Question: Something is gnawing the bark on our newly planted trees. What is it, and how can we prevent the trees from being gobbled up before they have a chance to mature?

Answer: It might be a rabbit. The best protection is fine wire mesh such as hardware cloth shaped into a cylinder and set around but not touching the trunks. Add a ring of mesh just under soil level spreading outward as well to discourage smaller tunneling rodents later in the winter. You can cover the horizontal mesh with a thin layer of gravel as additional discouragement. Finally, make sure the wire is tall enough to foil a rabbit standing on tiptoe on top of snow - - and be sure to expand it as the trees grow.