What is it Wednesday: February 14, 2019

Can you identify what's in this photo?

Each Wednesday morning 

on Camp Lutherlyn's Facebook page

 the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program posts a photo. 

Readers have all morning and afternoon 

to make their best guess about what the photo is. 

Around 6 pm LEEP provides the answer and a brief explanation.

Each week's What is it Wednesday post 

will also be posted on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

the day after it is posted on Facebook,

sometimes with additional bonus information. 

In addition to bringing you current editions of What is it Wednesday 

on the Nature of Lutherlyn blog, 

we will be reposting old editions,

creating a What is it Wednesday archive. 

This photo was posted as a What is it Wednesday on February 13, 2019. 

And the answer is....

The hole in this tree was created by a maple sugaring tap placed in this tree in previous years. 

After the spile (small metal tube) is removed from the tap hole at the end of the maple sugaring season, the tree begins to heal the hole (and any crack that might develop along the hole) by growing new tissue in the hole. After a year or two, the hole in the living tissue of the tree is completely filled in, and a hole and crack in the outer bark is all that is left behind. 

Eventually even the hole in the bark is covered when inner bark becomes outer bark and replaces the old outer bark as it sheds. As a tree grows wider, the outer bark cracks and the inner bark beneath the cracks is exposed. As that inner bark toughens and dies, it becomes outer bark, covering the growth cracks with new outer bark. Gradually the topmost layers of outer bark break off in small pieces and the new outer bark below becomes the top layer. The same thing happens with tap holes. Finally, only a small “pucker” on the outer bark shows that a tap was once placed in that spot. 

The tap hole in this photo was probably created two or three years ago.

We have already had two groups help us tap maple trees this season, and we will be adding more taps and buckets with each group that joins us for maple sugaring over the next month. You can be a part of maple sugaring at Lutherlyn! Join us for our maple Saturday Safari on March 2^nd, or call to schedule a special group. Find more info or register for Saturday Safaris here: www.lutherlyn.com/safari . 

Like and follow Camp Lutherlyn on Facebook, to see What is it Wednesday posts when they come out and have the opportunity to share your guesses in the comments!