Celebrating 75 years of connecting people to the land
Celebrating 75 Years of Merck Forest & Farmland Center
This year, we celebrate 75 years of stewardship, education, and connection to the land at Merck Forest & Farmland Center. Since 1950, Merck Forest has inspired curiosity, love, and responsibility for natural and working lands, shaping generations of conservationists, educators, and outdoor enthusiasts. As we reflect on our history, we also look ahead—continuing our mission to protect this landscape and engage future generations in its care. Join us for special celebrations and events throughout the year as we honor our past and build our future together.
MFFC BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jill Perry Balzano
Merrill Bent
Dinah Buechner-Vischer
Renee Flesch Barrett
Geoffrey Flynn
Peter Hicks
Greg Hopper, Treasurer
John Stasny, President (incoming May 2025)
Sue Van Hook, President (outgoing)
Brian Vargo
ADVISORS
Chip Ams
Donald Campbell
Jean Ceglowski
Austin Chinn
Keely Levins Culligan
George Hatch
Kate Kavanaugh
Jon Matthewson
Diana Myrvang
Erik Sandvick
Sam Schneski
Paul Wheeler
STAFF
Renata Aylward, Communications Manager
Darla Belevich, Visitor Center Staff
Stephanie Breed, Visitor Center Staff
AJ Brundige, Field Educator
Dylan Durkee, Fleet & Facilities Manager
Chris Hubbard, Education Specialist
Eric Jenks, Field Educator
Marybeth Leu, Operations Director
Keenan McMorrow, Land Management Assistant
Tom O’Handley, Senior Director of Development
Amy Pim, Advancement Coordinator
Elena Santos, Education Manager
John Schneble, Director of Program
Hadley Stock, Farm Manager
Mike Stock, Land Resource Manager
Rob Terry, Executive Director
Ryan Warner, Timber Shop Assistant
Voices from the Ridge: Letters from Leadership
By Rob Terry, Executive Director
As Merck Forest & Farmland Center’s 75th Anniversary approaches, we reflect on how much the world has changed since our founding in 1950. When the Vermont Forest & Farmland Foundation first took root, the global population stood at just 2.5 billion— today, it surpasses 8 billion. Meanwhile, urbanization has dramatically reshaped where and how people live, with 80% of the U.S. population now residing in cities and suburbs.
Amidst these shifts, one thing remains clear: institutions like Merck Forest & Farmland Center are more vital than ever. Our work— connecting people with the natural world—encourages a deeper understanding of humanity’s relationship with and reliance on nature. Looking ahead, as climate change and biodiversity loss challenge the landscapes we cherish, the importance of this mission only grows.
While we cannot predict the next 75 years, we can reaffirm the commitments that guide us:
• The ecological integrity of this land will continue to drive our management decisions.
• Learners of all ages and backgrounds will be welcomed into our work.
• This land will remain open to all—no gates, no fees.
• We will lead by example, demonstrating what it means to care for a place in the hope that our community will be inspired to do the same.
This work is possible because of our community—the members, donors, and volunteers—who give so generously to sustain this place. Some go above and beyond, leaving a lasting impact. One such individual is Sue Van Hook, Board President, whose leadership has strengthened Merck Forest & Farmland Center.
Like so many before her, Sue’s connection to this land began with a single visit. Over time, that connection deepened. As a professor at Skidmore College, she introduced students to this landscape for field experiences. Later, she led beloved guided mushroom walks. Eventually, she became a trustee—then president—helping to guide MFFC with wisdom, dedication, and a deep love for this place.
After seven years of service, Sue will step down as Board President. Her thoughtful leadership fostered a strong and engaged board and deepened our connections with the community, ensuring our mission thrived.
Sue’s impact will endure, shaping MFFC’s future as it has shaped its present. We are profoundly grateful for her service and look forward to formally honoring her contributions later this year.
In the meantime, our board is prepared for a smooth transition, and we are pleased to share that John Stasny will step into the role of Board President following Sue’s departure in April. With his deep commitment to MFFC’s mission and extensive experience, John is well-positioned to lead us into this next chapter.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Sue for her years of guidance, wisdom, and dedication. Her legacy of service will continue to inspire all who care for this land and its future, and we look forward to the road ahead with John at the helm.
By Sue Van Hook, Board President
I have treasured the time teaching children, sharing stories with visitors, working alongside the staff, pulling taps, weeding gardens, and writing notes to our members and donors the past seven years on MFFC’s board, which includes fabulous people who are dedicated and fun. But most of all, I have loved getting to know you - you who hike to the cabins, who come to pick blueberries, or who bring your families for open houses, workshops, and events. Meeting you on the farm or atop Mt. Antone confirms my personal commitment to expanding opportunities for anyone to spend time connected to the forest beings. As Robin Wall Kimmerer, plant ecologist and Potowatomi elder, reminds us in her latest book, The Serviceberry, we are all kin. I look forward to remaining connected to all things Merck Forest as I have for the past 35 years.
Spring into Things to Do at MFFC
By Chris Hubbard, Education Specialist
• As winter begins to release its grip on the landscape, opportunities arise for activities that only take place this time of the year. Check out our website listings of programming opportunities to see what you do while visiting Merck Forest and Farmland Center in the spring!
• Hike up into our sugarbush and see the sap lines crisscrossing the hillside. Follow the main line (the large black pipes) back to the Frank Hatch Saphouse. If you’re lucky, our crew will be boiling, and you can taste sweet maple syrup! (Check online to time your visit for when we boil.)
• Take a hike along the Farm Trail and learn to identify different species of trees. You’ll meet various species of maple trees.
• Stop by the Visitor Center to try samples of the various grades of syrup…which one is your favorite? Take some maple sugar to enjoy at home: Maple sugar candy, maple cream, and granulated maple sugar are all available and made from our delicious organic maple syrup.
• Spring means shearing season, as our ewes are relieved of their wooly coats. Check out the action in the Harwood Barn on April 14. Sink your hand into the fluffy, greasy, lanolin-filled wool.
• The farm will soon come alive with new life. Check-in throughout the spring to see who is new on our farm, as we welcome new kids and lambs (late March and into April) and chicks and piglets (from mid-April through June).
• Peer into the Maintenance Building as new plants sprout up with bright green leaves.
• Swing by our Timber Shop and see what’s going on, as parts for a new Small Animal Barn are readied for construction.
• Bring your camera, sketch pad, or drawing materials to capture the landscape or the new animals.
• Smell the new earth as gardens are readied for planting. Early, cold-hardy vegetables are expected to go into the ground in midApril. Let the growing season begin!
• Watch for pollinators as flowers begin blooming. Explore the flowers you see…in the woods, at the Visitor Center, on our apple trees and blueberry bushes, and see who’s visiting.
• Take a hike along one of our trails to seek spring ephemerals… they’ll start appearing in May before the trees leaf out.
