29 May 2011

Weekly Reflection

This has been a very productive week to be sure. I constructed a simple 12x16" press and scoured the woodlot for specimens to press for a herbarium. The process of collecting and identifying these specimens, some of which were very difficult to identify among numerous relatives, has not only made me much more confident using and navigating through guidebooks, but also more knowledgable of the different plants that grow in the area, most of which I did not know beforehand. Additionally, I have learned a great deal about plant anatomy and structure. 
This week, I also concentrated on some mapping with a GPS, marking important landmarks and each of the 30 or so vernal pools on the woodlot. GPS mapping is a central practice today in the conservation world, so my experience will serve as a good background as I go on to study conservation biology and wildlife ecology within my sustainable agriculture major. The information I collect will be used to create a hand-drawn map of our woodlot.
I got the chance to meet with both David and Doug a lot this week, and they have provided a wealth of knowledge for me as I learn more and more about my place. David and Doug provided two perspectives on management and how best to protect wetlands and wildlife habitat. While it is important to just let things be, logging (in an ecologically thoughtful manner) can provide food and diversity to the forest. I good balance between the two is probably the best solution to the management of a forest, and one should always take into account what lives in that forest before altering it.
David has been a huge help to me this week; explaining vernal pool ecology, identifying plants, helping me with my herbarium, and offering suggestions for my map. It has been a profound pleasure to work with him his month and while my project will be coming to a close shortly, my relationship with David will not. 

27 May 2011

Tomatoes, Snapping Turtles

Today, I got to work on the new garden where I will be planting tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra. I cut a bunch of poles that will be used to support the tomatoes as a train them with some twine. After installing the poles, I began forming the raised beds and turning them to prepare for planting.

Transplanting tomatoes in the new garden
I started planting the tomatoes, water them down really well, and gave them a little boost with a mixture of water and fish emulsion. I interplanted some basil verities in the beds which will help deter tomato worms towards the end of the season.

David stopped by this afternoon to check on a couple of pools with me, especially the one right across the street with a large population of wood frogs, as well a few american bullfrogs and green frogs. This pool has a great deal of vegetation around the perimeter and in it, like meadowsweet, silky dogwood, and wintergreen. This is the kind of vernal pool that could attract the grey tree frog, who often spend the day in the trees around a pool then return to the water at night. David and I could not find any in the trees, but I will keep my ears open for their distinct call. David and I found some new plants to I.D. around the pool and decided to meet up tomorrow to help begin compiling and organizing my information and notes.

This evening, David gave a talk at MainStreet BookEnds on the snapping turtle, including a live specimen for a little show and tell. Despite common belief, a snapping turtle will not attack while in water. It is when they are on land that their defensive instincts kick in and can be more aggressive (their head can reach half-way down their back to snap). When they are in the water, they would rather just be left alone and will try to hide. David pulled out a snapper of about 5 years, holding it gently in his hand. The turtle seemed to understand there was no escape in this situation and waited passively as David showed it to the audience. 

David's connection with the local turtles is quite amazing. He has been able to recognize certain individuals each year for the past forty odd years he has lived here in Warner. It has been a profound pleasure to work with David this month and observe a true master in his element. While my project will be coming to a close shortly, my relationship with David will continue as we find more opportunities to get out and explore together in the future.

As I get ready for presenting on wednesday, I will be mounting specimens for my herbarium and drawing out my map which will include all the vernal pools and the flora and fauna associated with that pool, longing trails, landmarks, etc.








26 May 2011

Mapping

Today I lathered up in bug repellent and made my way into the dense woods to do some mapping with the GPS. Doug has already marked the logging trail and many of the important wet spots. Today I started adding new points and cleaning up the data already on the GPS. After a few hours I was able to walk the majority of the property, and physically marked 18 vernal pools (there must be around 30 in total), a few of which are large, extensive lateral pools. I also marked 7 impressively large rocky outcrops and glacial erratics. I have been downloading the data on to google earth where I will be making a digital map from which I will base my actual hand-drawn map. I really comfortable using the GPS and was able to find more specimens for my herbarium.


