What to do this winter at Merck Forest & Farmland Center

Compiled by MFFC Educational Team

• Stop by and enjoy the wood-fired masonry stove in the Visitor Center.

• Don’t forget to check the weather before you come up for your visit; bring layers for a 10 degree temperature difference from the forecast.

• Walk to the Chestnut Plantation and back for a 360° view of the mountains.

• Join us for a blustery or calm full moon hike with friends.

• Go for a snowshoe, hike, or cross-country ski on our many trails.

• Make a snowman on the lawn in front of the Harwood Barn.

• Pick up a new book from the Visitor Center for some cozy winter reading.

• Enjoy the winter sky through the bare branches all over Merck Forest.

• Appreciate all the subtle winter shades and hues - reds, oranges, purples, blues- that go unnoticed in the forests and fields the rest of the year.

• Take a short hike to the farm to visit the chickens, sheep, cow, and draft horses, and watch them bale-grazing out in the fields.

• If the sky is clear, wait on the deck of the Sap House for a beautiful sunset.

• Look for antler sheds from deer in the woods.

• Look for jelly fungi on logs, stumps, fallen branches and twigs.

• Do some animal tracking in the snow, or bring a friend to our upcoming Animal Winter Tracking workshop.

• Cross-country ski Old Town Road and back.

• Try a new recipe with a Merck Made product- maple syrup, or a cut of lamb, pork, or chicken.

• Explore the different snowflake crystals that can be found during winter.

• Make some cut-out paper snowflakes to decorate your windows, after you explore the shapes snowflakes can take on.

• Pick up a jigsaw puzzle from the Visitor Center for an evening of entertainment with a friend.

• Learn to identify some trees by their bark, rather than their leaves.

• Check out our new kiosk display and learn what makes our region special!