Summer 2019 1
Welcome by Rob Terry, Executive Director Last year, on a late summer afternoon, my five-year-old son son and I sat together in a rocking chair on the porch at the Caretaker’s Cabin. As we looked out across the southern Adirondacks, clouds began to build on the horizon. Before long, we could see lightning striking the furthest ridgeline. As we watched, ridge after ridge disappeared into the advancing deluge. All the while the sun shone overhead. From my lap, my son sat tall and leaned forward saying, “Daddy, I’ve never seen a thunderstorm from far away like this. It’s amazing!” As we continued to observe, it became clear that we were squarely in the storm’s path. At first, a gentle breeze turned the leaves ever so slightly. Before long, the nearest ridge became hazy and the sound of thunder built to a roar. Shortly before being driven inside, we watched as a distinct line of rain charged across the sap house pasture and up the apple orchard. For ten minutes, the Caretaker’s Cabin was transformed into a hurricane hunting C-130 rocketing into the maelstrom. Wind buffeted the walls as the driving rain made conversation impossible. All the while, we sat at the window, jaw’s agape with awe for the storm’s power. My favorite aspect of this beloved landscape is that you never know when it will reveal its inspiration. In this Summer issue, we examine some of the aspects of this place that inspire, such as pollinator gardens, pastures, and natural communities, and how they can impel in us a land ethic rooted in a connection to natural and working landscapes. As always, it is our goal to share this inspiration, and I hope that you’ll visit soon to connect firsthand with the power of this place.
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 Eli Crumley Grounds/Maintenance Ethan Crumley Forestry/Sugaring Operations Cara Davenport Program Coordinator Kim Davis Weekend/Visitor Center Tim Duclos Conservation Manager Dylan Durkee Farm Manager Sarah Elliott Visitor Experience Coordinator 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 in the Summertime by Chris Hubbard, Education Director Often Merck Forest visitors are just discovering us for the first time, and one question they often ask is “What can I do here?” For all who are new to Merck Forest, and for our faithful, longtime friends who are looking for something new, here are just a few ideas of what to do while visiting us. • Hike all 30 miles of our trails, or take a short hike on the Farm Trail. • Visit our farm animals - the pigs, chickens, sheep, and horses. • Participate in Farm Chores. • Have a picnic. • Camp in one of our cabins or shelters. • Explore Page Pond. • Listen to a blue-grass concert. • Look to see what wildflowers are blooming. • Sit and take in the scenery. • Explore our ponds: Page, Birch, Bebee, and Rasey. • Go geocaching or letterboxing. • Pick berries: blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. • Explore what is happening in our Children’s Garden. • Hold a salamander or a frog. • Watch the clouds go by, or a butterfly. • Come for a horse back ride. • Learn about our chestnut plantation and the history of chestnut trees. • Explore a mountain stream. • Catch a salamander or a newt. • Hike to the top of Mount Antone or The Gallop. • Do some photography. • Sit quietly in the forest. • Nature journal. • Learn how to use a compass. • Learn to identify trees. • Touch a tractor. • Come volunteer. • Join us on a guided hike. • Take a Wilderness First Aid class. • Become certified for chainsaw safety with Game of Logging. • Join us for our Bioblitz!
