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It鈥檚 Friday, December 1. Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 on deck:
- Wet, heavy snow
- A big biogas decision
- Glowing pink possums
But first,
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Getting to old forests faster
Almost all of Vermont鈥檚 forests were cut down by the 1800s and 1900s. A lot of the woods that have grown up since are around the same age and species, and tightly packed together. These young, uniform forests are more vulnerable to bugs, disease and natural disasters. All these threats are increasing as climate change brings .
In some places though, foresters are trying to actively manage the land for old forest characteristics 鈥� with fewer, bigger trees, gaps in the canopy, and more standing dead trees and dead wood on the ground. But it鈥檚 not always possible to recreate those conditions quickly. Here are some of the strategies land managers are trying:
馃獡 Cut down small trees to make room for bigger trees to grow faster. That mimics a natural disturbance, like a wind storm that would knock trees down, and leaves cut trees to decompose on the ground.
馃尡 Plant climate-adaptive species, like red oak: Pests like and the insect behind beech bark disease have already made their way into the state. It鈥檚 likely many of Vermont's beech and ash trees will die off in the coming decades. Not all tree species are as vulnerable to these types of diseases.
馃暟锔� Give forests time: Some elements of old forests like the fungi and soil structure can鈥檛 be easily replicated. Some environment groups say one way to encourage those things is to conserve the land and walk away.
In other news
馃敠 A snow storm Monday wreaked havoc on power lines: It caused over 30,000 outages at its peak 鈥� one of the most damaging of any snow storm in recent years. That鈥檚 after a record year for damages to the grid after two separate snow storms last winter left even more people without power. A common theme behind all these storms is heavy, wet snow. It鈥檚 weather that鈥檚 becoming increasingly common as climate change brings warmer winters and more extreme precipitation to the region, and less reliably cold temperatures.
馃 A Burlington biogas plant could get a big new customer: After a recent decision by the city council, the plant is one step closer to supplying heat to the state鈥檚 largest hospital, the University of Vermont Medical Center. A $42 million plan to pipe excess heat from the plant would slash the hospital鈥檚 reliance on natural gas that comes from plants in southern New England. But there鈥檚 been a lot of debate about the environmental benefits of the project, and it has more regulatory hurdles, including an Act 250 review, before it鈥檚 a done deal.
馃尅锔� Forecast for a warmer-than-average winter: That comes from NOAA, where scientists say climate change as well as El Ni帽o (a normal cycle of warming in the Pacific ocean) will lead to a warmer-than-usual winter in the Northeast this year. This comes as Vermont has had in recent months.
In your backyard
Get out there
馃巹 Cut your own Xmas tree: You can get a permit from Green Mountain National Forest to chop down a tree that鈥檚 under 20 feet tall. Permits are $5, unless you鈥檙e in fourth grade, then you can get one for free. Permits are available online or at the Manchester and Rochester ranger stations.
馃搾 Break out your field notebook: A nature journaling club at the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier on Saturday mornings, starting Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. Organizers say to bring your own journal, and any level of experience is welcome.
馃彸锔忊赌嶐煂堭煡� A winter pride hike: Also at the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier, is a hikers. The group will cover just over a mile on mostly wide, flat trails. If there鈥檚 enough snow, they鈥檒l snowshoe. Meet Saturday, Dec. 9 at 1 p.m.
鉂勶笍 Advice for your next winter hike: The Green Mountain Club is hosting an in-person workshop where they鈥檒l go over clothing, gear and navigation for backcountry travel in the winter. Bring your own equipment if you have questions about it. Meet in Waterbury Center Saturday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. If you can鈥檛 make it, they have of past talks.
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开云体育's biweekly dose of all things environment.
Thank you for reading! If you have ideas for creatures we should feature, events you think we should know about, or any other feedback, we'd love to hear from you. Just email us.
Credits: This week鈥檚 edition was put together by Lexi Krupp and Abagael Giles with lots of help from the 开云体育 team, including graphics by Laura Nakasaka and editorial support from Brittany Patterson and Sophie Stephens.
