2023 Fall Ridgeline

Fall 2023

Celebrating 73 years of connecting people to the land

MFFC BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jill Perry Balzano Merrill Bent Dinah Buechner-Vischer Jim Hand Peter Hicks Greg Hopper, Treasurer Karen Kellogg Mark Lourie John Stasny, Vice President & Secretary Sue Van Hook, President Brian Vargo ADVISORS Donald Campbell Jean Ceglowski Austin Chinn Michael Fernandez George Hatch Jock Irons Jon Mathewson Sam Schneski STAFF Darla Belevich, VC Coordinator Stephanie Breed, VC Coordinator Cara Davenport, Education Manager Dylan Durkee, Fleet & Facilities Manager Chris Ferris-Hubbard, Education Specialist Marybeth Leu, Business & Systems Manager Amy Pim-Capman, Advancement Coordinator Liz Ruffa, Advancement Director GRAPHIC & PHOTO CREDITS: Campbell Family Archive: p. 4, 5 • Cara Davenport: p. 6, 8, 9, 11, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and back cover • Dylan Durkee: p. 27 • Vickie Gaither: p. 19 Amy Pim-Capman: p. 7, 22•Liz Ruffa: p. 19, • Elena Santos: p. 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 27, 28 • John Schneble: p 8, 9, 16, 17, 20, 21, • Hadley Stock: front cover and p.8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 24 • Mike Stock: p. 25, 27 Content: MFFC Advancement Office • Magazine layout: Peppergrass Design Studio

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Elena Santos, Education Coordinator John Schneble, Education Director Hadley Stock, Farm Manager Mike Stock, Resource Management Coordinator Rob Terry, Executive Director

Director’s Note: Fall 2023

By Rob Terry, Executive Director

As the temps begin to dip and the stressed trees show a little early color, the general mood up on the mountain is a combination of equal parts gratitude and shock. During the field season, every week, just about every day, and sometimes every minute is chock-full—the only way we know it’s all possible is that it somehow gets done. In reality, we can only do it thanks to the incredibly talented and dedicated staff who are here every day giving this amazing place their absolute all. It’s a labor of love that even the wettest summer can’t dampen.

It is a labor fueled by beautiful vistas, sunsets and smiles, and measured in ecological benefit and visitor experience. On difficult days, we are buoyed by the vision of a world made better by our work—not solely on the hill, but beyond in places where our campers, students, interns, and participants are inspired by the joy and wonder that they experienced here; places where they dig in and begin their own work to help ensure a future in which places like Merck Forest stay vibrant for us and for all of the species with whom we share this precious blue and green orb. It is our sincere hope that our work inspires even a fraction of the love and commitment that we feel for the land. In the following pages, we reflect on our work, the fantastic field season that is drawing to a close, and why we feel it matters. Thank you for being a part of our community, for sharing our commitment to the land, and for helping us continue to explore new and more meaningful ways to engage more and more people in this critical work.

See you on the mountain!

Message from the Board President

By Sue Van Hook, Board President

I love picking blueberries at the pass on the farm. I wear a fanny pack with my container so both my hands are free to hold up branches as I pluck handfuls of ripe berries. There is almost always a lovely breeze. I listen to birds twitter as they sneak among the bushes darting off with a berry or two. I delight the antics of the resident ravens training their young. What I cherish most are the conversations between the rows as parents guide children to pick only the dark blue berries, or new couples explore topics of common interest, or grandmothers sit on the ground with toddlers in their laps to glean the lowest branches. On my second visit to the blueberry patch this summer, I was adopted by a brother and sister, visiting from Slovenia. All it took was a few smiles back and forth to gain their trust and soon they were picking with me from the same bush. We continued down one row as I asked them questions about their home, school, and interests. I shared some of my favorite stories about the farm and forest. Mom and Dad, preoccupied with news events of the week, clearly trusted the situation as well.

I spoke with everyone who came to the blueberry patch while I was there that day – a group of friends from around the country in the area for a wedding, all first-time visitors to the land, all of them enjoying the clean air and long vistas. It doesn’t take much really to feel good about everything – some deep breaths, lots of greenery, animals grazing, sweet berries and forging connections to people and this place. We count on you to visit, reconnect and lend your support to keep MFFC a place where anyone can thrive.

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In Memoriam

by Don Campbell

Duncan Argyll Campbell 9/21/1926 - 5/6/2023 On a spring day in 1972, Duncan Campbell took his son to a quiet corner of Rupert to show him Merck Forest. He was poised to accept a job as Merck Forest’s first full-time Executive Director and his excitement about the place was contagious. The station wagon ground along the dirt driveway for a couple hundred feet before its front wheels bottomed out entirely. Undaunted and knowing nobody else would be using the road, he abandoned the car and the pair hiked up Lookout Point to camp. The next day, after having had the forest entirely to themselves, Vernon Beebe and his tractor dragged the station wagon to solid ground and the two Campbells trundled home.

Duncan took an indirect vocational path to Merck Forest but one with many of the same footholds as other early conservationists. He grew up driving work horses on a family farm in the summers, learning a trove of soon-to-be bygone skills in the waning days of animal-powered agriculture. After a stint in the USMC during WWII, he worked as an engineer in high-speed photography and electronics. Anytime he could get free, he was outdoors duck hunting, fishing, and downhill skiing. After office work lost its allure, Duncan veered off happily into teaching. Eventually he combined his photography and environmental passions and, for several lean years, he created slideshows with music and educational narration for VNRC, Audubon, and the Conservation Society of Southern Vermont. As the “environmental movement” got its legs, Duncan brought his passion for education, the environment, photography, and farming to Merck Forest.

The years Duncan spent at MFFC (1972 to 1987) were some of his best in an otherwise great life. Cabins and trails were built; educational programs were developed; summer camps, Student Conservation Association partnerships and numerous college

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winter study programs popped up; horses, sheep, and pigs arrived; a large sugarbush and Christmas tree operation evolved; and a steady stream of young, dedicated apprentices and staff honed their skills and environmental ethics. The early days of Don Laurie and Duncan rattling around an empty farm were long gone – Merck had become a living entity, full of activity, enjoyment, and education. That Merck lives on today, connecting people to working lands and the natural world.

Duncan died on May 6th, 2023, at home in Bennington in the company of his wife and children. At 96 years old, his life spanned tremendous societal change – not all of it positive – but now often hundreds of people a day use Merck Forest and not a single visitor bottoms out in the driveway. That change he loved.

