What's Your Nature?

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The Woodpecker's Tree

Posted by Gabriel Cole,
North Country explorer from Wallingford, PA
March 4, 2015

This is the second image of three from the Stone Valley Trail system. This particular image is of a tree I saw while walking along one of the trails. It has obviously been the victim of one or more woodpeckers and I believe that this tree is some spruce or pine and perhaps even a fir or hemlock because I remember seeing a lot hemlocks that had been picked over by porcupines. Natural History: Like much of the North Country the landscape of Stone Valley Park was formed by the movement of large land glaciers and ice sheets many thousands of years ago. Their movement has shaped the land and are responsible for the presence of large rocks and boulders in the area. Additionally, the Stone Valley Park is located between the towns of Colton and Parishville. The trail system is more than 12 miles long and has various types of birds, plants, and wildlife indigenous to the region. The Raquette River is also has many rapids that flow over waterfalls and create gorges, rock islands, overhanging cliffs, and potholes. Furthermore, the trail system contains a mixture of topography, woodlands, and plant-life that is unique to the area.
I like that this photo conveys the impact of animals on the forest. We tend to forget that our actions have repercussions and have impacts on our environment. This photo demonstrates the impression of an animal on the environment and for me is a little reminder that we actions alter the natural state of the world.