Vernon Students Research Birds

 It was March tenth when we noticed that the Red-winged Blackbirds and Cowbirds were at our backyard feeder here in Vernon. How could we not notice with their chatter filling every spruce tree in the neighborhood? We had been hearing the beginnings of a dawn chorus for a couple of weeks, raising our hopes for an early spring; but the return of the Red-winged black birds? Well, that is a sure sign that the struggle between winter and spring has at long last been decided. And just like that, Canada Geese in formation are just overhead, coasting along Governor Hunt Road and landing at Miller farm. Welcome home friends! 

Stepping into the hall at Vernon School, one will encounter any manner of peculiar happenings. On this particular day, I was in a hurry when I paused for a line of students moving down the long hall. While this in of itself is nothing extraordinary, it seemed that something of great interest was going on up above. How could anyone resist such an invitation? Hands clasped behind our backs, I joined them in observing the ceiling. Somehow in all of the hustle and bustle of the school days, I had forgotten the marvelous artwork painted on the ceiling tiles, and there are those cameras that we were all so nervous about when first installed. Our students used to make funny faces at them and wave. What else is up there? Has anyone figured out how to measure the square footage of ceiling in our school? While I didn't exactly know what was happening I sure did have a lot of questions!

Speaking of questions, Tai Morse's class has been working hard on finding answers to questions not just about our ceiling, but also questions about birds. I'm sure that our community misses seeing and reading all of our student's impressive work which continues to be posted in their classrooms and on bulletin boards. With this in mind, here is a sample of 3-M's  research and poetic expression on birds.  Congratulations on your inspiring work!

Vernon Vermont Nature Finds welcomes nature themed submissions by local youth. Please send submissions to eaglestailvt@gmail.com Parent permission required. 

Residents in Nature, third edition.

 I used to tell my own children that one of the saddest sights was a snow covered front yard without footprints in it. On one January snow day three local kids, Chase, Hunter and Makayla brought joy to my heart! I hope you will agree that such industrious youth are worthy of headlining Nature Finds Residents in Nature!

We met this Vernon resident setting a trap for beaver. He asked that I not use his name because though a "part of our heritage" and considered conservation wildlife management, trapping is largely misunderstood. I asked him how often he must check his traps and he said, "every seventy- two hours, but I check them everyday." 

"One of the reasons I live on this road is because of the transformation of the brook. It's miraculous!" Wayne and I had stopped by the bridge on Broad Brook road the day before Valentines Day so that I could take pictures of the frozen falls there. Phyllis who lives nearby was walking down the road in fifteen degree temperatures when we met. I asked her if anything was in the brook and she told me that there are Brook Trout. About that "miraculous" comment Phyllis?  I couldn't agree with you more! 

 We hadn't seen a soul for the entire two hour hike until we reached the town forest and found John headed from where he had just come. John who lives in Westminster West, had been hearing about the Black Gum Swamps for awhile and thought that he would see the area and scout for deer. He only had a compass to to guide his off trail adventure in the Roaring Brook Wildlife Management Area. I wasn't worried about him losing his way however; because he also mentioned that his father is a forester and that he knew the state forester. 

It was a sunny February Sunday afternoon on the trail with not a soul in sight. The trail was ours for the entire hike in. The way out was another story with Wayne and I having to hop off of the VAST trail three times for sledders. It's nice to see this resource being used here in Vernon!

On the last day in February, Wayne and I were walking the snowmobile trail when we met Charlotte on Stebbins Road. Charlotte has lived on Franklin Road for fifty years, but walks on Stebbins because there isn't any ice and its so pretty. Charlotte mentioned that there is a photographer who takes a picture of the falls over the dam on Island Meadow Brook every day. 

Amanda and Jill celebrated the thermometer cracking fifty by walking "the five mile looper," The wonderful thing about them coming up behind us on Newton Road, was that I could tell by their laughter who they were before I turned around to look! 

No Regrets on the Roaring Brook Trail

 

Wayne and I set out to investigate the prospects of hiking from the town forest to Franklin Rd on the vast trail. We drove up by Lillis Pasture searching for the trail outlet only to find that there wasn't any place to park a car for the return trip. We decided that while we could probably manage a one way trip, a round trip seemed too much of an undertaking.

Wayne suggested instead, that we take a hike with the dogs in the town forest, which turned into a hike in Roaring Brook Wildlife Management Area, which turned into five hours of the best hiking I have experienced in Vernon to date!