Donald Campbell is the Southwest Project Director for Vermont Land Trust and is on the Advisory Board of MFFC. Dunc’s Place, a re-purposed sugar shack that now can be rented as a cabin (sleeps 15), was dedicated to honor Duncan’s visionary service to MFFC.

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What do this fall at Merck Forest Compiled by Elena Santos, Education Coordinator

• Look for a four leaf clover in the grass around the VC. • Find every color of the rainbow in the flowers growing in the Children’s Garden.

• Take a look at our meat turkeys.

• Take a walk over the newly rebuilt Wildlife Trail bridge.

• Stay informed on hunting season dates and wear hunter orange while you’re out on the trails.

• Collect colorful leaves and flowers to create a mandala on the meadow ground or forest floor.

• Watch and listen for Canada geese or raptors heading south.

• Have a picnic at one of the new stump circles around the VC and the farm.

• Listen to the squirrels and chipmunks scurry around as they build up their supply of acorns.

• Bring your (leashed) dog up through the farmstead and then let them run free on MFFC’s 30 miles of trails. Don’t forget: Merck Forest is carry in, carry out.

Do not leave dog waste bags on the trails.

• Browse our Merck Forest wool items for sale in the Visitor Center (gloves, hats, yarn, sheep skins).

• Go on a themed hike: visit every pond, visit every cabin, or hike to every view point.

• Count how many different mushrooms you find during your visit.

• Pick a peaceful spot to sit for a mindful meditation. What forest creatures will come out of hiding if you sit still for long enough?

• Try the various herbs in our Children’s Garden one last time before it’s put to bed.

• Pick and eat an apple from one of our heritage breed apple trees, located near the Frank Hatch Sap House.

• Come up to the fields at the farm to wish the Monarch butterflies well before they depart on their journey south.

• Visit our sheep, with their thick wool coats, ready for the winter.

• Hike one of our many trails as the leaves fall around you.

• Sit by a campfire on a brisk autumn evening.

• Capture the fall colors through art – photography, drawing, or painting.

• Stay in one of our rustic cabins to read, write, reflect and play cards.

• As dusk approaches, listen for the owls hooting at one another.

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Fun at MFFC!

Summer 2023

Explore-A-Thon, Open Farm Week, Harvest Fest, summer camp and service learning!

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Igniting a Green Fire

by Rob Terry, Executive Director

In the spring of 1944, at 57 years old, Aldo Leopold sat down at his desk in ‘the shack,’ a rebuilt chicken coop on the Wisconsin farm that he rehabilitated with his family, and penned what would become one of the most influential passages in his seminal work A Sand County Almanac. The essay, “Thinking Like a Mountain,” served as something of an origin story for Leopoldo’s groundbreaking career in wildlife management. In it, he recalled an experience that served as an inspiration for his Land Ethic, in which he states: ‘A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the natural community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” While it is widely understood that a variety of indigenous populations throughout history have taken a more symbiotic approach to their relationship with the natural world, modern western culture pre-Leopold showed little of this type of thinking. Within his cultural context, Leopold is generally considered the first ethicist to extend the concept of community to include non-human living things.

The catalyzing moment Leopold describes in the essay occurred as he watched the ‘green fire’ die in the eyes of a wolf that he shot at the tender age of 22. At the time, predator extirpation was commonplace. The assumption being that, as Leopold put it “if fewer wolves meant more deer, then no wolves meant hunters’ paradise.” Through his work over the intervening 35 years, Leopoldo’s perspective on the matter evolved to the point where he recognized that “just as a deer herd lives in mortal fear of its wolves, so does a mountain live in mortal fear of its deer.” He had seen that, once the wolves are gone from an ecosystem, the deer do flourish. However, their numbers grow precipitously, to the point where their habitat cannot sustain them and they then devastate the landscape by overbrowsing, with devastating impact.

“Cease being intimidated by the argument that a right action is impossible because it does not yield maximum profits, or that a wrong action is to be condoned because it pays.”

- Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac It is not unusual for people to look to the natural world and see what they perceive as balance, even harmony. Ecologists however, tend to view things differently—a world of limits and carrying capacities in which organisms eke out a niche, often in direct competition for limited resources. Nature exists in a constant state of change; as a thoroughly intertwined part of the natural world, humans invariably wield significant influence. When ill-informed, that influence, no matter how wellintentioned, can have disastrous implications in part because of the outsized and unprecedented scope of human impact.

Such was the case with the systematic elimination of top-chain predators in various ecosystems throughout the United States.

For as long as there are people at scale on planet Earth, humans will irrevocably shape the landscape. There are a host of valiant efforts afoot to limit and moderate that impact. The ‘Leave no Trace’ movement encourages people to limit the damage done while traveling through fragile natural environments that predominantly serve as habitat for non-human species. ‘Thirty-by-Thirty,’ initiated by a relatively recent executive order, mandates that thirty percent of the US’s land and near-ocean resources be set aside as habitat, protected from human development or extractive practices by 2030. In addition, myriad legal structures from 1964’s Wilderness Act to small parcel conservation easements strive to protect land from overuse. In recent years, human-kind has seen clearly that, while each of these efforts is essential, it is not enough to simply set aside untrodden spaces.

Human impact exceeds human range. A clear example of this can be seen in the pervasive presence of micro plastics from groundwater to the ocean’s deepest trenches. While significant, this concern pales in comparison to increasing global temperatures accelerated by the burning of fossil fuels and the resultant build-up of atmospheric carbon. Unfortunately, these farreaching impacts negate the popular bumper sticker adage “American Wilderness: if you love it, leave it alone.” At this point, due to the scope of human influence, it is impossible for anything left alone to remain unimpacted.

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There is, however, hope. Aldo Leopold fundamentally reshaped the way federal and state agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations around the globe, manage wildlife. Now others can, and in fact must, step up and use their outsized influence to mitigate significant ecological threats while increasing resilience to unavoidable change by implementing effective adaptive strategies.

Simple, right?

Simple, no. Solvable, yes. When Leopold pulled the trigger in back in 1922, it is safe to assume that he did not realize that his decision would set in motion a series of events that would end with him fundamentally reshaping wildlife management and cementing his position as one of the founders of the American environmental movement—a role through which he would inspire countless people to take up the mantle and dedicate their lives to the protection of the natural world.

