Bob- Here again, extraordinary is in the eye of the beholder...I wonder if I'm the only one who saw the perfect setting for a sweat lodge, where the "arching birch" served as the backbone of the lodge, with cooling off brook handy? -Don
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:10:34 +0000 From: [email protected] To: [email protected] CC: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: [ENTS] Re: ordinary versus extraordinary forests Don, Marc, et al: Here are six more images of Dunbar. Of late, I have been trying to capture the artistry encountered by the yellow birch-rock interfaces that I see as well as photographically explore the intricate root structures of both small and large birches. The first three images speak to this mission. Yellow birches do things with their roots that I don't commonly see with the other species in the Berkshire woodlands. I have come to accept the yellow birch as a consummate forest architect. Large birches stay upright in boulder fields for two and sometimes as much as four centuries, all-the-while meeting their challenge in artistically compelling ways. Everyone is entranced who comes face to face with an ancient yellow birch extending its Octopus-like roots around a Volkswagen-sized boulder. What about the old birches is it that is so appealing to us Ents? Ed? Don? Beth? Others? Naturally, I have to include at least one big tree photo in every submission. Image #4 gives us a peek at a big white pine that has gone nameless. I think Roland first asked me about it. I sheepishly admitted to having previously blown it off because it didn't meet the height criteria I was applying at the time. I've since seen the light. In the image, Roland and Tanya are stretching as far as they can and Monica is filling the remaining gap with a foot and a half span of her hand and forearm. Why this method? I had lost my D-Tape (still stuck in the aspen?) so I couldn't get the big pine's CBH, but it is close to 12.0 feet. In July of 2000, I measured that pine and got 11.6 feet and 125.5 feet in height. My guess is that now it is at least 130 feet tall and 11.9 feet around, possibly 12.0. That would make sense - appealing to the growth rates of other huge field pines in lower Dunbar. Place your bets, folks. Incidentally, there are three other white pines in the vicinity with girths of 12 feet or more. Two are quite tall (Grandfather and Thoreau). The other has lost its top and is short (106.0 feet). I consider 106 feet to be very short for a white pine. Am I spoiled or what? Image #5 returns to the imaginative assortment of rocks and trees that one encounters throughout the forests in the Deerfield Gorge. Image #6 reinforces the rock-forest theme. The dark monolithic form in the center of the image has the shape of a Native American Manitou stone. I doubt that it served that special purpose because of its location, but I could be wrong. Those who discover the hidden corners of Dunbar fall in love with the big rocks and the old yellow birches. If one is inclined to believe in woodland spirits, this is the place to make their acquaintance. Although being predominantly of scientific persuasion, I especially enjoy sharing Dunbar with people who relate to the magic of the elfin haunts through their spiritual convictions. These gentle souls have the capacity to experience a level of forest appreciation that broadens my own and gives me pause to contemplate the essence of energy forms other than our own. Regardless of whether one approaches special woodland haunts from a mythological perspective or through solemnly held spiritual beliefs, the potency of the magic of the forests is immeasurably strengthened. At least, that is my observation and personal experience. Marc, You've got to see Dunbar. I'd be happy to take you to the big trees, share the high-canopy old growth areas, explore the hidden corners with the tree-rock sculptures, etc. Sound like something you'd like to do? Just say the word. The invitation is open to all Ents. I'll close by repeating some of Monroe SF's forest and tree superlatives, most of which are contributed by the Dunbar area. 1. Largest single-stemmed white pine modeled in Massachusetts (Grandfather Pine at 970+ cubes), 2. One of two Massachusetts sites to have a tree measured to 160 feet in height (Thoreau Pine at 160.2 feet), 3. Largest forest-grown white ash measured to date in New England (14.7 feet in girth, 123.7 feet in height), 4. Largest eastern hemlock in Massachusetts modeled for trunk volume 4. Third highest Rucker Index in Massachusetts (123.7), 5. One of the three sites in Massachusetts with white ash trees surpassing 130 feet in height (MTSF, Ice Glen, MSF), 6. Second largest yellow birch measured in Massachusetts (13.0 x 98.1), 7. One of only 3 Massachusetts sites with five or more species of trees reaching heights of 120 feet or more, 8. Site of second tallest bigtooth aspen in Massachusetts (124+ feet), 9. One of only 3 locations in Massachusetts with yellow birch measured to heights exceeding 100 feet, 10. One of only 2 sites with striped maple close to 60 feet in height, 11. One of two sites in Massachusetts with 4 or more white pines reaching 12 feet or more in girth, 12. One of a handful of Massachusetts sites with hemlocks confirmed to nearly 500 years in age, And the list goes on ........ Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: "DON BERTOLETTE" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 1:17:55 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [ENTS] Re: ordinary versus extraordinary forests Bob-Looks familiar!Oddly enough I especially liked the last photo with the mushroom standing proud in the beaming ray of sunlight that made it to the forest floor!! -Don _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live: Keep your friends up to date with what you do online. http://windowslive.com/Campaign/SocialNetworking?ocid=PID23285::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:SI_SB_online:082009 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
