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The mission of Great Mountain Forest is to promote the working forest as a renewable resource, as a habitat for wildlife and as a classroom for training and education. We leave the forest better than we found it, pass on all that we learn to others, and provide a sanctuary for those who love the woods. |
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In this issue: Forestry is Women's Work, Moostery Solved! |
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March is Women's History Month. Part of Great Mountain Forest's legacy is its support of outstanding women foresters through its well-regarded internship program. Read on to see how these young women are making history and how GMF has contributed to their success.
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Jess Wikle Looks Back on Her Experience as GMF's First Woman Intern |
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After leaving GMF, I worked as a consulting forester for a number of years before ultimately realizing that my career goals included teaching and outreach about forestry--fields that require a graduate degree. My experiences as an intern at GMF helped inform these goals, as my work included not just technical forestry skills but also getting a chance to educate people through visits from local school groups, the Christodora Summer Ecology Program, and developing the Tamarack Interpretive Trail.
During my time as a master’s student at Yale School of the Environment, I stayed connected with GMF through the graduate program's orientation and class field trips to the Forest, as well as many social visits to catch up with foresters Jody (Bronson) and Russell (Russ).
Currently, I’m pursuing a Ph.D. studying silviculture, with the goal of teaching future foresters. I am currently in my second year of the Ph.D. program at the University of Vermont.
Looking back, I can say that my experience working at GMF is a large part of the reason I am on this path today. A huge strength of the internship program at GMF is its diversity of activities. During my summer at GMF, I planned a timber harvest, created a sugarbush demonstration area, taught others about the forest, operated a vast array of equipment, designed the Tamarack Interpretive Trail, and created wildlife habitat.
I am more confident as a forester and a teacher knowing that I can not only map out timber harvests and lead forest ecology walks but also grade roads and change the alternator in a skidder!
Jody is skilled at giving interns the confidence and tools to do any task, while also pushing them to learn more and move out of their comfort zones, a balance that I continue to seek out as I move through my career. He also emphasizes a simple appreciation and respect for the natural world – something often lacking in more formal educational environments. For the past 10 years, Jody has been and continues to be a mentor and friend to me giving me advice about jobs and graduate school.
As a woman, I have had some moments in my career where I wasn’t sure if forestry was the right place for me due to the behavior of others I encountered in the field. At these times, conversations and encouragement from Jody are what reminded me that I am a forester and belong here and ultimately gave me the confidence to push forward. I still feel deeply connected to GMF - both the forest itself and the environment created by Jody and Russell as stewards of the forest and forest interns.
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GMF Intern Mari Cullerton Ascends to New Heights |
Since my time at Great Mountain Forest, I have been working on a research project in Dr. Robert Fahey’s Applied Forest Ecology Lab. This project focuses on the use of remote sensing to better understand forest disturbances following drought and defoliation by gypsy moths. It emphasizes locating areas that experience stress from Armillaria and the two-lined chestnut borer (Agrilus bilineatus).
As a GMF forestry intern, I learned that there is only so much you can get out of a book. Reading is important, as Jody consistently reminded us, but you need to physically go out in the forest, or any ecosystem, to really understand and appreciate what is going on.
Jody really taught us a bit of everything that summer, most of which I never expected to do, while being encouraging and incredibly patient. Through this internship, I gained a better appreciation for forestry, woodworking, and mechanics, along with youth education and so much more.
Jody helped me realize my love of research, and I will forever appreciate the opportunity and remember my time at Great Mountain Forest.
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Leeane Marvin is GMF-Prepared for Her Future |
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Last summer, I had the privilege of interning at Great Mountain Forest. It was an invaluable experience. It showed me what the real world of forestry is and all that it entails. Forestry has many different aspects and every day you may be working on a new task. Most importantly, you are caring for the forest and all who inhabit it. Being in the forest all day and getting good exercise are just some of the perks.
Forestry has traditionally been a male-dominated field. That can be intimidating as a woman trying to learn this work. During my time at GMF, I felt nothing but encouragement. As Jody taught me new lessons every day, I felt strong, capable, and more confident. I most certainly left with many new life skills, more knowledge, and inspiration to keep pursuing this field.