Just as the environmental degradation resulting from overbrowsing threatened to lead to ecological collapse if left unchecked, so too do today’s challenges put the long-term liveability of the planet at risk. More than ever, the Earth, and all its inhabitants, need creative problem solvers committed to wielding their outsized influence for the benefit of all. Commitment such as this requires sustained energy over time. This type of energy comes not from a job, not even a career, but instead from a calling. Dedication like this is grounded in the kind of passion and conviction that is often born of intense and deeply evocative experiences - experiences whose value may not be fully realized until years, even decades, have gone by.

Setting the stage for, and encouraging, these experiences is critical work. Solutions to modern ecological problems will be sustained and scaled by children whose passion is being ignited now as they catch frogs in Paige Pond for the first time, watch the birth of a lamb in the Saphouse Pasture, spend a night solo in the untracked woods beyond Ridge Cabin, watch a raptor hunt for rodents on the edge of the Sugarbush, or admire the view of a distant storm after topping out on the summit of Mt. Antone. The work of facilitating these experiences can’t be undersold.

Schools, organizations, families, communities, teachers, leaders, neighbors and more must recognize the value of these “green fire moments” and strive to maximize opportunities for children to experience them. Simply put, the future depends on it.

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Book Review: Sand County Almanac

by Chris Hubbard, Education Specialist

A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There

by Aldo Leopold (1949), Oxford University Press.

“A land ethic is the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of our land. Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity.”

Aldo Leopold’s opus is widely regarded as a prescient classic about land conservation, use and ethics. Leopold takes the reader through a month-by-month journey over a year of changes in ecology near his farm in Wisconsin, as well as travels through different parts of the country and world.

Details that Leopold described 75 years ago can still be observed, season by season, here at Merck Forest as well as in nature generally. A large tree, felled by the wind and bucked up, as the chainsaw sliced back through time and with growth rings now exposed, now allows for foot traffic along MFFC’s Farm Trail. Early morning risings in the dark and stillness are broken first by one, then by a chorus of bird song. Many of Leopold’s natural observations are, fortunately, still observable today, if one takes the time to look and listen.

“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac and the land ethic he put forth continue to be as relevant today as when first written, as we face an ever-growing host of serious environmental problems: invasive species, forest defragmentation, the loss of wildlife habitat and the extinction of species, pollution, and climate change, to name a few. Just as Leopold writes about some of the ecological challenges being faced, he also touches on the thinking of today as efforts to restore land and preserve our wildlands continue and as we look to the environment as a whole, from the microscopic organisms that live in the soil to the apex predators that are so rarely seen.

Through science, history, humor, and prose, Leopold uses A Sand County Almanac and its call for a land ethic to communicate the true connection between people and the natural world.

His hope: that readers will begin to treat the land with the love and respect it deserves. Since its publication in 1949, A Sand County Almanac has been translated into 15 languages and more than two million copies have been printed.

Merck Forest’s mission to “inspire curiosity, love, and responsibility toward natural and working lands” is deeply and genuinely reflected in Leopold’s environmental opus. It is well worth a read and is available in the Friends of the Forest Gift Shop at MFFC.

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Lighting Little Green Fires How does MFFC create “green fire” opportunities for visitors? Merck Forest offers all kinds of ways to create threads of experiences and memories for people who come here - offering the sense that we all matter and that this place matters.

Sharing in real time about the monarch butterfly life cycle in the Visitor Center.

Check out monarchwatch.org to track their routes!

Some moments are big and some are small, but the crux of our work here is creating memories and opportunities to learn and grow.

Creating a space for little ones to spend concentrated time outdoors - to have fun, to be creative and to get messy! The bond with nature that is created when young will stay with these children for their whole lives.

Hosting groups of students and immersing them in the land and its rhythms.

Championing the climate friendly, positive impacts that our regional farmers and food producers have. Helping to show how important community supported agriculture is.

Providing interpretive information for people to absorb when they hike the trails here.

Working to allow better access to the adjacent property that MFFC manages for the students at the Mettawee Community School.

Allowing visitors to help feed and care for our farm animals alongside our farm crew.

Offering experiences that make visitors understand how much they matter.

At the broadest level, we provide access to a landscape that, due to its beauty and ecological health, naturally inspires ‘green fire moments’ in visitors. Because many of us live a daily life that is not in direct connection with nature in a deep and immediate way, we are always on the lookout for ways to reconnect our visitors with the land so that they can experience joy, wonder, and awe—the type of emotions that resonate over time and often inspire. That said, it is important to recognize that ‘green fire moments’ don’t always have to be extraordinary. Sometimes, when we’re truly present and open to the natural world around us, a falling leaf or a fluttering butterfly may be all it takes to inspire a deep emotional connection to the world around us.

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Lighting Little Green Fires The team at Merck Forest creates opportunities for everyone who spends time here to cultivate an openness to moments of clarity and discovery through nature.

When asked which “little green fires” generated by the natural world have resonated in their own lives, our team reflected:

Moments full of hope and inspiration balance the heavy, sometimes scary moments we all encounter.

My lifelong affinity with nature is constantly nurtured at Merck Forest.

I found my voice after experiencing discomfort while hunting as a kid.

My volunteerism is all directed toward the environment.

Spending time with teachers and adults who noticed details, who observed the world around them, who made me feel like the natural world deserved my attention and care and appreciation helped to shape my land ethic.

Knowing that I am a member of a species with the capacity to fundamentally alter, perhaps even derail, the delicate balance of life on this planet - that is my fire.

The natural world never ceases to amaze me, whether seeing meteorites streaking across the night sky, seeing the sun set over the Adirondacks as I am leaving Merck Forest, watching water bead up on a big-toothed aspen leaf, or contemplating the Fibonacci spirals found in pinecones, sunflowers, and sea shells. The marvels of the natural world makes me want to share it all, to instill that sense of wonder in others.

Expanding visitor’s experiences beyond just the natural beauty of our land here - by sharing the ways we care for our animals and creating their “best days” while they are with us.

Becoming a mother and wanting to nourish my children as well as possible led me to becoming a farmer.

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Allowing people of all ages to connect with nature, connect with each other, and hopefully feel a true sense of love and responsibility for the places and ecosystems we all live in, wherever that may be, is a cause I choose to champion

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Lighting Little Green Fires

It was such a delight to see our granddaughter fall in love with being outside and nature, thanks to her immersive week at summer camp at Merck Forest. A city girl was transformed during the course of her time spent exploring the outdoors and being encouraged to be curious. Thank you Merck Forest!

