2020 Fall Ridgeline

Fall 2020

Celebrating 70 years of connecting people to the land.

From the Director’s Desk

by Rob Terry, Executive Director

Branches are sagging with apples, second cut is flexing the haymow, hillsides are awash in vibrant hues, and tendrils of smoke are wafting on the wind. It would seem that fall has arrived right on schedule in the north country. In a typical year, school buses would be headed up the access road each morning, bringing 5th and 6th graders from regional schools to join our field educators for outdoor ecology lessons. This, however, as we all know, is not a typical year. Some in our community have suffered tragic losses, and for them our hearts break. Yet even for those who have avoided the devastation that Covid-19 can bring, the low-grade losses are piling up. Small to significant disruptions to work, school, socialization, and all facets of life take a powerful cumulative toll. Seeing the difficulties that our neighbors are facing has only strengthened our resolve to serve our community in any way that we can. Throughout this issue of the Ridgeline we will focus on many of the projects and initiatives that we have undertaken during these trying times.

Throughout the pandemic, our 3,200 acres and 30 miles of trail have remained open. Sharing the restorative power of nature continues to be a top priority for us. Now, more than ever, we can all stand to gain from the positive psychological and physiological benefits of spending time in the outdoors. Immersion in nature lowers stress, increases Vitamin D levels, improves concentration, and lessons the impacts of a host of potentially severe health issues.

Disruptions to school have created challenging situations for families everywhere. Seeing this, our education team has shifted its focus from hosting large seasonal events to developing digital content and designing new Covid-aligned small group programs. MFFC Educators have also been working to improve access to the organization’s new 144-acre satellite campus adjoining our community’s public school, and we are working closely with teachers and administrators there to help facilitate outdoor learning. Meanwhile, the team has been developing on-site programming designed to fill gaps in coverage for local families. With regional schools presently closed for in-person instruction on Wednesdays, our Education team has developed a series of day-long onsight experiential ecology programs that help fill that gap.

Disruptions to distribution channels and shut-down related unemployment have stressed both regional food producers and consumers. In response, our advancement team has taken on the coordination of a multi-producer community supported agricultural project that has transferred $135,000 of food from regional producers directly into the hands of local consumers. As a component of this effort, the team has engaged consumers, producers, and local funders in the effort to help procure and distribute over 300 nocost boxes full of fresh, local meat, dairy, bread, and produce to 60 regional families struggling with food insecurity.

Throughout the pandemic and beyond, we remain committed to serving our community in any and every way that we can. In the face of this challenge, we will continue to iterate and innovate. Our capacity to do this work is a direct result of your continued support. Thank you for staying engaged during these difficult days and helping us as we strive to identify new ways to use our resources to serve our community, and continue to inspire curiosity, love, and responsibility for our working and natural lands.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

George Hatch

President

Ann Jackson Vice President

Kat Deeley Secretary

Keld Alstrup Treasurer

Dinah Buechner-Vischer

Jeromy Gardner

Jim Hand

Mark Lourie

Sam Schneski

Sue Van Hook

Brian Vargo

STAFF

Rachel Batz

Recreation Technician

Darla Belevich

Visitor Center

Stephanie Breed Visitor Center

Eli Crumley

Grounds/Maintenance

Cara Davenport Program Coordinator

Tim Duclos

Conservation Manager

Dylan Durkee

Farm Manager

Chris Ferris-Hubbard

Education Director

Kathryn Lawrence

Assistant Executive Director

Marybeth Leu

Communications Coordinator

Liz Ruffa

PHOTO CREDITS:

Rachel Batz: p. 13 • Cara Davenport: pp. 6, 12, 20, 24

Tim Duclos: pp. 4, 8, 9 • Marybeth Leu: p. 14 • Liz Ruffa: p. 22

Anna Terry: front cover, pp. 13, 19, 23 • Rob Terry: pp. 3, 9, 15, 16-17 courtesy of Dorset Historical Society: p. 7 • courtesy of Erica Houskeeper: p.5 courtesy of Manchester Journal: pp. 10, 11 • courtesy of Middletown Farm, Londonderry: p. 21 • Tim Duclos: maps and graphics: pp. 8, 11, 17

Director Of Institutional Advancement

Rob Terry Executive Director

Greening MFFC: Solar on the Sap House

by Rob Terry, Executive Director

If you paid us a visit around mid-September, chances are you noticed the heavy machines hard at work between the Visitor Center and the Sap House. All of that trenching, ledge hammering, and backfilling was a critical component of an infrastructure improvement project designed to substantially decrease MFFC’s carbon footprint by extending grid power past the Visitor Center and up to the Sap House, setting the stage for several important upgrades.

With the upgraded line in, we are able to move forward with the installation of a 15-kW solar array on the, more or less, south facing roof of the Sap House. Extending the power line allows us to tie-in to the grid directly from the solar array and enter into a net metering arrangement with Green Mountain Power. Broadly speaking, in this arrangement, Merck Forest & Farmland Center will receive credit from Green Mountain Power based on the amount of solar electricity produced on sight. Based on our current power usage, the 15-kW system should generate slightly more power that we are using on an annual basis. It is difficult to predict exactly how productive the solar system will be, because it is dependent in part on a set of variables that are beyond our control. That said, a 15-kW solar system should generate somewhere around 21,000 kWh annually. To put that in perspective, the average annual power use in a US home is 11,000 kWh.

In addition, increasing the size of the power line to the Sap House will allow us to run our reverse osmosis filter (RO) when sugaring in the spring without having to rely on the propane generator on the farm. Our current line in does not provide enough power to run the RO, dramatically increasing the carbon footprint of our sugaring operation resulting from our having to rely on the generator, which is quite inefficient compared to grid power. Upgrading the line eliminates our need to utilize the comparably high footprint generator when making syrup.

Over the estimated 25-year life of the solar array, this project will prevent the release of approximately 317,000 pounds of atmospheric carbon.

Women Wielding Chainsaws

by Chris Hubbard, Education Director

“p.s. - Would you consider a woman’s only chainsaw training?” came the inquiry in April 2019 from a woman interested in taking Game of Logging (GOL), a chainsaw safety course Merck Forest sponsors with Northeast Woodland Training (NEWT). I found it an intriguing idea. Why not host a women’s GOL class? While our classes were filled predominately by men, women did occasionally sign up. Perhaps a class where women could come together and learn how to handle a chainsaw would be enticing and empowering, a way for women to gain skills in an area that is predominately male, in a space where they would not have to compete with men.

The 2013 National Woodland Owner survey results show that women are the primary owners of 475,000 acres (20%) of Vermont woodlands, and co-own 1.1 million acres (46%). With forestry being male-dominated, women often lack the knowledge and experience in managing these lands, and as women tend to outlive their male counterparts, they are often left to manage woodlands without that knowledge or skill to do so. One important part of woodland management is understanding how to safely use one of the key tools required for the job: chainsaws.

