There is a cupboard at the park district where I worked for over 30 years labeled “cast-offs.” Without a doubt, this is the most interesting storage area in the nature center, as the contents are unique, varied and ever-changing. You never know what you are going to find in there. Any time park naturalists discover something interesting in their travels that Mother Nature has finished with, they collect, catalog and place it in this cupboard. Most of the items are utilized in programs, while others are selected to create displays around the center. Bones, skulls, teeth, feathers, nests, owl pellets, seeds, hornet nests, snake skins and beaver-chewed sticks are just a few examples of the various items you might find inside. While the majority of the items can be collected harmlessly, most bird-related objects require a state and federal collecting permit due to their protection by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Lucky for me, I was in charge of overseeing this collection during my tenure, taking a yearly inventory of the various objects that had been amassed — a task I anxiously looked forward to.
I guess when you collect interesting natural items, the habit sticks with you forever, for even in my retirement, I still can’t resist collecting things I come across during my ramblings. I, too, have my own collection of cast-offs, mainly to satisfy my artsy side. No, I don’t consider myself an artist, but every winter the creative side of my brain kicks on to quell the boredom of the winter blues. My favorite time to collect items is late autumn to early winter. At this time, most articles have served their main purpose and have been discarded, or cast off, to return to the earth.
Pine cones
One of the most popular, sought-after cast-offs is pine cones. The decorative and craft potentials that these items offer are endless and can include things such as ornaments, wreathes, basket fillers, swags, etc. I have seen people with huge bags, collecting cones that lie on the ground, and I can’t help but wonder if they even know anything about these items which they gather.
Pine cones are the woody, reproductive vessels of pine trees, whose main function is to keep the trees’ seeds safe. Made up of tough scales, also known as bracts, connected to a central stem, the female cone opens and closes around the developing seeds protecting them from wildlife and the elements. When the timing is right and the temperature warm, the cone will open wide and release its seeds, each supported by a papery wing that gives it the liberty to travel some distance on the wind. All conifers produce both male and female cones, sometimes both on the same tree. The male cones are small, often going unnoticed until they release scads of yellow pollen, which is dispersed by the wind and often becomes obvious on bare surfaces. Pine cones come in a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on their species.
During the fall, the life of the little red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) revolves around pine cones. Ascending into the trees, the rodents clip the green cones from their branches, allowing them to fall to the ground. They then gather their feast, one cone at a time, taking them to a storage area near the tree’s base and creating a midden. By collecting the cones before they open, the seeds inside can be preserved for a lengthy time. Huge, eye-catching middens can be made up of thousands of cones. Red squirrels are adept at gnawing into these structures to access the seeds within, eventually leaving nothing but a central stem and a pile of scales.
Sweet gum seed pods
Another of nature’s cast-offs that are prized in popularity are the seed pods of the sweet gum tree. Sweet gum balls are round, spiky vessels that vary in size up to several inches in diameter. A vibrant green during the summer months, the mature pods turn reddish-brown in autumn and develop small holes that allow their seeds to exit and disperse. These seeds are relished by many bird species, especially finches. During winters when there are finch irruptions from the north, I can dependably spot flocks of pine siskins feeding on this food source. While sweet gum balls are sought after for art projects, they can also be an irritation for landowners, as they cover the ground during peak seed years, making it hard to walk and creating a general eyesore.
Nuts
During high mast years, nuts are always on my list of high-priority cast-offs. Black walnuts, hickory nuts and acorns all seem to find their way into my pockets as I’m hiking along. Of course, I’m only interested in nuts that have already been utilized by wildlife, those that have been chewed open and the meat inside consumed. The chewed hulls tell a story of who dined upon the meal inside and make for a beautiful display in pieces of artwork. Squirrels will also create middens out of nuts near the base of trees making them easier to discover and collect.
Milkweed pods
The empty pods of milkweed plants are another item that I can’t resist adding to my collection. These pods develop after the aromatic pink flowers have been pollinated, developing throughout the summer months. In late summer, the green pods begin to brown, cracking open to release their flossy seeds which are carried off like parachutes across the landscape to germinate in new locations. The empty pods harden and are held upright on stiff stems for several weeks before finally breaking down to return to the earth.
Cocoons
Yet, my favorite cast-offs to collect are the empty cocoons from the giant silk moths I’ve reared, and these are the signature items in all my artwork. Cecropia, Polyphemus, Luna and Promethea moth caterpillars produce copious amounts of silk which they carefully weave into the vessels that will house them through the winter. The adult moths emerge in the spring, leaving their empty cocoons behind as they fly off into the night. Each caterpillar spins a cocoon unique to its species. I’ve been rearing moths since I was a child, and I have bags of empty cocoons that I use in my art projects.
One could argue that these items I collect could continue to benefit the earth if left alone to decompose, and I would have to agree. Yet, with their main duty accomplished, I can’t help but scoop some of these treasures up when I see them, to bring home to a little cast-off cupboard of my own. The rewarding pieces of art I create while passing the winter months hang on my walls as a testament to Mother Nature and her wondrous creatures!