Fall 2019 1
Welcome by Rob Terry, Executive Director Signs of fall surround us: the air is cool and dry, leaves are splashed with color, cordwood is piled high, and hay stacked even higher. The light lost since the summer solstice will soon surpass the one-hour-per-day-mark, and with the equinox behind us, we now have more hours of dark than light every day. It is a time of year that favors vigorous hikes and long runs (armed with a headlamp, just in case). Clear, crisp days reward hikers with a brisk breeze and unobstructed views. When not out soaking up every last bit of warmth, it is time to prepare for the coming winter, to pull out forgotten sweaters, bake apple crisp, and tune skis (assuming you can remember where in the barn/garage/attic/ basement they got stashed last spring. By the look of things, it is a good year to be a deer. Naturalized apple trees, sometimes singularly and sometimes in long forgotten orchards, sag under the weight of countless fruit while south facing aspects hold a thick carpet acorns. Before long, we’ll be able to track the movement of the animals that inhabit our woods in the fresh snow. Not far behind, we’ll be donning skis or snowshoes when we choose to head out into the forest. For now, Let’s not rush it as we experience the joy of that first fire in the woodstove, or a cup of hot cider from the deck, as we stare mesmerized by the vibrancy of the season. I propose that there is no better season to experience the woods than the fall. In this issue of the Ridgeline, you will find a host of recommendations for fall activities, a homage to the trails that provide us access into treasured solitude, a celebration of abundance of life in our woods, and more. My final word of advice is don’t delay—at this very moment, the fall colors are peaking. The view from the Sap House deck is simply breathtaking.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES George Hatch, President Ann Jackson, Vice President Kat Deeley, Secretary Keld Alstrup, Treasurer Jeromy Gardner Jim Hand Mark Lourie Sam Schneski Sue Van Hook Brian Vargo
STAFF Darla Belevich Visitor Center Katie Connor Visitor Center Ethan Crumley Consulting Forester Ethan Crumley Forestry/Sugaring Operations Cara Davenport Program Coordinator Kim Davis Weekend/Visitor Center Tim Duclos Conservation Manager Dylan Durkee Farm Manager Chris Ferris-Hubbard Education Director Kathryn Lawrence Assistant Executive Director Marybeth Leu Communications Coordinator Kristian Moore Resource Assistant Liz Ruffa Director Of Institutional Advancement Rob Terry Executive Director
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Ways to Enjoy Merck Forest during the Fall by Chris Hubbard, Education Director • Pick and eat an apple from one of our heritage breed apple trees, located near the Frank Hatch Sap House. • Watch for Canada geese or raptors heading south • Join us on a hike as we explore the woods wrapped in brilliant foliage • Stroll up to the farm to witness the expansive colorful quilt laid out from Merck Forest to the Southern Adirondacks. • Listen to the squirrels scurrying around as they lay in their winter food supply • Visit our sheep, with their thick wool coats, ready for the winter • Hike one of our many trails as the leaves fall around you • Try the various herbs in our Children’s Garden one last time before it’s put to bed • Visit our rapidly growing pigs. (And bring home some bacon!) • Sit by a campfire on a brisk autumn evening • Come to the Visitor Center, sit by the fire, and smell the wood smoke • Capture the fall colors through art – photography, drawing, or painting • Look up and watch how the wind makes the leaves in the trees dance, and soon its crescendo will make them fly • As you walk through the woods, follow the beams of light through the tree branches and see what lies in the spotlight • Take the kids to Page Pond for an adventure and let them catch a frog or two • Stay in one of our rustic cabins to read, write, reflect and play cards • Breathe in the crisp autumn air as you take an early morning stroll to Viewpoint, or further to Mt. Antone • As dusk approaches, listen for the owls hooting at one another • Enjoy a Full Beaver Moon hike in November led by a member of the MFFC team • Bring your (leashed) dog up through the farmstead and then let them run free on MFFC’s 30 miles of trails • Visit the fall raspberries for some late-season berry picking • Scoop up a few acorns on the Discovery Trail to bring to the pigs as a snack • Use iNaturalist to document some of Merck Forest’s fall wildlife during your hike • Count trail-side mushrooms as you follow Old Town Road or the Discovery Trail up to the farm • Keep an eye out for chipmunks scurrying around the forest floor as they stock up on acorns for winter • Go on a trail run on our 30 miles of trail • Volunteer on one of our volunteer work days • Go geocaching
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The Trail Underfoot by Rob Terry, Executive Director It’s hard to beat the feeling of ascending above tree-line to emerge on a craggy summit with a 360-degree view of the surrounding landscape. Dial the temperature to about 65, add clear skies, sun, and a light breeze, throw in some fall colors for good measure and you’d have the most sublime hiking experience imaginable. While topping out at a stunning vista can be superlative in and of itself, it is amplified by the sense of accomplishment one experiences after hiking hard for hours, sometimes days, and climbing hundreds, maybe thousands, of feet. The harder the work, the sweeter the reward. Scaling a mountain is an endeavor that requires a good deal of effort. A difficult ascent can require every ounce of available energy, as well as a dose of willpower, to continue pressing further down the trail—ah yes, the trail. Reaching a far off summit can be a Hurculean effort on trail, imagine how challenging it would be without that thin, welltrodden, ribbon to guide the way and ease the effort. Without trails to guide hikers, navigation would spring from the background, dampening the opportunity to lose ones-self in the rhythm of the journey. Map in hand, every step would require calculation, with math double and triple checked to ensure continued progress towards the destination. Without precision, the looming specter of becoming lost in the woods could easily overshadow the joy of becoming lost in the moment. That is not to say that trail-less backcountry travel can’t bring immense joy, just a reminder that trails provide a degree of ease that facilitates access to some of the world’s most beautiful natural landscapes. Storied trails can be found in every corner of the world. Some are purely recreational, feats of engineering undertaken solely to connect travelers to the land, such as Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. Others, like the Inca Trail in Machu Picchu, Peru, allow hikers to retrace a historic pilgrimage route believed to have originally been constructed in the 15th century. Hikes do not need to be long to have leave a lasting impression, the view from the overlook at the end of the 1-mile Glacier Point trail in Yosemite National Park is not easily forgotten. Of course, not all trails are short and sweet, the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail (AT) connecting Mount Khatahdin, ME to Springer Mountain, GA is world renowned. Since its completion in 1937, over 20,000 hikers have thru hiked (travelling end to end in a single effort) the AT, an exercise that takes the average hiker five to seven months. Regardless of their purpose, age, or length, there is one element that all trails share, someone (or group) dedicated an enormous amount of energy to their design and construction.
