May 2025 Meeting

May 20th, 2025 at 7p, Norwich Historical Society (277 Main Street) and over Zoom

Join meeting via Zoom (meeting ID: 966 3633 0827, passcode: 721389).

Agenda

  1. Additional Agenda Items
  2. Public Comments
  3. Deer Exclosure Plots, Photos and Annotations
  4. Listserv Posts
  5. Emerald Ash Borer Subcommittee Report
  6. Trails Subcommittee Report
  7. Milt Frye Nature Area Subcommittee Report
  8. Melendey Parcel Updates
  9. Approval of April Minutes

Minutes

Quorum: Craig, Alex, Chris, Peg, Lindsay, Lynnwood, Michael, Cody

No Public in Attendance

Additional Agenda Items

Public is concerned about Knotweed on Turnpike road- there is a real concern from the group that it is an issue exacerbated by more frequent and intense flooding. A method of control utilizing hardware cloth was suggested as a possible realistic measure of control.

4/19 NCC/ UVLT Vernal Pool Walk- with 25 attendants

Public Comments None

Deer Exclosure Plots, Photos and Annotations

TIme for some basic qualitative data- photos are one suggested method.

Goal isn’t necessarily identification of plants enclosed, but more of percentage of enclosures covered.

Photo comparison (2 pictures inside and 2 outside) with annotations (species abundance/ significance difference) and six, six foot transects with strings. Strings must touch plants for plants to be counted.

Milt Frye (Lynwood), Montshire (Mike), Woody Adams (Alex), Brookmead (Craig), Parcel 5 (Lindsay)

Listserv Posts/ Other Outreach

Mike is cooking up another

Emerald Ash Borer Subcommittee Report

Not a great deal to report, but busy time is coming.

Focus now is on figuring out how to get inoculations done.

Draft of listserve post encouraging Norwich residents to contribute to fund to inoculate our communities trees is coming.

Push is to raise enough funds to establish a schedule that can protect selected trees for several inoculation periods.

Difficult but necessary task of removing “priority trees,” trees that pose a particularly high risk to people, is a pressing task.

It does not appear at this time that there is a central agency that will be able to remove or recommend the removal of these trees. A high priority is communication with individual landowners whose properties hold “dangerous” ash trees. Removal or inoculation will be recommended.

June 7th and/or 8th are potential dates to ID more trees

Trails Subcommittee Report

Work day on Sunday, May 18th.

Drainage issues were addressed.

Last meeting was focussed on work days: Stone steps on Ballard (Hermit Woods Trail Builders will be consulted.)

National Trail Day June 7th- work repairing bog bridges at top of Blue Ribbon Trial- MTB focus

Bradley Hill work day on July 20th.

Schmidt Bog is surrounded by private property, but from Upper Loveland there is a trail, and Hawk Pine area. Aggressive dogs are becoming an issue in this area. Signage will be installed to encourage kindness- especially as it is private property.

Milt Frye Nature Area Subcommittee Report

Six new birdhouses installed- Bluebirds are using current houses.

No kestrels sighted. Potential kestrel box relocation is being discussed.

Lynnwood has been attending Barbara Macelroy’s biodiversity meetings and was gifted several red osier dogwood cuttings.

Buckthorn seems to have been knocked back significantly.

Invasive thistle is being addressed.

Lots of tadpoles in pool! Lots of water still in pool.

Grant approved for vernal pool supplies.

Melendey Parcel Updates

Sarah from Willing Hands would like for us to identify areas of interest for kiosk. Willing Hands is going to be writing about Ag. history of area: geology, nat history, soils, indigenous population, human industry, wildlife habitat, climate change, conservation easement, Wilder Dam (+Pictures)

Approval of April Minutes

Chris moves amended April minutes

Michael seconds

Motion passes unanimously