-Grandparents of a Summer Camp Camper One of the great things about “camping with the kids in camp” was that we got the chance to integrate a lot more deeply with the whole Merck Forest community. When you just camp, generally there’s just a little bit of contact with the Merck Forest staff; you see people on the way in and the way out. But with the kids in camp we got to know everyone really well, and felt like a temporary part of the Merck Forest family.

-Father of a Summer Camp Camper

The Kits and Cubs program at Merck Forest is the highlight of our week for my now 9 month old, 4 year old and myself!

Spending the time outdoors together with other young nature enthusiasts is our favorite part. Observing the genuine awe in my children’s eyes each week as they discover the magic of the simplest things never gets old. Our 4 year old loves to share his newly gained knowledge each week with his friends and family by exclaiming things like “did you know mushrooms have roots that go for miles?” Or “look out! I see a couple of cumulus nimbuses headed our way!” Or “I see lots of pollinators out there today- those monarchs are very happy with all of the flowers!” Our days at Merck not only enrich our dinner conversations, but truly our lives here in this beautiful state of Vermont and phase of life. We are forever grateful to Ms. Elena and the entire team at Merck!

-Parent of a Kits and Cubs participant

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It’s so nice to learn in nature at Merck Forest. It’s easier to focus when you can hear birds and wind. It helps me to be better at what I’m doing and learning.

I love the water and river spots, I hear the water and that makes me more relaxed and it makes it easier to learn.

We have hiked, camped, visited animals, eaten pancakes, tasted syrup - all at Merck Forest. It’s such a magical place - with some of the most spectacular views in our region. It’s the perfect place to disconnect, so you can actually connect!

-Area family who have been a longtime member and supporters of Merck Forest

I believe things happen for a reason and my visit to Merck Forest & Farmland Center was fate! The time you spent explaining to me the history and love of the Merck Forest was amazing! Walking through the farm you feel inspired, happy, and centered to earth; all feelings I need right now! Please tell the donors, volunteers and staff that the center is fulfilling its purpose.

-MFFC Visitor Being at Merck Forest and Farmland Center was nothing short of a magical experience. From the moment I arrived, I felt captivated by a serenity so magnetic that I could not bear to leave when it was time. The land is a mosaic of green tones and so rich in nature that being there leaves you mesmerized. Merck Forest is an oasis rich in beauty that embraces you with a peace that feels surreal. I am grateful to have had a taste of that.

-Former MFFC Intern

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As a mission-driven nonprofit corporation, Merck Forest & Farmland Center relies on financial support to connect people to the land in rich and meaningful ways. We strive to keep founder George W. Merck’s guiding principles of free access to outdoor recreation for all and of collaboration and learning to advance environmental stewardship alive, vibrant and forward facing.

With the arrival of this fall season, so too comes our Annual Fund’s fall campaign. MFFC’s Annual Fund, our largest fundraising effort each year, provides the institution with the critical financial resources necessary to do our work and meet our mission.

Thank you for your support as we engage in this critical work.

What makes MFFC special?

MFFC is free and open to the public 365 days a year from dawn until dusk - just as George Merck intended when he first established the Vermont Forest and Farmland Foundation Inc. in 1950 - the first environmentally focused nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Vermont.

There is no better place to learn about the diversity of the forest and its lifeforms, hill farm life and history, regenerative agriculture, carbon sequestration possibilities and the beauty in seasonal landscapes.

The experiences that MFFC provides - be it hiking, camping, hunting, skiing, etc. - plus the educational function about sustainable farming, forest health, wildlife habitats and ecosystems is very unique and not available anywhere else.

Why MFFC deserves your support: MFFC reverses peoples’ disconnection from nature by making connections to the land through our open gates and educational programming. Our welcoming environment inspires all who visit and our team works hard to encourage curiosity and a safe setting for people to explore and deepen their knowledge about natural and working lands.

The MFFC team provides a continually better experience for all who come to enjoy the Merck landscape and its programs and offerings. That takes communication and outreach. Our network is growing and we appreciate opportunities to spread our message to others.

Merck Forest is unlike any place: it’s an amazing resource for visitors of all ages in and out of the community. To be able to immerse oneself in nature is a gift that Merck Forest provides to visitors every single day. The team here gets excited when visitors return and deepen their relationship with the property and the institution. Your support helps make that authentic connection happen.

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Ways you can support Merck Forest: • Donate to MFFC’s Annual Fund, which supports annual operations. Look for our fall campaign materials online or in your mailbox later this month.

• Become a Member of MFFC! Members help keep the property well maintained and free to all, 365 days a year. Memberships are also a great way to introduce someone to MFFC. Gift one!

• Consider a Planned/Legacy Gift. Contact us for more information.

• Does your workplace have a matching gift program? If so, access it!

• Consider becoming a sustaining/monthly donor. Contact us for info.

• Attend workshops, trainings and special/signature events!

• Volunteers are invaluable to nonprofit organizations - gift your time!

• Purchase Merck-Made products - meats, eggs, syrup - at the Visitor Center • Connect with the Advancement Office if you have ideas/questions.

We appreciate your donation to Merck Forest and Farmland.

Scan today!

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The Diversity that Merck Offers

By John Schneble, Education Director

As the newest member of the MFFC crew, and only three months into my new position as Education Director, I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in a myriad of jobs. The variety that I have experienced in my work is representative of what visitors to MFFC can experience, whether they are campers, school groups, or casual visitors to our diverse lands. What a joy to see MFFC with a lens to the educational opportunities that are available.

Foremost in my initial work was jumping into the summer camp activities when the opportunity arose. I was lucky to hear the joy of camper voices sharing in “Wow and Wonder” circles at the close of each day. I still find myself searching for kindness rocks that campers crafted and hid with others in mind. I flew kites, searched for invertebrates, learned how to press cider, carded wool, built terrariums and the list could go on. The campers left each day with smiles on their faces, tired legs, and a deeper understanding of the natural world and all that it has to offer. Camp was awesome! I was also fortunate enough to spend some time with Kit’s and Cubs and see the wonder of the world through the eyes of the youngest population we serve.

At the same time, I was also being introduced to the workings of the farm.

I helped frame windows and install siding on the new shop. I learned to process chickens for the first time, and I helped build a bridge with the SCA crew and Mike. I was introduced to Farm Chores and learned quickly that hungry pigs will nibble on your boots. Pigs are always hungry and my shoe laces reflect that! I look forward to seeing the wonder emerge from visitors as they appreciate and learn about farm animals while visiting our land.