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There is both a science and an art to building trail. As a result, the work has spawned a subculture all its own. Non-profit organizations and government agencies all around the US pull together trail crews every summer. Groups of hard-working women and men, often high school or college aged, sign up to work for conservation corps as well as federal and state land management agencies. Often heading out on “hitch” for weeks at a time, crews hike supplies deep into the wilderness where the set about the arduous work of building and maintaining trail. To get a sense of how challenging this work can be, one only need to look at the cost. Professional trail builders often bill out trail building between $2-4/ foot. With 5,280 feet in a mile, this equates to a cost of around $15,840 per mile. If the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail had been built in this fashion, it would have cost $33,264,000 simply to construct, not including the huts and other associated infrastructure. It is, therefore, easy to see why volunteers are the backbone of many trails organizations. The work typically starts on the map, with a savvy trail builder assessing aspects and soils to determine where to locate the trail corridor so that it will can be sustainably built and maintained. The next step involves heading out into the landscape, frequently with gps in hand, to lay out the trail using surveyor’s tape and flags. On the east coast, where managing wet soils and frequent rains is critical, trail builders will often perform this step in or around the spring thaw, when conditions are at there wettest. If a dry corridor can be located in late March or April, chances are it will hold up year-round. From here, in general terms, trail builders clear the corridor, install structures to manage water, and create the tread (the surface that hikers walk on). Created the tread can be an intense process that may involve carving switchbacks up steep slopes, benching (cutting a flat tread out of a side slope), and even armoring (reinforcing vulnerable tread with nearby rock. Perhaps the only thing more satisfying that cresting above the tree line and getting a glimpse of the summit, is doing so on a trail that you’ve helped to build or maintain. There is a deep joy to working in the woods alongside a crew of dedicated, caring professionals or volunteers. Whether you get out for a hike on a well-loved trail, or to help build a new favorite, what matters most is getting out there!
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Merck Forest BioBlitz 2019 — Great Success! by Tim Duclos, Conservation Manager
The first annual Merck Forest BioBlitz, held over a 24hr period the weekend of July 27th and 28th, was a huge success by both the numbers and the enthusiasm and wondrous spirit of all who participated! We welcomed a hearty crew of new and not-so-new naturalists to the property in search of all things wild at Merck Forest; this year our efforts largely focused upon exploring the habitats in and around the farm and visitor center area. Seven expert naturalists from various State, Federal, and non-profit organizations led a suite of highly engaging, and well attended, workshops focused on documenting life found across the following taxa: pollinators, trees, invasive and native herbaceous plants, reptiles and amphibians, fungi, birds (including owls), fireflies, moths/nocturnal insects, dragonflies, and everything in between! The weekend unofficially kicked off with a crowd spilling out of the Visitor Center space in attendance of a bat workshop on Friday night co-hosted with the Vermont Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. The workshop provided a very informative presentation on the conservation status of Vermont bats and concluded with a short hike and a spectacular display at sunset of bats (mostly big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)) emerging from the Harwood Barn and flying about the farm. A bat detector left overnight at Page pond, to record vocalizations of nearby flying bats, revealed a surprising discovery the following day: nearly 500 individual bat detections, the distinct signal of which traced back to five different species- in order of abundance: big brown, hoary (Lasiurus cinereus), little brown (state endangered; Myotis lucifugus), silver hair (Lasionycteris noctivagans), and Eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis). This is over half of the species of bat that occupy Vermont (9) and a heartwarming indication that the farm hosts a seemingly healthy and diverse population of bats- this being despite the impact of white nose syndrome (whitenosesyndrome.org), a fungal disease, that hit close to home in neighboring Dorset, VT soon after the original detection in 2006 near Albany, NY. finding new and exciting Little brown and northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis) t abou is it as unity comm t abou much as just BioBlitzing is communal meal at the Frank Hatch bats have been hit the hardest, with a startling estimate of species. Here, BioBlitzers come together over a n for the BioBlitz. 90% population mortality- although, all cave dwelling bats Sap House deck after an afternoon of exploratio have been affected, including the big brown bat. Of those also detected at Merck Forest that night, Silver-haired bat, hoary bat, and Eastern red bat represent the migratory forest dwelling bats known to Vermont and those escaping the plight of WNS. Bats are important components of our native ecosystems and we are so happy to have a positive data point for their population here on the Merck Forest farm. From there, the official BioBlitz efforts yielded an impressive amount of observations of plant and animals (831)- these being from 16 iNaturalist observers (not all participants established an iNaturalist profile)- these observations representing 340 unique species of flora and fauna, 280 of which were newly documented species for the property made during the event. These species represent 13 taxa: Plantae, Fungi, Insecta, Aves, Mammalia, Protozoa, Reptilia, Amphibia, Animalia, Mollusca, Arachnida, and Actinopterygii. Several observations were the first for the county on iNaturalist- take for example the Fernald’s Cuckoo Bumble Bee (Bombus fernaldae). 6
Echolocation signal from big brown bat flying near Harwood barn.