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Living a Land Ethic: Leopold’s Legacy by Rob Terry, Executive Director Predator abatement has a deep history in the United States. In the not-so-distant past, under the banner of livestock protection and game species expansion, apex predators were relentlessly pursued and eradicated across the country. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the elimination of wolves had dire unintended consequences. The absence of wolves unleashed a trophic cascade—an ecosystem level phenomenon in which the absence of the apex predator led to a spike in the population of the region’s primary consumer, thereby placing unsustainable pressure on producers. With the wolves gone, elk thrived. More elk meant more pressure on plants that elk browse, particularly young willows growing alongside streams and rivers. Because the willows were no longer afforded the opportunity to grow to maturity, their roots failed to stabilize stream banks. Simultaneously, beavers ran low on the raw materials, in this case mature willows, required for building lodges and dams. As a result, the region’s rivers began to flow straight and fast, eliminating critical fish habitat and causing significant erosion. In hind sight, it is easy to call predator abatement ill advised. At the time, however, it was considered best practice. In 1909, when he was “young, and full of trigger itch,” Aldo Leopold, who would become one of America’s most influential environmentalists, shot a wolf. It was one shot among many; he later reflected “in those days, we had never heard of passing up the opportunity to kill a wolf.” What at the time was a casual, almost instinctual, reaction would become a watershed moment for Leopold in retrospect. The “green fire” that Leopold saw in that dying wolf’s eyes ultimately emerged as an inspiration for the land ethic that has become his legacy. Aldo Leopold, considered the father of both wildlife ecology as well as the American wilderness system, was many things: a graduate of the Yale School of Forestry, a supervisor on the Carson National Forest in New Mexico, the author of the first textbook on wildlife management, the first chair of the first game management department in the US, a landowner that famously rehabilitated a neglected farm along the shores of the Wisonsin River, and a philosopher and author whose works have inspired a re-envisioning of humans’ relationship with the natural world. Leopold came of age in a world in which natural resources were generally considered an inexhaustible bounty placed on the earth for the pleasure and convenience of man. A scientist to the core, he was not one to accept the world at face value. Over a lifetime of personal and professional immersion in the natural world, three common elements emerge in Leopold’s approach to building understanding—observation, participation, and reflection. Through this approach, Leopold came to recognize that the idea of man’s dominion over the natural world was a flawed construct.
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As is the case for many naturalists, Leopold made copious observations. This practice led him to a deep understanding of the dynamic interconnectedness of all living and nonliving things. Not one to play the passive observer, he and his family spent their weekends and vacations applying this understanding to the rehabilitation of a spent farm in Baraboo, Wisconsin—this included planting over 40,000 trees on the property, many pine. Amidst his consistent action and constant observation, Leopold regularly took time to reflect. His most famous reflection came in the form of A Sand County Almanac published in 1949. The book, a mixture of natural history and philosophy, builds out Leopold’s land ethic, which he exemplified with the line “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Leopold defined conservation as “the state of harmony between men and land. By land [he] meant all of the things on, over, or in the earth.” He deepened this definition by saying, “harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left.” While inspired largely by what he saw in Wisconsin, Leopold’s land ethic was not restricted by geography. Deforestation and overgrazing had decimated Vermont’s landscape. By the late 1800s, over 80% of the state was denuded. When George Merck first began acquiring property in Rupert, VT the landscape was spent, not unlike Leopold’s Barbaroo farm. Merck was able to see through the damage to the prospect of a reinvigorated, healthy forest. Over seventy years later, his vision is evidenced by 3,200 acres of woodland featuring diverse forest communities supporting a variety of species that would have been unable to find suitable habitat on the property when Merck first stepped onto the land. Leopold’s work continues to inspire concerned citizens, scientists, and land managers around the world. Today, conservationists at Merck Forest & Farmland Center continue to draw from the example set forth by Leopold, searching out opportunities to further enhance the “harmony between men and land” both on the property and beyond its boundaries. Weekly programs that encourage the public to observe, participate, and reflect evoke Leopold’s life’s work while a host of discreet initiatives strive to “preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community.” Among these is the nascent effort described by ecologist Tim Duclos in his article “Connecting for Conservation” featured in the Spring 2019 issue of The Ridgeline. These programs and projects reflect the organization’s drive to share this land ethic. Again, from A Sand County Almanac, “a land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land.” There simply could be no greater embodiment of Merck Forest & Farmland Center’s mission to Inspire curiosity, love and responsibility for working and natural lands than the emergence of a shared ecological conscience and collective adherence to a land ethic.
