All photos by JMMDS.
Recently Julie had one of those “only in Vermont” experiences that make her so happy to call this her home. She attended the Vermont Coverts Woodlands for Wildlife Cooperator training workshop at Kehoe Conservation Camp in Fair Haven, Vermont. (In case you’re wondering, “covert” is a 14th-century word for a dense thicket that provides shelter for animals.)
Vermont Coverts’ mission is to “enlist Vermont landowners in a long-term commitment to maintain and enhance diverse wildlife habitat and healthy ecosystems.” Since Julie and her husband Steve live amidst woodlands, wetlands, a thriving beaver habitat, and diverse wildlife, she wanted to learn more about how to manage their land appropriately.
The three-day workshop educated attendees about wildlife, forest ecology and conservation, and how to make informed land management decisions.
Enjoy this photo gallery from Julie’s workshop. You can learn more by exploring the Vermont Coverts website.
Alan Calfee (left), Consulting Forester, and Chris Stone (center), Rutland County Forester, discussing forest ecology.
Kim Royar, a wildlife biologist from the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, taught the group about managing woodlands for wildlife.
Afternoon field sessions took place out of doors,with some perfect Vermont fall weather (and a rain squall or two).
The group examines a patch cut, a two-acre cut for early succession habitat, providing cover for quail, deer, and other wildlife.
Two of Julie’s new friends: the “woodchucks,” Peter and Mike.
On Saturday evening, Executive Director Lisa Sausville and Vice President Rich Chalmers led a game of Vermont Coverts Jeopardy.
Treasure discovered in the forest: Laetiporus sulphureus, the Chicken of the Woods.
