Warren County Connection - November 2021

Warren County Connection A Publication of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Warren County

November 2021

Fall Maintenance Practices for Landscapes In the fall, the focus of landscape maintenance shifts somewhat from the routines of summer. Much of the work is directed toward getting landscapes cleaned up and ready for winter.

Clean Up In years when rainfall exceeds the norm and humidity is persistently high, foliar diseases can be prevalent.

Diseases such as anthracnose can, over the course of the year, reduce the photosynthetic capacity of plants.

With repeated occurrences of such diseases, the vigor of woody plants will steadily decline. Hence, it is important to reduce the potential for severe infections in subsequent years. Insect activity is usually diminished in fall but weakened trees and shrubs The key is sanitation. Many of these should be examined for presence of diseases overwinter on leaves and borers. In some cases, infested stems of plants. These plant parts branches should be removed. serve as a reservoir of inoculum for future infections. If conditions are Pruning favorable next spring, fungal or bac- Fall offers an excellent opportunity terial spores (inoculum) can re-infect to do corrective pruning. Corrective trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. pruning involves removal of dead, Therefore, as an important compodamaged, or diseased branches and nent of Integrated Pest Management the elimination of limbs that may be and Plant Health Care programs, it is causing structural problems. Examessential that infected plant materi- ples of structural problems include als be removed and destroyed during branches that may be rubbing, those the fall. This means raking up leaves, that are growing back to the center cutting down infected stems of per- of the tree, and those with abnorennial plants and pruning out disease mally narrow crotch angles. infected branches and stems of trees and shrubs.

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In this issue: Consider Fritillaries This Fall

4

Spice Up Your Holidays

5

Family Budget Coaching Program Now Available for Families and Individuals in Warren County

6

How Do Birds Survive the Winter?

6

Talking with your Family about Financial Difficulties

9

How to Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams

10

Vegetarian Corn Chowder

11

Special points of interest: •

Calendar of Events

Warren County Connection

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Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Warren County 377 Schroon River Road Warrensburg, NY 12885

Phone: (518) 623-3291 or (518) 668-4881 Fax: (518) 668-4912

Visit Our Web Site: www.cce.cornell.edu/warren

Who We Are Nation-wide, thousands of people in each state tap into their state’s land -grant university research and know-how to make sound confident decisions concerning family, home, business, finances, and the future. In New York State, the land-grant university is Cornell University.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension network brings you the expertise of Cornell University, other land-grant universities across the country and locally-based Extension Educators, volunteers, and other experts through such programs as: horticulture, youth and families, leadership, environment, food, nutrition & health, home environment, and financial management.

Staff Dr. James Seeley, Executive Director John Bowe, Associate Team Leader Dan Carusone, 4-H Natural Resources Coordinator Marybeth Mitcham, Nutrition, Food Safety & Healthy Living Educator Roxanne Westcott, 4-H Family Living Educator Kali DeMarco, Farm to School Coordinator Rebecca Devaney, Community Horticulture Coordinator Sharon Bellamy, Finance Manager Amy Sabattis, Public Relations/Publications Manager Michele Baker, Administrative Assistant Chris Dittus, Administrative Assistant Connor Eastman, Maintenance

Board of Directors Laura Conway - President Peter Benoit - Vice President Dan Bruno - Secretary William Hamelin - Treasurer Aimee Azaert Lisa Earl Ed Griesmer Jim Kneeshaw David Little David Strainer Michael White

Extension Service Committee Chair - Ben Driscoll Daniel Bruno Andrea Hogan Brad Magowan

Warren County Connection

CALENDAR

Please visit our website for more events www.cce.cornell.edu/warren 11/2/2021 - 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Cookie Party! - Get ready to make some amazingly easy and delicious cookies that the whole family will love! These cookies are very simple and perfect for the season. We will be making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate no bakes! Participants will be provided with a list of ingredients before the session. These recipes will require a mixing bowl, a mixing spoon or spatula, and a baking sheet. Pre-registration is required at this zoom link: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tJcpfuCsrD0rHNSjSGsWJJ43uaaLf6o-jD21. For shopping list, please email Courtney at chapmc2@sage.edu.