Others serve as indicators of ecosystem health here at Merck Forest, like this spring salamander (Gyrinophilus porphyriticus) found in White Creek near South Gate, the presence of which tells us that White Creek runs clean, cold, and well-oxygenated. Its these kinds of observations that tell us much about the state of the ecosystem. Many observations from the BioBlitz remain yet to be fully identified to species- it takes time and attention, but this is where crowd sourcing some assistance comes in, and an area in which you can help. See, much of the power of iNaturalist lies in the fact that any user can view these observations and help lend an identification- from anywhere in the world. In fact, you can view, explore, and help identify observations occurring here at Merck Forest, both those from this past BioBlitz and those that continue to trickle in, anytime, at: inaturalist.org/ projects/merck-forest-biodiversityproject. Currently, the project is at 1521 observations of 579 species from 36 observers. Additionally, over two hundred Bombus fernaldae and thirty people have aided in identifying species found at Merck Forest to date. All told, there is much to continue to explore and document here. And it is an exciting and powerful tool to be able to use iNaturalist to do it, both the app and the online web portal. With iNaturalist it is so easy to collect, archive and share any and all findings of life found. So, you do not have to wait until next year’s BioBlitz (2020 date and location TBD) to start adding your observations to the Merck Forest Biodiversity Project. Any observation geotagged within the borders of Merck Forest property will automatically be added to the project. So, with that, I challenge you on your next visit to contribute your observations. To do so, all you need is to do is submit a quality photo of your finding (the more unique characteristics photographed the better) and a location with date and timeessentially just a geotagged photo from a smartphone or similar device. It’s that easy!
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Live Edge Wood by Dylan Durkee, Farm Manager In 2015, I acquired my first sawmill as we needed the mill for building projects on our family farm in Hartford, NY. The projects required long straight logs with few knots in them for strength and stability. After we had finished these projects I remember going back into the woods and seeing a big maple that I had cut. It had several knots and defects on the outside, and I wondered what this log would look like on the inside. I put the log on the mill and opened it up and what I found was incredible. The figure and character that I saw blew my mind and I started thinking “What could I make with this 150 year old tree and how could I make it last longer than its previous life?” These big old logs don’t have to be used just for firewood - they have so much value and beauty. What would you build if you had a live edge slab?
As beautiful and unique as the trees produced from, live edge wood refers to the natural edge of the wood under the bark after it is cut. Live edge wood keeps the original lines of the trunk along its edges, portraying the wood in its very naturalistic and raw state.
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Fire(wood) on the Mountain by Cara Davenport, Program Coordinator Acorns and mottled red maple leaves slide and crunch underfoot as I walk down the Discovery Trail from the Visitor Center, and bursts of rustling in the woods off the trail announce the increased activity of chipmunks among drying fallen leaves. As the residents of the woods begin to transition into preparation for the months of cold ahead, we’re anticipating the winter season with our own work here at Merck Forest. With nine cabins, several lean-tos, and multiple other buildings that will be occupied by visitors and staff throughout winter, we need fuel to heat each of these structures. The source of all of this fuel is firewood, which is harvested entirely from Merck Forest land. From the beginning of October until the end of April when visitors come to stay overnight at a cabin, stacked wood is available at each cabin to be burned in the wood stoves for heat. This just a product and result of a multi-step process, however; a process that we endeavor at all stages to make as mutually beneficial as possible to the forest, visitors, and various communities within and around Merck Forest. It all starts with the forest, of course. In order to maintain and encourage specific habitat and forest sub-types, we plan for periodic tree harvesting on Merck Forest land. We follow a forest management plan that outlines objectives and goals for each “stand” or group of trees at MFFC, which helps us decide when and where to cut trees in a particular stand. Once we know the “what,” “when,” and “where,” the next step is to determine how those trees will be cut, removed from the stand, and used or processed. While some of the trees are milled for lumber and timber projects on property based on type of tree and suitability (we harvested European Larch trees from the plantation at the top of the Farm Trail to be used as lumber for the new Sap House deck last year), most of the trees we cut are destined to end their journey as a bed of warm coals in our cabins’ wood stoves. The space between our forest management objectives and keeping overnight visitors warm is ripe with opportunity to engage the surrounding communities of Merck Forest. One example of this is the Game of Logging certification safety course for working with chainsaws, which includes a chance for each participant to cut down a tree as part of the training. This year we hosted three Game of Logging courses, and specifically marked trees in one designated stand to be cut down during the trainings. We were able to not only provide a local venue for people interested in receiving chainsaw training, but to also meet important forestry objectives as a byproduct of the training. This kind of intersection between resource management and educational engagement is vital to MFFC’s mission and something that we strive for in as many areas of our working lands as possible. Another area of this kind of intersection is firewood stacking-- once the logs have been brought out of the woods and compiled, then cut and processed into firewood and delivered to each of the cabins and buildings, they still need to be stacked in the woodsheds in order to be dry and accessible for burning. During the summer and fall, many groups of volunteers schedule part of or all of their trip up to Merck Forest as time to come together for wood stacking parties, helping to transform the piles of firewood into neat stacked rows under cover of the woodsheds. Stacking wood takes a considerable amount of time and labor, and we benefit from and appreciate the efforts of all the dedicated volunteers who contribute to Merck Forest through this task. Being able to provide group volunteer tasks like firewood stacking is another way that we endeavor to build community and encourage visitors to experience shared ownership of and responsibility for working lands. The next time you walk by the Visitor Center and catch a tangy whiff of smoke rising from the chimney, or arrange kindling in the stove of a cabin and strike a match, you aren’t just enjoying the warming benefits of our forest; you’re joining an extended community of people who have participated in the ongoing management of MFFC’s working forest.