It made sense. A quick internet search turned up a few women’s courses that were offered, and an inquiry to NEWT put it into action. In the Fall of 2019, MFFC offered its first Women’s GOL Level 1 course with David Birdsall, co-owner of NEWT, leading a full class of ten women in the techniques of safely felling a tree.

This fall, we again offered women’s only chainsaw courses: a Basic course, designed for those who have little to no experience using a chainsaw, as well as GOL Level 1 and Level 2. The classes filled again, as women signed up, eager to be self-reliant –either by choice or by necessity – in stewarding their woodlands. As I look back on these past two years - 2019 & 2020 - with four sessions of GOL classes, two in which women’s classes were offered and two in which classes were co-ed, it’s clear. Offering women’s GOL classes dramatically increases the number of women who participate in chainsaw safety classes. Furthermore, when women’s GOL classes are offered, women tend to advance to higher levels of training.

As women take on the task of managing their woodlands, having the necessary knowledge and skills to manage that land is essential. Women’s chainsaw classes provide an avenue to gain those skills, allowing them to confidently and safely use the tools required for the job.

Game of Logging: Staying Safe in the Woods By the Numbers

by Chris Hubbard, Education Director

Over this past spring and fall, Merck Forest has hosted a total of 11 individual Basic and Game of Logging chainsaw classes, for over 90 hours of instruction. Classes ranged from the Basic class, for those how have little to no experience with a chainsaw, up to GOL Level 4, which addresses cleaning up storm damaged trees. With each class capped at 10 students, the result was 110 spots being available across all classes, with 97 of those spots being filled.

This past spring saw a total of 25 individuals (4 women and 21 men) complete, at a minimum, one course, with many registering for multiple courses. And this fall saw 37 individuals (21 women and 16 men) enroll and complete the courses. In total, 25 women and 37 men have gone through at least one chainsaw safety course held at Merck Forest this year. That’s 62 people receiving instruction in safety protocol when using a chainsaw, resulting in more people, men and women, who are safer in the woods because of the training they’ve received.

Chainsaws: 101

by Chris Hubbard, Education Director

I have never been much of a fan of chainsaws. Yes, I know they are valuable tools that make putting up wood or felling a tree much easier than doing it by hand. But they’re also dangerous, with sharp spinning chains that can do a lot of damage if not used properly. Frankly, they scare me, and as a result, I’ve never handled one, much less used one for any purpose. But, co-owning a 15-acre woodlot and heating our home with wood made me realize that knowing how to use a chainsaw might be a useful skill –that and the fact that a small electric chainsaw made it into our home this summer. I was slightly intrigued. Maybe it was something I could learn how to use.

I am also, in the capacity of Education Director at Merck Forest, administering the Game of Logging classes we sponsor with Northeast Woodland Training: booking the classes, communicating with interested parties, handling the details needed to have successful classes. It would be good to know more about the classes I was promoting and talking to folks about.

I decided to take the step to learn about using chainsaws this fall, when we offered the Women’s Basic Chainsaw class. I needed to learn how to use this machine that I was so uneasy about. The Basic Chainsaw Safety class is designed for those who have little to no experience using a chainsaw. Actual saw work is limited to cutting “tree cookies” and wedges. No felling trees in this class! Perfect!

Early on a cool Saturday morning, I circled up in the parking lot with eight other women. David Birdsall, co-owner of Northeast Woodland Training, talked us through a myriad of topics ranging from the use of personal protective equipment (a pair of chaps are much cheaper than a stitch in the emergency room) to how to put a chain onto the bar and properly tighten it (Santa’s sleigh goes away from you and over the bar). The sound of chainsaws zinged in the air as we tentatively tried starting our saws.

After the tailgate lecture, we were ready. Bright orange helmets and chaps were donned, and we hiked into the wooded area below the Visitor Center where we would have a chance to try using the saws. Trees were marked by orange flagging (those to be saved) and spray paint (those that could be cut). We learned how a tree is assessed before it is felled: the lean, the potential hazards, the planning of an escape route; and we watched as David dropped several trees that we would practice on.

Instructed on the forces in play, we tried our hands at cutting tree cookies, with the goal of leaving just a sliver of bark connecting the cookie to the tree trunk. We stood and watched intently, as each of us had our turn. When my turn came, the saw cut like butter, wood chips spraying off the chain, and the cookie held on by that sliver of bark. Next came wedges, as we tried to have one cut meet the other. David’s patient instruction and encouragement for each person resulted in turning our group of nervous first-time chainsaw operators into novices who were confident we could safely operate a saw at the level of our training. That night I fell into bed exhausted. The amount of information I had absorbed was enormous, and I had grown from being very wary of chainsaws to having the confidence to use it safely for what I learned. Will I be felling any trees? No, not yet. At least not until I take Level 1: Precision Felling Techniques!

Like most land management

agencies

and organizations,

Merck Forest & Farmland Center is engaged in a cyclical process of farm and forest planning.

Every ten years, MFFC staff, board members, and leading experts collaborate to assess farm and forest health, identify key objectives that balance a host of factors, and formulate a plan that is intended to promote sustainability and exemplify best practice. This work is by no means done in a vacuum—the planning team leans heavily on advice from outside experts, recent scientific research, and stewardship plans from peer organizations with complementary lands and objectives. Among the experts supporting this work is MFFC Advisory Committee member and Dorset Historical Society Curator Jon Mathewson. Jon is preparing a set of documents that provide a sweeping view of the history of working lands in southwestern Vermont from pre-European contact through today. This four part series, which the planning team will use to contextualize its work, will be shared over upcoming Ridgelines accompanied by updates on the planning process.

These articles were originally designed to share with our Northshire Grown: Direct CSA customers.

Agricultural History Of The Northshire Region

by Jon Matthewson, Curator, Dorset Historical Society

The Northshire has a long and varied agricultural history. There have been periods of relative stability punctuated by periods of tumultuous change. This is the first of a three part series covering, briefly, the history of those changes. Prepared by the Dorset Historical Society it was conceived as a free insert for Merck Forest & Farmland Center’s 2020 local food program, Northshire Grown: Direct, which is a community scaled cooperative CSA program that sells over 40 area farms and food businesses’ products to a customer base of over 400 area households.

The Mahican, or Mohican, tribe inhabited this area for well over a thousand years during the Woodland Era. The tribe was centered around the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, but their territory stretched to southwestern Vermont and western Massachusetts. This area was used as hunting and fishing grounds. In the 1700s, encroaching European settlement diminished the Mahican use of this area, and members of the Abenaki tribe moved in from the north and the east. Some Abenaki may have planted crops in the area.