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Merck Forest BioBlitz coming July 2019! by Tim Duclos, Conservation Manager Merck Forest & Farmland Center is gearing up for its upcoming BioBlitz, a free 24-hour community event slated for 12:00 noon on July 27th to 12:00 noon on July 28th, to be held here at MFFC, rain or shine. A BioBlitz is a collective effort made over a discrete period of time to document as much naturally-occurring life as possible within a set geographic area. For this event, we have lined up a stellar group of experts from across eight disciplines to guide groups in search of pollinators/ insects, forest communities, reptiles/amphibians, invasive/native herbaceous plants, moths, birds, fungi and anything to be found in-between. We are also planning an evening of festivities for the 27th, including a community potluck followed by firefly, owl call, and moth light sessions. We will be offering a convenient area to tent ($5 per person) in the (30 acre) field overlooking the farm for this special event; all group activities will begin and end at the Frank Hatch Sap House. Experts will be joining us from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, North Branch Nature Center, the Battenkill Watershed Invasive Species Management Area, Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation, U.S. Forest Service, and others. All event details, including a list of workshops and pre-registration for select activities, have been published on MFFC’s Facebook page as well as on Eventbrite (Eventbrite.com; search “Merck Forest”). Pre-registration is not required for all activities but is available (and highly suggested) for others; otherwise participation for group-led activities will be on a first-come-first-served basis; of course, the opportunity to explore and contribute on your own will also be encouraged. This will be a family friendly event; no need to be an expert naturalist - both guides and MFFC staff will be on hand to assist with identifying and submitting your findings. With the advent of citizen science platforms like iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org) and eBird (ebird.org), organizing and sharing our collective findings has never been easier. The Merck Forest & Farmland Center Biodiversity Project, an iNaturalist project (iNaturalist.org; search “Merck Forest & Farmland Center Biodiversity Project” under the community tab), has been created in order to organize and display these observations; anybody can contribute their findings to this project at any time. You don’t even have to identify your observations upon submission (although honest attempts are encouraged); experts from across the disciplines are Figure 1: Screenshot of iNaturalist project page for the Merck Forest & Farmland Biodiversity also iNaturalist users and will help lend and verify Project displaying results as of 6/13/19 identifications to your sightings. At the time of this publication, this project has 652 observations of 315 species made by 18 people- these numbers 6
continue to grow daily (figure 1). Tallies of species, number of observations, individual observers, and locations of observations (with the option to keep any or all of these details private) can by tracked in real-time and seen by all via the project page on iNaturalist. In this way, we are collecting, sharing, and archiving the flora and fauna that lives at Merck Forest; iNaturalist will serve as the primary tool with which we will organize our observations during the BioBlitz and beyond. The data that participants collect and submit through these citizen science tools are used with increased frequency by both resource managers and the scientific community to understand both small scale occurrences of plant and animal life (like in the case of the Merck Forest & Farmland Center Biodiversity Project) as well as large scale research endeavors focused on describing state or even continent-wide Figure 2: Vermont Cente r for Ecostudies (VCE) bio species distributions (like the Vermont Atlas of Life logists and volunteers con Forest for VCE’s annual vene at Merck Bio thon this past May. Hund project; also an iNaturalist project). Such scientific reds of species of plants documented on iNaturali and animals were st and eBird during this records, including those as simple as a picture of event. a plant located in a place and time, are extremely valuable. Without a level of understanding of what exists on the landscape, we cannot adequately monitor for changes in our ecosystems- a vital aspect of stewarding an expansive property like Merck Forest. With nearly 3200 acres of property under active management, it takes many hands to make light work of tracking all that is to be found here. And what a fun adventure it is! These rich northern hardwoods, other forest types, and the many variants in between, surely hold many yet-to-be-discovered natural treasures. Please check out the Merck Forest & Farmland Center Biodiversity Project page and explore what we have been seeing.
g masses Figure 3: Wood frog eg
found in vernal pool ne
ar Clarks Clearing
We hope that you and your family and friends can join us for the BioBlitz or simply visit on your own and document what you find. Above all, we hope you have a happy and safe summer full of explorations of the natural world!