Online Training Via Zoom 11/10/2021 - 10:30 AM - DIY Tiger Balm - Why purchase expensive health products when you can make them yourself? In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn about the health benefits of the different ingredients in tiger balm, an analgesic and thermogenic salve, and will learn how to make their own! Registration is limited for this event. To register, please contact Director Barb Mitchell at 518-6966451. Lake Luzerne Senior Center, 539 Lake Ave., Lake Luzerne, NY 12846 11/13/2021 - 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Super Soups - You will learn a few soup-making tricks and tips, as well as make three types of soup that can be tailored to any kind of dietary preference: a stock soup, a clear broth vegetable-based soup (which can include meat), and a puréed, creamy soup. To register contact SUNY Adirondack Continuing Education at: conted@sunyacc.edu or call 518-743-2238. Online Training Via Zoom Warren County 11/16/2021 - 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM - Adventure Awaits: Paris! - Come and join us as we tour the world together - virtually! This month will take us to the beautiful city of Paris, France. Each tour will also include a snack of a food from the region that is being toured. Adventure awaits! To register for this event, please contact Stephanie Belden at: 518 793-2189.

Online Training Via Zoom Greater Glens Falls Senior Center 11/18/2021 - 6:30 PM - Wildlife Habitat Education Program - Wildlife of the Prairies. Interactive, live program for youth 8 until 19 years of age. Come see and touch pelts, skulls, and photos of wildlife who call the Prairies home. There is a $5 fee for non 4-H members. Group size is limited to 15. For more information or to register please call 518-668-4881 or email mlb222@cornell.edu. Cornell Cooperative Extension Warren County 377 Schroon River Road, Warrensburg, NY 12885 11/19/2021 - 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Cuisine from Around the World: Germany - Come and join us as we tour the world together virtually! This month will take us to the beautiful country of Germany.

Each tour will also include a snack of a food from the region that is being toured. To register for this event, please contact Stephanie Smith at 518-761-8223. Queensbury Senior Center, 742 Bay Road Queensbury, NY 12804

If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and need assistance with attending these workshops, please make your needs known by the registration deadline. Reasonable efforts will be madefor accommodations.

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Warren County Connection (Continued from page 1)

Normally, pruning is a growth-stimulating event. Since trees and shrubs are progressing towards dormancy in the fall, this should not pose a problem. Also, the selective and targeted type of pruning involved is less likely to stimulate growth than is a general shearing type of pruning.

As leaves drop from deciduous woody plants, it is easy to survey and detect defects in trees and shrubs. Canker formations, rubbing branches, splits or cracks in wood are apparent when not obscured by foliage.

Nutrient and Water Management Research in recent years has shown that the nutrients that support spring growth in woody plants are those that were taken up in the previous year and stored over winter. A conclusion of that research is that late summer and early fall are the best times to apply fertilizer to woody plants in the landscape. This particularly applies to nitrogen application.

It is widely assumed that fall applications of fertilizer stimulate late season growth that is then prone to winter injury. This is not necessarily true. At normal rates of application, fall-applied fertilizers do not cause growth and in fact may help increase winter hardiness of trees and shrubs.

If fertilizer applications are needed, fall is a good time to make them. Plant roots continue to take up nutrients when soil temperatures are above 40 degrees F. The need for fertilizer should always be evaluated before making any applications. Examining the general vigor of plants and data from soil and foliar analyses is the best way to assess need.

If organic fertilizers are used as a primary source of nitrogen, the earlier the applications are made the better, since rate of uptake is related to soil temperature. The usual amount of nitrogen applied to woody plants varies from one to three pounds actual nitrogen per thousand square feet. The amount applied will depend upon plant vigor and soil texture considerations. On sandy sites, lower amounts of nitrogen are applied to reduce the likelihood of leaching. Using slow-release fertilizers is also recommended on sites where leaching is a potential problem. Amounts of phosphorous and potassium to be applied should only be determined by soil testing. The latter nutrients can be applied at any time of the year since they are more static in the soil than is nitrogen.

Fall soil tests should also be used to determine any corrections to soil pH. If limestone is needed to raise soil pH, this is an excellent time to make such applications. The combination of winter precipitation, melting snow, and freezing/thawing events facilitate the movement of limestone into the soil.

Winter survival of woody plants depends to a large degree on ample soil moisture levels in early fall. Water needs to be applied in some years to insure that woody plants have taken up sufficient amounts of moisture to prevent stress related to desiccation, that is, plant water loss in winter. When soils are dry in late summer and early fall, water should be applied once per week or so, depending upon soil moisture levels, through October.

Mulching Fall is a good time to apply mulches or to renew mulches around trees and shrubs in the landscape. Organic mulches such as bark nuggets, pine needles, or composted wood chips are preferred.

