estimate) about three full cords of wood.

It's a start for our two families as we both supplement our winter heating needs with wood burning units.

Like I said it's just a start.

Stay-tuned.

Is Wood Good?

A FB friend of mine shared an article with me that was recently published in The Guardian. Like my family, he supplements his heat with wood during the colder months at our latitude. My sense is that he was more concerned and inquisitive than alarmed. His friends on the email chain appeared more alarmed. The background is as follows:

A recent study conducted in Athens, Greece has resulted in research that supports the notion that wood burning stoves in urban areas are responsible for almost half of people’s exposure to cancer-causing chemicals found in air pollution particles.  I am reminded that only two generations ago my forebears heated their homes with coal.  Yup, bituminous coal for daytime heat and anthracite for banking the fire overnight.  The last house I owned still had the coal chute built into the basement wall for easy delivery.  And the rafters above the footprint of the coal bunker were still covered in coal dust.  The air quality back then was horrific.  Burning all that coal left a pall - a miasma - across the sky when conditions were sub-optimal. PAHs ruled.

The introduction of gas forced-air heat technology made the previous technology obsolete by the time the 1960s rolled-around.  Like coal, natural gas was a non-renewable fossil fuel; but cleaner-burning than its predecessor. But I digress.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in tiny pollution particles are produced by burning fuels and have long been known to have carcinogenic effects. This new study examined the sources of the PAHs and suggests that wood burning produced them in larger quantities than the diesel fuel or gasoline used for vehicles.

This is important on several levels. Researchers suggest that smoke from wood burning is much more toxic than other types of particles suggesting that wood burning is a significant driver of long-term carcinogenic risk. Nevertheless, the concentration of the PAHs in the Athens study was below EU limits but double the World Health Organization’s reference level. Based on WHO data, the PAHs in Athens would be expected to cause 5 extra cancer cases for every 100,000 people.  Can the EU and WHO have it both ways?

The questions that come to mind include the following:

• One study, in one city.

• Urban communities are crowded. More dwellings means more wood stoves concentrated in a smaller area. What about rural dwellings?

• The study suggests that the complex topography of the basin favors the appearance of mesoscale flows throughout the year and the frequent stagnation of air masses. There are seasonal non-local contributions from the Black Sea area, Balkans and Eastern Europe. There are similar effects found in Los Angeles and Denver.  Heck, in Ireland peat continues to be burned as biomass for generating electricity.

• Of critical importance to this blogger are the type of stoves used. Are they ordinary fireplaces or something more efficient? Are they regulated and thus engineered as to reduce emissions output? We have a wood stove that is EPA certified. It operates at an exceedingly high temperature, uses only outside air for the combustion of wood and wood gases. At operational temperature there is more heat produced, more complete combustion and less smoke. Most stack emissions are water vapor. There is also less ash produced.

• We burn only dry, aged hardwood. The study suggests that Athenians burn fresh softwood (pine) and hardwood (olive, oak, beech) This practice has been consistent for residential heating over recent years.

My conclusion is that this study is incomplete and raises more questions than it answers. I would like more background and further study of rural v. urban air quality, results with various wood fuels and stove technology and regulation. If I had to hazard a guess, US and Canadian air quality standards are stronger with added emphasis paid on cleaner-burning technologies in North America. That our diesel regulations are stricter than those of Europe comes to mind. 

Wood is also a sustainable fuel resource.  Non-renewable fossil fuels used for direct burning or power generation is unsustainable.

With modern stove technology my take-away is that choosing to heat with wood continues to be good. 

Link to the study is here.