• Become a member (merckforest.org) during our 75th anniversary year and contribute to a legacy of environmental stewardship. Stay connected with Merck Forest and enjoy anniversary events, member and donor appreciation events, special programming, and more!
• Join us for Meet the Lambs on May 17 from 11am to 3pm as we welcome new lambs, chicks, piglets, green growing things, and more. We’ll have activities and explorations for the whole family! Details are on our website: www.merckforest.org
Nature’s Historians: What Trees Reveal About the Past, Present, and Future
By Rob Terry, Executive Director
In early July 1863, the Union and Confederate armies clashed in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in the most decisive battle of the Civil War. For days, fierce fighting cemented locations like Little Round Top and Devil’s Den into American consciousness. In 1956, at 109 years old, Alburt Woolson, the last surviving veteran among the more than 160,000 soldiers who fought at Gettysburg, passed away. Yet the battle’s witnesses remain: the Codori Oak, the Wheat Field Oak, and the Devil’s Den Oak, living relics that still bear the scars of war.
Trees Bear Witness to Human Drama
While stone monuments across Gettysburg honor heroism and sacrifice, no marble marker fosters the same deep connection as these living links to history. Witness trees hold cultural significance across the world. In Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, the Bodhi tree symbolizes Buddha’s teachings for over 500 million Buddhists. Yet, with three trillion trees spanning 30% of Earth’s landmass, most will never carry the cultural weight of the Bodhi tree.
As Verlyn Klinkenborg notes in Wise Trees, many trees that have no significance to larger global populations, hold profound personal meaning. Merck Forest & Farmland Center (MFFC) is home to such trees, none more cherished than the Hope Tree. This hollowed red oak greeted generations of visitors walking from the Visitor Center to the Farm, its interior a favorite photo spot for generations of families reliving their childhood memories. While the Hope Tree stood out for its unique form and prominent location, many trees at MFFC offer glimpses into the landscape’s past—just steps from the Visitor Center.
MFFC’s Oldest Trees Have Witnessed an Ecological Recovery
A quick jaunt down the Discovery Trail brings visitors past two sentinel red oaks near the yurt housing summer campers. Down the hill and around the bend, a row of substantial mixed hardwoods line the road, protected by an old stone wall. Further along the trail, after emerging from the woods, twin field-grown white birches in the apple orchard branch in all directions. On the farm, a row of mature maples line the stone wall below the Harwood barn, and a large, lone apple tree erupts from the fieldstone pile along the pasture’s edge. Each of these witness trees, though large, are no more than 150 years old, having grown after European settlers deforested the land. Red oaks can live 300 years, and maples can live up to 400. These trees have much growing left to do.
Though no trees at MFFC today date back to the primary forest that thrived for 12,000 years before European colonization, they have nonetheless experienced remarkable change. They first germinated
in pasture edges, in a landscape devoid of trees. They flourished in the late 1940s when George Merck acquired old upland farms in the Taconic Mountains. They dropped seed in 1952 when noted forester Carl Schenck visited the newly formed Vermont Forest & Farmland Foundation (later renamed in George Merck’s honor), studied the land, and produced a report that continues to guide forest restoration today. They budded in the 1960s when Student Conservation Association crews began shaping MFFC’s 35-mile trail and nine cabin network. Each of these trees has borne witness to an astounding ecological recovery demonstrative of nature’s enduring power and resilience.
More Than Passive Observation
Trees are more than passive observers. Living trees are actively undergoing changes due to factors such as rapid biodiversity loss and climatic warming. Deciduous trees undergo dramatic seasonal shifts, from spring emergence to fall senescence, when chlorophyll breaks down, revealing vibrant colors. In northern New England, these transformations attract global visitors in late September and early October. A variety of biotic and abiotic factors drive these seasonal changes. While variations in any of these factors can influence the timing of emergence and senescence, photoperiod (the amount of daylight), the availability of water, and air temperature have the greatest direct impact, with air temperature being the most significant of the three. Because these environmental factors drive seasonal changes, phenological observations that provide longitudinal data sets allow researchers to track changes in seasonality. Due to the significant impact of temperature on emergence and senescence, deciduous trees can provide researchers with critical information about changes in climatic conditions over time. Therefore, proxies such as senescence and leaf-out can provide an important perspective on humancaused climate change that, absent careful observation, may remain unnoticed.
Seeing the Forest Through the Trees
Global climate change is not a distant challenge—it is unfolding now. Human caused changes to the climate are accelerating biodiversity loss and reshaping ecosystems. Yet, as Mitchell Thomashow notes in Bringing the Biosphere Home, conceptualizing global environmental change is challenging for many reasons. Ecology and evolution operate across vast time and space, and confronting these issues raises complex moral and ethical questions.
Bridging this gap starts with direct engagement with nature. Seasonal changes at MFFC offer a gateway to understanding natural cycles. Vermont’s autumn colors captivate visitors, but for those looking deeper, tracking seasonal shifts requires no specialized training. Even simple observations over time reveal tangible climate impacts within a single lifetime.
A Time for Action
For generations, trees have borne witness to human history. Now, it is our turn to observe. Humanity must observe and acknowledge the climatic shifts unfolding; but acknowledgement alone is not enough. We must work toward a deeper understanding of the complex ecological relationships that sustain life and take action to protect the rich biodiversity that underpins the natural world’s resilience.
At Merck Forest & Farmland Center, the trees that now stand—witnesses to a landscape reclaimed by forest—tell a story of renewal. Over the past 75 years, this land has regenerated from degraded open pasture and denuded woodlots to a thriving ecosystem, a testament to nature’s resilience and our potential to aid in its recovery. As we look ahead to the next 75 years, we are called to bear witness to change and be active participants in shaping a future where forests, and the communities they sustain, continue to flourish. As the first generation of humans that understand not only the extent to which our actions impact global biodiversity, but also how our future depends on life’s ability to adapt, we must take action. The trees of Merck Forest remind us that while time moves forward, our responsibility remains constant: to learn, to protect, and to nurture the landscapes that, alongside us, bear witness, and adapt, to ecological and climatic changes to come.
A Sweet Start to a Landmark Year:
Merck Forest’s 75th Anniversary Kicked Off at Maple Open House Weekend
The scent of boiling sap filled the air as over 200 visitors gathered at Merck Forest & Farmland Center on March 22nd to celebrate the sugaring season and the kickoff of a milestone year— our 75th anniversary.
Each year, Vermont’s Maple Open House Weekend invites everyone to experience the magic of sugaring season across the state. This year, MFFC’s event was the first in a series of celebrations marking 75 years of conservation, place-based education, and sustainable agriculture.
Families, friends, and maple enthusiasts of all ages immersed themselves in the season’s sights, sounds, and tastes. Guests ventured into our Audubon-certified bird-friendly organic sugarbush, learning how our 2,200-tap operation balances sustainable forestry with maple production. Inside the sap house, visitors learned from Mike, Hadley, Eric, Ryan, Keenan, and others as steam curled from the evaporator, the transformation of sap to syrup sparking wonder and appreciation from the crowd.
