Ecology

Winter in the woods

Anne Gageby
Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve

(1/2024) Childhood environmental education is framed by rules – bears hibernate, deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall but conifer trees remain green year-round, and a winter forest is dull and lifeless. While often based in some degree of truth, as we grow up, we discover that there are exceptions to every rule.

I’ve written before about the rebellious beech tree, a marcescent deciduous tree that holds onto its leaves until the bitter end. Or at least until the wind and storms tear them off the branches. On the other hand, the tamarack is a conifer that drops its needles every fall, often making the tree appear shockingly dead mid-winter, a stark contrast to evergreen pines and Norway spruces.

As children are exposed to environmental education, these rules help the world make sense. After all, the forest can feel immense and wild. It’s human nature to break difficult topics into bite-sized pieces that are easy to understand and remember. But as we dive deeper into the truth of how the world works, we find more and more exceptions to these "rules".

We also learn that rules aren’t as simple as they seem. Let’s take the common question: Do bears hibernate? What should be a simple "yes" or "no" answer is anything but. The question of whether bears hibernate depends on who you ask and what their definition of hibernation is. If we frame hibernation only in terms of body temperature reduction, bears aren’t considered true hibernators. By this definition, amphibians are considered true hibernators as their body temperatures drop to near freezing.

Framed another way, true hibernators are vertebrates that spend extended periods of time with near-freezing body temperatures. And yet chipmunks, who drop their body temperature to near freezing, wake up periodically to eliminate body wastes and eat. They accomplish this by raising their core temperature, going about their business, and then dropping their temperature again to freezing. It’s a fascinating cycle they experience throughout the long winter months.

To add to this confusion, some people break down the concept of winter dormancy even further by whether or not an animal is warm-blooded or cold-blooded. Hibernation as a concept is usually applied to warm-blooded animals because their dormancy is generally agreed to be voluntary. Brumation, on the other hand, is a dormancy in which amphibians’ and reptiles’ metabolisms decrease but the drop is involuntary and caused by changes in outside temperatures. Torpor is yet another kind of dormancy in which animals’ core temperatures only drop slightly as they experience the winter slow-down.

All of this back-and-forth over definitions brings us to the last "rule" mentioned above: that winter forests are lifeless. A short hike along Strawberry Hill’s trails shows how lively a Pennsylvania forest can be even in the deepest parts of winter. Goldfinches, black-capped chickadees, blue jays, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers, northern cardinals, and white-breasted nuthatches are just some of the birds you’ll likely spot during a winter stroll. The same goes for squirrels, the rambunctious tree-dwellers who make a lot of noise as they chase back and forth amongst the branches. It’s hard to imagine a livelier group of creatures at any time of year. Larger animals such as deer, bobcat, coyote, foxes, weasels, and owls are around and leave evidence of their activity throughout the forest. Even bears, those loveable but hotly debated hibernators, can be active if the days are warm enough.

The trick to seeing the forest as alive is to know what to look for. Venturing outside in winter can feel daunting, especially if you’re unsure of what to expect or where to go. Added to this is the inescapable fact that the forest can be incredibly silent, especially right after a snowstorm. Snow absorbs sound and many creatures are dormant or laying low in one capacity or another, even the larger animals. Without grazing deer, snakes sunning themselves, and insects flitting around, the woods can feel eerily still. Or, as some would argue, lifeless. And yet the reality is the forest is anything but lifeless.

It’s one thing to say the forest is alive and active in winter but it’s another to see it for yourself. Join us for a hike and let our Naturalists show you. We have several guided hikes going on in January that will show you a new side to the forest. On Wednesday, January 17th, join in the fun as we tackle the Foothills Trails. This trail covers about four and a half miles of wilderness not regularly explored. We’ll cross Swamp Creek and even climb over some downed trees so be prepared to experience the forest in an entirely new way. This free hike starts at 10am and will likely last until 2pm.

If an evening hike is more your speed, join us on Saturday, January 20th from 7-8pm for our Owl Prowl as we venture into the night in search of native owls. We’ll discover what makes an owl an excellent hunter and learn how to spot evidence of an owl’s presence even in the dark of night. We discuss which species of owls live in and which visit our beautiful Pennsylvania woods. There will be free hot chocolate and a presentation before a short hike around campus. The Owl Prowl is $10 per participant and sure to be a good time for friends of all ages.

And of course, what is a winter hike without folktales? On Thursday, January 25th, we will venture into our beloved Pennsylvania woods under the full Wolf Moon and hear brand new stories from the forest including the Legend of Wolf and Sycamore. Discover the history of real wolves which once inhabited our forests. Explore how human fear and misunderstanding shaped our beliefs and hunting practices and led to the elimination of wild wolves in our state. The Wolf Moon guided hike will start at 7pm, last about 90 minutes, and will cover about two miles. This hike $10 per person.

Winter has settled in and made herself at home. But that doesn’t mean the forest is entirely asleep. Join us for a hike and let’s bust these myths and reset the rules about how the world works.

Anne Gageby is the Environmental Education Manager of the Strawberry Hill Foundation. Strawberry Hill inspires stewardship of our natural world by
connecting the community with educational opportunities.
 Learn more by visiting StrawberryHill.org.