In the garden, I continued to plant more seedlings and sowed some more radish and beet seeds. Under my teepees, I planted a variety of dry pole beans, and I have moved the peppers from indoors into my cold frame. I am now in the process of planning out the rest of the garden, as well as the new tomato garden next to it.

25 May 2011

Home Economics: Permaculture

After organizing some information for my map, I spent the rest of the day working in the garden and around the house. The goal is to create a rich environment around the house by beginning to use some of the principles of permaculture: every element (house, pond, garden, forest, pasture) is placed in relationship to another so that they assist each other and save energy, each element preforms many functions (food, fuel, wildlife habitat), each function is supported by many elements, waste and energy recycling on site, and the use polyculture and diversity of beneficial species for a productive, interactive system. Our homestead is currently in a period of great transition as we begin to hone in on our land and make it beneficial to us in terms of sustainability and self-reliance, as well as keep in mind what lives here and make our settlement work with the natural world rather than against it. 


Today my dad rented a tiller for the day and got to work forming some new beds around the house where we will be ultimately begin growing kitchen herbs, perennials, berries, and some squash as well. We are also maintaining a few patches of rhubarb and a bed of asparagus near the house. I got to work weeding the herb garden I created last year in the front lawn where I am maintaining some lemon balm, sage, thyme, rosemary, mint, parsley, and oregano mixed in with an array of wildflowers that are coming back again from last year.


Across the street near our vegetable garden, I had a chance to use the tiller to re-establish last year's garlic bed which will now be used for growing our tomatoes. I plan on also growing it's companion, basil, among the tomatoes as well as some eggplant and okra.



In the garden, I had to water the beds as the hot sun beat down on me and the plants. I cut some saplings and constructed two teepees that will support dry pole beans, and finally got my cucumbers in that will be growing around the structures in the new "lasagna" bed. Another compost pile has been started and seedlings are starting to be moved from the cold frames to the garden. Leeks were also planted in one bed and await plantings of celery and beets along side them. A rocky circular bed at the end of the garden has been mulched heavily and now has squash seedling that were found on the compost pile growing on top of it.

Things are starting to shape up!



24 May 2011

Teamwork

This after noon, David, Doug, myself, and my brother Matthias (fresh from Kenya and the white sands of Zanzibar) embarked on an official Lewis and Clark expedition through the woodlot. We made our way up to end of the 36 acres, visiting as many pools as we could find. The sheer number of pools astounded us, especially David and Doug, who through all their experience in the area, have never seen a place quite like it. The woodlot is incredibly varied geographically speaking with steep ridges, swales, and a number of large and impressive glacial erratics. The large number of pools must be due to the rockiness of the area. 


I began using the GPS a bit, marking points for each pool we found. Doug has already established logging trails marked on the GPS which will be included in my map and help navigate the woodlot. Tomorrow, I will start marking the remainder of the pools as well as important landmarks and interesting rocky outcrops. For each place, I will take a series of photographs and note any surrounding species to create a profile of that place.


The Warner naturalist team scoured the woodlot, discussing species of plants, vernal pool characteristics and their obligate species, as well as the difficult question of management and how best to protect these important habitats. Doug and David provided two excellent points of view on the subject. A sufficient buffer between a logging job and a pool should be provided to provide a forest canopy for the pool. However, it should not become an island in the middle of a clear cut, but a connected part of the rest of the forest. While just letting a place be is important, logging can open areas of the forest and provide sun exposure to the understory. This results in lush pockets of vegetation and allows some other species to thrive. I think a thoughtful balance between both a wildlife and forestry perspective is needed. The first step, however, is knowing what lives here.