Children created (and ate!) fresh maple sugar candy, and maple cotton candy, made in the moment by Amy, John, and AJ, and visited our many farm animals. Everyone indulged in the “Maple Monster” donuts made especially for the day - made from Merck Forest’s maple syrup by Willoughby’s Donuts in Manchester, VT.
Guided tours, interactive demonstrations, and self-guided hikes rounded out the experience, offering guests the chance to connect deeply with Vermont’s landscape and the sugaring process.
As Merck Forest embarks on its next 75 years, we remain committed to inspiring curiosity, love, and responsibility for natural and working lands. Whether you joined us for Maple Open House or are planning your next visit, we invite you to be part of it all!
Upcoming anniversary events include Meet the Lambs this spring, Explore-a-Thon this summer, Harvest Fest in the fall, and more. We hope you will join us and hike, explore, and savor the beauty of Merck Forest every season.
For more information on upcoming events and ways to support our mission, see the events calendar in this edition of the Ridgeline and visit www.merckforest.org.
Maple Sugaring: A Strugglefest
By Keenan McMorrow, Land Management Assistant
Nothing makes a good story like pain and suffering, and one thing is for sure: Maple sugaring isn’t easy. You’ll often find yourself cold, hungry, tired, and running low on band-aids for beat-up hands. You’ll probably gain and lose a couple thousand feet of elevation in an afternoon. There will be snow drifts that swallow you up to your waist. Fallen branches hidden under the snow make for excellent slip n slides (I’ve ended up on my butt a few times). And inexplicably, snow will work its way into your boots and jacket.
Before working at Merck Forest, I had never worked in a proper sugarbush. And Merck’s sugarbush is definitely gnarly. There are downed trees, cliffs, steep terrain, and very little sunlight. The north-facing slope ensures the trees are kept in the shade for most of the day. The only flat spot on the entire mountain is home to the Merck Maple Shed, a haven for weary working bees. Working in the MFFC sugarbush is a trial by fire, or rather, ice. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned so far from prepping for sugaring season.
1. Your jacket better have a hood. You’ll be sorry otherwise.
2. Tuck your pants into your boots and duct tape everything shut; wet socks suck.
3. Bring candy; it helps keep the energy and morale high.
4. Bring a ski pole for whacking snow off lines and for help hiking.
5. Stop and listen to the forest; a lone woodpecker may reward you.
6. Attitude is everything. Positivity is contagious; a smile makes hard work easier. The green mountain state is synonymous with maple syrup, and you better believe Merck Forest is making the best. The amount of work required before putting taps in trees is incredible. It has been a humbling and rewarding experience thus far, and I have enjoyed every minute. Few experiences make you feel so alive as trudging through a snowstorm, replacing drops, and fixing lines; a little struggle makes you stronger!
75 Years of Stewardship, Learning, and Community
By John Schneble, Education Director
As we celebrate Merck Forest & Farmland Center’s 75th anniversary, we’re reminded that our mission—connecting people to the land—continues to grow through every season. This spring, our fields, forests, and sugaring operations have been alive with learning, labor, and shared experiences. From students and faculty to senior visitors and environmental volunteers, people of all ages and backgrounds have come together at Merck, just as they have for decades, to be part of something larger than themselves.
The Next Generation of Land Stewards
Students from Lake Champlain Waldorf High School, Long Trail School, Burr & Burton Academy, and Rutgers University have immersed themselves in our farm and forest operations. They’ve helped with daily chores, stacked firewood for the sugaring season, tapped trees, and even crafted cutting boards from wood harvested at MFFC. These hands-on experiences echo the legacy of countless young people who have learned, worked, and grown here over the past 75 years.
A Tradition of Place-Based Education
Our spring field trip season is well underway, welcoming schools such as Flood Brook, Dorset School, LeapFrog Nursery School, Little Wings Farm School, and The Waldorf School of Saratoga. Each visit strengthens our commitment to outdoor, experiential learning—an essential part of Merck’s history and future.
Deepening Scientific and Environmental Connections
We continue to serve as a resource for conservation and research. The New England Botanical Society will visit this spring to document plant biodiversity, adding to the region’s scientific knowledge. MEVO (Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization) returned again to engage in sustainability work, a testament to Merck’s long-standing role as a living laboratory for ecological study and action.
Expanding Our Reach and Impact
This spring, we forged a new partnership with Bromley Manor Senior Living, bringing the joy of sugaring to an audience eager to engage with Vermont traditions. Eric and AJ led a hands-on sugaring demonstration, showing residents the finer points of the time-honored Vermont tradition. They also showed guests tools of the trade, tree identification, tapping techniques, and much more. The workshop concluded with a taste test to determine which of the three maple flavors (Golden Delicate, Amber Rich, or Dark Robust) folks liked best.
Our collaboration with Long Trail School faculty and staff explored innovative ways to bring even more students to Merck Forest, ensuring that future generations can experience this place as a classroom without walls.
These stories are just a glimpse of what makes Merck Forest a dynamic and ever-evolving center for education, sustainability, and community. Celebrating 75 years, we honor our past and the many hands and hearts shaping our future.
Here’s to another season—and another 75 years—of meaningful connections to the land.
DAY CAMPS 2025
Email learn@merckforest.org for more information. Register online at www.merckforest.org Friday, June 6th, is the last day to register for summer camps.
SPRING BREAK CAMP (GRADES 3-5)
April 21 - 25 • Registration deadline: April 10th
Shake off winter and embrace the magic of spring! Campers will meet newborn lambs, goats, and chicks, learn about maple sugaring, explore forests, and play outdoor games.
SUMMER TRAIL CREW CAMP (GRADES 6-8)
June 23 – June 27
Adventure on MFFC’s scenic hiking trails and develop backcountry skills. Adventure, Teamwork & hands-on conservation projects await! Trail Crew Camp is perfect for middle schoolers eager to explore, learn, and take on new challenges!
SUMMER ADVENTURE CAMP (GRADES 1-3)
Session I: June 30 – July 3 (No camp July 4)
Session 2: July 7 – 11
Session 3: July 14 – 18
Session 4: July 21 – 25
Session 4B: July 28 – Aug 1
Session 5: Aug 4 – 8
Campers will hike scenic trails and investigate wildlife habitats. We’ll pick fresh blueberries, explore farm life, create fairy houses, and create nature-inspired art. Each week offers a fresh adventure—perfect for curious young explorers!
NATURE EXPLORERS CAMP (GRADES 4-5)
Session I: June 30 – July 3 (No camp July 4)
Session 2: July 7 – 11
Session 3: July 14 – 18
Session 4: July 21 – 25
Session 4B: July 28 – Aug 1
Session 5: Aug 4 – 8
Fly kites, build terrariums, and develop outdoor skills with MFFC staff as we hike, forage, and explore Merck’s diverse ecosystems. We’ll meet and care for the many farm animals, engage in imaginative play, and return to you with muddy boots, joyful memories, and a deeper connection to the natural world!