“The land included within these limits [Vermont], is of a very fertile nature, fitted for all the purposes and productions of agriculture. The soil is deep, and of a dark colour; rich, moist, warm, and loamy. It bears corn and other kinds of grain, in large quantities, as soon as it is cleared of the wood without any ploughing or preparation: And after the first crops, naturally turns to rich pasture for mowing.”

Area towns were chartered in 1761. The first settlers came to Danby in 1765, Manchester and Rupert in 1766, and Pawlet and Dorset in 1768. These farmers cut down the forests to make way for crops. They burned the trees, which created potash, a valuable commodity used in making pewter. Once the land was cleared, the farmers began to grow grains: mostly wheat, but also oats, barley, buckwheat, rye and hay. Vermont quickly became the “Breadbasket of New England.”

Small apple orchards were common on farms. Benjamin Baldwin is credited with planting the first apple trees in Dorset’s Kirby Hollow in the late 1760s or early 1770s. An 1814 map shows an apple orchard behind Martin Kent’s home at the intersection of the Dorset West Road and Nichols Hill Road. Farm orchards were so common that when Vermont outlawed alcohol in 1850, farm-made hard cider was exempt.

The settlers brought livestock. A russet, hardy breed of cattle, Devon, dotted the hillsides, which still had stumps from felled trees. The most common type of farm animal was swine: pork was the meat of choice for Vermonters. In fact, the first laws in many Vermont towns addressed the problems of pigs running free. Horses were also common, and blacksmith shops were among the first businesses in the area.

Wheat remained the state’s major cash crop until 1828. Wheat crops began to fail for three reasons: depletion of the soil, the Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor), and the Wheat Midge (Sitodiplosis mosellana). In addition, the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 introduced western New York to wheat growing, and a new tariff law in 1828 made imports much more expensive. After that, while farmers continued to grow wheat in smaller amounts, most decided either to move west, or to raise Merino sheep. The next installment in this series will see sheep becoming the major agricultural staple of Vermont!

Wheat

Hessian Fly

Wheat Midge

Devon Cattle

Samuel Williams, The Natural and Civil History of Vermont, 1794.

BioBlitz 2020 Adapt and Overcome for the Win

by Tim Duclos, Conservation Manager

The 2nd annual BioBlitz, held the weekend of Sept 12th and 13th, proved a big success in spite of COVID-19. We adapted and overcame the challenges of the time, focusing efforts toward developing and sharing the instructional and interpretive materials necessary for visitors to engage in meaningful observation on property without the need to gather in person. Using the citizen science tool iNaturalist (iNat), this year’s event yielded new, and surprising, species for the region and equally new species for the Merck Forest Biodiversity Project, our ongoing iNat collection project for the property.

Highlights by the numbers from BioBlitz 2020: 469 observations made from 7 participants

· 266 species so far identified

· 125 other iNat users have helped identify what was found

· Nearly 100 new species added to Merck Forest Biodiversity Project

· Front page press coverage in Manchester Journal and Bennington Banner as well as video coverage on GNAT

This all brings the number of species found on property thus far to an even 800, with nearly 2700 observations made to date on iNaturalist from 53 users.

To find out how you can contribute to this research during your next visit to MFFC, or to explore what has been found on property to date, visit: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/merck-forest-biodiversity-project

July 25–26

Southern Vermont Bee Study Initiated at MFFC with Impressive Diversity Found

In collaboration with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Merck Forest has been participating in targeted regional monitoring efforts focused on bees in 2020. Through continual observation via iNaturalist, data on our bee community is being archived by the Merck Forest Biodiversity Project and the Southern Vermont Bee Project. As a component of this work, this past May, a collaborative field study was initiated at Merck Forest with the purpose of assessing both baseline bee diversity as well as how the bee community is, possibly, affected by old field management within the forest interior. A striking number of specimens were collected, representing eight genera of beesan impressive level of diversity. Currently, specimens are being identified to species by researchers at UMass Amherst. This study complements the ongoing pollinator work being done at MFFC and will be continued in the 2021 field season.

Participants make an iNaturalist observation of a praying mantis found in a section of pollinator habitat during the 2020 BioBlitz.

This cup is one of dozens of such traps placed throughout the entire property to sample for bees.

Bat Study Continues at MFFC in 2020 with Overwhelming Findings

Over the week of August 10th through the 17th, Kerry Monahan, Wildlife Specialist with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service, conducted for the second consecutive year, bat monitoring at Merck Forest. Kerry is the dedicated bat population monitoring specialist throughout the region. As reported previously, in 2019, using a passive recorder placed overnight at Page Pond, over 500 individual bat calls were detected, representing over half the species found in Vermont, including the endangered little brown bat - a species devastated by White Nose Syndrome. This year, Kerry ramped things up, by placing additional detectors for a full week of monitoring at Page Pond as well as at the 100-acre meadow, Birch Pond, and Beebe Pond. The data, which is still being analyzed, is truly overwhelming and reveals an incredible situation at MFFC. One thing is clear: Merck Forest is a serious hotspot for bats, for both residents and those likely migrating through. Preliminary results indicate truly outstanding activity at Birch Pond, with robust activity also found at all other locations sampled. Thousands upon thousands of individual bat detections were captured. Species detected include the little brown bat (and/or possibly indiana bat), tricolored bat, big brown bat, hoary bat, and notably high likelihood of eastern small footed bat as well. Kerry reports that, out of the 80+ surveys conducted this season through the region- across state and federal lands- Merck Forest has by far the most activity found in the region. Now, let that sink in. Wow. Just wow. For all these reasons, Merck Forest has sparked the interest of regional biologists, and in 2021, the goal is to take things to the next level and begin trapping bats at MFFC to deepen our contribution to regional bat monitoring efforts and expand our understanding of bat diversity at MFFC now and into the future.

Newly Designated Pollinator Habitat Maintained Around Farm

With an eye to ways in which Merck Forest can manage its resources so as to have the largest ‘return’, especially for wildlife, this summer, several key areas of the fields maintained on the farm were intentionally left to grow instead of being mowed as default practice. The milkweeds, asters, goldenrods, silverrods, joe pye weeds, raspberries, and many other flowering species flourished. The constant buzz of bees, months-long stream of butterflies and all other manner of flying and crawling insects that thrived on these flowers evidenced the value and purpose behind the simple act of delayed mowing until the fall. With the addition of new pollinator habitats around the farm, this brings the total acreage of such prime pollinator habitat at MFFC to over 40 acres. That’s pretty good! A map displaying these areas has been published online, in this Ridgeline, and is available at the Visitor Center. Also, you can explore what thrived in these areas by checking out observations for the property on iNaturalist.

