I find I spend a lot of time “circling around” outdoor tasks and projects. Some might call this procrastination, while others might call it thoughtful consideration of all sides of various options. Whatever, it runs in my family.
In this Post, I want to talk about some resources that have helped me move forward and make good decisions in my yard and in the woods nearby. Surprisingly, they are all free.
The County Forester.
Within 3 months of moving from suburbia to Cornwall, I invited David Brynn, who was the Addison County Forester at the time, to walk our property, 60 acres that my husband I had just purchased, and help me understand the forest that covered most of it. David suggested that we begin by walking the perimeter and immediately set off in a long-legged stride as I trotted along behind him trying to keep up. That walk took a couple of hours, but I came back a transformed tree hugger, in awe of what I had seen and learned about the trees that were now under our care.
Fast forward, Mark Raishart is now the Addison County Forester. His job is to help owners, like myself, understand and manage their forests. Like David, he will walk with you in your woods to explore what
is there, discuss your goals for your property, and help you understand the forest management activities you might consider. You can reach him at: mark.raishart@vermont.gov.
Vermont Coverts.
In the fall of 2009, I attended a free 3-day Coverts’ workshop for VT landowners who own 20 acres of forested land or more. There were 25 of us from all over the state and through a series of presentations, field visits, and innumerable conversations, we were able to ask questions and get a handle on a range of things that mattered most to us. One of the goals of Coverts is creating relationships and I have stayed connected with the organization for this reason. Here is its website description:
Vermont Coverts is a peer-to-peer community of landowners, professionals and others learning from and supporting each other to enhance wildlife habitats through sound forest management. We offer three-day trainings that include classroom and field studies, as well as numerous forest stewardship workshops on diverse topics. We also facilitate personal contacts among individual landowners, experts, public agencies and private organizations in the conservation arena. (https://vtcoverts.org)
Vtinvasives.org
After 20+ years of effort on our property here, invasive plants are rare in our yard and no longer dominate the large meadow below the house. But the work to keep them under control is ongoing. I especially value the vtinvasives.org website because each plant has multiple pictures and descriptive details to help with its identification, plus useful information about its biology and options for effective management, both mechanical and chemical.
If you are interested in trying out some mechanical removal tools, check out the various tools for loan at the Cornwall Library. You can borrow a shovel called a “Parsnip Predator” that makes slicing the root of this plant a bit easier. But when the parsnip plants are young, my method of choice is actually hand pulling entire plants just after they have set their center flower stalks. Later in the summer when they go to seed, I carefully clip and bag seed heads from the tops of any plants I missed earlier. For other woody invasives, too tough or big to pull by hand, I cut the stem a little above the ground and treat the stump with a herbicide. While using herbicides is not something I like doing for many reasons, I can do it quickly and carefully with a bingo-like dauber. Attached is a brief demo: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWk3DKdWmNIa_ygH2lDT98uzL-7oynrpU
There are lots of other people, programs, and organizations that are there to support us. VT Fish & Wildlife Lands Biologist, Travis Hart is available to provide technical assistance to private landowners in habitat improvement. Check out Northern Woodlands Magazine, Vermont Audubon, The Family Forest Carbon Program… just to name a few.
Might you have things you would like to share about your activities in your backyard and woods? Things that you have done that have made a difference, or projects you have been “circling around” and would like to do, but would like some thoughts about how to get started? You are invited to keep this conversation going.