Organic mulches help to establish a soil profile similar to that of the natural habitat of woody plants. The existence of this profile with a significant organic layer on the surface of soil accomplishes several things. For one, it buffers soil from extremes in temperature and moisture levels. It also diminishes competition from other plants by retarding their growth or preventing their establishment in the vicinity of the tree or shrubs.

Organic mulches over time decompose to humus. In the process, nutrients are slowly released to soil and are available for uptake by plants. Where mulches are routinely maintained, the need for additional plant nutrients may not be necessary.

Organic mulches also serve as nutrient sources for a diverse community of microorganisms. These microbes benefit the health of trees and shrubs in a variety of ways. They help make available phosphorous and other mineral nutrients, antagonize disease-causing fungi and bacteria, and maintain soil fertility.

A layer of mulch that is no more than three inches deep is best for landscapes.

Conclusion Fall is a critical time in landscape maintenance. Cultural practices employed prior to the onset of winter will ensure a healthier landscape for the following spring.

Resource: University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Warren County Connection

Consider Fritillaries This Falls

By Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor Emeritus University of Vermont These are less common spring-flowering bulbs that you plant in the fall as you would the more common daffodils and tulips. Their flowers come in a range of colors, and are generally bell-shaped, either in clusters or single. Plants range from six inches to three feet or more. Being less common, you may need to order many of the selections, either online or from mail-order bulb catalogs. Most grow into USDA hardiness zone 4 (average annual -20 to -30 degree minimum).

The most common fritillary is the crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis). You may have seen its basal rosettes of narrow, long leaves, from which the tall stems emerge in late spring. Atop these three-foot stems are clusters of up to ten flowers with a small tuft of leaves protruding from the top. (Flowers remind me of something one might see in a Dr. Seuss book.) Generally bright red-orange, you also can find less common selections with yellow or light orange flowers. The huge bulbs (often four inches wide) are strongly scented, similar to fox or skunk, and so are used to repel rodents from the garden where they are planted.

Being large, crown imperials need planting about six inches deep and eight or more inches apart. They need well-drained soil, or they’ll rot. Bulbs have a slight depression in the top, which can collect water when soils are wet. To prevent this, plant bulbs slightly on their side. Since this bulb is less hardy (USDA zone 5), you may plant and treat this as an annual bulb in colder climates. This fritillary, as with its relatives, doesn’t like to be out of soil for long so plant them right after you get them.

As with many fritillaries, these are originally native to the eastern Mediterranean and central Asia. This also is one of the oldest fritillaries in cultivation, dating back to 1590. It was then that a man named Clusius brought some with him (along with some of the original tulips) to the botanic garden in Leiden, Holland, from which they were introduced. Since he had been the head gardener at the imperial gardens in Vienna, these bulbs got the name “Crown Imperial.” This plant is a magnet for the

bright red lily leaf beetle and its ugly larvae so, if you have this pest, you may need some neem-based organic spray.

Perhaps the next most common fritillary, one that you often can find at local garden stores along with the crown imperial, is the guinea hen flower (Fritillaria meleagris). It also is known as the snake's head fritillary, or checkered lily, due to the purple and white checkered pattern of the flowers. In fact, the name of this genus (said as “frit-ill-AIR-ee-ah”) comes from the Latin word for dice-box, referring to the checkered pattern often found on these. Another common name is leper lily, referring to the bell shape of the flowers, similar to the bells lepers carried in medieval times. A mix of these bulbs often is found with white flowers as well.

Unlike most fritillaries that need well-drained soil, the checkered lily prefers cool, moist soil and can tolerate some wet soils. Also unlike its relatives, it prefers dappled shade but will tolerate sun, while most fritillaries like sun but will tolerate part shade. Like most fritillaries, bulbs are relatively small so need planting only three inches deep, and three inches or more apart.

Checkered lily often is found naturalized, growing in huge masses, in moist meadows of northern Europe and Scandinavia. Similarly, in the garden it is most attractive when planted in groups of six or more Above the very thin leaves, the flowers are single on stalks only about one foot high. Although the fritillaries are usually listed as deer, rabbit and woodchuck resistant, I have found this species eaten to the ground by such creatures!

The Persian fritillary (Fritillaria persica) is probably the third most common, and is rather unique and attractive. It has strong, upright stems to over two feet high. Up the stems are wavy, bluish leaves. Near the top are many small, hanging bell-shaped flowers. Generally plum colored, a less common selection has white flowers. As with most fritillaries, this one prefers full sun. Similar to the crown imperial, this one has been cultivated since the late 1500's.

A recent selection of the Persian fritillary, rather rare and expensive but quite showy, is Ivory Bells. It grows up to about four feet high, with larger, ivory-colored flowers.