David examining the different sedges growing in this vernal pool
The majority of the pools contain spotted salamander egg masses. Others we surveyed are being used by wood frogs, green frogs, spring peepers, red-spotted newts, with one pool containing a large mass of jefferson salamander eggs, and a few other pools that could be used by grey tree frogs. We have yet to  observe any turtles on the property, though some pools may be deep enough to support them.

Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota)



23 May 2011

Classifications

Over the weekend, I constructed a simple 12x16" press and scoured the woodlot for species to press for my herbarium. I concentrated primarily on collecting as many of the spring wildflowers as I could find. Over the past few days I have already collected over twenty species of wildflowers and plants from the forest. Today I took advantage of yet another wet day and began work classifying each of the specimens using a number of different guidebooks. I have been creating labels for each specimen, including both the common and scientific name along with the family. This practice has made me much more confident with using and navigating guidebooks, and in the process, I have learned a great deal about plant anatomy and structure.


This afternoon, I met with both David and Doug and discussed the plan for my last week. The three of us will be meeting tomorrow afternoon to survey some more pools and look at some more elements of the woodlot. David and Doug both agree that this place is quite unique in it's richness, variations, and large number of pools for it's relatively small area.


I received Doug's GPS today and have been setting up a topographic software on my computer. I will be using the GPS to mark important landmarks and areas, particularly the vernal pools and wetlands. The information I gather will ultimately be translated into a hand-drawn map of my place.


Now back to my classifications!

22 May 2011

Weekly Reflection

The word "economy" is derived from oikonomia, it's Greek origin literally meaning "management of a household." The word has since been turned into a monetary term. In Wendell Berry's book, Home Economics, he explains the importance of getting to know your bioregion as an essential part of sustaining our human well being. We are completely dependent on nature whether we like it or not, and what is good for the air, soil, water, and earth, is good for us in the long run. Berry explains that before we can make decisions involving the management of our "household," the place in which we live, we should first take into account wildlife and respective habitats that are a part of our place.


Last week, I learned a great deal about the vernal pools and wetland habitats that are a vital part of the ecology of my place. I observed many inhabitants and was able to, for the first time in a long time, simply reconnect and explore this incredible world behind my house. In addition I also began putting theory to practice by taking on the responsibility of managing the family garden. Agriculture is one of our closest connections with the natural world and in the garden and around our home, I have been striving to create stable, productive systems that will provide for us while also integrating the land with its inhabitants.


The number one question Berry poses in respect to a human economy in any given place is simply, what is here? This question is the basis of my project, and this week, I continued to answer this question by taking a closer look at "the woodlot." With help from local forester, Doug Newton, I have begun the process of identifying the number of different trees, shrubs, ferns, wildflowers, and mosses that characterize my place. Already I have gained a much better understanding of the different species that reside in "the woodlot" and I've become much more knowledgable of my place. Through my field work, observations, and insight from both David and Doug, I have learned, from direct experience, a number of plants and animals that I never knew lived in my own backyard (including a roughed grouse that I startled on one of my walks).


In the last stretch of my project, I will be honing in on "the woodlot" and will begin compiling information for my map, working on a herbarium, dip-netting in some of the vernal pools, and continuing my work in the garden and around the house.

20 May 2011

The Woodlot (cont.)

After working in the garden this morning, I went for a walk through the woodlot with the intention of identifying some new species and possibly collecting some specimens for pressing and illustration. Within the first half hour, the rain came with full force and being deep in the woods I had to find cover under the trees.


I checked on the "Marsh" to get a sense on what was growing near and in it. There are many different types of ferns and mosses that I will be trying to identify in the next few days. I slowly made my way back towards the house, checking in on some of the vernal pools. While meandering through the varied upland landscape with steep ridges, you come across many different basins often filled with water in a small clearing. In these little pockets, the diversity is astounding. I came across a small pool and clearing and observed some high bush blueberry growing along the edges of the pool. 