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From the MFFC Archives
As Merck Forest’s Forester from 2015 - 2018, Ethan Crumley worked from Kat Deely’s UVM Masters dissertation “An Ecological Assessment of Merck Forest & Farmland Center, 2014”, which detailed and assessed the unique natural communities found on the 3,200 acre property, to produce this series of articles about MFFC’s forested assets. His motivation to help visitors understand the special natural communities here and to add new dimensions to exploring the property has heightened the excitement that hikers feel here in the woods since they were first published in 2017 Ridgelines.
High and Dry: The Natural Tree Communities at Merck Forest (2017) by Ethan Crumley, Consulting Forester If you have ever hiked on Merck’s higher elevation trails there is a good chance you have walked through a a series of Northern Forest natural communities. These communities are found high on south facing slopes; their soils are typically thinner than the soils found downslope, and their vegetation is reflective of the warm, dry sites. Let’s take a quick look at each of these unique communities.
Dry Oak Woodland In her 2014 “Ecological Assessment of Merck Forest & Farmland Center,” Trustee Kat Deely found two locales of the Dry Oak Woodland. One, easily accessible by trail, is found at the southern end of the Lookout Overlook trail. The second, requiring bushwhacking, is found on the southern aspect of Haystack Mountain. When venturing into this habitat, it feels more like a park than a forest: the widely spaced oak and hophornbeams with thick hairgrass and woodland sedge growing beneath, give the forest an elfin character. The trees here are gnarled and short in comparison to other examples of the same species growing merely hundreds of feet away. This is reflective of the relatively poor growing conditions, and thin, acidic, excessively drained soils. Wildlife likely to be found here include ring-neck snakes, and uncommon birds such as the tufted titmouse and the yellow-billed cuckoo. This community is considered to be rare throughout the state. At Merck Forest, the two occurrences of this community are protected in “No Touch” ecological protection zones.
Dry Oak Forest The only occurrence of the Dry Oak Forest on the property is on top of Little Haystack Mountain, just to the west of Haystack Mountain. This community occupies just over an acre. The Dry Oak Forest is almost identical to the Dry Oak Woodland in species composition, however the tree canopy is closed and the trees are taller. The abundant red and white oaks provide a good food source with their acorn crops (mast) for turkeys and grey squirrels. Examples of the Dry Oak Forest are uncommon in the state, but not rare.
Dry Oak/Hickory/Hophornbeam Forest There are several occurrences of the Dry Oak/Hickory/Hophornbeam Forest at Merck, totaling about 81 acres. Good examples of this community are on the ascent of Mount Antone from both Antone Road and the Master’s Mountain Trail. It also exists on the ridge just south of Nenorod Cabin and on the upper slopes of Haystack Mountain. As its name implies, there is more diversity in the canopy than either the Dry Oak Woodland or Dry Oak Forest. Red and white oaks, hophornbeam, shagbark hickory and bitternut hickory are found here. Where the soils are more nutrient-rich, sugar maple grows. The shrub layer is sparse, and woodland sedge carpets the forest floor, lending an open aspect to the forest. This community can be home to many different species of wildlife, including white-tailed deer and gray squirrels, white-breasted nuthatches, scarlet tanagers, and turkeys. Rare reptiles may include black rat snakes, five-lined skinks, and timber rattlesnakes. Like the Dry Oak Forest, this natural community is uncommon but not rare in the state. At Merck, these communities are managed as “Lite Touch” ecological protection zone.
Mesic Red Oak/Northern Hardwood Forest As you visit the new Thoreau cabin this summer, I invite you to explore the natural community surrounding the site. Covering over 1,000 acres, the Mesic Red Oak/Northern Hardwood Forest is the most common of all the communities here at Merck. As its name implies, the site is typified by moderate moisture conditions (Mesic). It is very closely related to the Northern Hardwood Forest with its sugar maple, beech, and ash trees, but differs in that the forest also contains a large amount of red oak in the overstory. Without much disturbance, the overstory will be tall and straight with sparse shrub and herbaceous layers. Witchhazel and shadbush are common shrubs. Christmas fern, wood fern, and Indian cucumber root are found in the herbaceous layer. I have found evidence of both porcupine and deer close to the cabin site. Because of the oak component, animals that feed on acorns, such as black bear, turkey, and grey squirrels, are also likely to be seen. 10
The forest surrounding the cabin is not an old forest, and would not have existed during Thoreau’s lifetime. In fact, as evidenced by land records from the period and by the stone walls meandering through the area, it was likely farmland or soon-to-be farmland. A large dying red maple that I cut down in clearing the site was about eighty years old. Aerial photography of the area dated 1942 show parts of the stand open.