After graduation, I will be preparing for the Connecticut State Foresters exam. I will be working towards finding a position that will allow me to contribute to the health of our forests and natural resources in our state. Thank you again for welcoming me and for the opportunity to be a small part of the Great Mountain Forest Team.
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The Great Mountain Forest Summer Intern Program is generously funded by The William and Mary Greve Foundation of New York and its president, Tony Kiser, and by contributions from individual donors.
This critical support allows GMF to further its mission as a teaching forest by inspiring and training talented forestry students. Thank you to all our donors!
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You can read more about GMF's intern alumni on our website.
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Eve Cullerton Widens Her Scope at GMF |
I had the pleasure of working in both the Mountain and Forestry Offices this past summer, a position that offered a wide array of experiences and opportunities.
I was involved in everything from researching IUCN membership, assisting in GC3 meetings, setting up trail cameras for moose, documenting red spruce plots, and chopping through a fallen tree on a trail (I never thought I would have a practical use for my timbersports background).
GMF was a supportive environment to learn in even for someone not majoring specifically in forestry. At the beginning of my internship, I was given the opportunity to develop my own projects. As someone interested in learning more about the wildlife field, I jumped at the opportunity to try to document moose in one of the few areas in CT where there is a resident population
The internship taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to. More so, my time at GMF further heightened my interest in finding a career in environmental conservation and wildlife management.
I am currently applying to seasonal field jobs to get more hands-on experience and hope to apply what I have learned throughout my undergraduate career to make a positive impact on the world around us.
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Moostery Solved: The GMF Moose Census Results |
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Adapted from Forest Manager Jody Bronson's Moose Census Report
The 2020 GMF summer interns Eve Cullerton and Leeane Marvin were determined to reasonably estimate the Forest's resident moose population. They undertook this project with Forest Manager Jody Bronson directing their efforts.
The intern team placed the cameras, capable of taking nighttime infra-red images at various moose locations: open wetland; forested wetland; grassland/meadow; mature hemlock stand; upland hardwood; and mixed hardwood area that had been harvested for timber within the last 10 years.
Their research was limited by the length of their summer internship and the number of trail cameras--a total of seven to cover 6,247 acres of habitat. Fortuitously, an authorized volunteer offered his own cameras and his time to place them in the remote NW section of GMF, where there were signs of high moose activity. Jody continued to monitor the cameras throughout the fall and established a moose census as of November 1, 2020.
The cameras captured four categories of moose: mature bulls, adolescent bulls, cows, and calves. The team analyzed the images of mature bulls and young bulls for individual antler patterns. Cows and calves presented challenges because of their lack of specific identifying features.
Jody's analysis of the images on the 11 cameras yielded a count of 21 moose active in GMF:
- 11 mature bulls
- 2 adolescent bulls
- 5 cows
- 3 calves
Moostery solved!
Photo credits: Above, cow moose, courtesy of Leo Kulinski; Below, bull moose, courtesy of Moose Cam
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If you missed the Norfolk Hub webinar on February 22nd, you can still watch it.
If you'd like more information about Great Mountain Forest's Carbon Credit Program, we've prepared a Fact Sheet with lots of links to even more information.
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Forest Notices
Welcome to the forest!
GMF is a place of peaceful co-existence for everyone
- Safely enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking by using established trails, maintaining a social distance of six feet or more, and respecting the natural world and your fellow humans.
- If you're on foot or snowshoes, please reserve the groomed tracks for those on cross-country skis.
- Keep your dog on a leash and if you pack it in--pack it out!
- Sign in at kiosks at the East and West Gates.
- Watch for inclement weather notices on social media.
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Stand with the Trees!
Donate to Great Mountain Forest.
Your generosity makes our work possible!
GMF is critical to the environmental and economic sustainability of the region as well as an important contributor to research and education about climate change and environmental health. Help us support the forest as a vital natural resource.
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