Similarly new and rare is Purple Dynamite Persian fritillary. This sport of the species has glossy, mahogany garnet-colored flowers. With mahogany-plum flowers, similar to the species, only with two stalks per bulb is the (Continued on page 5)

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Warren County Connection (Continued from page 4)

new Twin Towers Tribute (named in tribute to these structures).

Spice Up Your Holidays

By Rosie Lerner, Purdue Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist

One of my favorites of the less common species is the Assyrian fritillary (Fritillaria assyriaca). It gets over a foot tall, with narrow bluish leaves up the slender stems. Atop each stem are several small reddish bronze bells, with gold rims and gold insides. I have these scattered throughout low perennials such as heathers and coralbells, above which they rise each spring. Grown in gardens since 1874, this fritillary naturalizes well, and prefers filtered shade.

A Turkish fritillary, Michael’s flower (Fritillaria michailowskyi), is similar to the Assyrian one, only shorter, and its flowers a maroon or reddish purple, with yellow rims and insides. Another Turkish fritillary (Fritillaria pontica) gets to about one foot high, with large, greenish white flowers with brown edges. There are one to three flowers per stem. It prefers part shade. Similar to the latter is another fritillary (Fritillaria acmopetala), only taller and its flowers are olive green with brown insides.

A Siberian fritillary (Fritillaria pallidiflora), native to the Himalayan mountains and Asia Minor, is quite hardy and less common. The soft chartreuse-yellow bells, with reddish-brown spots inside, are held about one foot high. This bulb was first grown in gardens in 1857. Another rare fritillary from central Asia and the mountains of Iran, the Turkmen fritillary (Fritillaria raddeana), is similar to the crown imperial in hardiness and habit, only with more delicate pale greenish-white flowers.

There are even more fritillaries, which you can find in specialty bulb catalogs, to add spring color to your gardens, with some unusual bulbs that are relatively easy to grow. While some selections make eye-catching annual spring flower specimens, others make long-lived perennial spring flowers massed in borders or naturalized.

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. ~Mother Teresa Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. ~Babe Ruth "I never dreamed about success, I worked for it." ~Estee Lauder

Ginger is harvested from underground stems Photo Credit: HJ Kim, Purdue University

Some of the most popular spices used this time of year are harvested from various parts of exotic tropical plants, lending a special flavor to holiday recipes.

Ginger is harvested from the rhizomes (underground stems) of a tropical/sub-tropical herbaceous plant, Zingiber officinale. Ginger is native to tropical Asia and is grown commercially in Hawaii and many other countries, including China, India, Thailand and Brazil. The rhizomes are harvested after the first year of the plant’s growth. The rhizomes can be washed and used fresh, dried whole or ground, pickled, crystallized or boiled and stored in syrup.

It is possible to grow ginger as a houseplant, though a typical home is not the best environment to keep this plant happy, especially in winter. The plant thrives in warm, humid air and well-drained moist soil. Select healthy fresh rhizomes from the market, and look for the small “eyes” or buds to plant eyes facing upward, about 2-3 inches deep.

Once the leaves emerge, set the plant near a bright window where it will get at least a half day of direct sun.

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Warren County Connection

The popular spice of cinnamon is derived from several closely related species. Ceylon cinnamon comes from the bark of the semi-tropical evergreen tree Cinnamomum zeylanicum, native to Ceylon and southwest India and hardy in the U.S. Gulf states. For the best quality cinnamon, the bark is cut in strips from two-year-old branches, just as the new foliage leafs out and the bark slips easily from the wood. The bark is then dried and either ground or sold in the curled strips called “quills.” The quills of Ceylon cinnamon are light brown, and their interior consists of several thin layers.

How Do Birds Survive the Winter?

By Bernd Heinrich; Illustrations by Megan Bishop, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The cinnamon found in most grocery stores is more likely to be the cassia cinnamon, harvested from the related Cinnamomum aromaticum. This type of cinnamon has a darker, thicker bark, and its quills are hollow. This form is less expensive, so it is more commonly found and is stronger in flavor than the true cinnamon.

Cloves are native to the Moluccas (Spice Islands) and are the dried, unopened flowers of the tropical evergreen tree Syzygium aromaticum. The name clove is derived from the Latin clavus, meaning “nail,” as the dried flowers do rather resemble their namesake.

Nutmeg and mace are both harvested from the fruits of yet another tropical evergreen tree, Myristica fragrans, also native to the Moluccas. These fruits have a fleshy outer husk that splits upon ripening to reveal the seed with a red, leathery covering. Nutmeg is made from the ground seed kernel, while mace is made from the leathery seed cover.