The Hemlock Forest Let’s head off the beaten path and into some of Merck’s deeper, darker forest com- munities. At Merck, Hemlock Forests can be found southeast of Marquand Road, and between Old Town Road and East Hollow Road. Although (not surprisingly) dominated by Hemlock, these forests do contain some beech as well as black, yellow, and white birch trees. Hemlock trees are shade tolerant- meaning they can survive in the shade of other trees. This helps them reach exceptionally old ages, as trees can spend many years growing in the shelter of other trees. Estimates based on tree coring of Merck’s hemlocks have dated them as early established second growth. Tree cores of large hemlocks throughout their range have found the oldest to be 300-600 years old with some thought to be even older! Hemlocks are often found in soils with shallow rooting depths often resulting from a high water table or bedrock. Many of Merck’s Hemlocks are growing on steep rock ledges. It is common to find a sparse herbaceous layer in these Hemlock Forests, as little light reaches the forest floor. In fact, shining clubmoss was all I found on a recent walk. Our Hemlock Forests are of great value to wildlife. It is common for whitetail deer to use them as wintering yards. Mature hemlocks intercept snow and reduce snow depth on the forest floor. This allows deer to move about more easily. On my walk, I readily found many deer trails, deer scat, and a turkey feather. I also noticed several large snags (standing dead trees). Eighty five species of birds in North America use snags for cover and feeding- making them an important part of the ecosystem. At Merck, our Hemlock Forests are in a Light Touch Ecological Protection Zone. If management occurs in these forests, it must be informed by best ecological un- derstanding and mimic natural disturbance. The greatest threat to these forests is the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA), a non-native insect from Asia. The Adelgid feeds on the Hemlock’s stored starches, seriously affecting tree growth and survival. Infestations have resulted in both Hemlock decline and mortality. HWA have been detected in Bennington and Windham counties in southern Vermont. Their movement is generally caused by humans, birds, and animals.
Sources used for these articles: Bennett, Karen P.; Good Forestry in the Granite State: Recommended Voluntary Forest Management Practices for New Hampshire. New Hampshire Dept. of Resources and Economic Development, Division of Forests and Lands, 2010. Cogbill, Charlie. “Hemlock Age.” Native Tree Society, 5 May 2001. Deely, Kat. “An Ecological Assessment of Merck Forest and Farmland Center Rupert, Vermont” 2014 Thompson, E. and Sorenson, “Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A Guide to the Natural Communities of Vermont,” Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Nature Conservancy, 2000. Snags and Cavity Trees, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. USDA Forest Service. 2005. Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (Pest Alert). NA-PR-09-05. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry. Hemlock Wooly Adelgid in Vermont: Recommendations for Landowner Response, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, August 2012. 11
A Professional Learning Community by Chris Hubbard, Education Director The rev of a chainsaw punctuated the crisp fall air, followed by a soft “whoosh”: evidence that a Game of Logging class was practicing their newly acquired safety skills in dropping trees. Meanwhile, on the Saphouse deck, participants of a Wilderness First Aid class learned how to stabilize broken legs and arms, as they received training in how to treat injuries in the backcountry. As an educational nonprofit organization, Merck Forest and Farmland Center provides a wide range of educational opportunities, ranging from day trips for preschoolers learning about farm animals to professionally recognized certification courses such as Game of Logging and Wilderness First Aid. While we provide a variety of educational opportunities to the public, our own staff also engages in professional development. Staff members have attend workshops at conferences and seminars such as the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative Conference, the Vermont Maple Conference, and the Project Learning Tree Coordinator’s Conference, and the Land Ethics Leaders Seminar. The conferences allow us to make informed decisions regarding our land stewardship and educational programming, as well as allowing us to keep abreast of current trends. Educational workshops such as Project WILD, Project Learning Tree, and Growing up WILD and Getting Little Feet WET early childhood programs help to enhance our educational offerings. And as for those certification courses: 100% of our field staff and 80% of our staff over all is now certified in either Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder, while staff members who handle chainsaws have certification at various levels of Game of Logging. Informal educational opportunities for our staff include brown bag lunches, book clubs and webinars. Webinars allow us to stay on top of our individual areas of expertise without the need to travel. We share able to share out our learning from workshops and seminars during brown bags lunches, and read and discuss common texts during our book clubs. The result is a professional learning community that comes together to share what we have learned. Attending conferences, seminars and workshops help to keep us informed, providing us with new knowledge in a wide variety of areas – from framing and timber framing to climate change and the benefits of being in the natural world – to share with our visitors and with each other. After all, we are an educational organization!
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Convening: State House to Farm House Merck Forest served as a host for a statewide Rural Vermont event, State House to Farm House on Sunday September 22. Legislators from Rutland and Bennington Counties joined area farmers, food producers and Merck Forest staff for a conversation about community agriculture and related policy and legislation. State House to Farm House was a statewide effort, with meetings on farm locations in several locations. Support your local farmers!
FROM THE STATE HOUSE TO THE FARM HOUSE: Legislators Hear from Farmers Sunday, September 22nd, 1:00 - 4:00 pm At farms all across Vermont! Legislators were invited to tour local farms, celebrate the innovation and dedication of Vermont farmers, and engage in thoughtful dialogue with local farmers and members of the working lands community about their concerns and hopes for the future of agriculture.
