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So far northwoods has created 349 blog entries.
23 02, 2016

This Week in the Woods: A Look Through the Ice

2016-12-13T19:11:48-05:00February 23rd, 2016|Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

It may be common knowledge that water freezes at 32°F, and that water, unlike most things, expands as it freezes. We, as residents of winter, have a complicated relationship with ice. What glory it brings when fishing and skating, and what frustration, when it covers our roads and windshields. What you may not know is that the ice on our ponds and lakes (though lately it has been looking a bit thin…) actually began to form in late summer of 2015. As temperatures begin to drop, the top layer of water [Read More...]

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23 02, 2016

This Week in the Woods: Snow Roller Phenomenon

2016-12-13T19:11:48-05:00February 23rd, 2016|This Week in the Woods|

Have you ever been lucky enough to witness this rare phenomenon? It appears as though children have been hard at work creating dozens of snow balls, yet leaving behind not a single footprint. These formations, known as “snow rollers”, form when the top layer of snow picks up and is blown across a relatively flat surface. Optimal conditions for snow rollers include sticky (but not wet) snow, and astrong and steady wind. The wind must be strong enough to continue to push the snow, but not strong enough to destroy the [Read More...]

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25 01, 2016

This Week in the Woods: The Journey of the Snow Bunting

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00January 25th, 2016|This Week in the Woods|

Most commonly we may think of winter as a time when birds migrate AWAY from the chilly Northeast, but there are actually some species that migrate south TO Vermont as their desired place to spend the winter. The Snow Bunting is a small songbird with mostly white plumage with some brown and black on the back and face. The males will leave Vermont in early April to establish their breeding territories. The females won’t follow until about six weeks later. Their preferred winter habitat is in open weedy or grassy fields. [Read More...]

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11 01, 2016

This Week in the Woods: Winter Tracks

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00January 11th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

Have you ever walked outside in the morning to find that someone, or something, has been quite busy while you were asleep? Here are some hints to help you narrow down your suspects. There are four main ways that animals move: Walk/Trotters (cat family, dog family, and hoofed animals) move on their toes, front foot on one side, followed by hind foot on the other side. Typically you will only see the hind tracks as they place them on top of the front tracks. Waddlers (Bears, Beavers, Porcupines, Raccoons, Opossums, Muskrats, [Read More...]

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11 01, 2016

This Week in the Woods: Freezing Frogs

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00January 11th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

There are five species of frogs that are able to enter a “frozen state” as they hibernate for the winter: the Wood Frog, Cope’s Gray Tree Frog, the Eastern Gray Tree Frog, Spring Peepers, and the Western Chorus Frog. Even in their protected winter homes, temperatures are sure to drop below freezing. This causes the water in their outer cells to begin to freeze. Once this begins, their liver starts producing glucose, which the heart pumps through the blood to all vital organs. This glucose helps prevent the tissue from drying [Read More...]

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4 01, 2016

This Week in the Woods: The Winter Solstice

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00January 4th, 2016|This Week in the Woods|

While it may be common knowledge that the winter solstice is the shortest day(light) of the year in the northern hemisphere, there are some other details that are less commonly mentioned. All of the darkness we are experiencing is due to the fact that the sun is shining farthest to the south, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. This phenomena actually occurs at a specific time, rather than for an entire day, and that time differs from year to year. This year it occurs at 4:49 UTC on December 22nd (which [Read More...]

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17 12, 2015

Winter Programs & Conditions

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00December 17th, 2015|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News|

Trail System Snow Conditions Groomed Open Trails / Total Trails Last Updated NorthWoods Center High Moisture Powder over Ice Yes  6 km / 18 km 4-March-16 Willoughby State Forest High Moisture Packed Powder Yes  12 km / 14 km 4-March-16 Q Burke Resort Please See Q Burke Site -  - - Click here for maps of our Nordic trails at NorthWoods, Willoughby, and Q Burke. NorthWoods will be posting up-to-date trail conditions on this page throughout the season. For a more detailed update on trail conditions and programs, please refer to our weekly [Read More...]

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14 12, 2015

This Week in the Woods: Why the heck is it so warm?

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00December 14th, 2015|Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

December, why are you so warm? This unusually warm start to winter can be attributed to a global event known as “El Niño.” Generally speaking, El Niño can be defined as a prolonged increase in average sea surface temperatures across the Pacific Ocean. A cyclic event, El Niño typically occurs every 2-7 years, every five on average. This ocean warming means different things to different places. Here in the Northeast, it brings warmer, drier winter months. El Niño’s rush of warm ocean water, heated as it travels eastward in the Equatorial [Read More...]

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7 12, 2015

This Week in the Woods: Balsam Firs are Busy

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00December 7th, 2015|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

The Balsam Firs are busy! Not only do they serve as one of the most popular choices for Christmas trees, they are also highly medicinal. This tree has been used throughout history by many Native Americans, such as the Iroquois, Algonquin, Abenaki, Penobscot, and others. The resin can be used on cuts and burns, as well as turned into a chest ointment for colds and congestion. A tea can be made from the needles to sooth coughs and colds. Once made into an essential oil, it can be used to calm [Read More...]

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30 11, 2015

This Week in the Woods: Dog, Coyote or… Cougar?

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00November 30th, 2015|Education, Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

Fresh snow yields fresh tracks! But how can you tell if you are tracking a coyote, your neighbor’s dog, or the return of the cougar? Here are some helpful hints: Cats, including cougars, have retractable claws, therefore you will not typically see them in their prints. Cat prints are also wider than they are long. Dogs and Coyotes are a little tougher to distinguish. In general, a coyote’s toes are positioned closer together, whereas a dog’s toes splay out more. However, sometimes in soft conditions, such as mud or snow, a [Read More...]

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Mailing Address

PO Box 220, East Charleston, VT 05833

Get in Touch

Email: info@northwoodscenter.org

Main Phone: 802.723.6551

Office & Administration ext: 301
Conservation Science & Forestry ext: 302
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Or visit our Contact page for more ways to get in touch with our staff.


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Funding for the development of this website was made possible in part by the Rural Business Enterprise Grant through the Vermont Community Loan Fund from USDA Rural Development.
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