Forest Stewardship Institute

19 04, 2016

Teaming up with TNC to Save Elms

2016-12-13T19:11:46-05:00April 19th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News|

NorthWoods is once again teaming up with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to help save the elms! In the mid-20th century, the Dutch Elm Disease came through the U.S. and decimated the American Elm population, killing almost all of the iconic trees. Even now, many elm trees which succeed in establishing themselves are killed by the disease before they are able to achieve their mature height. While the majority of elms have been killed, there are still some large elm trees which survived the disease, and it has been shown that some of these individuals have [Read More...]

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19 04, 2016

NorthWoods Expands USFWS Youth Conservation Crews

2016-12-13T19:11:46-05:00April 19th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News|

The NorthWoods Stewardship Center has had a long-standing partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, managing Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crews at National Wildlife Refuges across New England since 1999. Nearly 20 years later, the partnership continues to offer great potential at new locations. This year, NorthWoods will manage a YCC Crew at the Misissquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton, VT and a YCC Crew Leader team at the Moosehorn NWR in Charlotte, ME. These crews are in addition to our current YCC crews at the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge Nulhegan Basin [Read More...]

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19 04, 2016

Vermont’s Green Up Day

2016-12-13T19:11:47-05:00April 19th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News|

The first Green Up Day occurred in 1970, when Governor Deane C. Davis decided there should be a day dedicated to citizen-powered state cleanup. On that first Green Up Day, over 4,000 garbage truck loads were required to haul the trash that was picked up by Vermonters. Now, 46 years later, the tradition is still going strong with over 40,000 bags of trash collected annually! Green Up Vermont, like NorthWoods, is a 503(c) non-profit organization. It was started in 1979 to organize the annual litter gathering and distribute special trash bags. The people of Green [Read More...]

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19 04, 2016

Trail Guidelines for Mud Season

2016-12-13T19:11:47-05:00April 19th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News|

It is mud season in the Northeast Kingdom and NorthWoods is discouraging hikers from damaging local trail during this transitional time of year. In northern Vermont mud season comes early and ends late, often extending into June—much later than other parts of the state. The impacts of hiking during mud season are significant and they should be minimized during any wet spell, not just in the spring. Fragile soils, plants, loose slopes, access roads and parking areas are all more susceptible to rutting, compaction and erosion at this time of year. To reduce impacts to [Read More...]

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24 03, 2016

This Week in the Woods: Sugaring Season

2016-12-13T19:11:47-05:00March 24th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, This Week in the Woods|

Warm days and cold nights make that sap run! But why? During the day, when temperatures rise above freezing, pressure develops inside of the tree. This pressure wants to release, and can do so by pushing sap out of an opening (such as the ones that we create). As temperatures fall during the night, suction (or negative pressure) develops within the tree. This causes the roots to take in large quantities of water, which can be used to replenish the sap. This replenished sap will flow again during the next warm [Read More...]

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24 03, 2016

This Week in the Woods: Winter Precipitation

2016-12-13T19:11:47-05:00March 24th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, This Week in the Woods|

This winter we have seen a lot less snow, and a lot more rain, than usual. While the immediate effects of this weather difference are apparent, especially recreationally, the long term impacts may be harder to see. As spring arrives, there will be less snow melt (due to minimal snow) than what we may be used to. Snow melt from alpine zones, which lags behind lower elevations, serves as an important water source for many places (especially in the western United States). Precipitation falling as rain is available for only a [Read More...]

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11 01, 2016

This Week in the Woods: Winter Tracks

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00January 11th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

Have you ever walked outside in the morning to find that someone, or something, has been quite busy while you were asleep? Here are some hints to help you narrow down your suspects. There are four main ways that animals move: Walk/Trotters (cat family, dog family, and hoofed animals) move on their toes, front foot on one side, followed by hind foot on the other side. Typically you will only see the hind tracks as they place them on top of the front tracks. Waddlers (Bears, Beavers, Porcupines, Raccoons, Opossums, Muskrats, [Read More...]

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11 01, 2016

This Week in the Woods: Freezing Frogs

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00January 11th, 2016|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

There are five species of frogs that are able to enter a “frozen state” as they hibernate for the winter: the Wood Frog, Cope’s Gray Tree Frog, the Eastern Gray Tree Frog, Spring Peepers, and the Western Chorus Frog. Even in their protected winter homes, temperatures are sure to drop below freezing. This causes the water in their outer cells to begin to freeze. Once this begins, their liver starts producing glucose, which the heart pumps through the blood to all vital organs. This glucose helps prevent the tissue from drying [Read More...]

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17 12, 2015

Winter Programs & Conditions

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00December 17th, 2015|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News|

Trail System Snow Conditions Groomed Open Trails / Total Trails Last Updated NorthWoods Center High Moisture Powder over Ice Yes  6 km / 18 km 4-March-16 Willoughby State Forest High Moisture Packed Powder Yes  12 km / 14 km 4-March-16 Q Burke Resort Please See Q Burke Site -  - - Click here for maps of our Nordic trails at NorthWoods, Willoughby, and Q Burke. NorthWoods will be posting up-to-date trail conditions on this page throughout the season. For a more detailed update on trail conditions and programs, please refer to our weekly [Read More...]

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7 12, 2015

This Week in the Woods: Balsam Firs are Busy

2016-12-13T19:11:54-05:00December 7th, 2015|Conservation Corps, Education, Forest Stewardship Institute, Highlights, News, This Week in the Woods|

The Balsam Firs are busy! Not only do they serve as one of the most popular choices for Christmas trees, they are also highly medicinal. This tree has been used throughout history by many Native Americans, such as the Iroquois, Algonquin, Abenaki, Penobscot, and others. The resin can be used on cuts and burns, as well as turned into a chest ointment for colds and congestion. A tea can be made from the needles to sooth coughs and colds. Once made into an essential oil, it can be used to calm [Read More...]

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Mailing Address

PO Box 220, East Charleston, VT 05833

Get in Touch

Email: info@northwoodscenter.org

Main Phone: 802.723.6551

Office & Administration ext: 301
Conservation Science & Forestry ext: 302
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Or visit our Contact page for more ways to get in touch with our staff.


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Funding for the development of this website was made possible in part by the Rural Business Enterprise Grant through the Vermont Community Loan Fund from USDA Rural Development.
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