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Woods Whys: An Exploration of Forests and Forestry by Michael Snyder Have you ever wondered how trees “come back to life” in spring? Why paper birches are so white? Or which trees make the best firewood? A new book by Vermont’s Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Michael Snyder of Stowe answers these questions and many others. “Woods Whys: An Exploration of Forests and Forestry” is a collection of essays that aims to teach people more about trees, forests, and forest management—and, by doing so, to help them become more connected to the woods around them. “My goal in writing this book was to share my love of the woods with others,” says Snyder. “Each essay begins with a question, and while I always tried to answer that question through facts and science, it was important to me to leave room for the wonder and enduring mysteries of forests, too.” The essays in Woods Whys originally appeared in Snyder’s previous column in Northern Woodlands magazine, and the collection is written for a general audience. The book is designed to be read cover-to-cover or one article at a time, depending on what the reader is curious about. It draws on Snyder’s decades of professional forestry experience, including years spent as a county forester walking through woods with Vermont landowners. “Condensing complex forest science into topics that are accessible, fun, and easy-to-understand is challenging, and it’s what makes Woods Whys such a great resource,” said Tony D’Amato, professor and director of the forestry program at the University of Vermont. “This book helps connect everyone to the woods, whether they’re novices or forestry professionals.” Woods Whys is published and distributed by Bondcliff Books in partnership with the Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, and is available for purchase at bondcliffbooks.com or amazon.com, and by phone at 603-444-4880. —reprinted from the Stowe Reporter, May 23, 2019
A new book by Michael Snyder of Stowe, the state commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, aims to teach people more about trees, forests, and forest management— and, by doing so, to help them become more connected to the woods around them.
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The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature by David George Haskell by Chris Hubbard, Education Director The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature, by David George Haskell, opens with two Tibetan Buddhist monks creating a mandala as they funnel vibrant colored sand into intricate patterns – a representation of the universe. The mandala provides a metaphor for the mandala-sized circle of forest Haskell observes over the course of a year. Haskell, professor of biology at the University of the South, located in Sewanee, Tennessee, believes that “the forest’s ecological stories are all present in a mandala-sized area.” Through this one-meter circle, Haskell, shares his detailed observations of flora and fauna and of systems and processes. His observations are spun into a fascinating series of essays as Haskell weaves science with lyrical prose to reveal a fascinating world of salamanders, samara, fungi, and fireflies. Starting with January 1st, the Pulitzer Prize finalist explores “Partnerships.” From the symbiotic relationship of algae or bacteria and fungi in the form of radiant lichen to the parasitic relationship of horsehair worms and crickets, we learn of the tangled web of interactions between organisms. February 2nd’s entry is titled “Footprints,” and we are entertained with an essay on deer, their digestive system, and the historical loss of megafauna that once roamed the North American continent. Haskell enchants us as he moves through the calendar and explores a variety of fascinating topics with a poetic, historic, and literary twist. Haskell provides us with the inspiration to take the time to stop and observe what is going on a small piece of land we might encounter on a daily basis. Who knows what we’ll see and learn when we pay attention to the details of what lies before us in a small, forested mandala.
Bananagram Students from Dorset School completed this Bananagram after spending the day at Merck Forest for their Next Generation Science Standards curriculum.
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We love to share resources that inform our work. Some of these are: VT Agency for Natural Resources: BioFinder https://anr.vermont.gov/maps/biofinder VT Fish and Wildlife https://vtfishandwildlife.com VT Center for Ecostudies https://vtecostudies.org VT Sustainable Jobs Fund https://vsjf.org United States Forest Service https://www.fs.fed.us University of Vermont Environment, Natural Resources https://www.uvm.edu/rsenr
New Digital Map Tool Available for Merck Forest Apps that make your exploration easier. Using the Avenza Maps App (www. avenza.com/avenza-maps) coupled with the georeferenced visitor map for Merck Forest (www.merckforest.org/forest/trails) you can now track your travels in live time on the map using the app anywhere on the property and without cell signal! Simply download Avenza Maps to your smart phone, which is free to use with just one map at a time, and load the Merck Forest visitor map into Avenza Maps app from our website. Its that easy! Enjoy yourself and please let us know what you find- by using another app- iNaturalist, which is also free to use!
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Cabin and Trail Update, Fall 2019 by Tim Duclos, Conservation Manager The cabins and trails of Merck Forest are getting some love this fall. We have heard you: it is time for some longstanding improvements to some of our cabins, and most notably, their outhouses. So, this August we built 3 new outhouses and have begun replacing those most in need. We replaced the outhouses at Spruce cabin (image 1) and Viewpoint; Nenorod will soon receive the third of new outhouses. Repairs have also been made to The Glen outhouse. Beyond weather, porcupine damage is the leading factor in the degradation of our outdoor structures. We are updating signage in hope that our guests can help reduce porcupine damage by always closing and securing the doors and windows of our cabins and outhouses upon departure. Next in line for replacement (based on condition and frequency of use) are: Dunc’s, Ridge, Barn cabins, Clarks Clearing, and Ned’s. From there, the lean-to outhouses at the Glen, Stone Lot, and Beebe Pond will be replaced. Other improvements across our cabin network include a fixed window, new railing (to second floor), new exterior deck railing (porcupine damage), baseboards around the bunks, a live-edge window table, outdoor firepit seating, and increased viewshed- all at Ned’s Place. The Barn cabins received mulch around the well-traveled exterior, with new benches around each fire pit, and a fresh interior table along the extent of the window in the Lower Barn cabin- using spruce milled from our own forests, no less. Likewise, Spruce cabin, Clark’s Clearing and Dunc’s received mulch and new benches around the firepit. As reported out previously, Clark’s Clearing also has a beautiful new timber frame woodshed, milled and constructed by our very own Dylan Durkee. Next in line, Spruce and Ridge will receive some interior improvements and Ridge will have benches and mulch before the snow flies. Most of the material used in these updates was sourced from, and processed, right here at Merck Forest. We also moved, processed, and delivered nearly 60 cords of seasoned firewood to all of our cabins in the course of a week this past August; this wood came from a 1.2 acre patch cut, to benefit wildlife by opening the otherwise mature hardwoods up to create young forest, completed off of the Silviculture trail in spring of 2018. We have also been hard at work clearing downed trees from many of our trails. With 30 miles of trails and only a handful of staff to keep eyes on it all, it sure is a task to keep up with clearing our trails! Especially since a single wind event can set you back to square one. Yet, we are doing much with the help of volunteers and staff. We have also noted a bit of damage caused by equestrian traffic on trails not designated for riding. We ask that all riders carefully consult the trail map so as to identify which trails are off limit to horses. The naturally loamy soils of many of our foot paths, in conjunction with horse traffic, leads to erosion on steep slopes and also creates quite the ankle-twisting hazard for hikers. In response, we will be increasing signage at trail heads and intersections this winter. We ask that all visitors do their due diligence in adhering to the rules and guidelines set by Merck Forest- in this way, we all best steward the resource we together value and share. By following these standards, we collectively ensure that all user groups can continue to enjoy Merck Forest, together.