Witch-hazel, a medicinal plant, is a common sight in the forest. The bark and leaves are an astringent, which means that the chemical compound helps the shrink and contract blood vessels back to normal size. Extracts from the bark and leaves can be used for treating bruises and insect bites (vital for this time of year).


Common Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
I also found another native wildflower blooming next to the pool, starflower. The plant in similar to indian cucumber with a 4-8" stalk and a cluster or whorl of leaves at the top.


Starflower (Trientalis borealis)
This after noon, a had a chat with David about making a herbarium (a collection of plant specimens) which will be an excellent addition to my study here in the woodlot.

19 May 2011

The Woodlot

This morning I went for a walk through the woodlot with local forester, Doug Newton, to identify some of the different trees, shrubs, ferns, and mosses that characterize our forest. We began at the beginning of the woodlot and made our way up to the boundary line. Our forest is primarily dominated by white pine and eastern hemlock with red oak, american beech (abundant), red maple and sugar maple intermingled. Our forest also contains quite a few white oak and birch trees, with an occasional ash, scarlet oak, aspen, and striped maple. Lower to the ground we found witch hazel and hobble bush, among others, and even lower to the ground, sarsaparilla, mayflower, and a lot of blueberry in open areas.


Doug commented on the fact that this forest is almost entirely native. As farming ended in New Hampshire in the early 1900's, mother nature has since been allowed to take over. Doug will be doing minimal logging in the woodlot, concentrating on firewood and timber stand improvement (freeing desirable trees from competition, improving stand for future generations, improve wildlife food and habitat) with the protection of the wetlands in mind.


After our meeting, I spent the rest of the day until sundown in the garden. I fertilized beds with granulated chicken manure and started a second compost pile. In a newly turned and fertilized bed, I planted onions on the edges, leaving room for lettuce planting in between, and planted some beautiful cauliflower and broccoli seedlings that had been waiting in the cold frame. I replanted the rest of the onion, cauliflower, and broccoli seedlings in new containers with some more space so they can continue to grow until the next planting. In the past we have had trouble with cutworms who like to wrap around stems and cut them off. One trick for these guys is to put a nail in the ground next to the stem to stop the cutworms from going to town. I also made a low-hoop tunnel with agricultural cloth which should also keep pests at bay early on.


In the next few days, I will begin making an inventory of the different plants on the woodlot, especially near the wetlands, and collect samples to press and possibly illustrate.



18 May 2011

Hunkering Down

The rain kept me inside for a good part of the day today, but I kept myself occupied with some reading as well as some painting and illustration. Along with reading Wendell Berry's Home Economics, I have also been perusing Sepp Holzer's Permaculture, and of course, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible by Edward Smith (highly recommended) as I think about arranging the garden this season and look into some permaculture techniques for the long run around the homestead. I also looked over some of Doug's identification books and local species lists (the wildlife diversity here in Warner is astounding on paper).

When the rain let up, I was able to get in the garden and continue turning beds in preparation for planting tomorrow. I will also be walking the woodlot with Doug tomorrow to get an idea of what kinds of plants and trees compose my forest.


Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma magulatum)

17 May 2011

Preserving Wildness

This morning, after the rain had passed, I returned to the garden to continue turning and re-working the rest of the beds in preparation for new plantings tomorrow. I met with Doug Newton this after noon and we discussed tree, shrub, fern, and moss identification and mapping with a GPS to mark important areas and wetlands. Doug provided a number of excellent identification books and some hand-compiled guides to local flora and fauna in the Warner and Mt. Keasarge area. I will be meeting with Doug again on thursday to walk the the woodlot and identify some plants.


I have recently been reading Wendell Berry's Home Economics, specifically his chapter "Preserving Wildness," in which he discusses the importance of knowing your place and seeing the connection between nature and humanity. What is good for the air, soil, water, and earth is good for us in the long run:


"It is not possible (at least, not for very long) for humans                                  to intend their own good specifically or exclusively. We cannot intend our good, in the long run, without intending the good of our place – which means, ultimately, the good of the world."


