[Thistledog]

This story hits close to home for me, my farm is just down the road from him and I have a lot of maples, too. And though my horses and I are not there yet, you can bet I’ve added maple tree culling at pasture edges to my to-do list for when I get there.

Shocked by the news, I spent some time researching this online last night. Many experts point out that fresh leaves do not have the toxic effect, but others note that the chemical is present even in fresh leaves, just in subdued amounts; also that silver and sugar maples have it too.

The responsible chemical is thought to be gallic acid, which breaks down red blood cells and essentially disrupts the transport of oxygen in the blood. In black cherry leaves, it is prussic acid that does the same thing. I knew about black cherry, but not red maple.

Interestingly, one article mentioned that the leaves of storm-downed trees may look fresh and green for quite some time, but they are stressed all the same, and the toxin is there.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture – Food and Rural Affairs has a good fact sheet here, with excellent photos of the different species of maple leaves, a great help to me as I’m still learning my hardwoods.

[Thistledog]

I won’t get to watch the show being waaaay over here in Armed Forces Network land, but your synopsis of the portrayal made it easy to imagine… and I hate to say I’m not surprised. I’m a fan of Discovery at times but have NEVER enjoyed their penchant for Big, Biggest, Baddest and most Amazing – i.e., sensationalism no matter what the subject. How disheartening and for all the reasons you mentioned; because this perception will stick with viewers, and it’s not what we want out there, not even close.

Damnit Jim. But I just had a brainstorm as I read your post, Jason; what y’all need is an Indie producer, and I’ve got just the one for you: Participant Media. Their tagline is “The leading provider of entertainment that inspires and compels social change.” Tagline continues: “Participant believes that a good story well told can truly make a difference in how one sees the world. Whether it is a feature film, documentary or other form of media, Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that also create awareness of the real issues that shape our lives.” They did An Inconvenient Truth, which I know you liked, and breaking news just in, they’ve just received funding support from the Abu Dhabi Media company Imagenation to the tune of 250M, for an additional 15 – 18 features.

Biological Woodsmen and Restorative Forestry could be one of those good stories told well. I dare you: write them about your dissatisfaction with the Discovery Channel’s piss-poor attempt at showcasing this craft, send them some of your clips, and make a case for a feature that they’ve probably never thought of but has huge potential. In the hands of expert cinematographers and producers, the forest and horses and honest working people caring about the environment and their communities and the future of the earth – that’s a winner, that could make people sit on the edge of their chairs with a lump in their throats.

[Author]

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