Ahhhh.. I haven't built an inipi lodge in so long....could really use a good purification.
Gary Prof. Gary A. Beluzo Systems Ecologist Holyoke Comm College 303 Homestead Ave Holyoke, MA. 01040 On Aug 19, 2009, at 3:46 PM, DON BERTOLETTE <[email protected]> wrote: > 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. > Find out more. > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