Little Sprouts Day Camp
By Elena Santos, Education Manager
Merck Forest’s offerings for the 2025 summer camp season have gotten bigger (or littler, depending how you look at it!) with the addition of Little Sprouts Day Camp, a half-day drop off camp for 3, 4 and 5 year olds.
I’m excited to lead this camp week with the guidance and collaboration of Laurel Scarlatta. This immersive day camp will provide children with enriching experiences created by time spent outdoors in all kinds of weather and self-guided free play led by the campers’ curiosity and wonder. The forest will be the playground, classroom, and even, sometimes, the teacher. The decision to offer this camp came from the momentum of our Kits and Cubs program, and the support of our community tells us there is a demand for it: registration sold out within three days! And yes, there is a waitlist, too! I am so excited about the growth of outdoor-based programming for pre-school learners at Merck Forest & Farmland Center.
Little Sprouts Day Camp runs from June 23rd to June 27th. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please send an email to learn@merckforest.org.
“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, they need the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”
- Rachel Carson
Learning with preschoolers has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Children are innately curious and wired for wonder, and when given the opportunity to experience nature freely, a connection is made. Little Sprouts camp promises to be a week of cultivating joy and wonder. I have found that teaching nature-based education to preschoolers stimulates all senses, builds confidence, and fosters the imagination. The natural world is the earth’s greatest playground and teacher. Our time together will be one where children are free to explore, make choices, work together, and have a lot of fun!
- Laurel Scarlata
Bringing Merck Forest to the Community: Expanding Education Beyond the Mountain
By AJ Brundige, Field Educator
People might assume that visiting Merck Forest in person is the only way to experience it. While there is plenty to do on the mountain, Elena - Education Manager- and I have loved taking our educational programs offsite. We’ve enjoyed fun-filled Saturday afternoons at the Manchester Community Library and Tuesdays at Metowee Community School for JISP. We headed to Salem with our newest team member, Eric, for a backyard sugaring workshop at the Bancroft Library. There, participants learned which tools are essential, how to identify sugar and red maples, and the best ways to tap trees for optimal syrup production and tree health. We also discussed grading and boiling techniques before wrapping up with a maple syrup tasting. These programs expand our mission and partnerships into surrounding communities and reach people who might have never visited or even heard of Merck Forest & Farmland Center. Check our website regularly for more information on our off-site offerings!
The First Caretakers of Merck Forest: The Story of Karen Noyce and Art Norton
As told by Karen and Art to Renata Aylward
In the summer of 1975, Karen Noyce and Art Norton set out on an adventure that would shape their lives and leave a lasting mark on Merck Forest & Farmland Center.
The newlyweds drove straight from their wedding in Connecticut to Merck Forest, sleeping under the stars outside Duncan Campbell’s tiny office their first night there so they’d be on time for their interview with Duncan the next day.
They were interviewing for a role that did not yet exist—live-in caretakers of Merck Forest & Farmland Center. They were hired on the spot and became the first to live year-round at MFFC.
There was no sugarhouse, caretaker’s cottage, or Joy Green Visitor Center. The winters were quiet, the land left to itself. Art and Karen lived in open-sided lean-tos (now the barn cabins) in the summers and the Lodge in the winters.
First Winters: Living Simply, Working Hard
In summer, the Lodge had running water and plumbing, gravity-fed from a spring up the hill, but no electricity. In winter, it had none of these, so kerosene lamps and chamber pots were the way of life. Art and Karen shared the lodge with Doreen Crumm, a recent Craftsbury School graduate hired as the teamster and horse caretaker for the first live-in winter, while Art and Karen learned the ropes. Life was simple, and they spent their days farming, maintaining the land, and caring for the animals.
Charlie and Molly, a team of light-colored sorrel Belgians, helped with logging, skidding trees, and hauling materials. In their second year, Molly gave birth to a foal named Dorset. The horses, along with sheep, pigs, chickens, and a couple of calves raised each summer, formed the heart of the farm, along with a big garden and hay-making. There was even a tame fawn named Rosie - who was rescued from the side of the road after her mother was hit by a car - who wandered in and out of their days.
Art, Karen, and Doreen spent lots of time engaging with visitors. In the fall, for a nominal fee, visitors could ride the hay wagon behind Charlie and Molly up to the Christmas tree plantation by the Lodge. They could cut their Christmas tree, then stop in the Lodge for hot chocolate and cookies before riding the wagon back down the hill.
In January, 10 college students from around New England piled into the Lodge each year for a 3-week “J-term” focused on “winter living” and wildlife studies, which Karen and Art taught.
Wendy, Merck Forest’s first environmental educator, kept a steady stream of school groups coming throughout the school year. Everyone pitched in, giving wagon rides, introducing students to all the animals, teaching about farm and forest, and in winter, giving cross-country skiing lessons and keeping everyone warm in the little heated museum at the back of the barn.
Tapping Sweet Beginnings
One of Karen and Art’s early projects was planning for the start of Merck Forest’s maple sugaring program. In the spring of 1976, with no sugarhouse yet, they tested the sweetness of dozens of trees on the hillsides around the Glen using a sap hydrometer; this would help them plan where to tap the following year. They discovered several trees near the Lodge had an astonishing 8% sugar content. Those trees, part of an old hedgerow, stood as massive open-grown sentinels along the road. Art and Karen quickly put in 8 taps; the first 24 cups of sap boiled down to 1½ cups of syrup – a 16:1 ratio!
The following spring, in 1977, the first 500 taps were split almost evenly between buckets and tubing. Karen collected sap from
the buckets with the horses, and Art boiled sap in the new sugarhouse (now Dunc’s Cabin), built by two SCA high school crews the preceding summer. The boiling went well except when the holding tank that fed sap into the evaporator collapsed, spilling seven barrels of sap! There was pandemonium for a short time until the fire could be extinguished. End of boiling for that day!
Building a Home They’d Never Live In
By their second summer, Art and Karen set out to build the caretaker’s cottage—a home they would never get to live in. The logs came from a thinning of European Larches at the top of the hill behind the barn. They felled the trees with chainsaws, skidded them out with draft horses, and built the structure with the help of college interns and high school Student Conservation Association groups. It was a community effort, a testament to teamwork, and an exercise in practical forestry skills.
As Art and Karen’s time at Merck Forest ended late in the summer of 1977, another young couple, Alan and Christine L’Hommedieu, took over as caretakers, finishing and moving into the cottage Karen and Art had begun. Craig and Sarah Putnam, who directed the summer camp during Karen and Art’s last summer there, became the 3rd “caretaker couple” on the mountain two years later. Lasting friends, Art and Karen have kept in touch with both couples for nearly 50 years.
