June 6, 2010 - Tiny Paddles

Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

Clusters of what look like tiny canoe paddles hanging from a tree are ash seeds. These 1- to 2-inch long structures are rounded at one end, tapering at the other much like the blade of a wooden paddle. Actual canoe paddles are made from ash wood because the wood of ash trees is hard and strong. Ash wood was used for many purposes including tool handles and baseball bats. Today manufactured materials are replacing traditional wood. Tool handles are often fiberglass or molded plastic; baseball bats are aluminum; and even canoe paddles are often synthetic materials. Nothing can replace the warm feel and beauty or strength and flexibility of wood. Despite the changes in manufacturing, ash seeds still look like tiny canoe paddles, green at first but mellowing to a tawny brown with age.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.