photo by Norma Wiesen
Matt Peters (right) and Rachel Kane during a summer 2023 walk along the Lamoille River in East Hardwick where Peters uses an increment borer to extract a sample and count rings to age a tree.
by Norma Wiesen, Community Journalist
HARDWICK – The Hardwick Conservation Commission will announce a date for the rescheduled event as soon as it is available.
Matt Peters will give a report on Hardwick’s first Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) on Saturday, March 23, at 2 p.m. in the Memorial Building.
The Hardwick Conservation Commission (HCC) contracted with consulting ecologist Matt Peters of Woodbury to conduct a Natural Resources Inventory for Hardwick in January.
Called for in the town plan, an NRI compiles data about soils, wetlands, critical wildlife habitats, natural plant communities, wildlife corridors and forest lands within the town.
This will be a foundational document to help the town plan wisely for development and to protect its natural resources.
photo by Ron Wiesen
A gray fox during winter. They are present in the area, but lesser known than the red fox and do well where the landscape includes areas of forest lands bordered by agricultural lands, as in Hardwick. It is a unique fox that can climb trees to escape predators like coyotes.
The HCC contacted many landowners who gave permission for Peters to gather information. The Hardwick Select Board provided ARPA funding for this project.
Wiesen is a member of the Hardwick Conservation Commission.