Figure 4: Students from Manchester Elementary School help search out amphibians for Merck Fo rest & Farmland Center Biodiversity Project. Student holding spotted salamander found. 7
Rotational Grazing and Haying Cara Davenport, Program Coordinator While it took a little while for the trees to catch up with the valley, Merck Forest is now decidedly green, and growing season is here. The arrival of warmer weather and longer days signals the start of two important seasonal activities here-haying and moving our flock of sheep. After a long winter of feeding hay bales to our hungry flock, we begin to look for opportunities to replenish our hay supply in preparation for the coming winter. Last week a window of several sunny, dry days presented itself and we siezed the chance for our first cutting of hay. Once it was cut and spread out to dry on the fields for a couple of beautiful early summer days, we spent half a day using the baler to bundle the hay into square bales and collecting each bale to stack away in the Harwood Barn. Haying, as you can probably imagine even if you’ve never done it yourself, is hot work, spent in direct sun while manuevering 40 to 50 pound bales of scratchy hay that gets into your clothes and hair and floats around in the air, sweet-smelling and cough-inducing. It’s also incredibly rewarding-- I always appreciate the team spirit that rallies around haying time at Merck Forest, and haying is one of the most tangible ways to be involved in a part of this full-circle system on the farm. In our educational program “The Ins and Outs of Eating” at Merck Forest we highlight this cycle as we explore the farm with elementary-aged groups. A visit to the sheep comes first, where we discuss how the ewes and lambs are adapted to grazing and digesting the grasses, and how they leave behind waste in the fields in the summer and in the hay-bedded shelters in the winter. Our next stop, after visiting the other farm animals, is the compost pile up among the hay fields and raspberry patch. The students get to see where all of the winter bedding and animal waste comes to begin the process of breaking down and releasing the nutrients that will be given back to the fields eventually. Between the compost pile, which will be spread on the fields in the fall, and the waste from our flock that goes directly onto the fields as they graze, the cycle of nutrients on the farm is well illustrated as the students stand at the pile and look out over the hay fields that feed our flock and horses. Of course, that very neat cycle can quickly get more complicated as you dive into the details. One of those details that we practice on the farm is rotational grazing. As the growing season progresses and the grass begins to grow enough that the sheep no longer need hay bales, we begin to rotate the flock between pasture spaces in order to provide them with fresh grass and also to minimize their impact on the land. This gives the grasses and soil a chance to recover and regenerate. If left in one space for too long, the sheep will compact the soil in certain spots and eat the grasses down to a point from which they might not recover. We practice rotational grazing in an attempt to use the resources we have as best as we can, and to facilitate a mutually beneficial relationship between the land and the flock. And hopefully, as we continue to adapt and increase our effectiveness as an organization managing a working landscape, we can keep the grasses green and the soils healthy on all sides of the fence, not just the other side. 8
Thoreau House The Thoreau House on Rasey Pond received its finishing touches last month as period reproduction furnishings were installed. This culminates a multi-year venture overseen by former Board President and current Advisor Austin Chinn. His passion and commitment to this project is unparalleled. Merck Forest staff, volunteers and contractors participated in workshops, input sessions, a siting and design phase, as well as actual construction of an exacting reproduction of Henry David Thoreau’s House on Walden Pond. Many thanks to all who participated: Greg Alden, Tim Anglum, Mark Bombard, Austin Chinn, Eli Crumley, Ethan Crumley, Cara Davenport, Jack Glade, Chris, John, and Maisie Hubbard, Marybeth Leu, Eric Mach, Jonathan Mayers, Alessia McCobb, Sarah McIlvennie, Pete Newton, Ron Pipe, Bethany Reynolds, Tammy Reynolds, Jim Rowen (and business associate Julien), Brian Taylor, Rob Terry, Larry Walter, Tom Ward, Matt Waterman, Cein Watson, Keith Watson and Ron Williamson. MFFC staff will start leading guided visits to the Thoreau House in the coming months as we formalize just how to use this gem of a destination in the Merck Forest landscape. Contact us at 802-394-7836 or info@merckforest.org - we are happy to organize a visit.
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PO Box 86, 3270 Route 315, Rupert, VT 05768
p. 802.394.7836
www.merckforest.org
Welcome to Merck Forest & Farmland Center. We offer 30+ miles of trails and roads for hikers, horseback riders, snowshoers and cross-country skiers to explore -- enjoy! Please take precautions against potential inclement weather and uneven terrain. Cellphone and GPS services may be limited around the property. Emergency information is located on back of map.
Scale 1:25,000
Elevation - 1000 to 2600 Feet Above Sea Level
Contour Interval: 100 feet
Disclaimer: The user of this map bears full responsibility for his or her own safety. The publisher of this map in no way guarantees the safety or accuracy of the mapped trails and routes. Map produced by Heather O’Wril, 2011 and updated by Tim Duclos, Winter 2019.
