Conservation Commission – Town of Tunbridge, Vermont

Betsy Gaiser – Co-chair
Evan Reiss – Co-chair
Cheryl Metcalf – Clerk
Eliza Minnucci – Treasurer
Scott Beavers
Jory Innes
Bryan Kalleberg

Tunbridge’s conservation commission was established in 2017. Its general mission is to:
• advise the town and public on natural resource topics and issues
• coordinate activities that promote natural resource education and stewardship
• promote stewardship and outreach of local trail usage and maintenance

Conservation Commission Agenda for July 2, 2024

Recent Meetings

June 6, 2024
Agenda | Minutes

May 2, 2024
Agenda | Minutes

Follow this link to see agendas and minutes from prior Conservation Commission meetings.

Winter Evenings

Proposed ATV Ordinance

Follow this link to read the Conservation Commission’s letter to the Selectboard.

Tunbridge Blooms

Sponsored by the Tunbridge Conservation Commission, Tunbridge Blooms is a community challenge to identify and photograph 75 species of wildflowers in town in 2021. Follow this link to see a flyer about the project, and click here to see the spreadsheet tracking the project’s progress.

**Please join us for our final Winter Evenings event, Bees Besieged, happening next Friday, March 8th, beginning at 7 p.m. @ TPL.**

Beekeeping goes back 10,000 years, but bees have been much in the news recently as a multi-pronged scourge has devastated many of the nation’s 2.5 million colonies. Meanwhile, hobby beekeeping has grown exponentially in the country. Bill Mares, writer, and a beekeeper for 45 years, and Stockbridge beekeeper James Key, board member of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, will be the guest speakers at the Tunbridge Conservation Commission's final Winter Evening of the season, **Bees Besieged**, on Friday, March 8th, 7 p.m. at the Tunbridge Public Library.

The presentation, which is sponsored in partnership with the Vermont Humanities Council, will touch on the origins and evolution of beekeeping, sometimes referred to as “farming for intellectuals,” with a particular emphasis on Bill’s new book with Ross Conrad and others, “The Land of Milk and Honey: A History of Beekeeping in Vermont” (Green Writers Press). Light desserts and informal conversation will follow the presentation, and local honey and honey products will be available to purchase. Admission is free and open to all. ... See MoreSee Less

4 months ago

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Winter is an excellent time to look for barred owls. During the early evening hours and even during the daylight on an overcast day, the familiar, “Who cooks for you” call of the barred owl can be heard.
February marks the start of mating season for owls here in Vermont. Changes in daylight hours and hormonal influences cause behavior responses to establish and defend territories, select prime nesting locations, and begin courtship and mating rituals. Barred owls partner for life, but will recommit during the month of February with courtship rituals like feeding each other, and mutual preening. Breeding usually occurs in March, and barred owls are known to nest in the same territories as previous years.
Barred owls build nests in natural cavities in trees, usually 20 to 40 feet from the ground. They will also use abandoned nests of hawks and crows, or even squirrel nests.
If you are eager to get some time outdoors and are interested in spotting a barred owl, look in large tracks of deep mature woods and unfragmented blocks of forests with a mixed hardwoods and conifers. Prevalence of a water source and open land for hunting of rodents is also an indicator of a good nesting grounds for barred owls. Once established in an area, barred owls are known to be fiercely territorial, and can maintain territories 200 to 400 acres in size.
So practice your owl calls and get into the woods. Let us know if you are seeing or hearing barred owls where you are.

Winter is an excellent time to look for barred owls. During the early evening hours and even during the daylight on an overcast day, the familiar, “Who cooks for you” call of the barred owl can be heard.
February marks the start of mating season for owls here in Vermont. Changes in daylight hours and hormonal influences cause behavior responses to establish and defend territories, select prime nesting locations, and begin courtship and mating rituals. Barred owls partner for life, but will recommit during the month of February with courtship rituals like feeding each other, and mutual preening. Breeding usually occurs in March, and barred owls are known to nest in the same territories as previous years.
Barred owls build nests in natural cavities in trees, usually 20 to 40 feet from the ground. They will also use abandoned nests of hawks and crows, or even squirrel nests.
If you are eager to get some time outdoors and are interested in spotting a barred owl, look in large tracks of deep mature woods and unfragmented blocks of forests with a mixed hardwoods and conifers. Prevalence of a water source and open land for hunting of rodents is also an indicator of a good nesting grounds for barred owls. Once established in an area, barred owls are known to be fiercely territorial, and can maintain territories 200 to 400 acres in size.
So practice your owl calls and get into the woods. Let us know if you are seeing or hearing barred owls where you are. ... See MoreSee Less

5 months ago

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Amazing photos, as usual!

Coming soon, another Winter Evening with TCC on Feb. 9, 2024!

Orange County Forester Dave Paganelli will be the speaker at the Tunbridge Conservation Commission’s second Winter Evening presentation of 2024 entitled ***Forests and Carbon: Climate Change Mitigation while Maintaining Ecological Function***. Please join us on Friday, February 9th, at 7 p.m. in the Tunbridge Public Library to hear more about this important topic.

Dave will introduce us to the Carbon Cycle and explain where and how carbon is stored in forests. He will then discuss how to maintain functioning forests to include the responsible harvest of forest products, while simultaneously increasing carbon storage to mitigate climate change.

Winter Evenings are followed by light desserts and informal conversation. The third and final presentation scheduled this year is ***Bees Besieged ***on March 8th*.* Admission is free and open to all. ... See MoreSee Less

5 months ago

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