Family Budget Coaching Program Now Available for Families and Individuals in Warren County Cornell Cooperative Extension of Warren County is now offering a free, confidential Family Budget Coaching Program to community residents. The one-on-one sessions are available to individuals and families who want to improve their financial literacy, set goals, create a savings plan, reduce debt and get a better handle on finances. The trained coaches will offer sessions either via Zoom or in person in Glens Falls, Warrensburg and Johnsburg.

Since 1914, Cornell Cooperative Extension has responded to the needs of New York residents enabling people to improve their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research-based knowledge to work.

For more information on this program, please contact Roxanne Westcott at rmw38@cornell.edu or (518) 668-4881.

It seems logical that most birds flee the northern regions to overwinter somewhere warmer, such as the tropics.

Their feat of leaving their homes, navigating and negotiating often stupendous distances twice a year, indicates their great necessity of avoiding the alternative—of staying and enduring howling snowstorms and subzero temperatures.

However, some birds stay and face the dead of winter against seemingly insurmountable odds. That they can and do invites our awe and wonder, for it requires solving two problems simultaneously.

The first is maintaining an elevated body temperature— generally about 105°F for birds—in order to stay active.

Humans in the north, with our 98.6°F body temperatures, face the same problem during winter of staying warm enough to be able to function, as anyone walking barefoot at –30°F will attest to within seconds.

The second problem to be surmounted in winter is finding food. For most birds, food supplies become greatly reduced in winter just when food is most required as fuel for keeping them warm.

One might wonder if birds are endowed with a magic winter survival trick. The short answer is: they aren’t. They solve the winter survival problem in many ways, often by doing many things at once. Although some species have devised the evolutionary equivalent of proprietary solutions, most birds follow a simple formula: maximize calories ingested while minimizing calories spent.

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Warren County Connection (Continued from page 6)

Black-Capped Chickadees Chickadees (like most year-round northern birds) brave the winter in their bare uninsulated legs and feet. Yet their toes remain flexible and functional at all temperatures, whereas ours, if that small, would freeze into blocks of ice in seconds. Don’t they get cold?

They do. Their feet cool down to near freezing, close to 30°F. Of course, a bird’s comfort level for foot temperature is likely very different from ours; they would not feel uncomfortable until the point when damage occurs from freezing (ice crystal formation).

But chickadee feet don’t freeze, and that’s because their foot temperature is regulated near the freezing point and may stay cold most of the time all winter, even as core body temperature stays high.

Every time the bird sends heat (via blood) from the body core to the extremities, it must produce more heat in the core for replacement. Thus, if a chickadee maintained its feet at the same temperature as its body core, it would lose heat very rapidly, and that would be so energetically costly that any bird doing so would quickly be calorie depleted. Birds maintaining warm feet would be unlikely to be able to feed fast enough to stay warm and active.

However, a chickadee’s feet are provided with continuous blood flow. The warm arterial blood headed toward the feet from the body runs next to veins of cooled blood returning from the feet to the body. As heat is transferred between the outgoing and incoming veins, the blood returning into the body recovers much of the heat that would otherwise be lost flowing out.

Birds retain heat in their body core by fluffing out their feathers. Chickadees may appear to be twice as fat in winter as in summer. But they aren’t. They are merely puffed up, thickening the insulation around their bodies.

At night, they reduce heat loss by seeking shelter in tree holes or other crevices, and by reducing their body temperature—the smaller the difference in temperature between the bird and its environment, the lower the rate of heat loss. Still, the bird may have to shiver all night and burn up most of its fat reserves, which then must be replenished the next day in order to survive the next night.

Nighttime is crunch time for winter survival because no food calories are coming in to replace those being expended. It is a tight energy balance, but by lowering body temperature and turning down heat production at night,

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chickadees and other small birds of winter spare the cushion of fat accumulated during the day.

While physiology is a key component of surviving the cold by temperature regulation, the more critical factor is food input. That little chickadee’s internal furnace must be fed and stoked. Following chickadees in the winter woods, and watching them closely, reveals another secret of their winter survival.

Chickadees in winter travel in groups. In Maine, I seldom see them alone. Exploring for food, they appear to pick at just about everything, and when one chickadee finds something to eat, its neighbors notice and join in. All the while the chickadee winter flock learns by trial and error, and from each other.

For foraging chickadees in winter, food options are still broad—from various seeds, spiders, and spider eggs, to insects and their pupae. Invertebrates may seldom be seen out in the open during winter in the frozen North, but they’re around—hidden in the ground, under bark, even underwater—as they employ their own winter survival strategies.