A Life-Changing Place
Karen and Art’s time at Merck Forest influenced their life trajectories.
Karen attended graduate school in Minnesota and became a wildlife biologist specializing in bear research. Art pursued limnology and glacial landscapes, and forest conservation, working with the Soil and Water District and The Nature Conservancy. They carried MFFC’s lessons, even building their own log home and raising sheep for 20 years — skills first honed in those Vermont woods.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
This August, Art and Karen will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Their wedding day and Merck Forest will always be linked in their hearts. Nearly fifty years later, they still cherish their time at Merck Forest. They recall the hard work, the laughter, and the deep sense of purpose they found in the land. “Merck helped set us on our professional paths,” Art reflects. “It’s hard to believe how much time has passed.”
Karen agrees. “We were in the right place at the right time.”
And so, their story—woven into the very landscape they once cared for—lives on, in the ridgelines, in the trees they tapped, and in the home they built but never lived in. Merck Forest was more than just a job; it was a beginning.
2025 SIGNATURE EVENTS
MEET THE LAMBS
May 17, 2025 • 11-3pm
Spring is bursting from the farm to the fields to the forest as we welcome new lambs, chicks, piglets, goat kids, and even baby plants! Activities and exploration for all.
SUMMER EXPLORE-A-THON
July 19, 2025 • 11-3pm
For all ages, join in the celebration of the many different ways to explore and experience the outdoors. Art, movement, outdoor skill building, observation and science, and more in the outdoor landscape.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
September 20, 2025 • 11-3pm
An autumn celebration of forests and timber! Explore the woods, see our timber processing equipment, press cider, and learn all the ways trees are part of our lives.
TWILIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN
October 18, 2025 • 4-7pm
Donor and member appreciation dinner and celebration.
Year At a Glance 2025 Events
Please reserve your spot in one of our workshops by registering online at merckforest.org/shop/ Due to the low cost of our programs, refunds are not available unless an event is canceled by MFFC. Pre-registration is required for all events at merckforest.org/shop. All events meet at the Visitor Center.
Kits and Cubs
Wednesdays & Fridays
10-11:30am
Fun for toddlers and preschoolers (18 months to 5 years old) in outdoor adventures! Packed with nature-themed activities, songs, stories, and take-home crafts designed to spark curiosity! It’s a joyful way to introduce little ones to the wonders of nature!
Maple MeetUps
Thursday’s, April 3 & 10; 2:30-4pm Saturdays, April 5, 12; 1-2:30pm
Experience the sweet journey of maple sugaring from start to finish! Explore our sugarbush to see the trees where it all begins, tap a tree, and visit the sugarhouse to witness the transformation of sap into syrup at the evaporator.
Chicken Processing Workshop
Late June through July
Are you ready to master the art of processing chickens? Join MFFC for an exciting adventure into the world of poultry preparation!
Game of Logging
Full Moon Hike
April 13, May 12, June 11, July 10, August 9, September 7, October 7, November 5, and December 4 5:30-7pm
Experience the magic of the moonlit forest on a leisurely evening hike under the stars. Bundle up and experience MFFC at night!
May 3: Women’s Basic Chainsaw
May 10 & 11: GOL 1 & 2
May 24 & 25 GOL 1&2
June 7 & 8 GOL 3 & 4
8am-4pm
Learn about chain saw safety, sharpening and maintenance, as well as basic tree felling strategies.
Photographing Spring at Merck Forest (In Collaboration with SVAC)
June 7; 10am-4pm
Celebrate spring at Merck Forest & Farmland Center with photographer Thom Williams. Explore Merck’s barns, pastures, wetlands, woodlands, and vistas during this one-day photography workshop. Participants will have special access to fields, barns, pastures, and information about Merck’s plants, land, and animals as we explore the myriad opportunities for nature photography that this extraordinary campus offers. A walk-and-talk structure makes the workshop equally appropriate for advanced and beginner photographers for SLR and cell phone camera users. Thom will offer individualized guidance to support each student’s interests.
Meet and Feed
Thursdays starting May 31 through August 29
Saturdays starting May 28 through August 31
2-3:30pm
Join Merck staff for afternoon wellness checks on the farm animals—sheep, horses, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, and pigs. Tag along with our farm team, ask questions and see all the activities related to caring for our animals.
Halloween on the Farm
October 25; 3-6pm
A spooktacular all-ages evening where the woods come alive with Halloween fun! Trick-or-treat among our friendly farm animals, take a wagon ride and explore our haunted barn filled with spine-chilling surprises, or take a less spooky walk in our grass maze, sit for a spell, and listen to a Halloween story at the old homestead stump circle.
Summer Day Camps
June 23-August 8; 9am-3pm
Pig Processing Workshop
November 8; 11am-3pm
Participants learn how to humanely slaughter, gut, skin, and quarter a pig with an additional focus on how to butcher and process various pork cuts. Guided by Mike Stock, an experienced butcher, gleaned from his days working in a USDA processing facility.
Kids will explore and experience our ponds, streams, pastures, berry patches, trails, and woods. Creative projects, daily hikes, cooperative games and play, and other activities focused on observing and investigating MFFC’s many habitats and inhabitants. Register on our website!
Spring School Field Trip Season
April & May 2025
Age-appropriate engaging hands on farm and forest programs, and servicelearning opportunities for Pre-K through college.
Fall School Field Trip Season
September & October 2025
9:30-11:30am or 12:30-2:30pm
Students across the region can join Merck Forest & Farmland Cewnter’s Field Educators in various age-appropriate farm and forest programs and service-learning opportunities for Pre-K through college.
Wreath and Ornament Making Workshops
Wreath Making Workshops:
Saturdays - December 6, 13, 20: 10am–12pm & 1–3pm, Sundays - December 7, 14, 21: 10-12am & 1–3 pm
Ornament Making Workshops:
Thursdays - December 4, 11, 18: 4-5pm
Kick off the holiday season and create a festive wreath, and / or your own custom ornaments with greens, pine cones, and other natural elements sourced from Merck Forest! Welcome winter and get creative with nature.
Stories Left Behind: From heartfelt notes to whimsical drawings, cabin notebooks and the VC note box are filled with the memories and gratitude of those who want to share the joy of their visit.
Book Review: The Serviceberry
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Review by Elena Santos, Education Manager
Robin Wall Kimmerer is one of my favorite authors because her books offer a fresh perspective on the world. The Serviceberry opens with an epigraph setting the tone for the book: All Flourishing Is Mutual. In this latest work, Kimmerer explores the concept of gift economies through multiple lenses—economic, interpersonal, communal, and ecological. She contrasts the gift economy with our current market-driven system, where commodities, scarcity, supply and demand, and monetary transactions dictate value. Instead, she offers an alternative framework rooted in abundance, gratitude, and reciprocity.