In addition, we need wilderness because wildness – nature – is one of our essential studies. "We need to understand it as our source and preserver, as an essential measure of our history and behavior, and as the ultimate definer of our possibilities."


Berry lists three essential questions that should be asked with respect to a human economy in any given place:
                  1. What is here?
                  2. What will nature permit us to do here?
                  3. What will nature help us to do here?
The second and third questions deal with our human agendas of practical research and of work:


"If we do not work with and within natural tolerances, then we will not be permitted to work for long. It is plain enough, for example, that if we use soil fertility faster than nature can replenish it, we are proposing an end that we do not desire. And to ignore the possibility of help from nature makes farming, for example, too expensive for humans–as we are seeing. It may make life too expensive for humans."


Berry goes on to explain that the last two questions cannot be answered until the first question is answered – until we understand our bioregion, our place.

16 May 2011

Spring Rains

The forecast for this week in rain, rain, and more rain. While some may find this fact depressing, I welcome the much needed rain not only for my garden, but also for the woods, both of which have been suffering from a rather dry spring. Today my recent plantings of lettuce, arugula, and radish have now emerged from the moist ground and my transplants have been given new life. As David put it, the seasonal time clock for the water has been/is being re-wound for a time and the inhabitants of the vernal pools will have a little while longer to complete their life cycle. David told me about his worry for a special pool that is a critical habitat for a colony of spotted turtles that had been drying up much too quickly this season. So while the week looks gloomy, it will be critical to the survival of many species in the area.


In addition, the rain will keep the black flies at bay while I dive into a more in-depth study of my woodlot this week and begin to compile information for my map. Tomorrow afternoon I will be meeting with Doug Newton who will be doing some logging on the property this year. Doug has a wealth of knowledge related to our New Hampshire forests and will be able to assist me in identifying the different species here in my woodlot.


I spent the day building up my lasagna bed with fresh horse manure and continued the never ending job of turning and reestablishing beds. I discovered tomato seedlings in the one of the beds and replanted a few them on a flat and put it in my cold frame to be planted again later on. The wet week will be perfect for new plantings and is just in time for the transplanting of my cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower seedlings from the cold frame.

15 May 2011

Weekly Reflection

A bioregion is a land and water territory whose limits are defined by the geographical limits of human communities and their ecosystems. In other words, a bioregion is simply the place in which you live, including all of the natural communities, relationships, wildlife habitats, flora and fauna that characterize that place.
This week, I was able to gain a much better sense of place here at home, and understand the importance of caring for my bioregion by striving to create stable, productive systems around the house that provide for us while also integrating the land with its inhabitants. I discovered the importance of vernal pools to biodiversity in my bioregion, and also got a chance to learn about, and observe, the different species that live in these pools. In addition, I have also been able to put theory to practice in the garden as I experiment with sustainable techniques such as “lasagna gardening,” composting, and companion planting, understanding that the garden and other unwooded areas around the house are still very much a part of my bioregion and should be integrated into the natural communities around it.   
The vastness and diversity of my forest doesn't surprise me,  but I don’t think I realized just how much time could be dedicated to this area. I have come to the realization that with only two more weeks, I will only be scratching the surface of this incredible part of my home. The learning that takes place here will continue on well after the project is over.

13 May 2011

Following The Pools

David and I met up at 9:30 this morning to walk the woodlot and survey some more pools. We trekked the varied upland terrain and found a couple of pools along the power lines. These two pools were fairly deep and could be a good habitat for turtles, though none seem to be as keen on the trek out as David and I. We quickly found spotted salamander egg masses, red-spotted newts, a ton of newly-hatched wood frog tadpoles, and more fairy shrimp (photographs of these little .5-1.5" critters to come!).

