Dear Oberon, I have been seeing mice in my house this year! What is the best way to get rid of them? Sincerely, Mousey House Dear Mousey House, “Owl” be honest, I wish I had this problem! I find small mammals delicious, and I just eat the ones I find in my mew. This may not be the best solution for you, however, so I will lay out a few other options which may be better suited to your human lifestyle. First of all, please do not use [Read More...]
At the beginning of October the Fall Corps crew was at Burke summit, spending a week converting the Vista Trail on the summit of Burke into a Universal Access Trail (UA). This small spur trail looks south into Victory State forest and Kirby Mountain and is now usable by people of all mobilities. While on Burke they spent a second week working on the Summit Trail and the Profile Trail, brushing them both back and cleaning trail drainages. They also jacked up and leveled the West Peak trail CCC lean-to [Read More...]
We are pleased to announce the second annual Westmore Mountain Challenge was a success!! For this year's event, Forests, Parks & Recreation extended our permit to 150 participants, which sold out by August. The conditions were pretty rough for hikers on Saturday in the AM with temperatures in the 30s and 40s, light rain in the low elevations and snow on the mountain tops, but the sun peeked out in the afternoon. This year the official finish was the full 26 mile marathon length from the drop-off at Moose Mountain [Read More...]
We are very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive community of businesses and individuals who have helped make the Westmore Mountain Challenge possible. Some have donated funds, others gift certificates and merchandise to help supply the challenge and offer prizes to participants. Here are photos of just a few of the great prizes coming to our Challenge participants: Tour headwear from Skida, socks from Darn Tough, jackets from Outdoor Gear Exchange, and soothing lotions from Bag Balm! Thank you to our Sponsors! Our [Read More...]
Earlier this month, the Sustainable Forestry Interns took a break from running chainsaws to join herpetologist Jim Andrews on his search to document the species currently found in Vermont, town by town. The day we met Jim, he was on a mission to document some of the species thought to be living in Morgan, VT. After driving to the NorthWoods Demonstration Forest access in Morgan, we gathered with Jim and two volunteers to hear our goal for the day. Jim started by explaining the habitat that we were looking for, "Most herps prefer hardwood forests, and plenty of downed wood. That's mostly found in older [Read More...]
The NorthWoods Conservation Corps has completed their trail work at Sentinel Rock State Park. As of now, the park has a 240’ Universal Access trail that spurs from the glacial erratic. From the ADA trail, there’s a small footpath that leads to the lower parking area and a brand new trail that leads to the wooded, multi-use trails. The footpath in the meadow crosses wet areas on bog bridges past an old birch tree with scenic views of Lake Willoughby and the glacial erratic in the distance. The “lollipop loop” through [Read More...]
NorthWoods Stewardship Center is pleased to accept nominations for the sixth annual George Buzzell Forest Stewardship Award. In honor of the esteemed county forester for which it is named, this award recognizes an individual who is making a positive impact on Northeast Kingdom forests. An award ceremony will be held at the NorthWoods Stewardship Center on Tuesday, December 11, 2018. During his 44 years as Orleans County Forester, George Buzzell exemplified the best practice of his trade, including research that helped to re-define sugarbush management in Vermont. George also cast a [Read More...]
The beginning of September may not have brought a change from summer to fall weather, but it did mark the beginning of another field season at NorthWoods. Our fall Sustainable Forestry Internship kicked off just a few weeks ago, and we're excited to welcome Ariana, Matt and Trevor to the team! This 12-week program has started off with a mix of seasonally-appropriate projects, and this hard working crew has already thinned 5+ acres of young hardwoods in the Demonstration Forest, treated over an acre of invasive common reed (Phragmites australis) for [Read More...]
Happy Birthday Northwoods! While we celebrate 29 years of commitment to the care and well-being of Northern Forest communities, our steward“ship” does not stop here. On the contrary, the needs of our human and natural communities are greater than ever before. On this occasion, NorthWoods is revamping its “ship”, strengthening itself to further meet the needs of the present and for generations to come. NorthWoods is delighted to welcome Jonathan Gilbert as our new Executive Director. He joined our team of stewards with the necessary skills to strengthen and further our [Read More...]
As the summer winds to a close, lets look back at a few of the fun times had by campers and staff, learning how to paddle on the Clyde, brave a first overnight, tackle a low ropes course, and more. Earth Sisters Tackle Jay by Jessica Weston The summer camps season is always a busy one filled with adventure, excitement, and of course happy giggling children. I found it helpful to pause and reflect in my down time to remember some of the highlights from the summer before they all [Read More...]
