Outdoor news, mostly good
I’m still prowling for good news in the outdoors. Rain, for starters. A break from the heat before we put on our down jackets. Both qualify!
The essence of the sacred hunt, passed down to the next generation
Occasionally, in a hunter’s life there presents an opportunity to share the outdoor knowledge accumulated over the years with a young mind willing to learn about the natural world and our place in it. It is the highest honor for another adult to entrust the young would-be hunter to the safety and experience.
Feedback wanted on Mt. Philo State Park design
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation is seeking public feedback on potential designs to enhance Mt. Philo State Park.
Private forests, public benefits
Whether you realize it or not, the lives of Vermonters are massively enriched by forests, both aesthetically (we are the Green Mountain State, after all, and the green on the mountains is forests), economically and culturally (through our working landscape
Renovating the strawberry patch
Now that the June-bearing strawberry season has passed, there are things that we can do now to get ready for next year’s crop. If your strawberry patch is two years old or more, after harvesting the last of your strawberries, it’s time to renovate the bed.
More good news in the outdoors
There’s no space right now for more grim news. I will leave it to others to write about cyanobacteria blooms in Charlotte and elsewhere, drought and its sequalae, climate change, and species loss. For this moment, through rose-colored glasses, I’m reporting good news in the outdoors.
It’s not a Harry Potter problem, you’re just home more
Several Charlotte residents have mentioned to The Charlotte News that they have been noticing barred owls more than usual this year. Bird Project Leader for Vermont Fish and Wildlife Doug Morin shared some of his knowledge as to why this could be.
Foresters for the birds
In 2008, Audubon Vermont and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation teamed up to create a program called “Foresters for the Birds.
Maximize that lettuce
It feels like we wait all year for fresh lettuce, and the window seems to close quickly. How can we maximize lettuce season? While lettuce is easy to grow, factors like temperature impact how well it does. Understanding timing and varieties can help yield a continuous supply throughout the summer and beyond.
Good news in the outdoors
There’s no shortage of distressing news these days. Let’s take a break from it all for a few paragraphs and savor some positive news.
Derby fishing for fun with the family
I am sitting under a bright red tent at Shelburne Shipyard during the LCI Derby held over Father’s Day weekend. A very gentle breeze is blowing around the southern point and circulating relatively cool air under the tent.
Yellow birch: A profile
Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) is a striking tree: golden, metallic bark shines among the grays and browns of other trees. The cousin of our most-identifiable tree, the white or “paper” birch (Betula papyrifera), yellow birch has many of the same attributes: bark with little horizontal dashes, peeling horizontally.
Stay safe and get outdoors!
It looks like we may be socially distancing for a while to come. If the pandemic continues, we will all need to sort out how to stay safe, healthy and sane. For many Vermonters, playing in the outdoors may be the best solution for sanity. Why not take this moment to learn something new about the natural world that lies beyond the reach of our feet or a car trip?
Coronavirus shows value of Charlotte Town Link Trail
Much of the debate over the years on the Town Link Trail in Charlotte has included the constructive give-and-take that is the hallmark of a healthy democratic process.
Keystone species
A keystone species is a species, usually of wildlife, that has a disproportionate effect on its environment. In our region, the classic example of this is the beaver.
Beavers dam and flood fields and forests, essentially creating, or driving, their own natural disturbance events. Besides making great habitat for themselves, they support a whole ecosystem, home to many reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, plants and more.
Give us a brake, turn on your lights, do the reach
The advent of good weather, coupled with continuing stay-at-home restrictions, has unleashed cycling enthusiasts to get on their bikes and ride. Given the increasing number of cyclists on Charlotte’s roads, now is a good time for our annual reminder to both drivers and cyclists about how to share our roads safely.
Take the long way home
The current pandemic has changed a lot of our daily interactions and caused us to take a closer look at what really matters. When the population of our country is struggling to maintain a civil discourse on politics, I have found great solace in my own form of worship: that of nature and all that she offers us.
The “wolf” on Mount Philo
On February 6, The Charlotte News published an article by Chittenden County Forester Ethan Tapper on wolf trees. Tapper defines a wolf tree as one that grows in an open field, like a “lone wolf.”
Get outdoors and stay safe: The leash has been lengthened
Our leashes have been lengthened! Governor Phil Scott and his administration are gradually re-opening Vermont, and with that comes more opportunities to get outdoors at this beautiful time of year. Here are some ideas.
Selectboard discusses budget austerity, trails construction, appointments
On Monday the Selectboard again met virtually, with members discussing austerity budget measures, approving reappointments, and reviewing draft request for bids for siding repairs on the Senior Center and construction of the next section of the Town Link Trail on State Park Road.