Growing to know my way around the vast forest of MFFC has also been important. My first tour of the forestland was the day after the record rainfall that wreaked havoc on much of Vermont in early July. I marveled at the quantity of water gushing down the mountain while standing on the edge of streams, but Rob and I were able to conclude that the roads and trails survived the storm. Our drive allowed me to think about experiences that abound while staying overnight at our cabins or day hiking up Mt. Antone.

It was on this trip that the enormity and scope of what happens daily at Merck left me wondering, “How does all the work here get done?” As the summer ended, and Merck transitioned from summer camps to student group visits, I began to find the answer to my question. Whether it was college students staying many nights or high-school students visiting for a day, service work was a component of the visit. I had the opportunity to watch groups work with the talented and knowledgeable combination of Mike and Hadley as they demolished an impressive list of projects over the course of weeks.

As I work toward framing educational experiences for visitors of all ages, these past two months have made me grateful for the diversity of experiences that Merck has to offer visitors who drive up our road.

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Next Generation Science Standard Update

By Cara Davenport, Education Manager

Merck Forest 5th grade NGSS is off to a great start for the fall season, with two schools participating in the 4-day program over the course of September and October.

During the program, students learn about decomposition by exploring the forest floor, building “decomposition tanks” to take back and observe in their classrooms, and looking for evidence of how decomposers are present in the cycling of nutrients at the farm.

The students will also learn about biodiversity by spending time in several of Merck Forest’s ecosystems, comparing biodiversity by inventorying and measuring different plants, animals, and fungi in each habitat.

For their final visit, students learn about invasive species by playing interactive games, removing invasive honeysuckle at Merck Forest, and visiting the American Chestnut Plantation to hear the story of an ecologically important tree of the northeastern region that was decimated by an invasive species.

Mountain Days at Merck Forest

By Cara Davenport, Education Manager

On September 20th the Long Trail School visited the MFFC land for a summit experience. 250 students, faculty and staff set out to accomplish a first for the LTS community; a group summit of Mt. Antone. Promptly at 9:00am the buses arrived and students stopped by the Sap House for a brief introduction, a quick photo and a final chance to replenish backpacks with snacks. On the crisp autumn day an unprecedented number of students bagged the summit and returned to the LTS campus for a school-wide BBQ to celebrate the accomplishment. It was a wonderfully successful day all-around and MFFC looks forward to this annual tradition.

MFFC also looks forward to hosting the Maple Street School in October for Moose Mountain Days at Merck, as well as the Red Fox Community School.

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7 Play Motifs

By Cara Davenport, Education Manager

There is a list compiled by David Sobel made up of seven “play motifs” that he describes as common ground for children in deeply experiencing nature. I love to refer to this list, partly because it very closely reflects some of the things that, looking back on my childhood, were incredibly formative in my own emerging appreciation for the natural world. Beyond my personal childhood experiences, though, I continue to see powerful examples of these seven play motifs in the work I am privileged to be a part of at Merck Forest. This is particularly true of our summer camp program, and I want to use these wonderful concepts to share some special parts of camp this past summer with you. I hope you find inspiration and joy in reading them, and that it sparks memories of your own experiences spending time with nature.

Fantasy & Imagination • Campers designed and built some amazing fairy houses; one week we even had a full fairy village with stick-lined roads lit by acorn street lamps!

Maps & Paths • Our Trail Crew campers spent some time working with compasses and learning about orienteering; they also each designed a treasure hunt with specific compass instructions guiding us to the treasure.

Special Places • Each week of camp, campers picked out their own “sit spot” for the week…tucked in a nook between two tree trunks, perched on the edge of a fallen log or smooth rock, on a bed of soft moss and leaves… these were just a few of the places campers chose. We ended each day with 10-15 minutes at this spot, quietly reflecting, observing, and writing.

Animal Allies • The visit to Page Pond was a thrilling destination for our camper groups, where they got to catch and examine up close the frogs, salamanders, tadpoles, and macroinvertebrates that make the pond their home.

Adventure • In several camps this summer, we took an excursion deeper into Merck Forest for a hiking and campfire day. Viewpoint and the Glen were frequent destinations for our groups, and we experimented with some unusual campfire treats too.

Hunting and Gathering • Making “sun tea” was a ritual for campers this summer, and it involved some creative use of the ingredients growing right around us- mint, raspberry leaves, pine needles, chamomile, dandelion, basil, sorrel, clover, and of course blueberries.

Small Worlds • A few weeks of camp involved camper-designed terrariums, with rocks, soil, moss, and tiny plants collected from our hikes and layered into a tiny self-contained ecosystem.

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Summer Camp at MFFC

By Amy Pim-Capman, Advancement Coordinator

At the close of each day during camp session, each camper has the opportunity to share a “Wow” (a reflection on an activity, experience or, adventure that surprised, excited, or amazed) and a “Wonder” (to question or consider an outcome or foreshadowing an event).

Also following the structure of David Sobel’s 7 Play Motifs, here are my Wow and Wonders from this Summer’s camp sessions.

Fantasy and Imagination • Wow- how Passing through our “magic door” (a small path between 2 trees) to enter the space surrounding our giant acorn (the Yurt) created more of a magical learning space then simple outdoor space.

• Wonder- if there are any current magic doors into outdoor forts, playgrounds or backyard gardens currently inciting imagination and joy in hidden wild worlds.

Maps and Paths • Wow- using a compass to determine direction through the grass maze that led us to the blueberries and how many blueberries can be consumed in a 15 minute period of time.

• Wonder- how many campers are choosing the winding path rather than the straight sidewalk.

Special Places • Wow- how adaptive each age group was from week to week to a 15 minute quiet time in a self sought space- the objective to journal, sketch, observe, listen and connect to the landscape.

• Wonder- more of a hope but I do wonder if any campers are taking moments to settle into a cozy outdoor space to sit with nature and the surroundings in their home environments whether in city or rural scapes.

Animal Allies • Wow- Farm Camp 4th-6th grade: how willing and eager each camper was to participate in a “chick brigade” to assist Farmer Hadley with moving the meat chicks from their indoor brooder to the outdoor coops.

• Wonder- How this has instilled values and appreciation for small farms raising animals for meat.

