It’s no secret that Vermonters place significant value on the wildlife habitat that their land provides.  Many landowners want to know what they can do to enhance the value of that habitat.  Thanks to the Woods, Wildlife, and Warblers project, landowners in Rutland, Windsor, Windham, and Bennington counties are getting the help they desire. This project is a partnership among Audubon Vermont , the American Forest Foundation , Vermont Woodlands Association , and others. Nearing the end of the first full year of the project, over 20 landowners managing nearly 3,000 acres of forest, have begun the process of gaining information and planning for the implementation of management practices on the ground that will enhance bird and other wildlife habitat.

Seeing is Believing

For some landowners the idea of conducting a timber harvest or engaging in other active management that alters the forest can be unsettling.  “What will it look like when it’s done?”  and  “Am I doing the right thing?” are common questions.  The Woods, Wildlife, and Warblers project can help here, too.  Tours of woodlots where active management has occurred or is ongoing goes a long way toward easing fears and confirming expectations.  Such an event recently occurred on Alan Calfee’s 591-acre Tree Farm in Rupert, VT.  Click here for a full account of the walk .  Additional walks are being planned in the months ahead. 

Interested in learning more about the Woods, Wildlife, and Warblers project? 
Visit http://vt.audubon.org/conservation/woods-wildlife-and-warblers-project. 

If you live in northern or central Vermont and are interested in how you can manage your land with birds in mind check out http://vt.audubon.org/forest-bird-initiative