Tamarack Trees and Green Up Time

The tamarack trees are budding forth on the Trail lately. What a pretty sight this is. They look as though the needles are very soft, unlike the prickly kinds found on the spruce and balsam trees. Indeed, in doing a little reading on the tamarack, someone had suggested that this quality would make it an excellent candidate for a Christmas tree. The only problem is that this particular tree is considered to be a deciduous conifer--meaning, it loses its "leaves", or needles, in the fall. The reference did make me think about the artificial trees that the Germans made out of feathers. Did they model them after the tamarack? Perhaps.

In the fall, when the tamarack is about to lose its leaves, it first turns to a spectacular gold. It's almost like the tree is going out in a blaze of glory. It is one of the later fall colors to show up, and it is always a delight to see the intensity of color against the forest's dark backdrop. I'll be sure to photograph some this fall.

This is the weekend of Gunflint Green Up, so today I am headed out to help with that. I am going to a new part of the neighborhood, one that I haven't explored much--the Iron Lake Campground. In past years, Greg and I have planted little seedlings of white and red pine up at the end of the trail, and at the Chik-Wauk museum. This year, we are not planting but rather helping to clean out some of the competing plants around the little trees. By trimming away the aspen and alder shoots, the pines will be allowed more sunshine, which they need in abundance at this stage. Pruners in hand, I'll be out there. (I'm not sure how my back will feel in the morning, but it will be worth it.)

We attended the welcome picnic last night at the big tent at Gunflint Lodge. After dinner, a local owl biologist gave a slideshow and talk on his twenty-four years of research on boreal owls. He has also collected data on the saw-whet and barred owls. It was very informative, and a little bleak, since he could identify troubles for the boreal owl. Mostly, these were related to the changing habitat up here, largely from windstorms like the blowdown, and the fires. These little owls are cavity nesters, in need of big old aspen trees. When the trees are gone, the owls leave, too. While he doesn't hear or see near as many boreal owls in this forest anymore, the good news is that they are still thriving in Alaska and parts of Canada.

We've been hearing our favorite owl a lot in recent weeks. He is a barred, and he has a distinctive call. The cadence is a bit different than the usual one. That's what makes it so easy to identify him. It's nice to know that he is still in the neighborhood.