Articles
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Going to Bat for Bats
Dec 1st, 2023
Many of Vermont’s nine species of bats are in serious trouble, but there are things you can do to help them. Continue reading…
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No Beavers Would Be a Dam Shame!
Sep 1st, 2023
Beavers cut down trees to build dams which create ponds and wetlands and open gaps in the forest canopy, benefitting a wide range of plants and animals. Allowing beavers to build and maintain lodges can be one of the most important things you can do to support local wildlife, increase biodiversity, improve forest health, and mitigate flooding. Continue reading…
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Raise Keystone Plants in Your Homegrown National Park
Jun 1st, 2023
What can you do to make your yard and woods part of what Dr. Tallamy calls the Homegrown National Park? Continue reading…
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To Know Is to See
Mar 1st, 2023
Learning about unfamiliar natural features can help inform your experience while walking on Norwich’s trails. Continue reading…
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How Do Deer and Coyotes Survive Our Winters?
Dec 1st, 2022
How do deer and coyotes survive our harsh winters? Continue reading…
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Too Many Deer!
Sep 1st, 2022
There are too many deer in Vermont, and they are inflicting harm on people, forests, and other wildlife. Continue reading…
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Grassland Birds
Jun 1st, 2022
Vermont’s grasslands – the acreage where grasses, sedges and wildflowers dominate the landscape, with little or no intrusion from shade trees and shrubs – have waxed and waned since European colonists arrived. And so have the populations of birds that depend on this kind of habitat. Nowadays, they are in decline. Continue reading…
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Our Backyard Practices Can Protect Bears
Mar 15th, 2022
Black bears, the smallest bear species in North America, are relatively common in the forests of Vermont. Learn more about how we can live more safely with these large woodland neighbors. Continue reading…
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Milt Frye Nature Area’s Vernal Pool
Mar 1st, 2022
In the upper corner of the field at the Milt Frye Nature Area, water collects in a newly constructed vernal pool. It will take years of habitat improvement and monitoring to see if mole salamanders and wood frogs can establish self-sustaining populations. Continue reading…
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How to Build a Four-season Bird-friendly Yard
Dec 1st, 2021
Birds require suitable resources and habitat year-round to survive and successfully reproduce. Here is a four-season checklist for helping birds in your yard thrive. Continue reading…
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Mowing for Your Wildlife
Jun 1st, 2021
What is the optimal mowing regime to support wildlife, combat climate change and still provide the benefits of a lawn? Continue reading…
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Be a Winter Insect Hunter
Mar 1st, 2021
Looking for new things to explore on your winter hikes? Delve into the world of winter insects, spiders and other such creatures. To get you started, here are five tiny insects and a near-relative that live in Norwich. Continue reading…
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Gauge Your Water Footprint
Nov 4th, 2020
All over Vermont this summer, wells ran dry, lawns turned brown, and water levels dropped visibly in streams and lakes. But in the past 60 years the state’s annual precipitation has increased by almost half a foot, according to the Vermont Climate Assessment. Where is all that water when we need it? Continue reading…
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Two Norwich Forest Protection Projects
Sep 3rd, 2020
The Norwich Conservation Commission has two forest protection efforts underway – one near Gile Mountain and the other along Lake Norford Road. Both areas are in contiguous forest classified by Vermont as prime for protection. We will be seeking public donations to secure these properties for permanent conservation this fall. Continue reading…
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Forest Connectivity Is Crucial
Jun 1st, 2020
Many forest-dwelling plants and animals depend on movement across large areas of intact forest for their survival both as individuals and species. Continue reading…
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Winter Adaptations
Dec 1st, 2019
The animals who overwinter in and around Norwich show us many adaptations for survival. Unlike those who leave for the season, some arrive from less habitable spots. We’ll look at some winter voyagers as well how creatures use simple behavior changes; take a biological “time out;” reset bodily thermostats; and change coats for warmth or a new seasonal color. Continue reading…
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Are Vermont Bats Back?
