It would be impossible for me to express all the things that I consider when making trees, but here are a few things that I think about! If you want to read more about this project, check out my book How to Love a Forest — with a primary goal of protecting and sustaining biodiversity. #forestry

Have you heard about turkey drives?? #wildlife #animal #animals #history #naturalhistory #farm #farming #turkey

Have you heard about California’s miniature, tree-climbing, endemic island foxes? Such much more to say about these guys but here’s a start! #wildlife #animal #animals #nature #science #stem #fox

Here’s the follow-up to my video about red wolves from yesterday! Saving America’s “other wolf” — the red wolf! #wildlife #animal #animals #nature #ecology #restoration #rewilding #science #stem #wolf #wolves

Who doesn’t love an underdog? This is the story of North America’s “other” wolf (and my favorite wolf) — the American red wolf. #wildlife #animal #animals #wolf #wolves #nature #science #stem #ecology

How do tree seeds get around? Trees have many different remarkable adaptations for dispersing their seeds across the landscape. Here are some of my faves! #tree #trees #nature #ecology #ecosystem #forester #plant #plants #science #stem

What’s a “coywolf?” The modern history of canids in North America is a mess — extirpation, hybridization, introgression — sometimes called “canid soup.” Here’s some nuance about eastern coyotes, which are one part of the story! #wildlife #animal #animals #science #stem #nature #wolf #coyote

Why I was wrong about white cedar (Thuja occidentalis)!! #tree #trees #forest #nature #science #stem #forestry #forester #deer #oldgrowth

Can you name all of America’s wolves? Our understanding of the history of our modern historic canids is a mess, and constantly evolving, but here’s a video about what we know (or what we think we know)! #wildlife #animal #animals #wolf #wolves #nature #science #stem

How are coyotes actually GOOD for birds?? In this vid I discuss the effects of “intraguild predation.” But this is really complicated and there are also cases where coyotes are problematic— sometimes because of the loss of top-down control of coyotes by wolves!. It’s a mess. #wildlife #nature

What’s a “wolf tree?” #tree #trees #forest #woods #history #naturalhistory #science #stem #forestry #forester #vermont

What do fur farms in eastern Canada have to do with foxes in California? There is more nuance here than I can express in this many characters—but it if you wanna learn more check out: “The origin of recently established red fox populations in the United States..” by Statham et al (2012) #wildlife

When is a “fox” not a fox?? The story of America’s tree climbing gray foxes! #wildlife #animal #animals #fox #nature #science #stem #biology #forester #outdoor #outdoors #ecology #ecosystem #naturalhistory #grayfox

How do foxes use “magnetoreception” to help them hunt? Studies of red foxes “mousing” show a bias toward mousing in the direction of magnetic north — and that when foxes pounce toward north, they are ~ 4 times more successful! And other stuff that I don’t have enough characters for!! #wildlife

Where does red fox (Vulpes vulpes) belong? This one takes some twists and turns so make sure that you watch until the end! #wildlife #animal #animals #nature #ecology #ecosystem #biodiversity #history #naturalhistory #fox #science #stem

What modern-day North American wildlife species was nearly hunted to extinction for its ivory tusks? The surprising answer to this question is — the American elk (wapiti)! #wildlife #animal #animals #ecology #ecosystem #history #naturalhistory #elk #wapiti

Go check out the author Ethan Tapper @howtoloveaforest.bsky.social 🙌

Why do deer have antlers?? And why is the answer to that question: “because they don’t have tusks or fangs or saber teeth anymore”? #deer #wildlife #animals #animal #biology #science #stem #ecosystem #ecology #forest #forester

Some more forest forensics — pastured sugarbush edition! #forest #forests #woods #tree #trees #history #naturalhistory #ecology #ecosystem

What does it mean when there are white birch trees in your forest?? After making a video about white birch (Betula papyrifera, aka paper birch) this weekend, I was inspired to re-edit this one from 2024! #tree #trees #forest #forester #nature #ecology #ecosystem #science #stem

When do white birch (Betula papyrifera) transition from their young (reddish, coppery-colored) bark, to their mature (white, exfoliating) bark? It’s nice to have answers, and also sometimes just seeing stuff, and having questions about it, is just as profound! #tree #trees #forest #ecology #nature

The strange and surprising history of New England’s porcupine bounties! And why it is (in the end) a conservation success story. #wildlife #nature #restoration #animal #animals #forest #ecology #ecosystem #environment #history #naturalhistory

The magic seeds of pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica)!!! #tree #trees #plant #plants #nature #ecology #ecosystem #forest #woods #outdoor #outdoors #science #stem #forester

Here are 5 wildlife species that are native to North America, but first seen in Vermont in the last century — birders stay tuned to see Number 5! #nature #wildlife #animal #animals #conservation #biodiversity #climatechange #ecology #science #ecosystem #forester #vermont

What is shotgun ornithology? (Hint:it’s wack, and problematic). Follow up to my red-bellied woodpecker vid! #bird #birds #birding #birding #birdwatch #birdwatching #wildlife #animal #animals #history #naturalhistory #ornithology