Kimmerer reminds us that gift economies already exist in our daily lives—in the form of Little Free Libraries, free piles of furniture and zucchini left at the end of a neighbor’s driveway, and handmade gifts, like the hand-knit sweater from a loved one. In my own case, the book itself was a gift, given to me by my grandma for Christmas.
From a scientific perspective, Kimmerer describes the flow of energy as a cycle of gifts: the sun nourishes a serviceberry tree, which produces berries that feed a cedar waxwing, whose fallen feathers become food for beetles, which in turn nourish a vole, continuing the cycle.
Every other page of my copy is dog-eared, marking the passages that resonated most. Here are a few that stood out:
“[Front yard giveaways are]...a system of redistribution of wealth based on abundance and the pleasure of sharing. Someone says: I have more than I need, so I offer it to you.” (p. 42)
“In times of crisis the gift economy surges up through the rubble of an earthquake or the wreckage of a hurricane… When human survival is threatened, compassionate acts overrule market economies…The challenge is to cultivate our inherent capacity for gift economies without the catalyst of catastrophe.” (p. 43)
“This specialization to avoid scarcity has led to a dazzling array of biodiversity, each species avoiding competition by being different. Diversity in ways of being is an antidote.” (p. 77)
The Serviceberry is a thought-provoking meditation on generosity, interdependence, and the ways we can cultivate a world where giving is as natural as receiving. Kimmerer’s words are a gift in themselves—one well worth sharing.
Celebrating 75 Years of Connection: Merck Forest & Farmland Center
By Renata Aylward, Communications Manager
This February marked my one-year anniversary at Merck Forest & Farmland Centera modest milestone in the grand arc of an organization connecting people to the land for 75 years. In this short time, both the land and its dedicated stewards have imparted lessons I’ll carry with me. This year has been memorable, from hiking the many trails with their scenic views to being lucky enough to participate in some of our many educational programs. The highlight? My inaugural Maple Open House in March of 2024.
Under the expert guidance of Hadley Stock, Merck Forest’s Farm Manager, John Schneble, our Program Director, and I set out to master the art of maple candy making. Hadley explained the delicate science of heating the syrup anywhere from 32 to 34 degrees above the boiling point of water (a number that shifts with barometric pressure). After it hits the boil, it must cool down to 200 degrees before stirring. In the calm atmosphere of the canning room below the sap house, John and I worked out the math, heated the sap, gently poured molds at a glacial pace, and set the molds aside to let the candy firm up. We chatted about what a great job we had done, and how wonderfully easy it all was. Little did we know… Maple Open House Day arrived with a fresh coat of snow and a blue sunny sky. As visitors arrived and gathered around the maple confection demo table, John and I channeled the spirit of Ethel and Lucy in the chocolate factory, fumbling our way through the process. The concentrated maple took forever to reach temperature, and then once it did, we blew by it and had to lower the heat to regain the temperature. We decided to improvise and use what we had (overcooked maple cream), a thick toothpaste-like maple (delicious!) substance that oozed out of the candy pig and into the molds. After a bit, our misshapen confections emerged from the molds - some too soft, others stuck and crumbled as they were removed.
This anniversary year is not just a celebration of where we’ve been—it’s a commitment to where we’re going.
Naturally, we did the only reasonable thing we could: we ate our mistakes as we scrambled to keep up with the liquid still cooking, answering questions from curious onlookers while attempting to craft maple treats worthy of the occasion, which we did eventually! It was a moment of joyful chaos encapsulating the spirit of things at Merck Forest: hands-on learning, deep connection, and a good dose of humor.
For three-quarters of a century, Merck Forest has been more than just a conserved 3,500-acre landscape; it has been Vermont’s first environmental nonprofit and a living classroom where every trail, tree, and tap in our sugarbush tells a story. From our Audubon-certified bird-friendly sugarbush to our sustainable farm and forest management practices, every inch of this land holds a piece of a greater narrative—a story of stewardship, education, and discovery.
Merck Forest’s legacy is not just written in the land - it’s written in the experiences of the people who have walked our trails, stayed in our cabins, celebrated special moments on this landscape, and found something meaningful here. It’s in the child who first discovers the thrill of tracking animal prints in fresh snow, the family who shares a quiet moment at Page Pond, and the generations of learners who have come here and left with a deeper understanding of the natural world.
This anniversary year is not just a celebration of where we’ve been—it’s a commitment to where we’re going. As we look ahead, we remain rooted in our mission: to inspire curiosity, love, and responsibility for natural and working lands. Through new programs, expanded educational opportunities, and continued conservation efforts, we will ensure that Merck Forest remains a place where people of all ages—from Pre-K to grey—can connect with the land meaningfully.
So here’s to 75 years of nature’s wisdom—and my small part in its ongoing story. Every misadventure, from runaway maple candy experiments to scenic detours, reminds me that I’m part of something larger. The land, the people, and the lessons learned here will continue to shape us all for generations to come.
Stovetop Maple Garlic Popcorn Recipe
By Elena Santos, Education Manager
(Adapted from “How to make stovetop popcorn perfectly, every time” by Carla Lalli Music at Bon Appetit)
Popcorn is one of my favorite homemade snacks. I love the neverending flavors that can be made using different combinations of herbs and seasonings. Butter (or olive oil) as the sole topping will never let you down, but in honor of sugaring season, this recipe features maple syrup (and if I’m completely honest, I almost always use maple syrup and butter for my popcorn topping). There is no perfect measurement of butter, garlic, or maple syrup in this recipe. Use the measurements as a starting point, and adjust based on what tastes most delicious to you.
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE POPCORN
½ cup popcorn kernels
3 tablespoons olive oil
FOR THE BUTTER TOPPING
2-4 tablespoons butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
1-2 cloves of garlic
Dash of salt
Optional (but recommended!) VARIATIONS TO TRY WITH THE MAPLE GARLIC BASE:
Herbs:
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Curry: ½ to 1 tsp curry powder
Garam masala:
½ to 1 tsp garam masala powder
PREPARATION:
POPPING THE POPCORN:
1. In a large pot with a lid, add olive oil and popcorn kernels, mixing them well so they are evenly coated in oil. Turn up the heat to medium.
2. Stay by the stovetop as the pot heats up. Keep the lid off until the first kernel pops, then cover the pot and let the magical sounds of popping kernels wash over you.
3. Watch the pot while the kernels pop; you should hear continuous popping for 1 or 2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat when the popping slows down to every couple of seconds. Leave the lid on the pot slightly open so steam can escape for about 10 seconds so any remaining kernels can pop.
FOR THE TOPPING:
1. Finely chop garlic (and herbs, if using) and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
3. Once butter is melted, add garlic, maple syrup, and any other optional seasonings.
4. Briefly let the butter simmer gently until the garlic softens.
5. Remove from heat.
SERVING:
1. Pour half of the popped corn into a large bowl.
2. Pour half the melted butter over the popped corn and mix or toss to coat evenly.
3. Put the remaining popcorn and melted butter into the bowl.
4. Enjoy your salty, sweet, new favorite snack.
TIPS:
If you want to make a larger or smaller batch, add enough kernels to line the bottom of any size pot and just enough oil to coat all the kernels.
