After completion of these two fields, the clearing work will move uphill to some other portions of our land.
Clearing work has begun on the two once-and-future fields adjacent to the brook. A second pass will be done on these fields in the spring to grind the stumps, which are currently buried in deep snow, down to ground level. The clearing will benefit the native trees that we have left, including the big sugar maple tree shown below, and the restored fields will eventually attract birds, such as woodcock, that need open areas for their mating rituals.
After completion of these two fields, the clearing work will move uphill to some other portions of our land.
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The brontosaurus machine arrived today, and will begin land clearing work tomorrow, Jan. 8. Our contractor is Faun Koplovsky, owner of Land and Mowing Solutions. Faun has many years of experience doing wildlife habitat restoration projects, similar to this one, all over New England. We are delighted to have his help with this project!
See other recent blog posts below for discussion of the background and goals of this project. We are planning a wildlife habitat restoration project on the Eastern portion of the property, beginning January 7, 2019. The goals are:
A few years ago, we joined with a group of neighboring Dothan Ridge landowners to commission Audubon Vermont to do a study of the suitability of our combined forest lands for bird habitat. Key recommendations to improve bird habitat include:
We are starting to make plans to implement these recommendations. Stay tuned for future updates on these plans. Conditions for XC skiing are unusually good right now, with deep snow that has not yet turned to ice. Come out and enjoy the network of trails!
Following the extended drought that we have been experiencing this summer, the water flow in the brook is at the lowest level I have seen.
On a walk with naturalist Scott Davison, we saw tracks of deer, porcupine, fox, rabbit, fisher, and bear!
Today I burned some brush piles in a bonfire, to clean up after my recent brush clearing work. Thanks to recent rains, there were lots of mushrooms appearing nearby.
Now we are near the peak of aster blooming season. Today I saw some beautiful New England asters and Heart-leaved asters beside the trails.
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November 2023
AuthorsTom and Patricia Norton have owned this land since June 2013. We love coming to Dothan Brook frequently to explore the trails, to watch the Brook, and to see how many different species of plants and animals we can find. We are pleased to welcome you to this beautiful land. Categories |