Kerry retrieves a bat detector from Birch Pond.

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Manchester Journal

DORSET — The Dorset Select Board got an update on the Raptor Lane Master Plan at Tuesday’s meeting and a new town office remains at the top of the wish list for the new town property.

Town Manager Rob Gaiotti and Greg Kepler of Kepler Consulting presented the highlights of the master plan filed Sept. 1, the result of about a year and a half worth of work.

“The town has spent a decent amount of resources to get a better un-

things stand,” Gaiotti said.

Kepler had been brought on board to examine permits, memos, maps and other information related the previous development of the property to help the town understand what was already known about the 308-acre property.

Manchester Journal - 09/18/2020

An in-depth environmental review completed in the fall of winter 2019 was limited to the 210 or so acres located below 1,300 foot elevation because it is believed the approximated 100 acres above that was too steep and difficult to

The environmental review showed that there are two primary consideration that determines the land’s value for development — the slope of the land and environmental constraints such as bear habitat, wetlands or deer wintering areas.

3-plus acres areas up to on 46.6 acre space with only some wetlands dotted throughout the area that limits the land’s use.

Area 1, which is the first area right off of Route 30 is a 5.5 acre area that provides access to the rest of the property.

This article appeared in the Bennington Banner on 9/14 and on the front page of the Manchester Journal on 9/18.

“We looked at areas where significant environmental constraints are not present and slopes are generally less than 20 percent,” Kepler told the board.

Copy Reduced to 87% from original to fit letter page

That analysis resulted in nine usable areas rang-

A couple of the identified areas are not conveniently located, but Kepler said they could be they could be accessed by road or trail. Five of the areas, making up the majority of the useable land, is directly accessible by the existing

A committee established in 2019 has also been busy, and one of the prime activities was conducting a survey of area residents about the potential uses of the property.

A survey was conducted that drew more than 160 participants on the town website.

Participants were asked to rank options for land use in categories of municipal, housing, recreation or conservation, energy and commercial.

Page : A01

RAPTOR, Page 3

BioBlitz project charts wildlife at Merck Forest

BY MICHAEL MAWSON Manchester Journal

RUPERT — Naturalists and citizen scientists alike explored Merck Forest & Farmland Center (MFFC) over the weekend.

A biodiversity project called BioBlitz, which lasted all of Saturday and Sunday, brought nature lovers to the forest to chart what lives in and on the 3,200 acre property.

Tim Duclos, the conservation manager at MFFC, has made the process of tracking wildlife on the property as simple as using an app on a smartphone.

“You can come with the inaturalist app on your phone, and then while you use the app on the property, I’ve got it set up so it automatically adds your observations to the project,” Duclos said.

Inaturalist is a social network for naturalists and citizen scientists. It is both a website and an app, and allows people to share and chart their observations of what they find in the wild. According to their website, inaturalist.org, they have over three million users.

The findings at MFFC range from common species such as a green frog, to animals that are threatened in the state, like the Jefferson salamander.

Nathaniel Sharp, a data technician at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, was one participant of the BioBlitz. Sharp, a West Fairlee resident, also participated in last years BioBlitz at MFFC.

Sharp is MFFC’s top identifier on inaturalist, charting 226 identifications on the property. Sharp caught and released a number of different dragonfly species,

including a shadow darner and a variable darner, during Saturday’s portion of the BioBlitz.

Using a net to capture the creatures, Sharp carefully grabbed them, photographed them to identify exactly what species they were, and then released them back into the wild.

Sharp explained when photographing a dragonfly, it is important to capture both the side and the back of the creature in order to show each species unique characteristics so it can be properly identified.

The data scientist was hap-

py to be at MFFC charting wildlife.

“It’s fantastic, this is a gorgeous place to be,” Sharp said.

Sharp also identified a hornet fly, a creature disguised as a hornet to scare away potential predators. The fly looks almost identical to a hornet, minus the stinger.

Along with the BioBlitz, MFFC is collecting information through inaturalist year-round. To date, the site has tracked 2,319 observations and 726 unique species from 419 different identifiers.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL MAWSON — MANCHESTER JOURNAL

Nathaniel Sharp stands at the ready during Saturday’s BioBlitz at the Merck Forest in Rupert.

Nathaniel Sharp looks through his binoculars during Saturday’s BioBlitz in Rupert. BIOBLITZ, Page 3

Madison Alderman of Rutland was alongside Sharp during the BioBlitz.

Alderman, who graduated from Castleton University with a degree in biology, said she has been interested in nature as long as she can remember.

“I have always been into nature, we had woods in our backyard,” Alderman said. “So I’ve always been out in the woods, I’ve always cared about animals.”

Those who may not have a smartphone are also welcome to participate in the BioBlitz. Duclos said participants can take photos and notes of your observations and upload them later on inaturalist.org.

This was MFFC’s second annual BioBlitz. Last year, the event was held on July 27. Holding the event during different times of the year allows participants to be introduced to different species. MFFC also held a BioBlitz in 2011.

Sharp wants people to know that although identifying wildlife can seem overwhelming to some, with the right tools in place anybody can do it.

“With inaturalist, you can take photos and post them and you have a whole community of naturalists that are able to look at those photos and help you out with the identification,” Sharp said.

Raptor

FROM PAGE 1

use of the land more than a year ago: a new town hall facility.

The top ranked recommendations for municipal were community center or playground/greenspace; for housing, participants suggested a planned sustainable community or single unit housing; for recreation, the results were hiking or biking trails or leaving it as a natural area; and under the energy category, the top choices were smallscale solar or large-scale solar.

But there was one item at the top of most of the board’s list and that’s is the item that topped the wish list when the board first took up the potential

Cannabis

FROM PAGE 1

the bill has finally reached a compromise. The Senate version of the bill was first introduced in January 2019, when the current biennium started.

“It’s not perfect. There’s a lot of compromise, a lot of give and take on both sides to get to a place where we could reach agreement,” Sears said.

But Sears warned that even if the bill passes and becomes law, it’s just a start to a long process.

“I think it could be a really good location to put in a new building rather than fiddling with the old one that isn’t working so well,” said board chairwoman Megan Thorn.

Board member Henry Chandler agreed and said he sees a new town office being the core of what could become a town center type location.

The master plan included a map showing the potential uses for the land.

It was purely speculative but based on the survey results showed a community center and municipal offices building, new fire department facility, playground, athletic fields

One of the key stumbling blocks has been the insistence of Scott and some lawmakers upon a roadside saliva test as part of road safety enforcement. The House version of S.54 provided for a saliva test — but upon condition of police obtaining a warrant.

and community gardens with plenty of room for parking, green space and many acres remaining for potential housing and recreational trails.

