Monthly Blog

On October 3, about 150 people came to Merck Forest to hike together. The morning broke with a bluebird sky, crisp air, and the landscape glowing in autumn gold, orange, and red. In the early hours, volunteers were already setting up coffee and granola bars on the sap house deck and starting a 200-cup pot of Tall Cat coffee that needed two hours to brew. Hikers picked their routes and headed out. Families with kids, longtime regulars who know all 35 miles of our trails, and s

Building Merck Forest's new timber frame small animal barn

Spring Ep By Mike Stock, Land Manager | Merck Forest & Farmland Center In April, before the canopy wakes up and hides the sky, the forest floor at Merck Forest & Farmland Center does something remarkable. It blooms. In a matter of days, trout lilies push through last year's leaves, bloodroot opens its white petals to morning light, and spring beauty carpets the ground in pale pink. These are spring ephemerals — woodland wildflowers that have evolved to live their entire above

On February 12, the federal government finalized a rule removing the legal obligation to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, overturning a determination, backed by decades of scientific review, that those emissions endanger human health. The United States has also withdrawn from international climate negotiations, standing alone among nations in that decision. Merck Forest is not a policy organization; we are a land organization. And we can tell you what we see from here. Wint

Kits & Cubs programming will resume in march of 2026

When the Leaves Turn: The Science Behind Vermont’s Colors Mike Stock Nature’s paintbrush is just about done sweeping across the mountains here at Merck Forest, and the hillsides are alive with fall colors. Standing among the sugar maples, oaks, and birches, it’s impossible not to marvel at the transformation - from deep greens to yellows, oranges, and reds. Have you ever wondered why and how leaves change color in the fall? Here’s how this magic happens. Most of the color is

Each week, long before little boots crunch across the gravel to the Caretaker’s Cabin, MFFC staff are already in motion in preparation for our twice-weekly Kits & Cubs program. Our Education Manager (Miss Elena to her PreK charges) begins the process weeks in advance, with a stop at the Manchester Community Library, to hand-pick storybooks that match a theme. Each week focuses on something relevant to the rhythms of the land, like pollinators, hibernation, maple syrup, or eve

At Merck Forest, we value the role ethical hunting plays in wildlife management and conservation. Approximately 75% of our property is open for hunting, with the remaining area designated as a Hunting Safety Zone to ensure everyone's enjoyment of the land.

It’s May. The fields are greening up, the garden beds are in, and the barns echo with the sounds of new life.