To the editor:

The other day I was out for a nice winter’s drive on Forest Home Road with my father when I noticed several deciduous trees with brown leaves hanging firmly to their branches even though the woods were heavy with newly fallen snow. I asked my father what types of deciduous trees do not lose their leaves in the fall, like maples. He thought for a moment and responded beech. We wondered if these trees were indeed beech or perhaps something else? Were they native to this area or a once-invasive species? We did not know, and so we drove on admiring the Adirondack landscape.

The very next day, as luck would have it and thanks to living in a small community, I ran into Curt Stager. I asked him about the deciduous trees that Dad and I encountered on our drive, and he, in turn, quizzed me on the shape of the leaves that still clung to their origins and concluded that the trees were indeed beech trees.

After chatting about trees and the Adirondacks in general, I commented to Curt that it would be nice if there were 4-H-type groups for adults so we could learn more about trees and other things. We could learn to identify trees and birds, we could learn how to make some authentic foreign cuisine, and the list goes on and on. We could have lots and lots of fun just like we did when we were kids involved in 4-H activities, except now we can drive ourselves.

Sincerely,

Susan Steen

Saranac Lake