“Our current town offices are not adequate,” Chandler said. “It’s not big enough, not private enough. We need a larger building. This is a great opportunity because this is a property that is fairly well centered. I think we can get a larger building that suits our needs. It can become something like a core tenant for the other buildings up there that can really benefit Dorset.”

Chandler said the town offices is the biggest need.

“I think the first step is the town offices,” Chan-

D-Windham, said there are provisions in the compromise that are “clearly things that I would rather not be doing. But there. If we don’t, if we don’t get it started, there will be nothing to change. If we get it started, there is a potential for making changes in the next year.”

dler said. “A really good town office that will serve us for the next 50 to 100 years. Let’s put our best foot forward.”

Chandler said he would be happy to work on pushing that vision forward as the town continues the work to determine what the town would want to pursue, which would require funding studies and input from the public.

Thorn tasked Chandler with that duty, working with Gaiotti, to bring forward ideas for the next meeting to start that process.

Board members were, overall, very happy with the work of the committee in getting the process to this point.

“It was a really good

GNAT

Copyright � 2020 Manchester Journal. 09/18/2020

September 18, 2020 7:27 pm (GMT -4:00)

While a BioBlitz can run 24 hours or more, participants are not expected to use this whole period. What we find will be limited by the time of day and time of year

“No state has gone into this process that didn’t take at least a year and a half,” he said. “I expect Vermont will be the same but it does set us on that road.”

Since 2018, marijuana has been decriminalized for personal possession and use in Vermont, with limits of up to one ounce or two mature plants. But there remains no way to legally purchase

On Sept. 4, the state Senate conferees offered a compromise on saliva testing: They dropped their opposition to it in return for the House removing a provision that would make seat belt use a primary reason for a motor vehicle stop. It was one of several significant stumbling blocks cleared away in that session.

“Seat belts was a very important provision for the House. But part of working in a conference committee is working with members as you try to negotiate a compromise,” said state Rep John Gannon, D-Wilmington, who headed the House side of the panel. “That was a critical concession that

On the other hand, White is glad the bill will give some priorities to small growers, and will seek a means of restitution for impacts on communities that may have been more impacted by past drug laws, notably communities of color and low-income communities. And she is pleased that the medical marijuana program will be placed under the new cannabis board rather than the Department of Public Safety.

Gannon said he is thankful for Sears’ patience, as this was his first conference committee experience. He is also thankful that Southern Vermont lawmakers could come together on a regional

process,” said board member Jim Salsgiver. “A lot of really good people put their thinking caps on. It highlights a number of opportunities.”

Board member Liz Ruffa said the committee provided opportunities for community engagement and the survey provided rich information despite planned events being canceled by COVID-19.

Thorn said the committee’s work has put the town in position to move forward.

“I think the committee did a great job,” Thorn said. “We now have a better idea of what’s possible and

Contact

setts shops advertise in his local newspaper, and on Interstate 91 billboards just over the state line. Sears said he understands a legal marijuana shop in Williamstown, Mass., sees 20 percent of its business from just over the border.

It’s Gannon’s hope the bill will be a benefit to the state.

“As the House has been doing work on this bill, we have been very cautious to male sure important consumer protections are built in to this legislation,” he

“I have been on many conference committees in my career, and this was not easy,” Sears said. “This is a compromise that puts us on a path to a tax-and-regulate system. And I think it’s important to say it’s a start, not a finish.”

The conference committee also includes White and Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, as well as Reps. Janet Ancel, D-Calais, and Robert LaClair, R-Barre Town.

FROM PAGE 1

BioBlitz’ing Around the Clock at Merck Forest

TV and gnat-tv.org.

Each debate will have a threephase format: traditional debate with timed question and answer, presubmitted questions from local citizens, and a discussion.

Citizens may submit a question for consideration at least 48 hours in advance by visiting gnat-tv.org/ submit-questions.

In addition to the debates, McKeever will interview several candidates running for statewide office including: Gov. Phil Scott, Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, Molly Gray and Scott Milne.

Those interviews will be distributed on GNAT-TV’s distribution networks throughout September and October.

Powered by TECNAVIA

Darren Marcy at dmarcy@manchesterjournal. com or by cell at 802-681-6534.

MICHAEL MAWSON — MANCHESTER JOURNAL Madison Alderman looks for a creature to capture and release during Saturday’s BioBlitz at the Merck Forest in Rupert.

New Fall Programming Opportunities: Staying

Nimble and Filling the Gaps

by Cara Davenport, Program Coordinator

With the upheaval of this fall school year, our typical busy season of welcoming regional 5th and 6th grade classes up to Merck for our multi-day Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) program has been put on hold. As our Program team considered the new lay-of-the-land for programming in the coming months, one opportunity that became clear was the mid-week break that many schools in our region have decided to incorporate into the revamped school schedules as many students begin to return to in-person classes. With schools closed most Wednesdays for the next several months, we developed and launched our new weekly Wilderness Wednesdays program, a day-long camp for a cohort of up to ten 4th-6th graders that will meet at Merck Forest for four Wednesdays in a row. Based out of many of the activities and concepts that we use in the NGSS program, this program will involve the students spending their Wednesdays with us exploring the Merck Forest landscape, practicing their observational skills and developing as citizen scientists primarily through nature journaling.

In preparation for this new program, in mid-September our staff spent a beautiful crisp autumn day together making some additions and improvements to the yurt and base-camp space that we use for many of our kids’ programs, including day camps and NGSS programs. In addition to general touch-ups and preparation to the yurt and deck, a meeting space behind the yurt was widened and defined so that students can comfortably and safely sit at least 6 feet apart from each other on log round seats. Our Conservation Manager Tim Duclos also created six beautiful benches out of birch logs that had been felled nearby during one of this season’s Game of Logging trainings. Another project for the day was the extension of the VYCC trail (a fantastic little trail built by the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps in 2018, which heads into the woods just to the left of the Discovery Trail entrance and leads down to the yurt); if you wander down the VYCC trail this fall or winter, look for the new section of trail that begins after you intersect with the Discovery Trail.

The very next day we inaugurated our improved spaces with an enthusiastic crew of students in our first Wilderness Wednesday, taking the trail down to the base camp and circling up behind the yurt before sitting down on the log seats. Since the program’s beginning on September 23rd, we’ve had a great time learning, exploring, and documenting in the woods, at the farm, and at Page Pond.

Another area of opportunity during this school year has been the continued efforts to step into the utilization of Merck Forest’s “Satellite Campus” property behind the Mettawee Community School. Just before the first students returned to classes this fall, some of our staff spent time planning and clearing an access trail that would give teachers and their classes a timely, easy and exciting way to get from the school yard out onto the property for outdoor learning during the school day. With increased pressures on teachers and classrooms, our hope is that having a quick way to access a spacious natural learning environment will both relieve some of that pressure and be a gateway for more kids to spend more time outside.

