Scientists like to use the word discover, as if they suddenly know something that has never been known, witnessed, thought of. In reality, scientists are learning, perhaps even coming to understand, getting to know something about the world that others have already learned, know, understand in their own ways.
What scientists are learning about the Northern Forest region of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York is the focus of a quarterly column for Northern Woodlands magazine, which I inherited from the eloquent and capable Todd McLeish.
In the last year I have covered new research on foldable wood, southern pine beetles, old field pines, pandemic recreation, forest edge dynamics, and Wabanaki plant knowledge. I get to talk to scientists about their work, and learn along with them as they study the woods, wildlife, and people of the region.
Read the latest “Discoveries.”
Catherine Schmitt 