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Help us keep our 30 mile network of trails well maintained for the 12,000 + visitors who use them annually. MFFC welcomes contributions to support our farmland and forestry crew’s capacity to maintain our roads and trails, our various mixed-use buildings, and our agricultural and forested spaces the natural habitat that visitors immerse themselves in when they visit. We welcome contributions to directly support this work. Contact liz@merckforest.org for information about additional ways to help. Thank you!
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Cabins in our Forest by Sarah Elliott, Visitor Experience Coordinator
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free… By Joseph Brackett, 1848 (Shaker Hymn) Our rustic cabins at Merck Forest offer an opportunity for a special connection to a rare wild landscape and much needed respite from the barrage of noise, flashing screens and constant distraction of modern life. Of comforting plain design, these basic structures provide peace and shelter. Each cabin is tucked away in a different area of our dense forest. The weathered boards wear the patina of many happy hiking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing journeys into the woods and each cabin feels like an old friend greeting one at the end of the day. Aside from the possible gnawing of porcupine teeth on the edges of steps and outhouses, one can expect a quiet stay in a simple space with constantly changing views of the natural world. The sky, light and unspoiled surroundings change over the course of the day, natural circadian rhythms return quickly from spending extended hours in the natural world. The perspective from each cabin provides a different angle for views of our forest, hills and distant peaks. Entering the forest with Tim, our Conservation Manager, on the rutted, narrow dirt road we are enveloped by the multishaded green canopy of leaves, with dappled patterns of sunlight on the ground, bark and ferns. As we stop to check each cabin, the cadence of the bird calls and chirps punctuate the sound of a broom sweeping across the old wood floors unless we choose to speak. It feels as tranquil as a Quaker Meeting. As the noise of the world falls away we begin to notice the layers of life: the tiny black dots with whip tails scurrying about in a deep rain-filled trench, the lichen and moss on the trees, rabbits in the field. Tim discovers a salamander beneath a rock he is moving to rebuild a fire circle. The fertile smells of damp leaves, spruce and mud become our new normal while abundant flora and fauna begin to reveal themselves. Tim gently opens the curly leafed plants beneath the decaying branches to show the distinctive radicchio-colored and bright green stripes of Jack in the Pulpit. He shares observations about some unusual birds he’s documented from sightings and songs he has heard while exploring Merck Forest. Staying at a cabin is a wonderful way to make the most of summer’s long daylight hours; it’s fun to hunker down when the sun casts warm golden light on the land and the mountains turn purple. In clear weather, the stars above the cabin are distinct and close. At night, the temperature dips, sitting around a fire in the stone circle finishes the day. If there’s a full moon, it lights up the woods. Eyes miraculously adjust to the dark. In June or early July when the weather is right, fireflies come out in all of their glory -- big, fat and bright. A silent festive light show in our too-short summer season of precious long days, when the best place to be is outdoors on one of our trails and turning in at the end of the day at one of our cabins fully immersed in the landscape.
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The Accidental Pollinator By Marybeth Leu, Communications Coordinator Summer has taken hold in the Vicki MacInerney Garden and our pollinators have set to work moving genetic material from plant to plant. They are attracted to the nectar and pollen produced by the flower parts of our ornamental plants. Nectar is a sugar-solution providing a quick pick-me-up for busy pollinators, and pollen provides protein and fat for food. Bees & wasps, ants, houseflies, butterflies, hummingbirds and bats are all participants in the pollination process.
In 2019, VT Governor Phil Scott signed a pollinator protection bill into law that emphases the protection of both managed and native pollinators. The new law gives structure to mite management and toxic insecticide use and also advances pollinator protection outreach and education materials. Public awareness of the importance of pollinators’ critical role in both agriculture and our environment is crucial.
While these tiny creatures are focused on their own business – survival – they provide an enormous service to humankind: in the course of foraging for food and shelter, they move pollen from one plant to another and fertilize crops of all sorts. They are the accidental helpers of agriculture, responsible for the production of fruits, flowers and seeds. Estimates about how critically necessary these “external vectors” are to propagation range as high as 90% of all plant species worldwide, and production of perhaps a third of our global food crop species.