This is a season that demands increased adaptability from all of us in many ways, which can be both exhausting and rewarding. It calls for creativity and cooperation, patience and compassion for ourselves and those around us. As the fall education season continues to evolve, our Program team is continually adjusting to do our best to understand and support the needs in our neighborhood. As we do this, we’re grateful to and inspired by OUR neighbors, near and far, who continue to engage and persevere in a myriad of creative, compassionate and cooperative efforts.

Visitor Center Update

by Stephanie Breed, Visitor Center

The Joy Green Visitor Center (VC) officially reopened on August 21st with much fanfare for all! Well…the fanfare was mostly on our end. We were excited to once again share our lovely little shop and greet our loyal hiking and nature enthusiasts. For 5 months, the VC was a quiet subdued office. A few of us were working limited hours, while many worked from home. Of course, farm life and chores continued as usual. Even Ellie the cat knew something was amiss. From mid-March through mid-August, we shipped close to 300 bottles of syrup all over the country. Members were calling to arrange curbside pickup for fresh eggs, lamb and pork.

On June 15th we began to open the cabins and shelters for overnight guests. As part of Merck Forest’s Covid-19 safety protocol, the 9 cabins and 3 shelter areas are rented Friday through Monday. During the week they are allowed to “air out” and a member of our team conducts periodic checks. Considering these restrictions, cabin rentals are on par during this same period as last year. People are anxious to get out of the house and into the woods. Certificate of Compliance forms, indicating self-quarantining measures, are required for those traveling from outside Vermont. As cabin reservations began to spike, we realized it best to open the VC Friday, Saturday, and Sundays from 10-5.

The weekend crowds have been impressive. Many are first time visitors who are interested in the history of Merck Forest and its mission. They are fascinated by the American Chestnut replantation area, are overwhelmed by the views, and are happy with their purchases. The Visitor Center sells frozen lamb, pork and blueberries. Our fresh eggs sell out very quickly. Additionally, we carry many VT products: soap, wooden ornaments, honey and pottery. The book selection offers nature guides, cookbooks, gardening, as well as activity and picture books for little ones. Merck-made products include birdhouses, woven ornaments, unique furniture and coat racks. We are not shy to announce the softest sheepskins, wooliest yarn, and the best maple syrup around!

On a personal note: my time at Merck while the VC was closed has been invaluable. I helped pull taps from the sugar maple trees, helped prune the blueberry and raspberry bushes, mulched the berry bushes with sheep wool, and pulled trailside invasive plants. I have dug out fire pits and cleaned outhouses. I convinced my sister to help herd sheep…I’m still laughing! Most impressive of all, I now know how to can syrup. I am so fortunate to be able to work with such a great group of professionals.

Come visit us, Friday Saturday and Sundays 10-5.

A Note from our new Recreation Technician

by Rachel Batz, Recreation Technician

No day at Merck Forest is the same. As a Recreation Manager, each week presents new tasks that can range from trail clearing to repairing cabins to outhouse demolition! This summer, we replaced four outhouses at cabins in need of new commodes: Ridge cabin, Clark’s Clearing cabin, the Barn cabins, and Dunc’s Place. Merck staff often help me to complete big projects, regardless of their job title. We are truly a collaborative team.

Oftentimes I work with volunteers to maintain all the recreational needs of Merck. Without our volunteer network, many tasks would take much longer or be impossible to complete. I teamed up with one local volunteer for over 30 hours to repair all the bridges on the beautiful Wildlife trail. The larch boards used for the bridges were sourced from trees in Merck Forest using sustainable forestry practices!

The best part of my job is spending all day in the glories of nature. I have the world’s best office: over 3,000 acres of ecological diversity in southern Vermont. Each day brings new challenges, expands my naturalist knowledge, and gives me the opportunity to learn new skills: like operating an excavator! I’ve spent three weekends exploring Merck during my days off! I’ve gathered berries, tent camped in the wilderness, and hiked up Antone Mountain to watch the sunrise.

Some jobs are less fun than others, like cleaning cabin chimneys to prevent dangerous fires, but everything we do services an important purpose. Merck Forest is a place of natural stewardship, ethical farming, sustainable forestry, biological diversity, and outdoor education. There is deep satisfaction in the work we do here. Whether I am building outhouses or repairing trails, each task is a vital part of Merck Forest. I hope to see you soon along one of the trails!

The Timber Frame Kiosk

by Dylan Durkee

There will soon be a new feature for you to enjoy as you approach the Visitor Center at Merck Forest: a Welcome Kiosk, built in a timber-frame style, with materials entirely sourced from timber harvested on the property. The kiosk is close to the parking lot and will introduce visitors to our various operations — farming, forestry, education and recreation — and will provide hiking and program information so that visitors start their Merck adventure off right.

The kiosk is interesting for a couple of reasons:

1. It uses timber frame construction. The kiosk is the fifth timber frame building on the property, joining the Harwood barn (was raised at Merck in the 1850’s), the Thoreau cabin (constructed three years ago by volunteers/students), the woodshed at Clark’s Clearing Cabin (built in 2019 by Merck staff) and the outhouse above the saphouse (built in 2018). We can anticipate that with proper maintenance, our new kiosk may outlive all of us who worked to put it together.

2. All the lumber used in its construction was harvested and milled at MFFC.

• Red oak, known for its strength, density and the ease with which it can be worked, were used for the posts and some of the knee braces.

• Maple was used for the king posts supporting the vertical load of the structure.

• Cherry was used for tie beams and knee braces at the ridge. These hold the structure together laterally.

• Larch was used for the top plates, tying the building together lengthwise.

• Apple (timber-sized trunk and branches — a lucky find from a large apple tree downed in a winter storm!) form many of the knee braces, which prevent the bent from racking, or twisting.

• Red and Eastern White Pine, Norway spruce, White (or Paper) Birch and Ash. These form the rafters, which are not structural, but which support the roof deck.

One of the techniques used in the construction of our kiosk is scribing the timbers to fit them together. This ancient technique, developed before standard measuring practices — or even literacy in the building trades — was widespread, involved laying out the structural members in relation to each other and cutting the joints individually. This technique produces the best fit, but the pieces are not interchangeable. Scribing was used to fit the graceful curved apple knees on our kiosk.

Scribing was eventually replaced as a layout technique by the invention and use of framing squares at the end of the eighteenth century, which provided builders with a tool to streamline and standardize their building practices.

The timber resources of the American wilderness provided enormous timbers which could be hewn into large beams; the framing square gave builders a tool to produce structural members with standard sizes. As a result, huge barns could be quickly built. Note the massive oak and cherry post and tie beams in our kiosk, which are squared-up using this technique.

