With elections so recent, it sounds risky to speak of taxonomy here in New Hampshire, but Dave Pilla's forestry class is doing just that--in preparation for a pass/fail test this Friday. By pass/fail we mean that either you identify every tree sample correctly, or you fail the test. When it comes to taxonomy, it's all or nothing.
You don't need a 3000 acre woodlot to study hemlock, various spruce and tamarack. They're found right in the center of campus. Here, Mary explains that this is a hemlock because the needles are flat:
The tamarack, also known as the larch, is our only deciduous softwood. Its needles will yellow and all fall off soon. The cones grow pointing back at the trunk or branch. If you can't tell the difference between this and a hemlock, you deserve to flunk the test.
The sign marks the first "tee" for the campus's rarely-enjoyed Frisbee Golf course....