Plants in the MacInerney Garden were selected to provide a progression of blooms through the season: Cornflowers (Centaurea), Iris (Iris) and Cranesbills (Geranium) are early and are currently being mobbed by bumble bees; the Ninebark (Physocarpus), Spirea (Spiraea) and Beebalm (Monarda) are coming on strong, and will be followed by Globe Thistles (Echinops) and Coneflowers (Echinacea) through the summer. There are many good sources of information about fostering pollinators’ well-being as part of a healthy ecosystem, among them: • US Forestry website: www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/gardening.shtml • www.seedsavers.org • Canadian Garden Designer David Suzuki’s website: www.davidsuzuki.org • The Xerces Society has pollinator-conservation programs and wonderful region-specific plant lists and information about the issues facing the wellbeing of pollinators: www.xerces.org/pollinator- conservation • The Brooklyn Botanical Garden Publication Series has excellent material on garden biodiversity, native plant use, and the impact of our cultural practices on pollinators and environmental health. Check out Going Native: Biodiversity in Our Own Backyards. Editor Janet Marinelli. Learn more on our blog! www.merckforest.org/blog
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Merck Forest & Farmland Center Summer Concert by Kathryn Lawrence, Assistant Executive Director The Merck Forest & Farmland Center summer concert will be held on the deck of the Frank Hatch Sap House on August 3rd, 2019 at 6 pm. Concertgoers will sit on the hillside opposite the Sap House. Please plan to bring a blanket or lawn chairs and feel free to bring a picnic supper and beverages as well. This is the 6th year that Merck Forest has extended an invitation to the community to attend a free outdoor bluegrass concert, and to enjoy the exquisite view at the same time. The concert was the brainchild of former employee Katie Connor who was a member of a singing group, The Connor Sisters, performing with Snake Mountain Bluegrass. Snake Mountain and the Connor Sisters entertained the first two years of the concert, 2014 & 2015. The popular band Bob Amos and The Catamount Crossing return this year for their 4th appearance. “Over the past five years Bob Amos & Catamount Crossing has gained a reputation as one of New England’s hottest bluegrass bands. Bob Amos & Catamount Crossing band members include Bob on banjo and vocals, Bob’s daughter Sarah Amos on vocals, Freeman Corey on fiddle, Steve Wright on guitar and vocals, Gary Darling on mandolin and Chris Cruger on bass. The band is based in the St. Johnsbury Vermont area.” In the event of inclement weather the concert will move into the Sap House.
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Butterflies and Birds by Chris Hubbard, Education Director When students visit MFFC, we start our outdoor learning together by asking them to sit quietly in the woods for five minutes to take in what is around them. Students are given a pencil and a piece of paper to record, if they wish, what they observe around them. We ask students to write and/or draw - to become curious chroniclers - just as writers and artists have done for thousands of years using the natural world as their notebook/canvas. Two such people who drew inspiration from nature are Maria Sibylla Merian and John James Audubon. They were each curious about the world around them, and began documenting their observations of the natural world as children. In this Ridgeline, we feature two children’s books that share the stories of these amazing naturalists. Summer Birds, written by Newbery Honorwinning Margarita Engle and illustrated by Julie Paschki, is from the point of view of 13 year-old Maria Sibylla Merian, who was born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1647. Merian is well on her way of disproving the ancient idea that insects and other small creatures spontaneously generate from soil, as was once commonly believed. Through her observations and documentation of silk worms, Merian is able to show the transformation of caterpillars into butterflies. Paschki’s vibrant illustrations faithfully replicate Merian’s detailed drawings and paintings, showing insects and amphibians transforming through the process of metamorphosis. Jacqueline Davis tells the tale of John James Audubon and his curiosity about the mysterious disappearance of birds in the winter and their reappearance in the spring in The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon. Pencil and paper in hand, young Audubon sets out to find the answer to his burning question, “Where do small birds go in winter?” Melissa Sweet’s delicate watercolors and collages echo Audubon’s early work, as pages fill with his notes and drawings, as well as a collection of natural objects: feathers, nests, eggs, seeds, bark. For children curious about the natural world, these two books introduce them to long-ago children who were also curious, and who helped us all gain a better understand of nature and its inhabitants.