Timber framing is a building technique with a long history in cultures around the world.

Note from Dylan:

Timber framing is a construction style which has always interested me, and I found a place to satisfy my curiosity at George Senerchia’s Northford Timber Framers organization. This firm does barn restoration and conducts classes in timber frame construction. I learned about European timber framing traditions and American innovations to the art, and in Connecticut I saw magnificent homes and barns that have stood since the early 1700s — some of them 300 years old! I knew that I wanted to be a part of the tradition.

One of the great things about working here is that in the course of our work, and based upon our interests and experience, we are able to dream and create new projects to enhance the Merck experience, and we can count on the support from our staff and community members. I hope that during your next visit to Merck, you seek me out on the farm so we could talk more about timber frame structures and why I love using this technique to create new projects.

By the way — thank you to volunteer Bob Meszaros, who put in many hours into helping finish this project. Thanks a lot, Bob!

Dylan Durkee

Thanks to your support, our resource managers have updated on-property practices to ensure that we are living by our values while our field educators have developed a suite of new events and workshops intended to showcase the organization’s land ethic and demonstrate how that ethic is exemplified through various projects around the farm and forest.

Many of these new programs - including ecological workshops, youth summer camp offerings, and spectacular citizen science opportunities, are in play. Now, the team is turning its focus to developing materials and educational waypoints that will facilitate more meaningful self-guided exploration within a mile of the Visitor Center. Simply put, the objective is to provide new and exciting answers to an essential question that we often hear from visitors: “What should I do while I’m here?”

With your continued support, we plan to enhance the educational experience that visitors have within one mile of the Visitor Center by:

• continuing our efforts (displayed on the opposite page) to highlight the natural communities and diversify accessible demonstration work in the nearby woods and on the farm

• developing new analog and digital resources to guide visitors through a series of reflection points on the landscape

• installing new interpretive waypoints that highlight interesting facts and encourage visitors to reflect on topics ranging from watershed health to carbon storage

• creating an “ecologist-for-a-day” program that will provide visitors with tools and information to get out onto the land and contribute to our citizen science driven effort to catalogue the many species that call Merck Forest home

• enhancing the area around the Visitor Center to improve visitor orientation and provide better spaces to learn, relax, and enjoy the splendor of these woods

Help us meet this goal! We welcome contributions to help underwrite this project. For more information, contact the Advancement Office at liz@merckforest.org or at 802-394-2579.

We’ve been putting a lot of thought into what it truly means to “inspire curiosity, love, and responsibility for natural and working lands.”

Anthill: A Novel

by Chris Hubbard, Education Director

I’m always looking for a good book to read, and recently Liz handed me one she recommended: Anthill: A Novel by E. O. Wilson. An American biologist, naturalist and myrmecologist (ant specialist), Wilson’s debut work of fiction was published in 2010. After my delving into a number of non-fiction works, a novel was a welcome change, and I soon found the book echoing our mission statement, of promoting curiosity, love, and responsibility towards natural and working lands.

Set in fictional Nokobee County, Alabama, E. O. Wilson reimagines his younger self in Raphael Semmes Cody, or “Raff.” Raff spends time with his family, and then on his own, exploring the Nokobee Tract, an ancient and biologically rich longleaf pine savanna that remains close to its original state, untainted by man. His childhood curiosity leads him to investigate the creatures, large and small that inhabit the land. That curiosity turns into love of the land he intimately comes to know, as we watch Raff grow from a young boy to a young man heading off to college. That love turns to responsibility has he, at the urging of his uncle, heads to law school, with his eye at protecting his beloved Nokobee Tract.

Wilson weaves three parallel worlds that exist in the same time and place, as we read Raff’s senior thesis, “The Anthill Chronicles,” a view into the lives of ants from the ants’ point of view. He writes of the human world that Raff inhabits, from family dynamics and history to the conflicting views of if and how land should be or should not be developed. Finally, he explores the overarching biosphere we must all live in, and how our actions can imperil the fragile ecosystems we are so dependent on.

I think you’ll enjoy the read. Settle into a comfortable chair and come along through its twists and turns, through the edge-of-your-seat scenes, and through the rise and fall of empires. You won’t be disappointed.

QueenSpotting: Meet the Remarkable Queen Bee and Discover the Drama at the Heart of the Hive.

Review by Stephanie Breed, Visitor Center

At 127 pages, QueenSpotting by Hilary Kearney is a compact little book that explains the social structure inside a honeybee colony. Worker bees (the females) have many jobs in and outside the hive. They are housekeepers and babysitters, food handlers and comb makers. As they age they become field bees - collecting nectar, pollen, water and tree sap. Drones (the males) are important for their ability to mate mid-flight with queen bees. Despite their short lifespan, they are helpful in regulating the temperature of the hive. The queen is the largest bee in the colony. She can live up to 5 years and lay 1 million eggs in her lifetime. Queens come in a myriad of colors: red, blond, black or tiger striped. The practice of identifying the queen is invaluable for the beekeeper when dividing the hive, requeening or containing a swarm

Throughout the book are close up photographs of honey bees at work. The challenge is to find the queen, a “Where’s Waldo” type of game. The queen becomes harder to find in the 48 images. The author gives clues by explaining hive behavior and providing anecdotal accounts of queen bees she has had to locate in the field.

This book is tailored toward the backyard bee keeper, or for those who would like to know more about honey bee hive activity. Young readers could be startled about frank bee defense and mating mechanisms. They will enjoy the challenge of finding the elusive Queen Bee. Available at the Visitor Center.

Live and (and virtual) events at Merck Forest October, 2020 - February, 2021

After suspending public programming early this spring due to COVID-19, we were able to open up our outdoor activities with protocols in place to help keep our staff and visitors safe. We’ve had a successful season as a result. Looking to this upcoming winter season, we will continue offering outdoor programming. However, programming that takes place inside, such as our annual Wreath Workshops, will be put on hold until 2021. Thank you for your understanding.

Fall/Early Winter Programs

Thank goodness we have a great big out-of-doors at Merck Forest & Farmland Center – with reasonable safeguards in place, we can still offer our signature Second Saturday Hikes and other outside-oriented programs. Go to www.merckforest.org/events for complete details and to register.

Second Saturday Hikes

October 10, November 14, December 12, January 9. 2 pm - 4 pm. Fee: $5pp.

A hike (or snowshoe trek) in the woods, with a knowledgeable guide to point out special features of the terrain and habitat. Fabulous!

Wilderness Wednesdays

October 21 and 28, November 4 and 11, 9am to 3pm. Tuition: $200pp.

Space is still available in the second session of Wilderness Wednesdays, our program for the exploration of the natural world for students in grades 4 - 6. Youngsters will explore the Merck Forest landscape and document their journey through drawing and nature journaling.