Adventure • Wow- the sheer delight in a rickety wagon ride to Clark’s Clearing to engage in team building nature games with an immediate bond through unity, positive leadership, and communication.

• Wonder- how many parents have been blindfolded and led to meet a tree.

Hunting and Gathering • Wow- amazing Y-Stick Looms each group created independently with different grasses, wildflowers, feathers, and bark woven through the threads.

• Wonder- how the campers may be weaving together the connections between nature and their outdoor environments and spaces.

Small Worlds • Wow- the fairy and elf houses around the yurt that were left stocked with acorn cap plates, twig and pine needle brooms, leaf bedding and mossy carpets.

• Wonder- how many little creatures have moved into these houses and will settle in and hunker down for Winter.

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Reflections from the Summer

By Hadley Stock, Farm Manager

Here we are on the edges of summer and autumn in this beautiful Vermont shoulder season - one I truly love. I find myself looking forward to a slower pace of life on the farm, for a little while at least. Pasture life is drawing to a close as the nights get cooler and the time to switch the flock from fresh grass grazing to hay grazing has come into view. I am reflecting on all that went well and all that could go better in the pastures. My thoughts and hastily scribbled notes from the past four months will now help me formalize next year’s grazing plan.

On my mind (and I’m sure on many of yours) over this past summer has been the dramatic shifts in our weather. From flooding rains to sweltering heat, this summer has really put us through it. As a farmer, I think about the effects this “new normal” weather has on the animals and land that I tend, as well as on myself and my family. As a farmer, I ask the plants and animals I raise to live under the conditions that my farming practices offer, which are taken over the summer and at pasture composition and flow in order to make a plan that will best benefit MFFC’s farm for years to come. I am excited to fully immerse myself in all things silvopasture and agroforestry over the next few months. This will be a great step forward in doing our best to make the farm at Merck Forest a better place for all of us to enjoy. e not necessarily the conditions that their non-domesticated relatives would choose to live under. It is my job to understand how to make an optimal environment for these animals and plants. When summer heat waves reach into the high 90s, what is most important to and for the animals is having a way to escape the heat. Shade shelters help with this and our sheep especially appreciated the three we installed in the pastures this summer. It was not an uncommon sight to see all the shelters full of sheep all day long this summer, only coming out to graze as the sunlight hit the edge of the mountains to the west and there was a slight reprieve from the heat.

Are shade shelters and their management the best practices for the grass and pastures that sheep depend on?.... No, they aren’t. They are heavy and need to be moved by machines machines heave and compact the soil. Compacted soil has a reduced rate of both water filtration and drainage. With all the rain we have seen so far this year, it is crucial that we (being situated on top of not one, but two watersheds) do better than our best to hold on to and filter all the water that hits our ground. If our soil is compacted, more of that rain heads down hill taking nutrients and the soil we need with it. We need that water to hydrate the soil and feed the grasses we graze our animals on. Lucky for us there is a solution, a ” two birds, one stone” type of solution.

Trees! Trees strategically selected and planted in our pastures will help us to sink, store and spread water throughout Merck Forest’s pastures. They will provide shade from the sun and shelter from rain for our livestock. They will help sink carbon, and pull deep soil nutrients up to the pasture plants. And in some cases they will provide forage for the animals we graze under them. Aren’t trees amazing!

As animals start making their way through the last few pasture moves of this year’s grazing season, I will continue to think and plan the next evolution of Merck Forest’s farm - a farm with trees in the pastures. I am excited to be working with and learning from some amazing folks over the coming months who are steeped in silvopasture practices.

We will examine soil tests taken over the summer and study posture composition and flow, all in order to make a plan that will best benefit our farm for years to come. I am excited to fully immerse myself in all things silvopasture and agroforestry over the next few months. These steps forward will make the farm at Merck Forest a better palace for all of us to enjoy.

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Forest & Timber Update

By Mike Stock, Resource Management Coordinator

This year has been busy, as always. The new slab-sided wood sheds at cabins are constructed and full of firewood.

This utilizes an otherwise waste product of saw milling. The slabs we used are larch, a very weather resistant wood. These trees were planted in plantations by George Merck. Other plantations, he started, include Norway spruce, Red pine, and Red spruce. We also use the slabs as fuel wood for the evaporator to make maple syrup, which helps us cut down less live trees for firewood, leaving them instead to sequester more carbon. The final application for slabs is chipping them.

The chips are spread around the blueberry bushes, in muddy areas, and as bedding for the animals. They also end up in the compost, to help sweeten the soil for the future. The cutting of selected trees in these plantations helps to establish the next generation of trees. I’m sure George Merck would be happy with all of these uses for the trees he planted. Not to mention all the awesome lumber that Dylan mills for his endless building projects on the farm and mountain. The lumber and beams have been turned into new outhouses, turkey coops, chicken tractors, apple crates, siding for the small animal barn, round bale feeders, baby chick brooders, sandwich boards, seed starting tables, cabin ornaments, and a new bridge on the wildlife trail. Thank you, Dylan!

The other exciting work I’ve been involved in is with Cory Creagan, our County forester. We have cruised timber in two locations, both commercial logging jobs. In one section, the objective is to return the woods to its natural 250 year old status. This includes dropping and leaving large trees for habitat and soil retention, girdling large trees for standing habitat. And opening up areas to encourage Maple, Ash, and Oak regeneration, creating a multi-level canopy and healthy multi-species forest. The second area of the prescription is to cut everything but the large healthy seed/nut bearing trees. This will allow the acorns and samaras to grow freely up through all the tops and slash left from the trees removed.

Both areas will be rejuvenated due to these disturbances. The final area is in the sugar bush. We’ve removed all the tubing in ¼ of the 33 acre bush. The trees marked for removal are mostly small, not great specimens. This will release the good sugar maples to more sunlight, water, and nutrients to make them more vigorous and hopefully have sweeter sap. The trees removed will be used for firewood and the long small diameter logs for a new “warming cabin”. This will be located in the middle of the sugar woods, it will house tools, tubing, and a wood stove to keep the crew thawed out!

Merck Forest will continually help to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen and help with global warming! I’m proud to be a part of all these endeavors and programs, and especially in keeping George Merck’s dream alive!