Continuing on into the woods we found a couple more pools following a logging trail. David and I will be coming back to these pools with nets to get a better idea of who is using them. The trail led us to an extraordinary little marsh covered in rich green sphagnum moss.

Vernal pools and other wetland with mounds of sphagnum moss
are the ideal habitat for  four-toed salamander nests
David thought that this little marsh could potentially be inhabited by the four-toed salamander, a species of special concern. These salamanders lay 20-40 singular eggs in nests constructed in clumps of sphagnum moss overhanging the water and generally stays with the clutch until hatching. Sure enough after a little poking around in the moss, David uncovered a beautiful female protecting her clutch. It is believed that mating takes place in the late summer and early fall with the female picking up deposited sperm packets. About this time of year, after hibernation, the female migrates to a pool to lay her eggs.

The vastness and diversity of my forest doesn't surprise me, but I am finding that one could spend years studying this 36-acre piece of land. With only two more weeks, I will only be scratching the surface of this incredible part of my home.

Woods, Wildflowers, Water

12 May 2011:


After some work in the garden, I packed my camera, some water and a journal and headed back out into the woods to survey and get a better sense of whats out there before I get into mapping. I discovered two native wildflowers in bloom; gaywings and painted trillium. The hobblebush flowers are also in bloom.


"Gaywings" or "fringed polygala" (Polygala paucifolia)


"Painted trillium" (Trillium undulatum)
Hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides)


I discovered many more vernal pools and got a chance to take a closer look at some salamander egg masses. I believe this is a cluster of spotted salamander eggs.

Developing egg mass of spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)


I'm getting the chance to truly expose myself to all of the incredible little places in my own backyard and i'm beginning to get a better sense of who shares this land with me and my family. Like this little guy I found in a small marsh:
Red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens)

11 May 2011

Companion Planting: Beets and Leeks

Today was dedicated entirely to the garden, pulling weeds, digging and prepping beds, and doing a lot of planting. For the past couple of years we've been simply planting one or two crops in a single bed and have been struggling to ward off pests in the early part of the season. This year, I will be using the method of "companion planting," which is simply planting specific crops next to each other that will assist each other in nutrient uptake, pollination, pest control (some plants give off scents that deter pests, some attract predators to keep pests in check or provide an alternative location for egg-laying), and other factors that increase yields. 

Today I planted leek seedlings and beets together in a bed with garlic. All of these crops have been observed as mutually beneficial to each other. After discovering a bunch of spinach plants coming up from last year, I replanted them with the rest of the spinach and planted radishes along side them.
Two flowers that I plan on planting in the garden that serve as excellent examples of this relationship are marigolds and nasturtium. Marigolds give off a sent that deters aphids and attracts their predator, hoverflies. Nasturtium attract caterpillars who will tend to prefer it over your lettuce or cabbage.
Companion planting is a good method to use in your garden because it not only makes for a more varied, attractive garden, but also mimics the diverse and inter-related system present in nature and harnesses nature's own proven form of pest control. It is my belief that nature's design is perfect. It may be messy, but that messiness makes it perfect in that it is incredibly stable. The more diverse, the better.

10 May 2011

Lasagna and Recycling

Another productive day in the garden, concentrating on getting it prepped for a new bounty this year. Today I started building up a long bed using the "lasagna" method; adding layers of organic materials and wastes that will compost over time, resulting in rich, fluffy soil that will help plants thrive. Parts of the garden are quite shallow with less than a foot of top soil before hitting the hard stuff. In order to build up the beds and make them deeper for my plants, I moved topsoil from the bed I planned to make the "lasagna" and added it to the next bed. The idea behind creating a "lasagna" bed is that ultimately, I will be building up the soil by essentially composting in place and growing veggies on top. This method requires no digging and no tilling, less watering and weeding, and can be done right on top of sod. For those who are interested in starting a garden but are dealing with a lot of rocks or an insufficient amount of top soil and/or don't believe they have the time to dedicate completely to managing the garden, this method is ideal.


