The end of August brings the first hints of fall’s cool mornings. As September begins, summer internships wrap up, gardens are rich with harvest, and we say farewell to some of our feathered friends. Last weekend, participants in our migratory bird walk at Paradise Park in Windsor, Vermont, observed 34 species, including white-throated sparrow, tree swallow, and two great blue herons flying in a thermal. Alexander van Engelen observed a group of more than 30 red-winged blackbirds migrating through.

Continuing a Legacy of Conservation in West Newbury

Tomorrow, a newly conserved 83-acre property will join an impressive legacy of land protection in West Newbury. The parcel of forest and farmland is located along the west side of North Road, across the road from Cynthia Maltbie’s home, which she and her late husband Bruce conserved with UVLT nearly two decades ago. By purchasing this additional property and donating an easement to UVLT, Cynthia is fulfilling a decades-long dream — and adding to over 1800 acres of protected land in this part of Newbury and Topsham, keeping the area open, scenic, and undeveloped for wildlife, agriculture, and forestry.

Trip Report: Jay Davis at Lyme Hill

Too good not to share with all UVLT friends and readers — here’s a recent report from Jay, posted to the Lyme listserv: 

“On a morning run, I discovered the Storywalk trail loop that goes off of the bottom of the Lyme Hill trail system, near the parking lot on Rt. 10. Many of you probably know of it already (I am often late to the party), and it is extremely well done, with laminated pages on rocks and trees telling a story of the discovery of maple syrup by Abenaki people centuries ago, while also slipping in information about the woods you are in. The entire loop including the trail from the parking lot is probably ¾ of a mile and relatively flat, so a great outing for kids and those young at heart, including a moment of memory at the beautiful rock memorial to Jim Jenks, who did all of the excavation for the trailhead parking lot.” 

If you’ve not yet been there, we hope Jay's report will inspire you to discover the Storywalk Trail and the other wonderful features of the Lyme Hill Conservation Area!

Growing Community: Summer Garden Report

Nastasia Caole, our 2025 Patchen Miller Intern, ably managed our gardens this summer and supported an incredible team of volunteers. “When you work with and learn from your community, you notice things that you may take for granted when alone,” she writes.

Oh Deer: Studying Browse Impact in the Upper Valley

This summer, we were also joined by intern Justin Robinson, a student at UVM whose work with UVLT focused on deer browsing issues. Here’s what he has to share about his summer learning about property management, wildlife impacts, and deer conservation: 

“One of the main projects I was involved with was collecting field data from study plots at the Brookmead Conservation Area in Norwich. This property features areas where significant deer browse has impacted native species, while allowing non-native, invasive plant species to thrive. I also spent time assisting Alexander van Engelen with a deer management study on the UVLT-owned Cream Street Conservation Area property and Andy Boyce with field work on a soon-to-be privately conserved property located in Thetford.” 

Speaking of deer...

Next month, UVLT’s Alexander van Engelen will attend a virtual symposium on White-Tailed Deer Management in Natural Areas. The program convenes scientists and wildlife professionals to highlight research underscoring the harmful impacts of deer on biodiversity and forest regeneration, and share information about a scalable, multi-pronged approach currently being piloted in Virginia.

This year, we bid farewell and extend our heartfelt thanks to three remarkable trustees — John Gerstmayr, Steve Taylor, and Stan Williams (left to right above) — whose decades of exemplary service, experience, and unwavering commitment have had an immeasurable impact on UVLT. 

At the same time, we are pleased to welcome our newest trustees — Paul Detwiler, Dianne Ingalls, and Marianne Walsh — and look forward to the energy and ideas they will bring to our mission.

Eyes on Ash at Old Town Farm Conservation Area, Pomfret, VT  September 20, 10–11:30 a.m. Here in the Upper Valley, if you take a walk through the woods, there’s a good chance you’ll pass by an ash tree. Ash trees have long been a dominant component of the Upper Valley's forests, but their numbers are rapidly declining due to the existential threat posed by the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This fall, we’re launching a year-long series to educate the public about ash trees. Join our first session on September 20 to learn how to identify black and white ash by their leaves and samaras (fruits), and hear from forester and land manager Neil Lamson about his work retaining and recruiting ash trees. We will also discuss how you can help us protect this important species! Registration is strongly encouraged.

Celebrating a Successful Stargazing Event at Mountain View Farm 

More than 100 people joined UVLT and the Orford Conservation Commission under the dark, clear skies of Mountain View Farm in Quinttown on August 22 for our annual stargazing party. We observed constellations, asterisms, meteors, satellites (including a set of recently launched Starlink satellites), the planet Saturn, the full Milky Way, and the black hole located near the Andromeda galaxy. Thanks to our STAR stargazing guide, Bobby Farlice-Rubio, who informed and entertained us in this beautiful, special place! 

We Know You Love the Upper Valley. We Do Too.

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