Advancement Notes

Happy New Year! 2020 already seems both long ago, far away and yet like just yesterday–what a tumultuous time. I hope your 2021 is filled with hope, joy and prosperity for you and yours.

A warm welcome to our many new members and donors–your financial support in 2020 allowed us to operate and continue to deliver mission during an unprecedented time for us all. Our team worked quietly last year, doing its best to capture the energy and spirit of signature events and programs by offering them on-line or in modified live ways. We missed having our usual throng of day visitors, outdoor enthusiasts and workshop participants on site. We missed campers stopping in the Visitor Center for a chat and some hiking tips. We really missed greeting the many area students who use Merck Forest as their outdoor classroom as they conduct their environmental science and citizen learning. We didn’t get to host as many young day campers on-site last summer as we might have liked, but hope to turn that curve in 2021! Not being able to interact and engage with people on the property was most certainly a downside to 2020, but Vermont’s ably handled Covid-19 response protocols were all followed to a T here.

This Ridgeline issue illuminates just how remarkable experiencing “place” can be–whether that experience is live and tactile or via an Instagram post or Nearby Nature online video. The images in this Ridgeline document how the sun here rises and sets every day, how animals here capture everyone’s hearts–whether on the farm, in the woods, or on a leash. Staff contributions explain how to track animals in the snow and on camera. Offerings capture how MFFC cabins continue to be revered destinations that renew souls and inspire creativity. People just love Merck Forest! Many thanks for doing your part to help us steward this special place.

Our gates have remained open during this pandemic, offering nature as a tonic for the times. The great outdoors energizes, challenges and soothes and Merck Forest will continue to do its part to foster an appetite for inspiring curiosity, love and responsibility for working and natural lands.

We ended 2020 in a stable, positive place in large part thanks to you. Deep-felt appreciation for your support and philanthropy.

On behalf of the team at MFFC, I send my best.

Liz Ruffa, Director, Institutional Advancement

Save The Date

MFFC’s 2021 Annual Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 12. We will host it, not sure in what format quite yet, but make sure to mark your calendars today!

New 70th Anniversary Membership Special

In honor of MFFC’s long standing spring tradition of Maple Celebration Pancake breakfast (and planning for the probability that we will not, once again, be able to host it live in 2021), MFFC will be offering a special $70 membership program in March and April this year. Your $70 membership will include a 250 ml. glass container of MFFC’s amazingly delicious organic, VT Audubon-certified Bird Friendly Maple Syrup and a 1 lb. cloth bag of New Hope Mills buttermilk pancake mix (the same one we use up here!). Feel free to renew at this level or gift to a friend or family member. Look for details in the March Mailchimp Newsletter!

Questions? Contact liz@merckforest.org

Winter Events and Activities

As we continue to tackle the challenges of Covid-19, we are following state guidelines and regulations regarding public gatherings. We are looking forward to being able to hold in-person events, and we are planning for when we are finally able to gather. Check our website and Facebook to check the status of any in-person events we have scheduled.

Northshire Grown: Direct 2/3, 2/17,3/3, 3/17, 3/31, Wednesday 3pm–5pm. MFFC continues to offer a pre-ordered, “bundled” CSA program, open to all Northshire residents, that offers up to 25 different regional producers’ produce, meats, dairy items,specialty cheeses, wellness and value added products and more! Produce, Essentials, Meal Kits, Prepared Meals–all available in a one stop shop, safely packed by MFFC staff and volunteers. Pick ups at Dorset Playhouse, courtesy of Dorset Players. For more information, www.northshiregrown.com

Tracking Workshop (Online Presentation): Currently online, available until 2/12/21. $10 for online access. The workshop consists of two pre-recorded presentations: the first presentation will prime you with the basics of tracking and sharing your observation using the citizen science tool iNaturalist. The second presentation will involve a field foray with Tim Duclos, our Conservation Manager to the nearby trails at Merck Forest to see who has been out and about. Register for the presentation on our website shop and receive instructions and a password to access it. Then go out into your backyard to discover who has been visiting!

Winter Bird Ecology 101 (Online Presentation): Available 2/20 - 3/19/2021. $10 for online access. This presentation will cover the resident bird species that commit themselves to overwintering in the southern Vermont region, and you’ll explore the who, where, why, and how of this particular life strategy. Registration is available on our website shop.

Owl Workshop (Online Presentation): Available 2/27 - 3/26/21. $10 for online access. Our popular Owl Workshop goes virtual and focuses on the various owls in our region. Learn about the natural history of our resident owls: how to identify owls by sight and sound, where and how to find these creatures in nature. We’ll discuss iNaturalist and eBird which enable you to both share your findings as well as keep up with the findings of others around you. Registration is available on our website shop.

Maple Madness for Families: 3/13/2021, 1:00 - 3:00. For families and kids. We’ll take you from Sap to Syrup program as we explore maple sugaring through traditional stories, a tapping demo, games and hands-on activities, including a tour of the Sap House, and a maple syrup tasting. $10/person, space is limited.

Second Saturday Hikes: 3/13/21, 4:00 - 5:30 and 4/10/21, 2:00 - 4:00. These popular guided hikes are moderate in difficulty, with routes to be determined. Participants should dress for colder weather, as temperatures are colder than in the valleys. Boots, snowshoes or microspikes may be needed, depending on ground conditions. Please arrive 15 minutes early, as hikes leave promptly at the time specified. $5 per person, pre-registration is required, and space will be limited. Due to the low cost of the program, refunds are not available, unless the event is cancelled by MFFC.

Vernal Pool Ecology: Hike and Pre-recorded Presentation: Pre-recorded presentation available on 3/20, with a hike on 4/3/21. Learn about native amphibians and their breeding habits in woodland vernal pools, and explore what defines a vernal pool and why these unique and sensitive habitats are vital to migratory amphibians. Find out how you can participate in citizen science by monitoring amphibians at vernal pools and road crossings where these species can be found during “Big Nights.” $10 per person, which includes hike and presentation. Space is limited.

Spring on the Farm Vacation Camp: 4/13 - 15, 9:00a - 3:00pm. Our Spring Vacation Camp for children in grades 2 - 5. We’ll be based out of the Sap House and Yurt as we get curious and explore the farm and play in and around the woods at the Discovery Trail. We’ll meet and learn about the animals that live on our farm and in our pond, do some crafts, and go hiking and exploring. Bring your lunch, a snack, and water. $150/child, space is limited.

** Upcoming workshops include chainsaw safety classes with Northeast Woodland Training in May, when we hold Basic Chainsaw Safety and Game of Logging Levels 1 - 4, with women’s only classes also being offered. Gain valuable backcountry first aid skills with SOLO Wilderness First Aid, scheduled for June 5 & 6. For more information, email us at learn@merckforest.org.