Moon Hikes

January 9, and February 13, Fee: $5pp.

A moderate hike (or snowshoe, depending on snow cover). Bring a headlamp, as we are moving into a new moon, and trails may be dark. Participants must be dressed for the cold, with proper footwear, and bring a headlamp or flashlight. Water and snacks are recommended.

Tracking Workshop

January 23, 10am – noon, Fee: $5pp.

We’ll hike out into the snowfields and woods in search of … whatever has come before! Participants must have appropriate footgear, water and snacks.

Owl Presentation and Hike

February 27, 4pm to 6pm. Fee: $5pp.

Due to current (and anticipated) circumstances with respect to indoor gatherings, we’re going to change this popular program by making a digital presentation about the regional owl population that will be made available for registered participants prior to the hike.

On the night of the Owl Hike, participants will be heading out in small groups to try and locate some of our local resident owls. Dress warmly, with layers, proper footwear and a flashlight and/or headlamp.

Taking the Owl Presentation digital is an example of the kind of adjustment that we have made over the past six months to keep our programming relevant, and our connection to our members vital.

We hope that you have enjoyed recent changes to our website, with video offerings for Meet the Lambs, the Harvest Fest, and Nearby Nature. We have also installed on the website links to two very special software applications: iNaturalist and Avenza.

iNaturalist enables you to record and identify animal and plant specimens found at Merck Forest. Hundreds of species have been identified to date!

Avenza works with a digitally-indexed map of the Merck Forest property: download the map and Avenza’s free software application to your smartphone, and use them to navigate the property in real time. Your location will show up on the map as a little dot moving through the landscape. Most excellent!

Check out our homepage at merckforest.org for details about the process of using technology to keep connected while maintaining your distance, or to enhance your visit to Merck Forest.

M cr o Merck

Below are some pictures of things that you can find at Merck Forest this time of year. Can you identify what is in each of the pictures? Look for the answer key at the bottom of the page.

Answer Key:

A. Aspen Leaf B. Wild Grape Vine C. Sunflower D. Turkeytail mushrooms E. Yellow Garden Spider

F. Lichen G. Moth cocoon H. Monarch butterfly

Roasted Maple-Sage-Bacon Squash

thanks to Cara Davenport for sourcing this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 winter squash (Could be butternut, acorn, pumpkin, or any other winter squash variety)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion, sliced

3-4 slices of bacon

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried

1-2 tablespoons ghee or butter, melted

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 clove of garlic

Directions:

1. Peel, cut, scoop out seeds, and dice squash into about ½ inch to 1 inch cubes or chunks. Toss in olive oil to coat and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, removing from oven about 15 minutes into the roasting time to flip the cubes so that they can caramelize on multiple sides. Return to oven and continue roasting until cubes are browned and cooked through. Remove from oven and place squash in a casserole dish or cast iron skillet to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

2. While the squash is roasting, cook the bacon slices in a pan until cooked through. Set on a paper towel on a plate to allow them to drain and cool slightly.

3. Pour out excess bacon grease from the pan, and use the remaining grease that lines the pan to cook the sliced red onion for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat, until caramelized slightly. Add minced garlic clove (if desired) and cook for another minute or two. Remove from the pan and place in the dish with the roasted squash.

4. Chop the cooked bacon into pieces and add it to the casserole dish or skillet.

5. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the maple syrup and chopped sage, mixing with a whisk to incorporate everything. Pour the liquid over the vegetables and bacon in the casserole dish, mixing to cover everything thoroughly.

6. Place casserole dish in oven for another 10-15 minutes. Remove and serve!

From The Advancement Office

As much as I love summer, I adore autumn. Colorful, crisp, cool, changing- all words that come to mind. This entire year has felt especially convergent and full of challenges and opportunities. Ever mindful of balancing and meeting needs for the institution while being respectful of how Covid has created uncertainty for so many, the Advancement Office has developed synergies within our local food community and economy through the work of Northshire Grown: Direct and through network building and community action on behalf of those in our region who are less fortunate. Filling in some of those missing gaps for folks has been joyful, invigorating work. We have also been able to forge emergent partnerships with statewide environmental and community placemaking specialists and with regenerative agriculture based higher education leaders, both of whom value Merck Forest’s vital role and reach in the region.

I count myself as very lucky to live and work in Vermont, which has stayed remarkably safe, healthy and virusfree this year. Merck Forest has been an oasis of sorts. Throughout the pandemic, outdoor recreation has remained at the top of the list of preferred, safe social and physical activities, and while our programming has been limited, our visitor demand for walking, hiking, exploring and now camping and cabin dwelling has not! Thanks to your support, we are able to keep Merck Forest’s nearly 3,200 acres well maintained and its access free to all year-round.

With October comes the 4th quarter of MFFC’s financial year - a time when we focus on our Annual Giving program. Look for correspondence from us later this month. We are excited to share our accomplishments for 2020 ( there were many!) and our goals for 2021 (there are many!). We count on your enduring support and appreciate your partnership as we inspire curiosity, love and responsibility for natural and working lands. Though 2020 hasn’t felt like a celebratory one, we take great pride in honoring 70 years of continuous operations for Vermont’s first environmental focused non-profit, in the work we develop and offer here and in how we deliver iit.

I send my best,

Liz Ruffa, Director, Institutional Advancement

Wreath Making

While we will not be offering our wreath-making workshops this year, we will be offering a limited number of Merck-made wreaths for sale on a preorder basis. Be on the lookout for “Merck-Made Holidays” details from us soon!

Northshire Grown: Direct

Merck Forest has quietly led a powerful local food project, Northshire Grown: Direct since April, when Covid blanketed the region. Designed to help area farms and food businesses recoup lost revenues due to the pandemic (institutional and direct farm stand sales), a stellar and committed group of food system advocates and volunteers have amassed 40+ businesses and well over 400 customers. who have collectively recycled more than $125,000 into the local food economy via more than 1800 boxes/orders of bundled food items. The supply and demand collaboration has also created a “mutual aid” lever, as 400 of those boxes have been paid for through customer donations and distributed to community members in need of extra nourishment.

NG:D just held its 14th market - two more are scheduled in October and planning is under way for the Holidays and 2021. Merck Forest’s incubation of this project highlights its enduring commitment to productive working lands, a core value of the Vermont Farm and Forest Foundation (now Merck Forest and Farmland Center) when it was founded in 1950. No farms, no food!

Membership at MFFC has never mattered more!

Our members help keep the gate open, the trails clear and our animals cared for. Memberships at Merck Forest provide the essential “glue” that allows us to operate safely and effectively. Thank you for your support! Help us grow our membership base by sharing your enthusiasm for the institution with others. Ideas? Contact liz@merckforest.org