August 3, 2019
9:00 am at the Randolph Town Hall
One of the joys and, sometimes, the annoyances of living where we do is the contact we have with the wild animals around us. Even when irked by the deer eating our lettuces or the bear destroying a bird feeder left out too long, we are glad that they are there.
One of the main purposes laid out in the conservation easement governing the management of the Randolph Community Forest is the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat. The Randolph Forest Commission (RFC) takes this mandate very seriously and has been working assiduously to carry it out. Some of its work has been reported to the Town in earlier years; the creation of permanent wildlife openings is a notable example. But the RFC has also been pursuing its habitat goals in many less obvious ways as well. When our LandVest partners discovered a beech stand exhibiting repeated use by black bear foraging for beech nuts in the fall, the Commission immediately agreed to protect it as a special “Beech Mast Management Area”. When the remains of an old apple orchard were found, steps were taken to preserve and cultivate it to encourage the deer to browse. When the foresters come across large “woodpecker trees” in laying out a timber harvest, they are left uncut. When beavers are found to have flooded forest roads, the response is to protect both the road and the beavers.
This year, the annual Forest Day will be held on Saturday, August 3rd. Its focus might be called the collateral wildlife habitat activities of the Randolph Community Forest.
The day will begin, as usual, with a discussion in the Town Hall starting at 9:00 am. The Randolph Forest Commission and its LandVest partners will present a report to the community of the activities carried out on the Forest during the past year and of the major events proposed for 2019 – 2020.
We will have a description of the Dirt-to-Trees-to-Wildlife project and its successful launch. This will include a brief illustration of its potential for use on the Community Forest.
The theme of the day will be introduced by someone from New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife with a review of the work of that agency in the North Country. There will be illustrations of various types of animal habitats found on the Community Forest, some of which will be visited during the tour.
The tour will begin at about 10:30 am, after the discussion at the Town Hall is finished.
All are welcome, including children. Welcome to attend all of the day’s events; to join the discussion at Town Hall, but skip the tour; or to join the tour after the discussion is finished. Those going on the tour should wear shoes and clothing for light walking, bring a picnic lunch and remember insect repellent.