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Nature Club

By Elena Santos, Education Coordinator

Merck Forest is collaborating with the Pawlet Public Library to launch Nature Club, a weekly after school program for 6-8 year olds that will run for 6 weeks. The library runs a variety of after school programs, and when the former facilitator for this afterschool program retired, the Merck Forest Education Team was excited to step in to keep it going. Each session will incorporate outdoor play and exploration, arts and crafts, and a storybook for each theme. The nature theme this time around will focus on the many changes that come with the transition to the fall season, such as the migration of birds and monarch butterflies, the beautiful colors of autumn foliage, and of course, Halloween, as the last after school program will be on October 31!

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Update on the Timber Shop

By Dylan Durkee, Fleet & Facilities Manager

There has been huge progress on the timber shop this summer. I was able to insulate all the walls and roof, the roof is a double roof system (it starts from the rafter then to shiplap boards, to 7/16 zipboard and on top of that is another set of rafters which have to be there so I could put 6 inches of high R value foam board, then on the second set of rafters there is 5/8 zip board and finally on top of that is the metal roof) this was quite a process but it was all worth it in the end because we have a well insulated roof and exposed timber rafters. After that I installed the windows and also this summer I was also able to put on the interior and exterior siding. I also installed the side doors to the timber shop.

Whats left?

• We need to finish trim work • Need to finish electrical (lights, power to overhead doors, receptacles ect.)

• Heating system • Gutters • Drainage What’s next?

Design and construction drawings are in the works to construct a new animal barn up at the farm. Come learn about our plans at Twilight on the Mountain on October 21.

New Intern Noah Crawford, 17, a Burr and Burton Academy senior has been interning with us 3 days a week.

He enjoys the outdoors, forestry, building projects, mechanics, and working hard. He has been a total asset and huge help with all the work we do at Merck Forest. Look forward to his time with us until late fall!

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Children’s Garden by the Numbers

By Elena Santas, Education Coordinator

The Children’s Garden has transformed in the last 2 years. Two summers ago it was rebuilt by the farm manager as 3 raised beds on the Harwood Barn Lawn and this past spring it was extended to the Old House Site in the form of 6 more raised beds. All were built with larch wood that was almost entirely harvested and exclusively hand-milled onsite at Merck Forest and Farmland Center.

Six of the nine raised beds were designed, built and installed by the Long Trail School (LTS) Garden Club E-class from April through May. The LTS Garden Club also started seedlings, designed the layout of the raised beds, filled the beds with compost from the farm, and planted seeds directly in the soil. This created an opportunity for over 20 lessons over the spring and summer spent in the Children’s Garden.

Over 20 lessons were spent working and learning in the Children’s Garden between LTS Garden Club, Kits and Cubs, Meet and Feed and the Farm Camp. Kids and adults alike pulled weeds to feed to the pigs, smelled and tasted herbs, painted garden signs, planted sunflowers, and watered on hot, dry days. Because of these programs, the garden is full of all the colors of the rainbow in the flowers, herbs, and vegetables blooming, shooting upwards and spreading curling vines outwards.

If you have the opportunity before the first frosts set in, make a visit to the Children’s Garden to look at the beautiful display that was made possible by the hands of roughly 100 participants over the course of the summer. If you miss it this year, there will be opportunities again next year.

Mettawee Community School Innovation Grant Update

By Elena Santas, Education Coordinator

During the 2021-22 school year Merck Forest launched the MFFC/MCS Innovation Grant, funding that supports projects at the Mettawee Community School which are exclusively driven by students, from the generation of an idea to the implementation of the project. The 5th grade group, who was awarded funding to create a school garden at the end of the ‘21-’22 school year completed their project in the last weeks of their time as 6th graders last spring, 2023. I lent a hand briefly in June, witnessing the students working hard to install their garden. They dug the holes for the fence posts, started the seeds, and spent time over the summer break working with their families to maintain and care for the garden. The rewards of their hard work and collaboration are now visible in the form of a thriving school garden. A well-installed fence surrounds the garden; wooden posts wrapped with chicken wire protect the garden and provide support for climbing plants such as beans and squash, colorful zinnias catch the eye, and garden fabric covering the soil keeps weeds to a minimum.

There are still available funds for Innovation Grant student projects and I look forward to hearing project proposals from inspired students at MCS this fall.

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Look for these regional food maps at Merck Forest and throughout the Shires. Thanks to Lookout Foundation for their support of MFFC’s efforts to strengthen our regional food shed.

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Homemade Boiled Cider Syrup From our friends at King Arthur Baking Company

Ingredients: 1 gallon of fresh apple cider cider

A gallon (3,969g) of fresh cider will reduce down to about 2 cups (690g). Since the cider takes up to 6 hours to boil down, start with at least a gallon to make it more worth your time.

Equipment: Large pot like a dutch oven that is at least 5 quarts

Select a large, sturdy pot designed for long-term stovetop cooking, such as a cast iron pot or Dutch oven. For a gallon of cider, use a pot that holds at least 5 quarts.

Bring the cider to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 to 6 hours, giving a couple of quick stirs twice every hour. Starting around hour five, stir more frequently — every 15 minutes or so.

Bubble color: When is it done? Stir it and if dark coppercolored bubbles form, covering the entire surface, you’re set.

The chopstick test: The cider will boil down to about 1/8 of its original volume. The easiest way to track this is to place a skewer or chopstick into the cider before turning on the heat. Mark the height of the cider on the chopstick before you start boiling it.

Repeat once every hour, marking the new height until it’s about 1/8 the original height.

Complied By Hadley Stock, Farm Manager

Fall Apple Recipes

Infuse your homemade boiled cider with other ingredients To make your batch truly one of a kind, infuse your cider with other flavors. Simmering on the stove for several hours gives you the perfect opportunity to add a little something special. Cinnamon sticks, your favorite spice blend, a sliced vanilla bean, a splash of rum, or orange peels will make your homemade boiled cider extra special.

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Fried Apples and Cider Syrup From our friends at Carr’s Ciderhouse

Ingredients: 1-2 apples per person butter cider syrup

Serving suggestings waffles pancakes ice cream

This is a very simple way to make Sunday pancakes or waffles extra special. It really is just a process, not exactly a recipe, but, oh yum! This could also be spooned over a simple cake or even ice cream.

Slice firm apples that hold their shape when cooked.

I used Goldrush, but other easy to find varieties could be honeycrisp, mutsu, or pink lady. Think at least one apple per person, but you might want to make 2 per person becuase they will be devoured. Fry them in a few tablespoons of butter, adding more if needed, until they begin to carmelize then add 1-2 Tablespoon(s) of cider syrup per apple. Toss and let the syrup cling to the apples, turn off the heat, and serve warm on top of your favorite pancake or waffle recipe - or whatever else suits your fancy. Drizzle more cider syrup over your tall stack to your liking.