The Roaring Brook Extension route is an easy trail with a few moderate spots that may require getting your feet wet, a bit of rock hopping and some good old fashioned prayer. The hike involves a few long hills, but nothing you can't pause on and enjoy the view while you catch your breath. For this trip I chose to wear my new light hikers with crampons and of course I brought my trekking poles for balance on the early spring ice.

We parked at the Basin Rd trail head and hiked up the gravel road to the white trail. We then walked along the top of the town forest towards MA. 

From there we took the logging road to the right of the White town forest trail entrance

This was our first hike in this area without leaves on the trees. I was surprised to see the mountains on this trail.

We usually take the road on the right; but the vast trail went down and to the left. We were up for an adventure and so instead took the green trail on the left. 

This part of the trail had me wishing that I had brought a Luge sled

Throughout the area, logging has created a forest in various stages of growth. At this particular spot a hill gradually came to an end with a small gap before another hill rose up.

Sometimes it felt odd to be able to look through a forest unobstructed by leaves and undergrowth.

A swamp at the end of the decline reminded me of Black Gum Swamps but with younger trees

I've discovered that winter hiking on vast trails is easier than warm weather hiking on rocky trails. For now the snow cover is adequate and the sun is bright. With the spring thaw however, these logging roads will become streams. 

When the trail seemingly becomes repetitious, I try and focus on textures and interesting patterns.

Finally the brook!

Typically Wayne and I would head directly to the falls when we reach Roaring Brook, but the vast trail crosses the brook hear and heads out into the unknown.

Where there is water there are trails to the water

And where there are animals, there is scat. this animal seemed to have eaten a high fiber diet. 

Someone had recently cleared trees from the trail

I quickly fell in love with this hardwood forest. I might not have noticed that this tree was a birch had it not had this one section of bark peeling back. High up in the branches this birch was more identifiable. I sometimes forget mature birch tree bark looks considerably different than a younger tree. Perhaps we just don't see as many old trees in our forests anymore?

I admired a ridge as we hiked and wished that we could be walking on top of it. Lager we would find ourselves on the opposite side to this ridge enjoying the view that I had wished for!

We came upon a wonderful surprise, a delightful pond!

The bridge over the distributary was lower than the surface of the pond. I think that even Ginny noticed it as an oddity.

I included this photograph taken nearby the pond because it is the only section of Roaring Brook that I have noted algae growing on the bottom. I am unsure why this is but wonder if it has something to do with the logging upstream.

This area of the trail has previously been logged

We leave the green trail and take the extension trail to the falls

We began to hear the interstate in the distance

A more southerly exposure on the opposite side of the ridge

I think that Luna was becoming bored with all of the walking and decided to liven things up. Ginny was having none of it!

Is that Guilford over there or Massachusetts? It seems that I am perpetually lost. We will see this summer if I am able to find my way through this area without the snowmobile tracks guiding me.

Hiking on the southern slope means less snow cover on the trail

I'm not sure what the point of this spot is, but it seems important.

Don't allow this downhill slope to fool you. In Vermont, where there is a downhill there is always an uphill. In this area we were actually walking on the side of a hill with plenty of upward slope on our left shoulder and a steep downward slope on our right.

Glacial erratic on the way down to the falls. I point this out as a way of giving future hikers hope that they are almost there! It won't be but a few more steps before you hear the falling water.

It was icy around the falls, so taking pictures was difficult.

One of these days I am going to walk further downstream to a place that allows me to walk directly up the middle of the brook to the falls. It aggravates me slightly that they can't be fully be seen or photographed from this location. 

We needed to make a decision at this point. Should backtrack the way we came or complete the loop by way of crossing the brook several times? Because we were familiar with the route and knew that we were closer to the green trail in that direction, we decided to close the loop and cross the brook. The dogs needed more convincing however.

I decided to try my luck and wade in rather than get my new hikers wet; but first I needed to break the thin ice along the edge with my poles. If I slipped, it was going to be a very long hike back to the car. 

It really wasn't as bad as I had imagined. The most difficult part was sitting on the bank trying to put socks on my wet feet. 

The second crossing I hopped from rock to rock.

The third crossing and I had history. The first encounter from the opposite bank, I refused to cross it and so we didn't make it from the falls, The second encounter was in drought conditions and so is was easily crossed. Today it looked cold, deep and wide.

Wayne decided that we should cross further up just before a stream ran into the brook. The problem was that the opposite bank was steep, so I prayed, hoped on rocks and crawled up on my hands and knees.

It's all uphill to the town forest from here and this is a trail we had been on before.