LINKING A LANDSCAPE

Northern Woodlands, Winter 2013

It’s late afternoon, and fine snow is sifting down into Joan and Bill Hildreth’s woods in Montgomery, Vermont. Their property lies within a large expanse of forest on the edge of the northern Green Mountains. Four times a year, the Hildreths and their neighbors walk a three-mile route here, searching for animal tracks, claw marks, rubbed bark, and other signs of wildlife. In particular, they are on the lookout for evidence of black bear, moose, bobcat, and other animals fond of large, unfragmented forest blocks. Full article.