Some caterpillars overwinter in a state of being frozen solid to tree branches. In one instance I found a flock of chickadees feeding on minute caterpillars hidden within the scale-like evergreen leaves of a cedar. Some lucky chickadee had discovered this cache of frozen caterpillars, perhaps with the help of a clue—a blemishing stain on the leaf from the caterpillars’ previous munching.

Golden-crowned Kinglets These diminutive coniferous-forest gnomes (about half the weight of a chickadee) are, because of their size, the ultimate marvels in warm-blooded winter survival.

Unlike chickadees, Golden-crowned Kinglets almost exclusively eat insects for their diet, yet they are too small to handle some of the larger food items—such as a silkmoth cocoon filled with a pupa. Kinglets are not cavity nesters like chickadees, and therefore not predisposed to enter tree holes for sheltering overnight. Thus, at both ends of the energy equation—food input and heat retention—Golden-crowned Kinglets seem highly challenged.

Yet I have positively identified them in the Maine winter woods at –30°F. Various scenarios have been proposed for how these kinglets manage to survive winter, such as overnighting in squirrel nests. But having followed them many winters, I found no evidence of that. The Golden-crowned (Continued on page 8)

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Kinglets I have observed traveled in small flocks of about half a dozen, often accompanying chickadees, yet I was never able to find where or how they spent the night. It was always almost pitch dark when I saw them last, and then they vanished suddenly. Could they have disappeared where I had last seen them?

That turned out to be the case. On one evening I saw four kinglets disappear into a pine tree. Later that night, with extreme caution and armed with a flashlight, I climbed the tree and spied a four-pack of Goldencrowned Kinglets huddled together into one bunch, heads in and tails out, on a twig. One briefly stuck its head out of the bunch, and quickly retracted it— indicating it was staying warm, and not in cold torpor.

Using each other as a heat source, as a means of reducing their own heat loss, is an ingenious strategy, as it alleviated these birds from searching for or returning to a suitable shelter at the end of the day. By traveling as a group and converging to huddle, they were their own shelter instead.

Warren County Connection

Woodpeckers Woodpeckers have the tools and behavior to stay fed all winter. Their long, drill-bit bills and ability to cling to tree trunks and branches allow woodpeckers to access woodboring insect larvae (Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers), and also hibernating carpenter ants (Pileated Woodpeckers). As for overnight shelter, woodpeckers do something that few other birds can do: make themselves a shelter specifically for overnighting.

Shelter-building is an evolutionary outgrowth from making a nesting cavity in spring, but their winter dens differ substantially. I usually find the first evidence of woodpecker overnight shelters after the first frosts in late October or November. On the forest floor, I look for accumulations of light-colored wood chips on top of the recently fallen leaves or on snow; then I look up.

The excavated roosting cavity is usually in a rotting snag.

In contrast, nesting holes are excavated in snags with more solid wood. The winter overnight shelters are often within about 6 feet of the ground, at least three times lower than a nesting cavity. The same woodpeckers attend their same roost hole nightly and may use it all winter long.

But not necessarily. Sometimes an overnighting hole, which can be excavated in as little as a day, is only used for a few days. Existing holes are also used opportunistically; in one case I flushed both a Downy and a Hairy Woodpecker out of the same hole. Usually, though, a hole is used by only one woodpecker at a time. I suspect the woodpeckers’ shelters are so good, and their food supply so secure, that huddling in groups, as in kinglets, is not a necessity.

Golden-crowned Kinglets—diminutive "gnomes" of the coniferous forest—are half the weight of a chickadee but still manage to survive bitterly cold winters.

Pileated Woodpeckers and other excavators have two secret weapons for winter survival: the ability to feed on insects deep within a tree, and the power to create their own insulated roost holes.

Warren County Connection

Talking with Your Family about Financial Difficulties

By Peggy Olive, Financial Capability Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Cooperative Extension Family Living Programs

A drop in income, whether it’s due to being laid off from a job, a drop in hours, or a decrease in income from investments is a scary and unsettling situation for both adults and children. It is important to talk through the situation with family members as quickly as possible– even though it may be hard to do.

Talk with your family and friends about your stress and the changes that might need to happen at home. If you have children at home, you don’t want to worry them with adult concerns about paying for groceries or the mortgage, but it’s okay to let them know that there’s less money coming into your home. Children can be part of the solution when you let them know that some purchases can’t be made or some activities will need to be cut or postponed. Your teens might already be contributing to the family budget through a part-time job. Families often come out stronger when everyone pulls together.