When I make popcorn, I put the oil and kernels in a cold pot and then turn on the heat. This way the oil and kernels heat up at the same time. If the oil is hot when the kernels are added, they pop unevenly and sometimes burn.
Welcome Eric Jenks, MFFC’s Newest Field Educator
We welcome Eric Jenks, our new Field Educator, to Merck Forest & Farmland Center!
Eric brings a unique blend of experience in environmental education, wildlife tracking, and visual storytelling. A lifelong naturalist and skilled photographer, he has spent years studying animal tracking and wilderness survival under experts like James Bruchac, Jim Halfpenny, and John Stokes. His passion for the outdoors matches his ability to share it with others, making him a perfect fit for inspiring curiosity and connection to the land.
A graduate of Skidmore College with a degree in Environmental Studies, Eric has spent the past two decades capturing the natural world through his photography and communications work. His career has taken him to 27 states and three countries, and his images and stories have appeared in National Geographic Adventure, PBS, The Times Union, The Saratogian, and many more.
Whether leading a Sap to Syrup program, interpreting wildlife signs, or sharing his knowledge through storytelling, Eric is eager to connect visitors to the landscapes of Merck Forest. We can’t wait for you to meet him on the trails!
Sourcing Timber on Property and Locally
By Dylan Durkee, Fleet & Facilities Manager
I hope most of you know from our previous timber-framing projects—like the Timber Frame Outhome, the woodshed at Clark’s Clearing, the entrance kiosk, and the Timber Shop—that all the wood for these structures was sourced right here on the property. We harvest the trees, mill them on-site, and construct the buildings you see at MFFC. It’s a process that never gets old! It demonstrates that when you manage a forest sustainably, it can serve both your generation and generations to come.
For our new animal barn, however, I ran into a challenge I hadn’t faced before. Last summer, while working with an engineer on the barn’s design, we found that the plans required materials beyond our usual capabilities. Specifically, the structure needed tie beams made of Eastern White Pine (EWP) measuring 10 inches wide, 16 inches deep, and 27 feet long, as well as rafters measuring 6 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and 27 feet long.
This presented two obstacles:
• We don’t have a large supply of EWP on the property.
• The sawmill would have required a costly attachment—one that would also make it immobile.
The engineer recommended EWP because of its straight grain, minimal shrinkage, and overall stability. Knowing we wanted to stay local in sourcing materials, we were fortunate to find a fantastic sawmill right here in Vermont that could fulfill the order. This sawmill works with local loggers, ensuring that all the timbers are sourced within the state. Even better, they were able to plane the 6x10x27 rafters S4S (surfaced on all four sides), giving them a smooth finish. By sourcing locally, we’re keeping revenue within Vermont and significantly reducing our carbon footprint—avoiding the need to transport Douglas fir from the western U.S. or even from Canada.
For this new animal barn, approximately three-quarters of the wood still comes directly from our land at MFFC, with the remaining quarter sourced from a Vermont sawmill. I’m grateful that we still have local sawmills and businesses in our great state, and I encourage you to keep your dollars local whenever you can.
MFFC Garden
By Hadley Stock, Farm Manager
Spring on the hill here at Merck is always a flurry of activity for the Land Management crew, Mike, Keenan, and Myself. We are all busy getting ready for the upcoming seasons of sugaring, lambing, gardening, and the arrival of chicks and piglets. Much of this work started months ago in the colder winter month with calendars and notes from last season. I have spent many hours making the garden plans for the 2025 garden spaces on the farm and am currently working on starting seeds for that garden in the sunny south-facing window of the maintenance building.
Mike and Keenan, along with help from Ben, a volunteer who helps out with projects, trail maintenance, and cabin checks, built two beautiful seed-starting shelves for me, which will help me get more starts going this year. This season, I will convert traditional seasonally tilled beds into permanent no-till beds. This transition will take a full growing season and the following winter to get us to where we will not use a rototiller in the garden in 2026. The benefits to this growing method are not only felt in the soil ecosystem but also in a slightly different set of garden chores for the folks working in the garden.
No-till gardening offers numerous benefits, including improved soil health, increased water retention, reduced erosion, and enhanced carbon sequestration, all while minimizing soil disruption and labor. No-till methods minimize soil disturbance, preventing compaction that can hinder water infiltration and root growth. Intact soil structure, characteristic of a no-till system, allows for better water infiltration and storage, making plants more resilient to drought. No-till encourages the accumulation of organic matter on the soil surface, which improves soil fertility and structure. It also supports the growth of beneficial soil organisms like worms and microorganisms, crucial for nutrient cycling and soil health. No-till systems can also increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. No-till gardening eliminates the need for tilling, saving time, and using fossil fuels to operate the tiller. While weeds can initially persist, long-term no-till systems can lead to a reduction in weed populations. All of this leads to healthy soils, enhanced water retention, and reduced plant stress, which can lead to higher crop yields over time.
I also plan making the gardens at MFFC an all-you-can-eat buffet for our local and passing-through pollinator population; between garden blocks, I will install perennial native flower buffer strips. These strips will contain a variety of herbaceous flowering native plants that will bloom throughout the warm seasons. These plants will offer a place to rest tired wings and refuel for the more than 300 bee species that live in Vermont alone, as well as all the butterflies, moths, and birds that do the important job of pollinating. The buffer strips we plant this year will also serve as a nursery stock in the years to follow, as many of the plants we will be growing will benefit from regular thinning and dividing. The divided plants will be put in new plots around the property to give our pollinators as many chances to thrive as we can.
I was inspired last summer by a massive 2000+ lb pumpkin I saw at the Champlain Valley Fair. While I couldn’t imagine getting a pumpkin to grow to outweigh Fern or Arch, I will try my hand at growing a giant pumpkin this year and entering other produce in the state fair this year. I always love looking at the produce displays at the state fair and can’t wait to put some of MFFC’s finest on display this year.
As the garden almost always benefits from more hands, I welcome anyone to reach out to me (hadley@merckforest.org) if you want to jump in to help in any way. The garden season started back in February when I started some of our first seeds and will go all the way up to October when it’s time to put the garden to bed for the winter. The real in-the-ground work on the garden starts kicking off mid to late April, if the Vermont weather allows, and runs all summer long. There is an almost endless list of garden jobs that anyone who wants to help with can.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on the hill. If I’m not in the barns, look for me in the sugarhouse or the gardens between the maintenance building and the timber shop.
