GO AND EXPLORE THE FOREST FLOOR

August 16, 2018 9:59 am Published by Courtney Jackson 1 Comment

Well hello-hello!

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer just as much as I am! It’s hard to believe it’s already August! This means that I only have two weeks left at Resolute; the feeling is bittersweet.

To sweeten things up, in my world and yours, I’ll let you know that August is the perfect time to forage for wild blueberries! Wild raspberries are still abundant in the forest but, blueberries are ready to be picked! Look below!

Can you believe it?! Look at all those beautiful-blueberries! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across this lush patch! I captured this photo to prove how abundant the berries are at this time of the year. Before now, I’ve never been berry-picking, nor have I observed wild blueberries, so this was a real treat! So, if you’re around the Thunder Bay area sometime soon, within the month, consider going blueberry picking! If you continue reading, I’ll let you know where to find them! For now, I’ll start by explaining one job that I’ve been doing out in the field!

In that last couple of weeks at work, I’ve been completing more log quality checks in the harvesting operations. These are quite fun to do, as it entails examining the roadside wood in a harvest block and identifying any defects in the wood. A defect in the wood can be caused naturally or by mechanical damage. A natural defect can be removed, whereas a defect caused by mechanical equipment is irreparable. Examples of natural defects include: rot, burls, root flares, crooks, sweeps etc. and examples of mechanical defects include: stem damage, short or long (cut-to-length) measurements, improper delimbing etc. The harvesting operators do their best to carefully remove the natural defects and avoid mechanically damaging the wood. The goal is to maintain and produce high quality saw logs.

Defective cut-to-length logs are not accepted at the Thunder Bay sawmill. If a defective log is accidentally loaded into the sawmill, it could cause the operations to jam, depending on the severity of the defect. To prevent defective logs from being delivered to the sawmill, log quality checks are completed in the harvest blocks. Log quality checks address quality issues, prior to delivery. The purpose of checking the quality is to maintain or increase the number of high quality saw logs being delivered to the sawmill. To produce high quality lumber, the saw logs must also be high quality.

Here is a photo of me completing a log quality check in a harvest block. I am spraying red paint on the logs that display a natural defect or mechanical damage. When the operator observes the red paint on the roadside logs, he or she will know that this log quality check was complete and the logs that do have red paint on them have a noticeable defect. I tally the number of defects and record them on a log quality form for documentation.

In the photo above, I had just painted a saw log with a very noticeable root flare. To correct this natural defect, the operator would safely cut the root flare off with a chainsaw. By spray painting this defective saw log, I made it obvious to the harvesting contractor that this root flare must be removed prior to delivery. Completing log quality checks also decreases the risk of defective logs from delivered to the sawmill. Here at Resolute, we all work as a team. We focus on safety, the environment, the quality of our work, and the production; striving for the highest quality products. At the end of the day, we must remember and cherish our natural resources, as they provide us life and sustainability on Earth.

One thing that I like to preach is the importance of learning about your surroundings, especially when working in the outdoors. There is so much to see, to discover and to learn and it’s a great way to pass the time! Every day, I always strive to learn about one new thing about our environment, simply because it interests me and it’s my passion. So now, I would like to share with you one exciting thing that I just learned – where to go blueberry picking in northwestern, Ontario! If you’ve made it this far into my blog, you’re about to read where to find these wild blueberry patches around the Thunder Bay area! So here it is!

On your way out of town, heading east on the Thunder Bay Expressway, turn left onto highway 527 and head north until you pass Monday Lake Road, it’ll be on the left side. You’ll begin to see areas that were previously harvested. These old harvest blocks are approximately 3-4 years old now, and are naturally regenerating, according to my coworkers. When I was berry picking last weekend, I found wild raspberries and blueberries. I noticed that the wild raspberries prefer to grow in moist sites whereas wild blueberries prefer well-drained, sandy sites. I know from working extensively in the boreal forest this summer, jack pine trees also favour the same soils as wild blueberries. Miraculously, everywhere I found a jack pine regenerating, I also found the wild blueberries! Look at the photo below to see the area that I was in!

It is an amazing feeling to be able to forage for naturally-growing edibles. I have never tasted fruit so amazing in my life! I picked every blueberry that I found on each plant, just in case I didn’t find another one. After a couple of hours, I came home with this – a supply of wild raspberries and blueberries.

So, if you’ve never been berry-picking before, I would strongly recommend it! Its relaxing, fun and exciting! But do remember, when you’re working outdoors, make sure you are always aware of your surroundings. Wild animals, especially bears, enjoy feeding on this delicious fruit too, but don’t let that scare you. Be safe and enjoy!

Until next time!