We help to conserve, protect, and enhance the wildlife and the habitats of the Nulhegan River Basin for the continuing benefit of current and future generations.
Friends Meeting on Thursday, March 14, 2024:
A Friends of Nulhegan meeting will be held on Thursday March 14, 2024 at 7 pm, via Zoom. This will be a regular business meeting; the public is invited. Just after the meeting is called to order, Wildlife Biologist Jill Kilborn from Vermont Fish and Wildlife will present a program on the West Mountain and Wenlock Wildlife Management Areas. The business meeting will be held after Jill’s presentation.
Check out this short video on WCAX TV of Jill Kilborn talking about the endangered Spruce Grouse, a resident of the Refuge and nearby lands. Bring your questions!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81491526774?pwd=U0U3R2NsV1pXd3ozdWNVQzU0ZEp5UT09
Meeting ID: 814 9152 6774
Passcode: 817935
Woodcock Migration Study
The Nulhegan Basin Division was one of two Vermont capture sites for the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative, an international research collaboration led by the University of Maine to better understand the migratory ecology of the American woodcock along the Eastern Seaboard. This study uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to track the seasonal movement and habitat selection of American woodcock as they travel from their breeding grounds in Canada and northeastern U.S. to their wintering areas in the southern part of the U.S. A total of 4 woodcock from the Division were captured and outfitted with GPS units in October. Field work was led by PhD students from the University of Maine. To follow tagged birds as they migrate to southern wintering grounds, visit www.woodcockmigration.org.
Improving Fish Passage In Vermont
Conte Staff worked with the Fish and Aquatic Connectivity program this month to replace two perched and undersized culverts with more resilient and suitable steel bridges. The project took place on private land and improved aquatic connectivity on two tributaries to the Nulhegan River which runs through Nulhegan Division of the Conte refuge.
Adaptive Silviculture For Climate Change Tree Planting
A tenet of both restoration ecology and forest management for climate adaptation holds that ecosystems with a greater diversity of species is more resistant to change and better resilient in the face of change. The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change research project at the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Conte Refuge has begun enrichment planting of four tree species within artificially created gaps. These species are thought to have occurred in these areas historically, but their abundance has severely declined due to past management practices. In total, more than 14,000 seedlings were planted throughout the experiment. Seedling survivability, growth, browse pressure, and other attributes will be monitored for the length of the experiment.
For more of the latest news from the Refuge, check out our Refuge Happenings.
Supporting both education and conservation
Friends of the Nulhegan Basin Fish and Wildlife Refuge, Inc. is an all volunteer organization that supports our local Nulhegan Basin Division of the Silvio O. Conte Wildlife Refuge through contributing volunteer labor when needed, applying for grants, and providing advocacy support. The Friends was originally formed in 2006 and remained active for a number of years, before becoming inactive. The organization was reestablished in 2018. New members are warmly welcomed as are donations, as we continue to explore ways to strengthen our advocacy in support of both education about and conservation of the wildlife and natural beauty around us.
Friends of Nulhegan collaborates with the National Wildlife Refuge Friends, which is part of The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. This Foundation was established by Congress in 1984 and partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to build community support for their local National Wildlife Refuges.
Volunteer
Another way to contribute is to donate your time and energy to a Refuge project. Watch our Friends FaceBook page as well as this website for opportunities.
Black Branch Bridge Re-decking Crew
Come to a Meeting
The Friends are meeting virtually at present via Zoom, with meetings scheduled in January, April, July, and October.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The meeting will begin at 7 pm with a presentation about Wood Turtles on the Nulhegan and elsewhere in the NEK by Kiley Briggs, the turtle conservation coordinator for The Orianne Society’s Great Northern Forests Initiative (GNFI).
If you would like to attend the meeting, please email friends@nulhegan.org.