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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: Return of the Turkeys, Where the Witch Hazel Grows, and The Yale Forestry Camp Goes Solar |
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GMF's Role in Bringing Back Wild Turkeys to CT |
This Thanksgiving is a perfect time to be grateful for the work that GMF does in wildlife management. It was not that long ago when Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) had been absent from the Connecticut landscape.
Back in the day of the fabled original Thanksgiving, wild turkeys were plentiful. By the 1800s, both habitat-destroying forest clearing and severe winters led to the turkey population's destruction. Michael Gregonis, State of CT Wild Turkey Program Biologist, asserts that "Wild turkeys were extirpated in the early 1800s and the last wild turkey sighting in the state was in 1813.”
Attempts during the 1950s to the 1970s to restore turkeys to CT failed. In 1975, under Steve Jackson, Connecticut's first wild turkey biologist, 22 intrepid birds from New York State were released into Great Mountain Forest to enhance wildlife biodiversity and restore a native species.
Why here? Gregonis explains, "GMF was selected for the original release primarily because of its over 6,000 acres of contiguous habitat under the control of one owner." Norfolk resident Stan Civco, retired local CT game warden (now known as a conservation officer), recalls the words of Dr. Robert McDowell, Director of Wildlife at UCONN. McDowell asserted that the expanse of woodland at GMF, while not ideal turkey habitat, would provide protection from disturbance and plentiful food in the form of acorns and beechnuts scattered on the forest floor.
Civco, who was present at the 1975 turkey release into GMF, outlines his role as a game warden for the program. He monitored the turkeys' progress and prevented illegal poachers from hunting them. This contributed to the their ability to thrive.
In 1978, a mere three years later, a group of turkeys from this original crew were captured and moved to help populate other areas of CT.
(con't, next column)
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Above: Wild turkey, Photo: Stephen Schumacher. Below: Winter turkey, Photo: Jody Bronson |
Gregonis states that "Between 1975 and 1990, 356 birds were moved throughout Connecticut.” This was to, as Civco notes, "hasten their movement."
Catching and releasing turkeys to move them throughout the state was done with the aid of a cannon net, which isn't as dastardly as it sounds. Civco describes the process, "Cracked corn is used to bait the birds into one concentrated area. Multiple cannons shoot a weighted net up and over the unsuspecting turkeys.
Today, turkeys call all 169 towns in CT home. "Now," says Gregonis, "we know that turkeys are highly adaptable birds and have expanded into habitats we never thought possible."
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Descendants from the original 22 turkeys have moved beyond the state borders. Programs in Maine, North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana have been the recipients of CT wild turkeys. GMF's role in bringing back the turkeys is another way it impacts wildlife diversity well beyond its over 6,000-acre borders.
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Special thanks to Michael Gregonis and Stan Civco for sharing their knowledge for this article.
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Witch Hazel:
GMF Fosters a Connecticut Tradition
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South of the Yale Camp, flanking the Chattleton Road, grows one of GMF's more storied forest products—witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). One can identify the witch hazel shrub by its grey meandering branches and the surprising autumn bloom of its yellow tendrilled flowers--think of forsythia on a bad hair day. These flowers and the shrub's seed pods appear after the leaves have fallen, making witch hazel all the more mysterious and dramatic.
Witch hazel is known for its medicinal qualities that Native peoples harnessed for their own use. These included easing sore muscles, treating wounds, and brewing a medicinal tea. The shrub contains flavonoids and tannins that are astringent and help stop bleeding.
Its name has less to do with black magic than its branches' flexibility. The word "witch" derives its meaning from Middle English for wych or wyche, meaning pliant or flexible. It is thought that Mohegans showed English settlers how to use its Y-shaped branches for "dowsing," which is the ability to find water underground, also called water witching.
Since 2002, GMF has harvested its annually certified organic witch hazel. GMF contracts with second-generation witch hazel harvester Eugene Buyak to chop the shrub by hand with an ax.
(con't, next column)
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Buyak then hauls the branches from the forest in his adapted doodlebug vehicle. As the doodlebug drags its load of witch hazel out of the woods, it spreads the newly fallen acorns. This acorn dispersal aids in the regeneration of oak trees in the area. |
Top left: Witch hazel in bloom. Above: Doodlebug ready for action. Below: One ton of witch hazel. Photos: Jody Bronson |
Rotating around the prolific witch hazel stands, which need a minimum of 10 years to regrow, Buyak harvests over a hundred tons of witch hazel each season. He chips the branches and stems in a specialized chipper and sells them to American Distilling, owner of Dickinson Brands.
T.N. Dickinson's and Dickinson's Original labels have been familiar sights in medicine cabinets since the late 1800s. They produce most of the distilled witch hazel in the U.S.
GMF's witch hazel reaches consumers worldwide and is also a key ingredient in countless other cosmetics, skincare products, and over-the-counter medications.
You can read more about what happens to harvested witch hazel after it leaves GMF in this article by GMF board member David K. Leff.
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Yale Forestry Camp Puts the Sun to Work at GMF
The Yale Forestry Camp is a seven-acre inholding, owned by The Yale School of Environment amid the trees of Great Mountain Forest. Since its donation to Yale by the Childs family in the 1940s, it has been a site to train and educate Yale forestry students, while engaging them with the surrounding Great Mountain Forest. More recently, other groups have used the Camp, seeking to be off the psychological grid and using it as a place to mentally and intellectually recharge, renew, and regenerate.
While experiencing the Forest off the mind grid has critical health benefits, it also poses practical challenges. For decades, the Camp sourced its electricity from inefficient and carbon-producing propane generators, which droned night and day and were at odds with tranquil forest setting—until this fall.
Last month, Yale School of the Environment unveiled its new solar array and battery storage panels in a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the Yale Camp. According to Dr. Joseph Orefice, Yale's Director of Forest & Agricultural Operations, “Solar made sense because the Camp is mostly used in the summer when days are longer. Most of the energy use by groups is in the morning and evening.” The Camp’s usage pattern dictated the array configuration. One-third of the nine panels face east, one-third face west, and the last third face south. This means that “direct energy is produced when it’s consumed in the morning and evening, which necessitates less required battery storage,” explains Orefice.
Data collection is part of the plan since the Yale solar configuration is entirely off grid. Analysis of these data could help inform how off-grid solar is used in rural communities and remote parts of the world.
The ease of operation and education of user groups is also a benefit of powering the main lodge’s kitchen and meeting rooms. In the past it was the Camp’s user groups who were responsible for operating the propane-powered generator. Orefice describes, “Now groups are in more control of energy use and conservation. They can see their usage throughout the day and monitor energy levels through their behavior while at the Camp. If energy consumption leaves the batteries at less than 25 percent capacity, there’s still a generator back up, which will switch off when batteries recharge.” The batteries are designed to store 36 hours of energy, and the system is modular, so panels and batteries can be added if needed.
Next summer and fall, visitors will bask in the solar-powered benefits of the Camp and will forge a deeper awareness of the connection between energy consumption and the production this renewable resource.
Click here for more information about solar at The Yale Camp.
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Forest Notices
- 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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GMF will be closed to recreational users from November 18 to December 8, except for Sundays. From Monday to Saturday during that time vetted and permitted hunters will be serving as wildlife monitors, keeping the deer population balanced. For your safety, please adhere to forest regulations posted on website and kiosks at East and West Gates.
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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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