New outhouse #1; room with a view of the 100 acre meadow (now at Viewpoint).
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HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING UP ON THE MOUNTAIN VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY
Saturday, October 26, 10am – 4pm, Free — It’s war on the honeysuckle! Volunteers will aid in conservation efforts on the property by working to remove invasive honeysuckle. This will be a moderately strenuous activity, involving digging, pulling, cutting, and dragging of small and large honeysuckle plants. Volunteers will need to bring sunscreen, water, long pants, hat, work gloves, snacks/lunch, and close-toed shoes.
FULL MOON HIKE
Saturday, November 9, 4pm – 6pm, $5 — This is the month of the full Beaver Moon. Our staff-guided hike will be of moderate difficulty. Participants must dress appropriately for the weather, with sturdy footgear, headlamp or flashlight, water and snacks.
FAIRY HOUSE CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP
Saturday, November 16, 10am – 12noon, $10 per magical domicile — Fairy Houses and Gnome Homes: tiny houses for wee creatures created by small builders. Tools and a 6” house “blank” are provided, but your construction crew will hike through the woods to collect construction materials, and you may bring additional materials from home to embellish the creation. Children must be accompanied by an adult companion.
FAIRY HOUSE MAKING FOR ADULTS/TEENS
Saturday, November 16, 1pm – 3pm, $25 per house — Let’s spend the afternoon creating magic! We’ll start with a brief hike in the woods to gather the natural materials to embellish a fairy house or gnome home; other materials and tools will be provided.
WREATH MAKING WORKSHOPS
Saturday, December 7, 10am – 12noon or 1pm – 3pm, $25 per wreath — Ring in the holidays with this popular family event. We furnish greens, ribbons and tools, you provide the merriment. Bring along your own decorations to add to your wreath.
FULL MOON HIKE
Saturday, December 14, 4pm – 6pm, $5 — This staff-guided hike will be of moderate difficulty. Participants must be dressed appropriately for the weather -- keep in mind that it’s not called the “Cold Moon” for nothing! Have sturdy footgear, microspikes and a headlamp or flashlight.
FULL MOON HIKE
Saturday, January 11, 4pm – 5:30, $5 — A moderate hike (or snowshoe -- depending upon snow cover) on moonlit trails. Can you hear the wolves howl? Dress for the cold and have sturdy footgear, micro-spikes/snowshoes, water & snacks, and a headlamp or flashlight.
TRACKING WORKSHOP
Saturday, January 25, 10am – 12noon, $5 — We’ll hike across snowfields and into the woods to find … whatever has come before. Held weather-permitting. Dress for the cold and have sturdy footgear, micro-spikes/snowshoes, water & snacks.
TREATS FOR TWEETS WORKSHOP
Saturday January 25, 1pm – 3, $10, $10 per child — Learn about the birds who stay through winter, and make special treats to bring home to sustain your own feathered friends. Children must be accompanied by an adult companion.
2020: Save the Date for these signature Merck Forest & Farmland Center events March 21,22 — Pancake Breakfast May 16 — Meet the Lambs June 13 — Annual Meeting 20
July 25, 26 — BioBlitz August 1 — Bluegrass Concert September 19 — Harvest Festival
Recap: Twilight on the Mountain! On October 12, 100 people gathered at the Frank Hatch Sap House to learn about Merck Forest’s educational and resource management programs and to hear first hand from staff, board and advisors about the exciting work happening at MFFC. Tom McHenry, President and Dean of Vermont Law School, also joined us to share thoughts about environmental and conservation trends and realities and to outline opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. MFFC looks forward to partnering with Vermont Law School.
While camping with her family this summer, a young outdoor enthusiast left her bunny in the cabin she was staying in. Bunny was recovered by the next camping group and brought down to the VC, where our staff had been alerted to the mishap. Sarah Elliot, our outgoing Visitor Experience Coordinator, made sure that Bunny was returned swiftly to its owner!
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From The Advancement Office
Trees for Streams Grant Awarded to Merck Forest
Autumn is here in all of its glory, and never more glorious than on the way up to Merck Forest & Farmland Center. Thanks to a strong collaboration between our site crew and the Town of Rupert, our access road is in great shape.Our trails, farm buildings, pastures, cabins and out- buildings are in great shape as well. Visitor traffic has been brisk this year - with as many new visitors as returning ones, fully booked camps, workshops and trainings and lots and lots of happy faces. The other day we had visitors from Germany and Austria in the Visitors Center, who proudly showed us their native Guide Books, both highlighting Merck Forest as a Vermont attraction.