When building the bed, you want a balance between carbon (dried material such as leaves, hay, wood shavings, etc.) and nitrogen (greens like grass clipping, manure, food scraps, etc.). I began work laying down a layer of hay than added freshly cut grass clippings and some manure (which is not in short supply thanks to our resident horse, Buck), another layer of hay and leaves, a layer of barn wastes, so on and so forth while also adding in ready-made compost and soil to get things going. After a lot of gathering and hauling materials around, I'm starting to form my lasagna bed.


Eddy guards squash seedlings that were found in the compost pile
Along with my work on the new raised bed, I also planted a lettuce and mesclun mix along with some arugula among rows of garlic.


This vernal pool directly behind our house is home to a few indicator 
species; spotted salamander, wood frog and fairy shrimp
A vernal pool is simply a temporary wetland that forms in shallow depressions in forested areas and fill annually from precipitation, runoff, and rising groundwater. The wet-dry cycle of a vernal pool prevents fish from becoming established making it an ideal and rich habitat for many species of amphibians and reptiles that use them for breeding and feeding in an area of reduced predation. They are also important as water sources for other wildlife, as well as a valuable food source. Vernal pools are indispensable to biodiversity. Beneath the still water of the woodland pool is an incredible array of life.

Back in the woods I surveyed the closest vernal pool (right behind the house). Both spotted salamander and woods frog egg clusters have been formed on the vegetation and I look forward to watching them develop. This pool, unlike most vernal pools, stays full year-round from the water table. David and I suspect that the well-like formation next the the pool could indicate residents long ago actively utilized this source of water.

Raised Beds, Black Flies

Since childhood, I have developed a strong relationship with the 36-acre forest behind my house. Being home-schooled up until high school, I had lots of opportunities to spend hours of unstructured play time in the woods which has undoubtably fostered in me the strong desire to learn as much as I can about the world around me. Today I found it important to start my project by simply reconnecting and getting back in touch with my home. Walking the grounds and exploring a bit in the woods, I felt joyful to have time to revisit after being away on Mountain Classroom in the winter, and being tied down to the last term of high school.

Myrtle and other spring wildflowers are blooming
While my concentration is on the 36-acre woodlot behind my house, my bioregion doesn't exclude the unwooded areas like the front and back yard, orchard, and vegetable garden across the street. Along with my map and observations of the forest, I also want to incorporate permaculture here at home, striving to create stable, productive systems around the house that provide for us while also integrating the land with its inhabitants.


Garlic transplants in newly-formed raised beds
My concentration today was working on our vegetable garden that is three years in the making. The majority of time was spent doing some good 'ol fashioned manual labor; digging, raking, and re-forming raised beds with the help of many black flies. Right now I have a bunch of seedlings inside and in cold frames waiting to be transplanted, like onions, leeks, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and okra to name a few. In the garden, I've already planted some garlic, spinach, and peas under a new trellis. It is here in the garden that I will be experimenting with new sustainable techniques and using the idea of polyculture rather than monoculture, where I will be planting a wide variety of crops together, imitating the diversity of natural ecosystems. Along with planting a diverse vegetable garden, I will also be creating an edge around the garden of flowers and herbs to attract beneficial wildlife, and actively managing a compost pile, making our wastes a resource.

Spotted salamander
I've already started to survey the woodlot and have come across around 15 vernal pools (there are probably 30 in total). David and I were fortunate enough to observe the "great move" of wood frogs and spotted salamander on April 10th during an evening shower. Our roadside vernal pool was teaming with wood frogs all joining in one grand chorus and observed a spotted salamander crossing the dirt road. Since then David and I have been looking at the closest pool behind the house which, unlike most vernal pools, stays full year-round. We have confirmed that this pool is home to a great deal of spotted salamander, a few wood frogs and red-spotted newts, and fairy shrimp (which, according to David are quite rare in woodland pools).

I'm excited to get going!