Mountain Times - Volume 49, Number 48 - Nov. 25- Dec. 2, 2020

Columns
32 • The Mountain Times • Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2020
Life goes on in hollow trees
I can’t seem to pass
a hollow tree without
stopping to snoop. If
there is a cavity within
reach, an investigation
is in order. Wear and tear
around a hole, evidence
of food items on the ground, or simply sounds from within
tell of the tenants inside. One of my favorite
tricks is to power up my camera, flash on, and
poke it inside a tree cavity for a quick snap. My
most memorable and rewarding discovery
came while lying on my stomach at the hollow
base of a huge, dead maple. Imagine my
surprise when the photo revealed two downy
The skeleton of a dead tree silently
standing in the forest, littered with holes,
may seem like a sorry sight to some
The Outside
Story
By Tami Gingrich
turkey vulture chicks staring back at me! This
discovery led to three years of intimate trail
camera footage of the same parent pair rearing
young in this giant tree.
From the time a tree germinates from a
tiny seed to the moment it returns to the
soil to aid in the growth of yet another, it is benefitting
living things. A live tree has much to offer and its advantages
are many. But to say that its time is up when
it dies is a sore misjudgment. The skeleton of a dead
tree silently standing in the forest, littered with holes,
may seem like a sorry sight to some. Yet, anytime of
the year, any minute of the day, that tree may be teeming
with life.
Many dead trees already have cavities that formed
naturally such as hollow trunks or knotholes.
These abodes are quickly snatched
up by bats, barred owls, honey bees, and
wood ducks. Other species create homes
by excavating new holes as nesting sites.
Primary cavity nesters, such as woodpeckers
and nuthatches, work tirelessly to
excavate cozy caverns in which to raise a
family. In turn, their holes, which occupy
varying heights and come in a variety of
sizes, are snatched up by the plethora of
secondary nesters that move in when the
original inhabitants vacate.
Thus, the entire tree can be likened to
that of an apartment building, with a different
tenant on each floor. American kestrels,
black-capped chickadees, eastern
bluebirds, screech owls and great-crested
flycatchers are among the birds that rely
on pre-made cavities. Several species of
squirrels find arboreal excavations convenient
for rearing their young. The impressive
black rat snake is a regular visitor to
hollow trees, either waiting patiently in
the shadows for unsuspecting prey to enter,
or feeding on others’ eggs and youngsters
it has so efficiently “sniffed” out.
By autumn, cavity nesters have completed
their family duties, freeing up space
for a new cast of animals to stake their
claim for the winter months. Southern flying
squirrels busy themselves adding layers
of leaves to their nests, while raccoons
snatch up the larger cavities. White-footed
mice make themselves comfortable in the
tiniest of holes, while groundhogs burrow
beneath the decaying roots to hibernate.
When a hollow tree eventually falls to the
earth, its horizontal remains continue to
provide shelter for reptiles, amphibians,
skunks, opossums, foxes and other animals
that are not adept climbers.
Black bears and coyotes also seek out
larger hollow logs or trees with sizeable
cavities at their base. After spending the autumn
months gorging
themselves in preparation
for hibernation,
bears may choose a
tree cavity that will
provide good shelter as
a winter den site – and,
for mother bears, the place where their cubs will be born.
Coyotes, too, find larger cavities desirable for
rearing their pups. At the onset of breeding
season in mid-winter, they are already eyeing
potential den sites and actively staking their
claims through regular scent marking.
When it comes to dead trees, I suppose
beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Where some see only an eyesore, I often
catch my breath at the sight of the striking
silhouette of an expired giant and consider
the myriad animals who may call this tree
home throughout the seasons. After all, the
number of animals a tree benefits after it
dies may be greater than what it provided when alive
– which means a hollow tree might just be more alive
in its death than it was in life.
Tami Gingrich is a retired naturalist and field
biologist. She lives in Middlefield, Ohio. Illustration by
Adelaide Murphy Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned
and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and
sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New
Hampshire Charitable Foundation: nhcf.org.
Keep Thanksgiving, family
and friends alive
By Dr. Glenn
Mollette
Joe Biden or Donald Trump will never visit me in my
home, stand beside me at the funeral home or dance at
my wedding. I will not be receiving any calls from either
of them to pray for me during
sickness or to check on how my
children are doing. I probably will
never sit in a room with them to
visit, laugh and tell funny stories
or just to hang out over a cup of
coffee. I do not personally know
either one. I welcome the opportunity
to visit with either of them,
but doubt it will happen.
I feel like I know them because
I have seen them on television
my entire life and heard them speak. I have been very
emotional about them these last few months and felt very
conflicted about my vote. I have written words, spoken
words and stood on the firing line for my candidate. Most
importantly, I voted. I have also received my share of
emails, and real mail from people just as adamant about
their candidate, often expressed in very colorful words.
Sadly, over the last few months, I have seen people
whom I have known for many years take as strong or
stronger stance than I’ve taken. The distance between
us has grown farther and the climate colder. Acquaintances,
life-friends, school buddies and even family.
The distance between us
has grown farther and the
climate colder.
Both of our candidates have campaigned in their
own and different ways. The issues have been heatedly
debated and argued. As a nation, we have stressed ourselves
to the max over these political candidates. And,
while our vision for our nation has not changed, or our
love and support for our preferred candidate has probably
not dwindled, we must make a concerted effort to
keep friends, family and the hopes and spirit of Thanksgiving
alive.
As strongly as I feel about our nation and our leadership,
I will not throw my friends and loved ones under
the bus. My father was a Republican and my mother
was a Democrat. They both voted and life went on. They
were married for over 60 years. They did pretty well.
They didn’t divorce over an election or politics. I do not
remember them even arguing about an election.
This election was important to all of us, but I’m not
going to stab my mother in the back or cut my father’s
throat for Joe Biden or Donald Trump. By the same token,
I have played sports with people all through school,
sung in choirs, danced with friends, prayed and wept
with people at hospitals and funerals, baptized thousands
of young and old people alike. I’m not going to
throw these people in the lake or smash somebody’s car.
I am not going to try to destroy somebody’s business or
life for Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Nor will I attend any
Thanksgiving or other holiday meals refusing to be civil
and gracious because of opposing political feelings and
beliefs in the room. Why would any of us? For Joe Biden
or Donald Trump?
I refuse to let this election kill Thanksgiving or any of
the friendships and relationships that I share with real
people in my life. Life, our friendships, our relationship
with God and the personal work and service of being a
good human being are most important to me.
Thanksgiving season is here. Life doesn’t always go
our way, but we all have a lot to be thankful for this year.
Keep this good season alive with gratitude. Most of all
extend Thanksgiving to all others. If it’s not reciprocated,
then it’s on them. Keep Thanksgiving alive in your heart.