“Adults can easily feel overwhelmed by the added stress and sense of reduced financial security. It is important to remember that children sense the tension in the family and may feel less secure, but don’t know what to do about it,” says Peggy Olive, University of Wisconsin Financial Capability Specialist.

Parents may be less engaged with their children and more likely to become upset or angry over little things, due to higher levels of stress. Keeping the lines of communication open during times like these can help everyone feel more connected.

Family communication can also help older children and parents find ways to work together on managing the family finances. Even young children can be taught about wants and needs, and how family financial decisions are made.

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Tips for Family Money Meetings • The most important thing to remember is to leave blame at the door.

• Recognize and respect each other’s different attitudes toward money and approach discussions in an organized way. Work to find common ground so you can all work in the same direction.

• Make sure it is a good time for each of you to talk. If one of you has had a bad day or received difficult news, you may want to reschedule the discussion.

• Set ground rules for the discussion. Make sure you both have an opportunity to be heard and listen to what your partner is saying. Avoid accusations and blame.

• Set and prioritize your goals together and stick to the plan unless something significant occurs and you need to alter it.

• Set aside time each month for a money meeting.

Regular meetings will become easier to do and keep you on track.

You may need to meet more frequently during times of financial stress. Try to set goals that are obtainable, and leave everyone something that will keep their spirits up.

When planning about cutting back on spending, find alternatives for when you have to say “We can’t do that anymore.” For example, if you can’t afford to go to the movie theater or need to cancel some online viewing subscriptions, then plan to go to the library and borrow them, or start a movie-lending group with friends. Finding free and inexpensive alternatives can keep family members from feeling the brunt of financial hardship.

Some financial decisions are harder to make. For example, you may wonder how you will afford to buy food, and pay your rent or mortgage. What will happen if you can’t pay your credit card bills right now? You need to take action right away if you are asking these questions. Find out about any and all financial supports that are available until you find another job or your hours are increased.

If you are worried about overwhelming debt, or unable to make mortgage payments, call your lenders to work on a payment plan before you get behind on payments. “Be realistic about what you can afford. This means that you have done the math and know that you can meet your basic needs, while doing the best you can to meet your financial obligations to your creditors. Meeting with a reputable financial counselor might be helpful,” says Olive.

See www.debtadvice.org for National Foundation for Credit Counseling-accredited agencies.

Page 10

How To Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams Going to college, vocational school, or a certificate program can often help you move up in your career and make more money — but it can also be expensive. Scammers take advantage of that, saying they’ll help you get financial aid or scholarships to pay your tuition bills. Really, they’re just trying to take your money or steal your personal information.

What Scammers Promise Scholarship and financial aid scams often start with a social media post, email, or a letter in the mail. It might look like a personalized invitation, saying you’ve been selected for a particular scholarship or financial aid package. Sometimes, there’s a callback number or details about an in-person workshop at a local hotel. But these calls and events are usually high-pressure sales pitches where they pressure you to pay for their services immediately — or risk losing out on these “special” scholarships or financial aid packages.

Financial Aid Scams Some companies claim they can make you eligible to get financial aid, including grants, loans, work-study programs, and other types of aid. For a processing fee, these companies say they’ll handle all the paperwork for the so-called program. What they’re really doing is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the free form that determines if you’re eligible for federal aid.

Sometimes, scammers will use false information about your family’s income, assets, and benefits to qualify you for more financial aid than you would get if they told the truth.

In addition to losing money to these scammers, you can also get in trouble — including fines up to $20,000 and/ or jail time — for any false information on your FAFSA. Only you and your family can complete your FAFSA — which is always free to fill out and submit. Never share your FSA ID (the username and password that you use to apply for the FAFSA) with anyone — including companies or consultants. Dishonest people could use that information to get into your account and take control of your personal information.

Scholarship Scams Never pay to apply for a scholarship. If a company promises you a scholarship or grant in exchange for a “processing cost,” “redemption fee,” or other upfront payment, walk away.

Warren County Connection

Many of these companies give you nothing for your fee — not even a list of potential sources of scholarships.

Others say you’ve been selected as a “finalist” for a scholarship award that you never applied for, or that requires an upfront fee. Sometimes, these companies ask for your checking account or credit card information to “confirm eligibility,” then debit the account without your consent. Some may offer a “money back guarantee” but attach conditions that make it impossible to get a refund.