Forests + deer - pig = … ferns? Please do not watch this video and say: “oh — wild pigs in the US are good.” They are not. Mostly, the point of this video is just to tell you a weird story. Anywaysssss… #forest #nature #ecology #wildlife #pigs #fern #ferns #plant #plants #tree #trees #forester

How can you tell how old that white pine tree is — and how can that reveal some mysteries about a forest’s history? NOTE: some of the southern pines, like loblolly pine, are “multinodal” — capable of producing more than one whorl of branches per year. #forest #trees #nature #science #history

Is it better to be a big tree or a little tree? #tree #trees #forest #forests #nature #ecology #ecosystem #evolution #adapt #adaptation #science #forester

What makes these lines or grids of holes in our trees? #bird #birds #birding #birder #birdwatcher #birdwatching #wildlife #animal #tree #trees #forest #ecology

I always heard about “partridge” and never “ruffed grouse.” Well, imagine my surprise when I learned that the bird that I had been calling “partridge” for my whole life is actually a ruffed grouse AND that there are birds that are actually partridges AND they’re from Europe. #bird #birds #nature

What do gray birch trees have to do with forest’s history — and beavers?? #forest #forests #tree #trees #nature #woods #outdoor #outdoors #science #stem #ecology #ecosystem #beaver #wildlife #vermont

How do deer decide which plants and trees to eat? #deer #whitetail #whitetaildeer #whitetaileddeer #wildlife #animal #animals #nature #tree #trees #plant #plants #plantsofig #plantstagram #nature #ecology #outdoor #outdoors #science #stem #forester

Why is this archaeological site in the middle of nowhere? The place we now call Vermont is a part of the ancestral homeland of the Western Abenaki people for around 12,000 years. #forest #forests #archaeology #archaeological #history #naturalhistory #nature #ecology #outdoor #outdoors #science

How can the generations of trees in a forest tell us about its history?? #forest #forests #forestry #forester #nature #history #tree #trees #naturalhistory #woods #ecology #ecosystem #outdoor #outdoors #science #stem

How can you tell that one side of this fence was forested, while the other side remained open? #tree #trees #forest #forests #nature #ecology #plant #plants #outdoor #outdoors #science #stem #ecology #history #naturalhistory

Behind the scenes on an ecological forestry project! I don’t have enough characters to give you all the details here, but check out my IG, YT or FB if you want the full story!! #forest #forestry #forester #restoration #nature #ecology #bird #birds #outdoor #outdoors #woods #science #stem #love

How did I learn all these skills? #forest #forestry #forester #woods #work #nature #outdoor #outdoors #maple #sugaring #logging #logger #author #life #lesson #love #vermont

New entry into the Bad Bird Names Chronicles — red-bellied woodpecker! #bird #birds #birb #birbs #birding #birder #birders #birdwatch #birdwatching #birdwatcher #wildlife #animal #animals #forest #forester #nature

What’s a “nurse log?” #forest #tree #trees #woods #nature #science #wildlife #habitat #stem #ecology #plant #plants #death #life

On Friday, we welcomed Ethan Tapper to campus as their featured guest for the Science Colloquium series at VTSU Castleton. Ethan is well-known in Vermont and beyond as a best-selling author, consulting forester, and popular social media figure.

What does it mean for a tree to be “alive?” I’m sharing this #repost from 2024 because I think this is SUCH an important concept for us to understand! #tree #trees #forest #forests #ecology #woods #nature #death #outdoor #outdoors #forestry #biology #science #wildlife #habitat #stem #life

What can fall foliage tell us about a forest’s history?? #forest #forests #tree #trees #plant #plants #science #ecology #nature #ecosystem #forestry #outdoor #outdoors #stem #love

Can a native species become “invasive?” There are numerous cases where a native species, when reacting to a novel condition, can become problematic for ecosystems and biodiversity. The example given here is hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula). #forest #nature #ecology #plants #tree #fern

Drought stress affects trees in numerous ways, but one of the most interesting is how it limits trees’ ability to photosynthesize. Here’s a simplification of that one part of how drought affects trees! #trees #tree #plant #plants #nature #science #woods #forest #forests #drought #ecology #water

How do predators influence prey behavior?? We all know that predators lower populations of their prey species, but they also have a variety of “non-consumptive effects” on prey species. This is how! #predator #prey #nature #forest #ecology #wolf #wolves #science #hunt #deer #hunter #stem #love

What does it mean when there are lots of different types of stones in a stone wall? It could be an indicator that the soils you’re standing on are built on material left by glaciers! #forest #history #nature #ecology #forester #outdoor #outdoors #woods #soil #wild #ecosystem #history #stem

Just some thoughts on working hands… #forester #work #hands #land #nature #forest #earth #management #story #love

At this time of year you can find oak trees from miles away! Here’s basically how it goes: #forest #forests #tree #trees #plant #plants #nature #outdoor #outdoors #forester #deer #deerhunting #deerhunter #whitetail #whitetaildeer #love

The Exploding Plant Chronicles, Volume II: Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)! #plant #plants #nature #wild #outdoor #outdoors #woods #forest #forests #botany #ecology #forester #vermont

The genocide of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas is one of the great tragedies in the history of this planet — and may have been a cause of the Little Ice Age! #history #climatechange #colonization #genocide #indigenous #naturalhistory #iceage #forests #forest #earth #colonialism #nature