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Women Owning Woodlands VT is an initiative of Vermont Coverts, Vermont Land Trust, Vermont Woodlands Association, UVM Extension, Vermont Department of Forests Parks and Recreation and Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife
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Hardwick woods - Photo by Heather Davis
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It is finally feeling like Spring! The last few days that I've been outside walking, I have encountered so many signs of Spring! From the ephemerals, to the peepers, and even the bugs starting to come out, there are a lot of clues in the natural world that are indicating the seasons are shifting! What have you seen out and about? If you are looking to learn more about springtime, check out Mary Holland's book, Naturally Curious Day by Day. Or visit this article written by Angie Hilsman about where you can go to find signs of Spring near you! - Samantha Poratti, WOW Intern
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Hinesburg Town Forest Walk Reflection
By Samantha Poratti, WOW Intern
It was muddy and damp out, with a thick layer of clouds overhead when we met in the Hinesburg Town Forest to learn about timber harvests! Andrea Shortsleeve, WOW Team member and Habitat Biologist for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife, and Ethan Tapper, Chittenden County Forester, facilitated the discussion with a group of very engaged and interested community members. We covered everything from how to approach harvesting timber, to the benefits of forest management, to the equipment used, and even the realities landowners face when conducting a harvest on their own property.
We indeed got messy, as we were in the thick of mud season at the time. Many were surprised at the seemingly utter chaos and disorganization we encountered. There were downed trees and branches strewn on the forest floor everywhere we looked and the logging roads were extremely wet and muddy. To our surprise, we were informed this is completely normal and to be expected when engaging in forest management. Andrea reminded us to “bless this mess” for this “mess” is serving so many different and important ecological roles in the forest. The tree tops that are left in the woods provide cover for birds who forage and nest on the ground, it protects the next generation of trees from getting eaten by deer, the downed woody material creates microcosms for insects and amphibians, and increases available surface area for fungi and lichen to thrive!
Ethan informed us that this was the worst and the best time to observe an active timber harvest. Meaning that this would be the worst the forest would look throughout the management process. Alternatively, this was a great time to visit an active timber harvest, because as landowners we were able to better understand what to expect and what is normal for if and when we engage in forest management on our own land. So next time you encounter a past harvest in the woods, remember bless this mess! And enjoy and admire the organized chaos of it all!
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Saxton River - Photo by Samantha Poratti
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Game of Logging Level I for Women Owning Woodlands
Fletcher, VT
Friday, June 24th
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Learn to be safe in the woods! Game of Logging Level I focuses on introducing the participant to open face felling and the development of techniques to safely use it. Topics covered include personal protective equipment, chainsaw safety features, chainsaw reactive forces, bore cutting, pre-planning the fell, and understanding hinge wood strength. Each person in the class will fell a tree. Class size is limited to 10. The course for this class is $150 for WOW participants thanks to a grant from the Day Break Fund (formerly the High Meadows Fund).
For more information or to register contact VT Coverts; info@vtcoverts.org or call 802-877-2777.
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Aldo Leopold Bench Building Workshop
4 spots left!
Chittenden, VT
Saturday, May 7th
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Join Women Owning Woodlands (WOW) Vermont for our rescheduled Leopold Bench Building workshop. Members of the WOW VT team will share about Aldo Leopold, forester, conservationist and author of "A Sand County Almanac," and the Land Ethic. We will then team up to build benches using wood from the Vermont Land Trust Jerusalem Skyline Forest in Starksboro. All materials are provided for this FREE workshop and each participant (or household) will leave with their own bench. No prior experience necessary. This workshop is designed for women but is open to everybody.
We have the materials to make 10 benches, 1 bench per family, please.
To register click here
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WOW Demonstration Project Initiative
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Women Owning Woodlands (WOW)-VT is seeking landowners to help us create a network of forestry demonstration projects on women-owned or women-managed forests in Vermont.
We are pleased to announce a one-time partnership with Vermont Youth Conservation Corp (VYCC) Forestry Project Program crew to implement forestry and stewardship activities on WOW-VT members land. Are you looking to get planned management activities done on your land? Are you willing to make your land available as a case study and a demonstration site for future WOW-VT workshops and programs? This opportunity might be for you!
LEARN MORE
Get more information about this opportunity and submit an application by clicking here
QUESTIONS?
For more information, questions about potential projects, or assistance submitting an application, please contact: Kate Forrer, UVM Extension, (802) 476–2003 or katherine.forrer@uvm.edu.
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Did you miss the WOW-VT Landowner Forestry Demonstration Project webinar? Don't fret, you can find the link here.
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We want to see your photos! We love seeing what our fellow members are up to in Vermont's natural world this time of year, so please send any pictures you'd like to share to wownetvt@gmail.com
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Spring ephemerals April 14th - Photo by Samantha Poratti
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If you have any questions, comments, or ideas for future events please feel free to reach out! You can email us at wownetvt@gmail.com or call Lisa Sausville at 802-877-2777.
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The WOW VT Team
Andrea Shortsleeve, VT Department of Fish and Wildlife
Beth Holtzman, UVM Extension
Caitlin Cusack, VT Land Trust
Emily Potter, VT Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation
Kate Forrer, UVM Extension
Kathleen Wanner, VT Woodlands Association
Lisa Sausville, VT Coverts
Marli Rabinowitz, Forest landowner, VT Woodlands Association Board of Directors
Nancy Patch, VT Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
Samantha Poratti, VLT AmeriCorps
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