Sep 1st, 2019
Vermont is home to nine species of bats. Six of these species are year round residents and three migrate south in the winter. Our six year -long residents live in caves and mines during the winter and during summer months can often be found roosting in barns and other buildings. Of the 6 resident species all but one are either state or federally endangered. Continue reading…
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Where Have All the Insects Gone?
Jun 1st, 2019
Insects have undergone a severe, largely unnoticed decline over at least three decades. Scientists have now documented the decline and studied its causes. A 2017 study in Germany, revealed a shocking 76% decline in insect biomass in nature preserves. Fewer insects are present, and their ranges are restricted. Continue reading…
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Charles Brown Brook Comes On Stream
Mar 1st, 2019
All of those 758 truckloads lumbering onto Beaver Meadow Road this past summer transported material collected behind the Norwich Reservoir Dam in order to restore the Charles Brown Brook to a more natural state. With the dam removed and the streambed rebuilt, 43 miles of stream now flow freely. Continue reading…
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Get Involved in Conservation through Citizen Science
Dec 1st, 2018
We currently hear a lot about the term "citizen science." It pops up in discussions ranging from the study of local flora and fauna populations to water quality to climate change. So what exactly is citizen science? Continue reading…
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The Call of the Coyote
Sep 1st, 2018
Coyotes calls were first heard in Vermont starting around 1948 after female coyotes interbred with wolves and domesticated dogs in Ontario and then spread to New England, taking over the ecological niche once occupied by the Grey Wolf, which was extirpated in the 1880s. Continue reading…
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What To Do About the Emerald Ash Borer
Jun 1st, 2018
What will we lose if the ash trees of Vermont are driven to extinction by the emerald ash borer? Continue reading…
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Welcome to the Milton Frye Nature Area
Mar 1st, 2018
There is a lot going on in the Milton Frye Nature Area these days. Marion Cross School children are learning how to interact with and respect their outdoor environment, how to properly build and maintain a trail system, as well as continuing to assist in invasive plant management. Current and upcoming community-wide events include a series of workshops and walks that began in December and continue in February with a tracking event led by the Norwich Conservation Commission. This 35-acre hidden gem located in the heart of the Village is a tremendous natural resource for our town. Continue reading…
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Open Space: a Critical Asset in Norwich
Dec 1st, 2017
What do your favorite trail, your neighbor’s community-supported agriculture share, flood control, the odds of seeing a moose in town, and the iconic view of Norwich from Gile Mountain’s fire tower all have in common? Continue reading…
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Take Only Photographs, Leave Only Footprints
Jun 1st, 2017
Norwich has many fantastic trails around town, where people can enjoy exercising, botanizing, wildlife watching, or simply walking in the woods. The Trails Committee does an excellent job of monitoring and maintaining all the public trails, and many land owners are very generous in allowing trails across their properties. Fellow trail users, trail workers, and land owners are greatly deserving of courtesies and respectful treatment from all of us. What follows is a list of reminders about important components of trail etiquette. If you do not agree with what we lay out as appropriate trail etiquette, please do not hesitate to come and share your ideas and concerns with us. Continue reading…
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Forest Stewardship and Trails
Mar 1st, 2017
In the Upper Valley, we are lucky to have large forested areas that harbor wide-ranging forest-interior mammals, like moose, bobcat, bear, gray fox, and fisher. These iconic wildlife species are a pleasure to see, and the carnivores are signs of functional ecosystems. We fortunately have these animals around because we still have effective connectivity among our large forest tracts across multiple towns. Despite our forested areas being comprised of many parcels, many of them remain un-fragmented and relatively undisturbed. Continue reading…
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Pushing Back Against Invasive Plants
Sep 1st, 2015
Dreaded exotic insect pests like emerald ash borer and Asian long-horned beetle are knocking on Vermont’s doorstep. These destructive invaders could cause massive changes to our state’s landscape in years to come. However, Norwich’s woods, fields, roadsides and waterways are already home to an astonishing array of well-established, non-native plants. Many of these “invasives” have become so familiar that we don’t always recognize them, let alone realize their profound impacts on our native ecosystems. But, make no mistake: these opportunistic intruders have begun to dominate our landscape, and will continue to if allowed to spread unchecked. Continue reading…