In the Forest
By Mike Stock, Resource Manager
Hello again from the forest! Even though the woods seem dormant, a flurry of activity is happening behind the bark and underground. Mycorrhizal fungi, for instance, is alive and active in the soil this time of year. This fungus is the supply chain workhorse of the soil. It thrives symbiotically, relying on soil for carbon and in return, absorbing water, nutrients, and sugars into the trees via the root system.
13 billion tons of carbon enter the soil every year, feeding the mycorrhizal network. The more carbon there is, the bigger the network, which is described as a “living algorithm.”
The fungus is as thin as a hair yet moves an amazing amount of fluids. It also never “deadends” but instead forms loops, allowing nutrients to flow in both directions at once! The fungus is super efficient, finding the best route for the lowest output for the most gain. The benefit to trees is fantastic, aiding in absorption and sap flow. Combined with transpiration {water absorbed by roots moving through the tree and evaporating through stems and branches out of stomata} both systems make sugaring possible. Transpiration is highest in spring!
Sap moves through the tree’s vascular system up the xylem to the crown and down the phloem to the root system. A properly drilled hole of 1.5” will hit this hidden pipeline. The tap hole allows the sap to exit the tree with a small void behind the tap that fills continuously. The tap is not against the back of the hole! The sapwood is several years of growth, and drilling too deep misses this flow. The mycorrhizal fungi aid in absorbing water and sugars, which benefits the tree and our pancakes.
We put together a tapping demonstration area named “Maple Henge”. It allows us to teach proper tapping techniques, without hurting a live tree. Participants can drill as many holes as they need to get comfortable and confident. The logs used came from a marked tree in the sugar bush, helping to promote regeneration. Our foresters cruise the sugar bush marking less vigorous trees to help the overall diversity, age, and health of the bush. This gives us an exact replica of a live tree to practice on, giving you the feel of drilling a real tree as opposed to a dead log. So far it has been a success, check it out at our Maple Meetups (Thursdays and Saturdays - register online)!
Thank you for enjoying and learning in this special place with us!
Back to the Future, Vermont & Beyond
By Tom O’Handley, Senior Director of Development
In April 2020, as COVID-19 swept through New York City, my family and I joined our neighbors on Willow Street in Brooklyn, banging pots and pans for frontline workers. That summer, our plans to escape to Manchester, Vermont, were derailed by a local ordinance restricting short-term rentals. Instead, I found myself at a friend’s farm in White Creek, New York—just a mile from Shaftsbury, Vermont, and not far from where I grew up.
I was raised in Pittsford, Vermont, in Rutland County, but I’d never spent much time in this part of New York or neighboring Bennington County. My friend Alex, a board member I’d met during my Audubon New York days, had bought Jermain Hill Farm in the 1970s. Now, he and his wife, Marine, lived there with their dogs, Archie and Phlipa, assorted chickens, and a wealth of wildlife—bald eagles, wild turkeys, coyotes, lynx, bears, bobolinks, and woodchucks.
To break the tedium, I explored the countryside—Cambridge, Shushan, Greenwich, Salem—struck by its beauty and how much it resembled Vermont. One day, while crossing from Salem into Rupert, I followed Route 315 up the ridge and first noticed the sign for Merck Forest & Farmland Center.
Four and a half years later, I was formally introduced to MFFC. Again staying at Jermain Hill Farm, I invited Vermont Land Trust’s Don Campbell over for beef stew and to meet Alex, who was involved with the Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA). Don, a Bennington native, appreciated seeing Mount Anthony from another perspective. He also told me more about the Taconic Mountains, which were less familiar to me than the Greens, where I’d ski raced at Pico growing up.
Don and I first connected a decade earlier through our mutual friend Bob Baird. In 2014, I brought my mother back to Vermont from Bequia, where she’d lived for 30 years. During visits with her in Rutland, I reconnected with the farm I’d worked on in Florence, got involved with Vermont Farmers Food Center, and met Rich Larson in Wells. Don and I even discussed a farm project that later took shape as Pittsford Village Farm.
This past December, over lunch, Don mentioned that MFFC was looking for a new development lead. At the very least, he thought I’d enjoy a conversation with Executive Director Rob Terry. I reached out to Rob, and we met a couple of times—talking about working lands, rewilding, regenerative farming, agroforestry, complexity and systems thinking, translational ecology, adaptive management, the Anthropocene (!), and the future stewards of this work—young people and laypeople like us.
Farmers, artists, engineers, and scientists have always understood we’re part of a vast system, yet for years, the trend has been toward siloed approaches—monoculture farming, conservation without considering local economies, and more. Wendell Berry’s The Unsettling of America (1977)—the year I earned $2 an hour at Otter Meadow Guernsey Farm—rings just as true today.
Now, as we look toward a more resilient future, we’re not just thinking differently—we’re acting differently. That’s why I was thrilled to find, in MFFC, a place where this philosophy is lived and shared. As a lifelong learner, I knew I’d gain as much as I gave. My contribution will be modest—drawing on 35 years in nonprofit work across education (Cornell Tech), the arts (Huntington Theatre), and conservation (Audubon, AMNH, The Peregrine Fund).
What excites me most is how everything we do is real-time, iterative, intergenerational, and collaborative. In my first week, I spoke with a friend in Hangzhou, China, who is working with a family and The Nature Conservancy to create a nature reserve—almost like another MFFC on the other side of the world.
In our corner of the Taconics, we are part of a global movement. With 75 years of history, MFFC is on an upward trajectory, and I’m grateful for the chance to be part of it. Thanks to Don for the introduction—and to all of you for the warm welcome.
Reconnect with Nature. Support a Legacy of Learning.
We know that time spent outdoors has the power to inspire, heal, and transform. Our trails, cabins, and year-round recreational opportunities invite visitors to explore breathtaking vistas, find moments of quiet reflection, and experience the magic of nature firsthand.
Merck Forest serves as a living classroom for visitors from Prek through college and beyond. Each year, we provide:
• Outdoor learning experiences that spark curiosity in ecology and sustainability.
• Hands-on workshops and service-learning opportunities that build skills and knowledge.
• Climate-smart demonstrations of thoughtful land management that benefits forests, farms, and the planet.
Through community events, training, and shared learning, we connect nature enthusiasts of all ages with the land and each other.
What We Value:
•The joy of recreation and time outdoors
•The power of place-based experiential education
•The impact of service and hands-on learning
•Building forest and agricultural literacy
•Championing climate-smart practices
•Creating gathering spaces for the community
For 75 years, Merck Forest has inspired curiosity, love, and responsibility for Vermont’s natural and working lands. Today, we invite you to help sustain this mission and expand its reach.
Your Support Makes a Difference
Your contribution helps us connect more people with nature, deepen conservation efforts, and educate the next generation of stewards. Your donation is tax-deductible.
Make a Gift Today:
Online at merckforest.org • Scan the QR code to donate directly Mail a check to: MFFC, PO Box 86, Rupert, VT 05768
Together, let’s protect and nurture the natural world we all share. Thank you for being a part of our story.
