Thad Berrier installs a wood duck box, which he handcrafted, in Moose Meadows this past winter. Photo: Lynne Flaccus
This winter volunteers set up four wood duck boxes on three CLC properties. The nest boxes were built by Tamworth resident, Thad Berrier, and are part of our grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support habitat work. The duck boxes are hung at Moose Meadows, the Bowditch Reserve and Woodhouse Reserves (at the north end of the lake). This spring another eight bluebird boxes are up on the Chamberlin Browne Forest on Washington Hill Rd. and Moose Meadows. We are excited to provide these homes and are looking forward to seeing who moves in over the course of the spring and summer. Wood ducks and hooded mergansers both nest in cavities near open water, and the smaller bluebird boxes will provide homes for bluebirds, swallows, chickadees, and perhaps even a great crested flycatcher!
Last year, CLC received funding from NRCS for a variety of habitat and forest projects recommended in our land-management plans over the course of the next three years. In 2017 we’ll be finishing up the nest box project, mulching and seeding in both The Grove and the Island, and having work done on the Clark Preserve. A timber harvest on the Clark property at the end of the summer and fall will focus on wildlife habitat and timber stand improvement. The work will be followed by grading and seeding of the roads and trails, creating wildlife food sources and strengthening the routes for continued recreation, forest and wildlife work. Keep an eye on Facebook and the CLC website for news on when that work will begin and plan a trip to see the progress!
Thad Berrier and Dwight Baldwin
install a nest box at Chamberlin
Browne this spring. Photo: Lynne Flaccus
The work being conducted by CLC with help from NRCS is important to maintaining habitat diversity and demonstrating good stewardship practices on its fee-owned lands. By demonstrating some of these practices, we hope community members will learn about what is possible for their own lands and become active stewards themselves.
If you are interested in hearing more, or would like to be involved, please be in touch. We would love to have volunteers “adopt “ birdhouses to keep an eye on them and make sure they will last for many nesting seasons to come!
If you are interested in learning more about NRCS here is a link to the NH’s NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) that provides cost share to landowners for land stewardship:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/nh/programs/financial/eqip/