There are many legitimate companies that have lists of scholarships they offer for sale. Others might charge you upfront to compare your profile with a database of scholarship opportunities — and then give you a list of awards that you may qualify for. And there are online scholarship search engines, too. The difference is that legitimate companies never guarantee or promise scholarships or grants.

Signs of a Scholarship or Financial Aid Scam Not sure if an offer is a scam? Here’s how to tell. If someone advertises an offer with any of these phrases, or a variation, it’s a scam.

• Scammers say: “The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.”

• Scammers say: “You can’t get this information anywhere else.”

• Scammers say: “I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship.”

• Scammers say: “We'll do all the work. You just pay a processing fee.”

• Scammers say: “The scholarship will cost some money.”

• Scammers say: “You're a finalist [for a contest you never entered].”

Attending a Seminar Companies like to promote seminars where you can learn about how to get scholarships and financial aid.

Some are legit, but some are scams. These events are usually high-pressure sales pitches where they tell you to pay immediately or risk losing out on the so-called “opportunity.”

If you go to a financial aid or scholarship seminar, follow these steps: • Don’t pay any money at the seminar. Only scammers will tell you to pay now or risk losing out on the opportunity. Solid opportunities aren’t sold through nerve-racking tactics like rushing and high pressure.

• Investigate the organization and other options be(Continued on page 11)

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fore you pay anything. Search online for the organization’s name plus the words “complaint” and “scam.”

See what others say about them. You may find that you can get the same help for free from a school guidance counselor or financial aid advisor.

Don’t trust “success” stories. The seminar operator may have paid people to give glowing stories. Instead, ask for a list of at least three local families who’ve used the company’s services in the last year. Follow up with the families and ask if they’re satisfied with the products and services they got.

Don’t do business with anyone who’s reluctant to answer questions or give details. Legitimate business people are more than willing to give you information about their service.

Ask how much money you’ll have to pay, and what the company’s refund policy is. Get information on the total cost and get it in writing. Keep in mind that scammers might make it hard or impossible to get your money back, no matter what their refund policy says.

What To Do If You’re Looking for Financial Aid or a Scholarship As you start looking for financial aid or a scholarship, follow these steps: [ ] Fill out the free FAFSA form to apply for financial aid.

(It’s the most important step you can take to get financial aid.) [ ] Never pay anyone to fill out or process your FAFSA. That’s probably a scam. [ ] Talk with a guidance counselor (if you’re in high school) or the financial aid office (if you’re in college) about your financial aid and scholarship options. [ ] Never pay at a seminar on how to get financial aid or scholarships. Especially if they pressure you to pay. That’s probably a scam. [ ] Do your research before you pay anyone for help with financial aid or scholarships. [ ] Share these ideas with others who are looking for financial aid, too. You can help them avoid a scam.

What To Do If You Paid a Scammer Scammers often ask you to pay in ways that make it tough to get your money back. No matter how you paid a scammer, the sooner you act, the better.

Report Scams Report financial aid and scholarship scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or your state attorney general.

Resource: Federal Trade Commission

Page 11

Vegetarian Corn Chowder

By Dr. Marybeth Mitcham, Nutrition, Food Safety, and Healthy Living Educator, CCE of Warren County As the temperatures turn slightly cooler, why not enjoy corn chowder made from freshly picked sweet corn? This vegetarian version of corn chowder calls for fresh corn and plantbased milk, but can also be made with frozen corn and animal milk (and shhhh! My son likes to eat this with plant-based bacon crumbled on top). Enjoy!

Serves 4 Ingredients: ¼ cup water ½ celery stalk, minced ½ small onion, minced ¼ sweet bell pepper, minced 1 ½ cups water Approximately 2 cups fresh corn OR 1 10-ounce package of frozen whole kernel corn 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 2 cups unsweetened, plant-based milk 2 tablespoons flour Salt and pepper to taste Directions: 1. In a large pot, sauté the onion, celery, and bell pepper in ¼ cup of water until vegetables are soft.

2. To the sautéed vegetables, add the remaining 1 ¼ cup of water, corn, potatoes, and smoked paprika. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer for around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Whisk milk and flour together until blended, and then gradually add to soup, stirring constantly. Add the rest of the milk to the soup, continuing to stir constantly.

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with parsley or thyme if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (calculated using unsweetened soy milk): Serving size: 1/4th recipe | Servings per recipe: 4 | Calories: 167; total fat: 2.8 g; saturated fat: 0.4 g; cholesterol: 0 mg; sodium: 59.4 mg; carbohydrates: 31 g; fiber: 5 g; sugar: 4 g; protein: 8 g

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