Summer is here! A long time coming, but with the snow and cold weather becoming things-of-the-past,June is a perfect time for a walk in the woods. Native wildflowers, trees and shrubs are in bloom (including the lady slipper in the photo, a striking native orchid that we found in the forest understory while walking with a landowner). Migratory songbirds have made their way back to Vermont to enjoy the summer weather, and you may have heard them singing, especially in the early morning hours.
Wildlife of all shapes and sizes are scurrying, loping, and climbing in the woods (don’t forget to look up! There could be a porcupine chewing on tree bark). Many of these species rely on their undisturbed part of the forest, especially in the spring and early summer, for activities such as nesting, breeding and flowering.
Because of this, spring and summer are a vibrant time to walk in the woods, while logging or other disruptive activities are best left until later in the year (late summer, fall, or winter) to minimize impact to these important wildlife habitats.
A walk in the woods is also a perfect opportunity to check on your property boundaries. Good fences make good neighbors, so the saying goes, and you might just find remnants of those wire fences that kept your sheep out of your neighbor’s land, and vice versa. You probably don’t need a fence to be a good neighbor, if we’re talking woodlots; other boundary markers such as blazes (marks around eye-height, cut into trees along a boundary line and painted for visibility), or iron pins set in the ground can be useful for establishing your property lines. This can be confusing- not everything you find in the woods is an official boundary marker- and you can start by finding a survey map and/or deed description of your property, on file with your town office. These documents describe what types of boundary marking to look for, and where. When you find your boundary markers, consider flagging them with brightly colored, durable flagging tape to make them more visible to you and your neighbors. But please refrain from moving, altering, or creating new boundary markers (blazes, iron pins, etc.)- only a licensed land surveyor can do that! For the truly mysterious boundaries, it’s best to consult a land surveyor.
NorthWoods forestry staff are available to walk your woodlot, help you locate existing boundary markers (or refer you to a surveyor, if needed), or to kick off your summer with other projects in your forest. Wondering where to start? Give us a call, or email forestry@northwoodscenter.org!