Honey Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients: 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, Dijon mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Slowly stream in oil and whisk to emulsify.

Season with salt and pepper.

1 garlic clove minced 3/4 cup olive oil 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Dash of cider syrup!

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Upcoming Events Please reserve your spot in one of our workshops by registering online at merckforest.org/shop/ Most of the listed activities have an outdoor component – all members of your party should be dressed appropriately for conditions, including water, snacks, sturdy footgear. Due to the low cost of our programs, refunds are not available unless an event is canceled by MFFC. Reservations are required for all events at merckforest.org. All events meet at the Visitor Center.

Kits and Cubs Every Monday & Wednesday from 10:00am - 11:30am Preschool/toddler and parent meet-up group. Themed outdoor nature exploration, songs, story time and take-home craft or project. $5/person, registration required.

Cider Sundays Every Sunday from 2:00pm - 3:30pm Join us for the Fall harvest of the apples that will be pressed for cider. Participants will learn the process of making apple cider using the organic apples from the farm. Our goal will be to produce a half gallon jug of cider for each group attending the workshop. $10/person, kids under 5 are free. Groups of ten or more please call or email MFFC; Preregistration required; space is limited.

SVAC Photo Workshop Saturday October 7 from 10:00am - 4:00pm Explore Merck’s barns, pastures, wetlands, woodlands and vistas during this oneday photography workshop, the second in its series. A farm manager will allow photographers special access to the barns and pastures and share 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 users of SLR and cell phone cameras. This class will offer individualized guidance to support each student’s interests.

Ages 16 and up. Registration is through SVAC’s website, www.svac.org

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Educational Farm Event Forest Event

Outside Fairy Workshop Monday, October 9 from 10am - 11:30am Come spend some time in the woods creatively constructing tiny homes and structures with natural materials. From a mix of provided building materials and items foraged from the forest floor, we’ll imagine, build our own structures, and learn about the other tiny animal architects that live at Merck Forest. Each registration spot includes one fairy house base; children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. $20/person for a fairy base house, registration required.

Wreath Workshop Saturday, December 2 from 10:00am - 12:00pm & 1:00pm - 3:00pm & Sunday, December 3 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm An opportunity to create a holiday wreath from greens sourced at Merck Forest. Ribbons for bows provided, along with a limited amount of natural materials for decorating. Bring along your own decorations to add to your wreath to add to your wreath. $30/wreath, registration required.

Ornament Making Saturday, December 9 from 10:00am - 11:00am For this crafty Merck Forest opportunity, come ready to put your creative maker skills to work! We’ll be making hanging ornaments from a variety of found and natural materials (pinecones, wood, bark, seed pods, acorns, etc.). For makers of all ages; registration for each participant required. $5/person, registration required.

Full Moon Hike Friday, December 22 from 5:30pm - 7:00pm The moon will be rising in the east on 12/22 and hopefully the skies will be clear! Join us for a guided moon-lit hike on our trails on a wintery evening. Meet up at the Visitor Center at our main campus, at 3270 Route 315, on Friday, December 22, from 5:30p until 7:00p. Bring a headlamp and dress warmly, with proper footwear, including Microspikes or snowshoes, depending on ground conditions. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the program. $15/person, registration required.

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Community Support Gifting

By Liz Ruffa, Advancement Director

Community Supported Gifting is here!

Purchase a Book Membership for friends and family during the 2023 Holiday season…and into 2024. MFFC will wrap and ship!

We can’t think of a better gift option this year than gifting a year-long membership to MFFC. You will share your love for this place and everything that it offers to new visitors and recipients will also receive discounts on camping, Merck Made farm products and maple syrup, items in the VC gift shop and more! Each membership helps to keep this conserved property open and accessible to all daily from dawn until dusk, 365 days a year.

Memberships cost $50. Book memberships cost $75. For an additional $5, we will wrap and include a gift card. Contact amy@merckforest.org for more information. Information is also online!

On Trails, Book Review On Trails is a wondrous exploration of how trails help us understand the world—from invisible ant trails to hiking paths that span continents, from interstate highways to the Internet.

While thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Robert Moor began to wonder about the paths that lie beneath our feet: How do they form? Why do some improve over time while others fade? What makes us follow or strike off on our own?

Over the course of seven years, Moor traveled the globe, exploring trails of all kinds, from the miniscule to the massive.

He learned the tricks of master trail-builders, hunted down long-lost Cherokee trails, and traced the origins of our road networks and the Internet. In each chapter, Moor interweaves his adventures with findings from science, history, philosophy, and nature writing.

Throughout, Moor reveals how this single topic—the oft-overlooked trail—sheds new light on a wealth of age-old questions: How does order emerge out of chaos? How did animals first crawl forth from the seas and spread across continents? How has humanity’s relationship with nature and technology shaped world around us? And, ultimately, how does each of us pick a path through life?

Moor has the essayist’s gift for making new connections, the adventurer’s love for paths untaken, and the philosopher’s knack for asking big questions. With a breathtaking arc that spans from the dawn of animal life to the digital era, On Trails is a book that makes us see our world, our history, our species, and our ways of life anew.

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Connection is the action of linking one thing with another.

At Merck Forest & Farmland Center, we connect people with nature. We connect visitors to the land and, in so doing, hope to spark deepened understanding and heightened awareness about the role that nature plays in our minds, heart and ethos. The future of our planet Earth depends on this knowledge - which when shared is palpable.

We strive to always seek out community and connection - locally and globally - one visitor, student or group at a time. Time spent outdoors is invaluable for us all. MFFC truly appreciates the support from our members & donors that we see at this time each year.

Support our mission - to inspire curiosity, love and responsibility for natural and working lands - with a contribution that feels right to you this fall. You can donate online, using this QR code or by sending a check to MFFC, PO Box 86, Rupert, VT 05768. Look for our annual appeal in your mailbox later this month.

Or contact us today!

A tax-exempt, 501(C)(3) corporation in Vermont that has, for over 70 years, inspired curiosity, love and responsibiliy for natural and working lands through land stewardshipand conservation education.

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PRESORTED STD US POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER, VT 05254 PERMIT No. 3

3270 Route 315 PO Box 87 Rupert, VT 05768

Our 2023 Annual Fund is open! Donate today!

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