What’s the difference between ‘windthrow’ and ‘windsnap’ in trees?
And how can they help me find my way in the woods? Both ‘windthrow’ and ‘windsnap’ are names given by foresters to trees that have…
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Tag: trees
Observations from Narragansett
Hello Tristan, I have read your book, “The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Sign’s” with a great deal of interest. Since reading your book, I’ve…
How to Find Your Way with Tree Leaves
Earlier I showed how it is possible to find your way using the colour of tree leaves. Now I’d like to show you how to…
Clues and Signs in Trees – New Animation!
Here is the third in the short series of short animations. Hope you enjoy! If you missed the Water one, you can find that on…
How to Make a Compass out of a Tree Stump
Very nice email in with a helpful photo: I was stargazing this past week in the Davis Mountains in Texas. I had been pointing out…
How to Navigate Using the Upper Winds and Clouds
I have written in the past about the basics of using the weather to navigate. Here I’d like to offer a couple of tips to…
Which Way Are We Looking?
I took the dogs into the woods for their walk this morning. Whilst trying a shortcut through some understory trees and undergrowth, something gave me…
How to Find Direction Using Tree Bark
The wind, rain and sun do not affect all sides of trees equally. This creates patterns on the trees’ bark that we can use to…
Lichens are a Sign of Fresh Air
I can think of no other organism with the modesty of lichens. They add richness to every outdoor scene, yet seek little recognition and get…