Through collaboration with the Bennington County Conservation District, Merck Forest has secured a grant in support of planting a mixture of native root stock in a riparian zone (i.e. a zone near water) located near the sacrifice pasture on the farm. By planting trees in this area, we will increase the capacity of the plant community to sequester nutrients that run off from the nearby pastures, as well as create improved habitat for species along the stream corridor linking the sacrifice pond and page pond.
In addition to our institutional aspiration to “cultivate curiosity, love and responsibility for working and natural lands”, we want to grow our pie! Merck Forest’s capacity is large - with 3,200 acres open and available for recreation and forestry/ecology education all year round and our team is always thinking of new ways to attract people onto the property and to cultivate relationships with students of all ages and networks and businesses across the state. Help us reach that goal by sharing your fondness for this place with others - friends and family, co-workers, members of your community. If you have ideas for us, please share them - I can be reached at liz@merckforest.org or at 802-394-2579.
The area directly below the proposed project is dominated by black willow (Salix nigra, and other willow (Salix sp.) varieties as well), redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and speckled alder (Alnus incana). Thus, we will acquire and plant a variety of root stock of these species. We are also considering adding some arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) and nanny berry (Viburnum lentago) as well, for some additional diversity. Once we secure the root stock, we will set a volunteer day to accomplish this work; hopefully before the end of October. When the time comes, we hope you can join us! So, stay tuned…
In the coming month or so, we will be in touch to 1.) report out on 2019 programs and their impacts, 2.) start to share plans for 2020 - Merck Forest & Farmland Center’s 70th Anniversary and 3.) encourage your participation in our yearend Annual Fund campaign. Thank you so much for your continued support. Our members and donors provide the critical funding to do what we do here, but more importantly, your love, use and stewardship of this wonderful place is in large part what makes it so special. With appreciation, Elizabeth D. Ruffa, Director Institutional Advancement
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Figure 1; Riparian planting area (red) near Sacrifice pasture.
Staff Notes
Viewpoint Cabin
• Cara Davenport recently completed the Mohawk Hudson River Marathon. She trains during the spring/ summer on the trails at Merck Forest! Well done Cara!
By Katie Connor, Visitor Center
• Congratulations to Conservation Manager Tim Duclos, whose Masters dissertation was published this summer. • Farm Manager Dylan Durkee was married in June to Maria Crumley. Congratulations to the happy couple!
I am always awed by the brilliance of color popping up throughout the valleys and mountain sides during the autumn cycle in Vermont and especially here at Merck Forest. Visitors come from various places every year to experience and capture the stunning vistas and breathe in the heavenly scent of crisp autumn air. One of the most popular destinations at Merck Forest is Viewpoint Cabin. On a clear day you can see Glens Falls, Gore Mountain and the Adirondacks in the distance. The modest cabin has one wooden bunk, a tiny wood stove and a table for two against the wall. It may be on the small side, but the view from it is nothing short of spectacular. As charming as it is, the simple structure wasn’t always used as a cabin.
• Chris Hubbard is busy training her new border collie puppy, Lyra. Lyra joins her other border collie, Maise, who often greets visitors with her frisbee or ball. • Kathryn Lawrence has recovered nicely from both Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis and recently enjoyed a trip to sunny New Mexico. • Liz Ruffa looks forward to attending VT Farm to Plate Network’s Annual Gathering this November. Liz co-chairs the Network’s Education and Workforce Development Working Group and serves on the Network’s Steering Committee.
Originally it was located on the farm above the Small Animal Barn and used as a corn crib. It sat two feet off the ground on cement piers so critters could not break in and enjoy a tasty feast. Later, as more and more visitors came to Merck Forest it was converted into a privy. When Executive Director Duncan Campbell first arrived in 1970, he remodeled it into his office and used it as such for several years. He eventually added a bunk and a stove and would stay there on special occasions, especially during sugaring season when they would be boiling late into the night. Duncan recalls how the wind would blow and shake the old crib at night. “I would turn over, throw another log into the pot belly stove, and go back to sleep.” As time went on, the office moved to the Caretaker’s Cabin and the corn crib was used less frequently, but it still had plenty of life left in it. Between the late 1990s and early 2000s the little corn crib was dragged up the mountain and landed at its final destination. Viewpoint Cabin has had a few different faces over the years, but it is most recognized as the cozy little cabin with a breathtaking view.
• Rob Terry recently participated in an international round table discussion about sustainable foresting impacts on agriculture at the United Nations in New York City. • Visitors to Merck Forest’s Friends of the Forest Shop will see some staff changes in the Visitor Center: Sarah Elliott has moved on to new projects, after serving ably as our first Visitor Experience Coordinator. We will miss Sarah’s cheery welcome to our visitors, but are happy to know that her shoes will be filled, on an interim basis, by two popular long-time staffers. Darla Belevich and Katie Connor have returned to the VC to assist visitors with their encyclopedic knowledge of Merck’s trails, amenities and history. Welcome back ladies – and best wishes to Sarah in her new endeavors!
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PRESORTED STD US POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER, VT 05254 PERMIT No. 3
3270 Route 315 Rupert, VT 05768
Merck Forest & Farmland Center is on a mission to inspire curiosity, love and responsibility for natural and working lands
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