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It’s pollinator time! The bright yellow flowers of Black-eyed Susans attract many different butterflies, moths, and bees during the summer months, and later the seed heads attract birds.
David Kotz has shared these photos of the conserved land along River Road south of Lyme, where the landowner has seeded the meadow frontage with these native wildflowers. See more of David’s Black-eyed Susan photos here.
| | A 60-acre addition to UVLT’s Ely Mountain Conservation Area advances important habitat connections between two significant interior forest blocks that are divided by Route 244 in Fairlee. The new land adds habitat diversity and water quality protection to the suite of benefits provided by UVLT’s ownership at Ely Mountain. Efforts to conserve this land began several years ago when our study of regional habitat connectivity identified the Route 244 area near Hebbard Road as a conservation priority. | | Our nest box is getting crowded—the kestrel fledglings are growing fast! They have been flying, hunting, and returning to the nest box to roost. By late August, they and their mother will likely be leaving for warmer climes. When we next share an update, dad may be the only resident of the box at Brookmead Conservation Area. In early July, we banded the chicks so we can track their progress. See a short video of banding day above! | | Earlier this month, UVLT President Jeanie McIntyre was one of five panelists leading a program for senior land trust staff and the professionals who advise landowners across the country. “Trying Times,” hosted by Utah Open Lands in partnership with the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and its Wallace Stegner Center, drew over 400 attorneys, appraisers, CPAs, and conservation practitioners to a fast-paced and highly technical four-hour session about new Treasury regulations and recent conservation easement-related tax court cases. If you are a professional who needs this information, contact Jeanie to learn how you can access the recording. | | “Long ago, when human beings were new to the world, the Creator gave them the gift of maple syrup.”
So begins Gluskonba and the Maple Trees, the children’s book featured at the Lyme Hill Story Trail this summer. Joseph, James, and Jesse Bruchac tell the Abenaki story of community cooperation and treating the land’s gifts with respect. The story is beautifully illustrated by Abenaki artist Amy Hook-Therrien. Though it's a children’s book, the story is timeless—go take a walk and a read! Thank you as well to Jason Chin, whose book Redwoods, was at the Story Trail through June.
| | Thirty people – foresters, natural resource professionals, and landowners - attended the day-long “Invasives Academy” at Poverty Lane Orchards on July 24. The UNH Extension-led workshop included classroom and outdoor instruction to provide participants with a foundation for managing invasive species in New Hampshire, including principles of weed ecology, wildlife habitat considerations, integrated vegetation management, project planning strategies, and available tools and resources. Thanks to all our partners and participants! | | Annual Stargazing Party at Mountain View Farm
August 23, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Join the Upper Valley Land Trust and the Orford Conservation Commission for our Annual Stargazing Party led by Bobby Farlice-Rubio! Mountain View Farm in the Quinttown region of Orford is the perfect place to take a tour of the night sky. Its remote location, 360-degree view, and lack of electric light pollution mean you can see the whole sky on a clear night. | | |
Bird Walk at Lake Runnemede
August 30, 8-10 a.m.
Grab your binoculars and join the Upper Valley Land Trust and Paradise Park Commission for a 1.5-mile walk at Paradise Park in Windsor, VT. UVLT’s Holly Henderson and Alexander van Engelen will help participants identify birds by sight and sound, and will be accompanied by Jim Bennett from the Paradise Park Commission, who can answer questions about this lake and wetland communities on the property.
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All About Ash
September 20, 10-11:30 a.m.
The first in a planned educational series about ash trees, this event will teach participants to identify black and white ash by their leaves and fruit and showcase how forester/land manager Neil Lamson is working to retain and recruit ash trees at UVLT's Old Town Farm in Pomfret.
| | We Know You Love the Upper Valley. We Do Too. | | | | |
