Cold Hollow to Canada Woodlots Program

Posted on by Jessica Boone

We are very happy to tell you that in addition to being a Bird Friendly Maple Sugarbush, we also are part of the Richford Woodlots Program. The Richford Woodlots is one piece that makes up the Cold Hollow to Canada organization. So what does that mean?

The mission statement for Cold Hollow to Canada is:

Our vision is a healthy and intact forested landscape that supports a strong and sustainable local economy through stewardship, with permanent protection of core wildlife habitat and connectivity across the entire Northern Forest.

They’re goal is the permanent protection of 40% of the unfragmented Priority Forest Blocks by 2030.

What is Hi Vue Maples doing to help? We are working with our local Richford Woodlots group. These are some of the things we are doing;

  • Wildlife habitat development (we have surveyed an area for a patch cut to benefit wildlife and birds -work to begin in 2017)
  • Interior songbird habitat (we are Audubon Certified Maple Sugarbush)
  • Best Management practices (BMP) for working lands (we just updated our current use land management plan)
  • Water quality protection (we have had the initial engineer survey to improve several of our stream crossings – work to begin in 2018)
  • Invasive species control (knock on wood – we don’t have any)
  • Climate change resiliency (we’ll try our best!)

Learn more about these great programs at audubonvt.org and coldhollowtocanada.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram Twitter and sign up for our newsletter where I’ll keep you up to date on projects we have going and lots of pictures!

Forest Tent Catepillars, Defoliation and Brown Foliage

Posted on by Jessica Boone

Forest tent catepillars have arrived – they will stay for a 3 year cycle – the hope is they move through the forest and don’t stay in one area. They cause damage to a Maple and other trees by eating the foliage during growing season.

The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria Hubner) may be found throughout the United States and Canada wherever hardwoods grow. Their favored host are sugar maple and poplar ( also known as aspen) Regionwide outbreaks have occurred at intervals varying from 6 to 16 years in northern areas. I posted a video on our Facebook page that shows the significant leaf reduction that occurred in our sugarbush this spring.  The forest tent catepillar is a native insect that has attracted attention since colonial times.  What I am learning and trying to focus on is the fact that these are native insects and while in the short term (sometimes long term due to death of a tree) is that we should just leave nature alone.  Yes the catepillars do damage but sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture.

Forest Tent Catepillar

Forest Tent Catepillar

Catepillars came and ate the leaves.  The leaves grew back but with a smaller leaf which created a thinner tree canopy.  We have had 2 very wet years followed by a dry year.  This year the foliage looks very dull and brown – even the conifers.   That brown is caused by the excessive amount of seeds that the trees are bearing this year.  Those seeds have and will be dropping to the forest floor to regenerate.  Back to the catepillars that ate the leaves – less leaves equals more sunlight reaching through the canopy.  More light helps theses seedlings establish which long term starts a whole new generation of new trees.

 

 

We do not expect to see a reduction in maple syrup production due to forest tent catepillars. I mentioned before that they can cause the death of a tree but usually that tree already has damage of some sort and does not deal well with any added stress.  Tapping maple trees does add stress to the tree but we do not overtap (using too many taps per tree) or tap trees that are too small in diameter (a minimum of 12 inches).  We also use what is called a health spout which has a smaller entry point for the tree.

 

 

 

 

 

Cold Hollow to Canada

Posted on by Jessica Boone

Mushrooms and fungi

I try to learn something new everyday, some days I find a topic that I can learn lots about and its in my backyard! A few weeks ago one of the local foresters called me and asked if I would like to take a hike as part of a survey for the Cold Hollow to Canada Conservation Group.  I needed motivation to start hiking/walking/running again, the weather was beautiful and it started about a mile from my house, I needed to do this!

As it turned out it wasn’t an “official” hike since they’re weren’t enough qualified trackers involved, it was just me and  a fellow landowner Greg.  Greg knows way more about the wildlife and how to track them then I do and I live here full time!  There goal is to monitor 10 species of mammals in the area and find signs of them.  Just a few of them are black bear, fishers, minks, and moose.

 

 

It was a pleasant hike that was about 3 1/2 miles long.  Greg taught me how to look for bear sign on trees – claw and tooth marks and what types of trees they prefer.  We also saw white tail deer sign (which we were not looking for because they are so abundant in the area)

White tail antler rubbing on trees

To learn more about what Cold Hollow to Canada is check out coldhollowtocanada.org