Forest Society Blog - News & Features

Winter forests are full of hidden microclimates, from snow-sheltered deer yards beneath conifers to sun-warmed tree wells in hardwood stands. As explored on Something Wild, these subtle snow patterns shape how wildlife survives the coldest months.

The mascots of the 2026 Winter Olympics aren’t foxes or cats—they’re stoats, known here as winter ermine. As explored on Something Wild, these elusive New Hampshire natives are small, fierce, and perfectly adapted to snowy mountain life.

When beaver ponds freeze, winter opens rare access to places usually hidden—turning wetlands into temporary highways for people and wildlife alike. As heard on Something Wild, ice reveals a living landscape, from beaver lodges below to tracks and stories written across the snow.

Early winter in New Hampshire can feel stark and still, with short days, bitter winds, and frozen ground. Yet even in this quiet, the first signs of spring stir: a rose-pink dawn, a chickadee’s song, and the promise of golden maple sap waiting in the sugarhouse.

Seeing moths in the cold? They’re likely Bruce spanworm moths—a native species adapted to fly in chilly late fall, emerging after most insect-eating birds have left.

This reflection weaves together the rhythms of ecological change with a transition behind the microphone at Something Wild. As forests, wildlife communities, and seasons evolve, so too does the show—marking Chris Martin’s retirement as co-host and welcoming Grace McCulloch to carry the conversation forward, reminding us that change is not an ending, but a continuation.

Extreme birder Gino Ellison joined Something Wild to share how his 2023 Big Year led him across 78,000 miles and to an incredible 802 bird species. He reflects on what drives dedicated “listers” and why anyone can try their own Big Year—right in their backyard.

The Something Wild team visited Black Mountain Forest to see northern saw-whet owls up close. On a record night at the banding station, 15 owls were banded and released, helping researchers track these tiny, elusive nocturnal hunters.