Recently students coming to Merck Forest for field trips have been sharing thoughts about their time with us. Their time here has included participation in the NGSS School Partnership Program, pond and forest explorations, and hiking. Their reflections were used to create this word art in the form of a word cloud. Many thanks to The Mountain School Winhall 1st and 2nd Graders, The Dorset School 6th Graders, Salem Central School 2nd Graders, and the Cambridge Central School 4th Graders for sharing their thoughts with us!
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Save the Date for these Special Events! July 27 – 28 Merck Forest’s 24 Hour BioBlitz;12 noon –12 noon; Free August 3 6th Annual Bluegrass Concert with Bob Amos and Catamount Crossing; 6 – 7:30pm; FREE September 21 Harvest Festival; 9am – 2pm; suggested donation $3 October 6 Be Brave is back at Merck Forest! MFFC is happy to co-host Be Brave’s 5th Annual Hike-A-Thon & 5k Trail Run this year to raise awareness and funds that support innovative brain cancer research October 12 Twilight on the Mountain; Fall Fundraiser; 3 – 7pm
Family Offerings
Trainings & Courses
July 6
July 26
Bat Workshop with VT Fish and Wildlife Biologist Alyssa Bennett; 6:30 – 8:30pm; $5
August 18
Mushroom Identification for Adults with Mycologist Sue VanHook; 12 noon – 2pm; $10
Family Workshop: Outdoor Skills: Map & Compass Reading; 2 – 4pm; $5
July 11,18, 25 Explore: Thursday Farm Chores for Children; Aug. 1, 8, 15 2 – 4pm; $5 July 13
Hike: Tree Identification; 2 – 4pm; $5
July 20
Explore: How Does your Garden Grow?; 2 – 4pm; $5
July 22–26
Camp: Summer Forest Camp; 9am – 3pm; $250
August 3
Explore: Touch A Tractor; 2 – 4pm; $5
August 5-9
Camp: Eco Day Camp; 9am – 3pm; $250
August 17
Explore: Who Lives on our Farm?; 2 – 4pm; $5
August 18
Explore: Children’s Mushroom Hunt; 10 –11:30am; $5
August 24
Explore: Creek Exploration; 2 – 4pm; $5
October 5
Explore: Who Lives in Our Woods?; 2 – 4pm;pm; $5
Summer Camp is Back! What child hasn’t come home with pockets filled with treasures found outside: a stone, an acorn, a pinecone? With June coming to a close, we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our young campers for our second year of day camps - Forest Camp and Eco Camp - both led by our experienced program team. Children will explore the great outdoors through play, games, and exploration. Our young campers will experience different ecosystems and learn about the animals that live there, go hiking, develop woodcraft skills, meet our farm animals, play in mountain streams and dip for frogs in our pond. They’ll watch clouds go by, create nature journals, and learn about staying safe in the woods. Children entering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade are invited to join us. Tuition is $250 per child, and space is limited. If interested, please contact us at 802-394-7836, or email Chris at Christine@merckforest.org. Who knows what your child will bring home? Check their pockets! 16
Sept. 28 & 29 SOLO Wilderness First Aid & CPR, 8:30am – 5pm, $200 for WFA, Additional $40 and time for CPR component. Sept. 28
Women’s Game of Logging, Level 1. 8am – 5pm, $180
Sept. 29
Co-Ed Game of Logging, Level 1, 8am – 5pm, $180.
Summer on the Mountain
July 6
Family Workshop: Outdoor Skills: Map and Compass reading; 2 – 4pm; $5
July 11,18, 25 August 1, 8, 15
Explore: Thursday Farm Chores for Children; 2 – 4pm; $5
Join us at one, or all, of the summer and early fall workshops, hikes, volunteer opportunities and explorations listed below.
