Milt Frye Restoration
The Conservation Commission has a responsibility to carry out the forest management plan for the Milt Frye Nature Area, which is owned by the town and has a conservation easement. Our long term goal is to restore the biodiversity of the Milt Frye Nature Area , which lies adjacent to the Marion Cross School in order to fulfill the forest management plan, to improve the health and resilience of the nature area against future climate impacts and to provide examples of habitat diversity for the residents of Norwich to enjoy and for school nature programs.
The Plant Community
Our first major goal involves tackling invasives and re-establishing native plant diversity. We have initially targeted the woodland edge along the meadow and orchard. Non-native, invasive burning bush and buckthorn badly infested this area. Although in past years these shrubs were cut, they have regrown and spread. Permanently removing them and replacing them with native plants will restore an edge habitat and provide food and shelter resources for birds, insects, and other animals. Providing protection from deer browse and supplemental watering in the first year maximizes the probability that the new plants will survive.
The Conservation Commission schedules regular invasive weed pulls from spring through late fall. Due to our limited budget, we are entirely dependent on volunteer help. Please join us in this effort. Weed pull dates will be posted on the listserve and on the events page of this website.
The Conservation Commission has obtained generous grants from the Norwich Women’s Club over the past several years to purchase deer fencing and native plants. Our emphasis is on plants indigenous to Windsor County, that form a typical forest edge community and that support a wide range of wildlife and pollinators.
In 2019 and 2020, native plants were installed behind the deer fencing along the field, including trees (Chokecherry, Burr oak, Black cherry, and American hazelnut) and shrubs (chokeberry, pasture rose, elderberry, and serviceberry). Last year, as an Earth Day event, Marion Cross students planted approximately 100 native plants along the stream including winterberry, elderberry, hazelnut, pasture rose, fragrant sumac and buttonbush. Red-osier dogwood and pussy willow were planted in the stream bank to begin to combat significant erosion.
In the fall of 2021, we seeded two areas in the field with a native grass and wildflower mix – a small area at the top of the field to the right of the old wagon and the berm of the new vernal pool in the upper corner of the field.
This year we will begin the season planting almost 200 plants mostly on the vernal pool berm, and we will continue invasive removal. Our 2022 species list includes: Paper and Grey Birch, Silver maple, Red oak, Eastern Cottonwood, Hackberry, Slippery Elm, Chokecherry, Wetland Rose, Virginia rose, Silky and Grey dogwood, Chokeberry, Arrowwood, Red-osier dogwood and Pussy willow.
The Animal Community
Reptiles and Amphibians
With volunteer help from Graham Webster, a vernal pool was dug in the upper corner of the field where a wetland scientist had indicated the highest chance of successful water collection existed. In the fall of 2021, community volunteers helped line the pool with leaves and brush to create an organic layer on the bottom of the pool. Native plants donated by Jim Lamontaigne, were installed around the rim of the pool. Water has indeed collected to the brim this spring. Marion Cross students will introduce macro invertebrates to help decompose the leaf litter. The Conservation Commission will monitor water levels with the expectation that the pool will dry up by mid-summer. May 1st, volunteers will help plant the vernal pool berm with the long-term goal of providing shade to the pool. The surrounding woodlands will be surveyed in order to create a plan to improve habitat for wood frogs and mole salamanders.
Birds and Insects
The mowing regime in the field was changed from multiple mowings to a single mowing in late October/early November in order to encourage greater wildflower diversity in the field. This allows the flowers to bloom, and, crucially, to set seed. The nectar and seed resources will support a more diverse and numerous population of insects and birds. Small mammal population should also benefit, further providing food for birds and other animals.
In April 2022, a kestrel nesting box was installed in the field. The Conservation Commission will monitor the box and submit observation data to the American Kestrel Partnership. It may take a few years for kestrels to find our box, but we are very hopeful they will. We ask the public to keep away from the box so as not to disturb the kestrels. It can be viewed with binoculars from the old wagon at the top of the field.
The Conservation Commission hopes to broaden our efforts in the future to include specific measures promoting other animal populations such as small mammals, bats, etc.
Photos
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events, check back soon!
Past Events
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
May 29th, 2022 from 3–5p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
May 21st, 2022 from 3–5p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
May 15th, 2022 from 1–3:20p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
May 1st, 2022 from 1p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Sep 12th, 2021 from 3–5p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Aug 29th, 2021 from 3–5p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Aug 15th, 2021 from 3–5p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Aug 7th, 2021 from 3–5p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Jul 24th, 2021 from 3–5p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Jul 18th, 2021 from 2–4p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Jun 27th, 2021 from 9a–Noon
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Jun 20th, 2021 from 3–5p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Habitat Restoration
Jun 6th, 2021 from 1–4p
Please join us at the Milt Frye Nature Area as we continue working to restore the native meadow habitat. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Oct 25th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
Please join us at the Milt Frye meadow to pull invasives. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. You are also welcome to come anytime between 12 and 4. We will be working right where the path meets the meadow at the bottom of the hill. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Oct 18th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
Please join us at the Milt Frye meadow to pull invasives. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. You are also welcome to come anytime between 12 and 4. We will be working right where the path meets the meadow at the bottom of the hill. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Oct 11th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
Please join us at the Milt Frye meadow to pull invasives. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Oct 4th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
Please join us at the Milt Frye meadow to pull invasives. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Sep 26th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
Please join us at the Milt Frye meadow to pull invasives. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Sep 20th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
Please join us at the Milt Frye meadow to pull invasives. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Sep 12th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
We'll be continuing our work to clear invasives, erect fencing, water existing plants, and plant more along the edge of the meadow along Milt Frye. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Sep 6th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
We'll be continuing our work to clear invasives, erect fencing, water existing plants, and plant more along the edge of the meadow along Milt Frye. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Aug 30th, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
We'll be continuing our work to clear invasives, erect fencing, water existing plants, and plant more along the edge of the meadow along Milt Frye. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Aug 22nd, 2020 from 12–2p and 2–4p
We'll be continuing our work to clear invasives, erect fencing, water existing plants, and plant more along the edge of the meadow along Milt Frye. There will be two work sessions to choose from. One from 12–2p and the other from 2–4p. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Aug 16th, 2020 from 9a–2p
We'll be continuing our work to clear invasives, erect fencing, and plant more native plants along the edge of the meadow along Milt Frye. Join us at any time between 9a and 2p and stay as long as you can. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Aug 1st, 2020 from 9a–2p
We'll be continuing our work to clear invasives, erect fencing, and plant more native plants along the edge of the meadow along Milt Frye. Join us at any time between 9a and 2p and stay as long as you can. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Jul 26th, 2020 from 9a–2p
We'll be continuing our work to clear invasives, erect fencing, and plant more native plants along the edge of the meadow along Milt Frye. Join us at any time between 9a and 2p and stay as long as you can. More detail…
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Milt Frye Work Day
Jul 12th, 2020 from 9a–2p
Our first workday at Milt Frye. We're planning to so some initial clearing of invasives, erect some fencing, and start planting native plants along the edge habitat. Join us at any time between 9a and 2p and stay as long as you can. More detail…