July 13
Hike: Tree Identification; 2 – 4pm; $5
July 20
Explore: How Does your Garden Grow?; 2 – 4pm; $5
July 22 – 26
Camp: Summer Forest Camp; 9am – 3pm; $250
July 26
Workshop: Bats! Bats! Bats!; 6:30pm – 8:30pm; $5
July 27–28
Event: BioBlitz; Free and open to Volunteers
August 3
Explore: Touch A Tractor; 2 – 4pm; $5
August 3
6th Annual Bluegrass Concert with Bob Amos and Catamount Crossing; 6pm – 7:30; FREE
August 5 – 9
Camp: Eco Day Camp; 9am – 3pm; $250
August 10
Hike: Mount Antone; 2 – 6pm; $5
August 17
Explore: Who Lives on our Farm?; 2 – 4pm; $5
August 18
Explore: Children’s Mushroom Hunt; 10 – 11:30am; $5
August 18
Workshop: Mushroom ID for Adults with Mycologist Sue VanHook; 12 – 2pm; $10
August 24
Explore: Creek Exploration; 2 – 4pm; $5
August 31
Volunteer: Saturday Work Party; 10am – 4pm; Free
September. 7
Workshop: Nature Journaling; 2 – 4pm; $5
September 14
Hike: Day Long; 2 – 4pm; $5
September 21
Event: Harvest Festival; 9am – 2pm; $3
September 28
Volunteer: Saturday Work Party; 10am – 4pm; Free
October 5
Explore: Who Lives in Our Woods?; 2-4pm; $5
October 12
Hike: Second Saturday; 2 – 4pm; $5
October 12
Event: Twilight on the Hill Fundraiser; $3 – 7pm
October 26
Volunteer: Saturday Work Party; 10 – 4pm; Free
November 9
Hike: Full Moon Guided Hike; 4 – 6pm; $5
Give us a call at 802-394-7836 or visit www.merckforest.org for details.
Harvest Festival September 21, 2019 9:00 am - 2:00 pm $3 suggested donation Celebrate Vermont’s harvest season! On 9/21, join us for our annual day of fun farmstead activities. Tractor-drawn wagon rides, a local farmer’s market, outside games, farm skills, wool and local food demonstrations, nature explorations and more!
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From The Advancement Office Liz Ruffa, Director of Institutional Advancement I continue to enjoy experiencing MFFC’s mission in action on a daily basis. Loads of eager school groups, scores of weekend campers, well attended workshop and events, a packed Meet the Lambs spring celebration on the farm, the 69th Annual Meeting - all have allowed me to see first hand how enthusiastic and committed our constituents and visitors are to learning while taking advantage of all that MFFC’s landscape has to offer. Merck Forest truly inspires all who visit this wonderful place, sparking their curiosity, love and responsibility for working and natural lands. Many thanks to all current MFFC members and contributors, some of whom are old friends and many who are new! Welcome! Your support of our ongoing efforts to keep this property open and enticing to the public all day, all year long is very much appreciated. Two summer events - our first ever BioBlitz (7/277/28) and our annual August Bluegrass concert (8/3) will welcome new nature lovers, ecologists, friends and families onto the property. Merck Forest’s community is growing! Let us know if you’d like to share information about Merck Forest with someone. You can always refer them to our website at www.merckforest.org. Sharing our work through an ever expanding network of regional media and business partners is proving successful and we appreciate these partnerships very much. Please let these businesses them know how much you appreciate their support of Merck Forest & Farmland Center! JK Adams, Barrows House, Bennington Banner, Dorset Bakery, Dorset Inn, Dorset Union Store, G-NAT TV, Golden Trout, Mettawee Mill Nursery, Mountain Goat, Pendleton Wool, Manchester Journal, Mother Myricks, Mountain Media, Nature’s Market, Shires Network and Vermont News Guide. See you on the mountain! Liz
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Save the Date Saturday, October 12, 2019 Frank Hatch Sap House, 3 -7pm Twilight on the Mountain: celebrating curiosity, love and responsibility for our natural and working lands
The High Meadows Fund Merck Forest & Farmland Center would like to thank the High Meadows Fund and the Vermont Community Foundation for supporting our initial efforts to better understand and protect the 42,000 acres of intact forest in which we are nestled and the wildlife corridor connecting our forest to the Central Greens and Hudson Highlands.
The Thoreau House The Thoreau House project is complete! MFFC is happy to offer customized experiences for members and donors. Please contact us if you would like to visit it!
Farm to School Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets has awarded MFFC with a two year grant to build capacity for Farm to School programming in Poultney and Fair Haven’s School Districts. MFFC is excited to add Farm to School to its growing portfolio of place-based, experiential educational offerings to schools across the region.
“ There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace.” — Aldo Leopold
Front, back and inside back cover photos courtesy of Briana and Tom Lyons; theyellownote.com and glensfallsliving.com.
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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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