It was encouraging to spot this monarch butterfly at the MRG pollinator garden at the intersection of Mascoma and Mechanic streets. There has been a paucity of pollinators this season, but now that the purple coneflowers, scarlet bee balm, and black cohosh are in flower, we are seeing more pollinator activity.
Posted in Good News!, Pollinator Corridor, Pollinators
Black Cohosh, also known as “Fairy Candles”, is an impressive pollinator plant native to New Hampshire. It can stand 8 feet tall . . . and, as you can see here, the bees love it!
Posted in Good News!, Pollinator Corridor, Pollinators
Who would have thought the planting of a Golden Russet apple tree and highbush blueberry bush on the MRG (near the umbrella sculpture) back in 2019 would involve an ensuing drama? Each year there has been a search mid-summer, when the fertile plain along the Mascoma River power-charges the growth of entangling vines, shrubs, and tall grasses and an annual hide-and-seek for both apple tree and blueberry bush. Beavers have felled the tree. (Pathos) Apple Corps member. Jack Spicer, successfully grafted branches onto the stump and revived the tree (Ecstasy!) . . . and then the tree was lost yet again, engulfed in the tangle dangle vines.
Last August, it was the intrepid Bart Gueti who ventured forth and located the tree in a tangle of vetch, woodbine, sumac, and tall grasses . . . and it was Bart who discovered the stump this past winter. Were it not for the shiny metal of the hardware cloth wrapped around the stump, the tree might have been lost yet again. Another bold adventurer, Joan McGovern, made her way through the overgrowth with an Ikea bag of tools. She located the tree, snipped, and pulled vegetation, cut and folded back the cage, and freed the graft from its confines
The lost highbush blueberry, fully immersed in milkweed, sumac, vetch, and vines was also located; and, even in its cramped and shaded quarters, looks remarkably healthy, though quite small for a 6 or 7 year old bush..
A narrow path that leads through the tangles to both the blueberry bush and the grafted apple tree has now been cleared. Thanks to Joan for the hard work on a very hot day! We hope the next drama for this apple tree and blueberry will be the fruiting of three varieties of apples: Golden Russets, Cabot Russets, and Cinnamon Girls and a bounty of blueberries!
Pocket Park is looking fine. And our rugby teammates worked overtime.
Edges are sharp and the curves are divine.
The worrisome weeds were run outta town, Thank goodness just in the nick of time.
Compost is in and the mulch is down, the aroma of wood is all over town.
Picnic tables need some stain and repair , But with the star Rec Team we won’t despair.
Branches are trimmed, the leaves are raked, And the weather was lovely so we didn’t get baked.
– Cindy Heath
THANKS TO CINDY HEATH AND UV RUGBY FRIENDS, THE POCKET PARK LOOKS GREAT!
Posted in Good News!, MRG Pocket Park, Thank you!, Work Day
The steep slope of the MRG pollinator garden behind Goss Logan requires a gardener with the balance and climbing skills of a mountain goat. What luck to find these two young women, Jessy Elfstrom and Mary Patterson. willing to adopt this challenging garden. This Spring’s constant rain has caused burgeoning growth that needs to be reined in – these two are up to the challenge. Today they weeded, divided thick clumps of blue flag iris, and planted Black-eyed Susans. Many thanks to Mary and Jessy for your willingness to take on this garden!
Posted in Good News!, Pollinator Corridor, Thank you!
You may remember that a Golden Russet apple tree, planted on the Mascoma River Greenway (behind the Miracle Mile theaters) was felled by a beaver this winter.
Upper Valley Apple Corps member, Jack Spicer, to the rescue! When he heard of the loss, he offered to graft new life to the tree stump.
He spliced in 3 different scion twigs: Cabot Russet, Golden Russet, and Cinnamon Girl .
Cleft grafting of the scion wood, ensures good contact in the green layer inside the bark
Jack added tree wound dressing. to seal and protect.
The ribbons indicate the back two grafts are Cabot Russet (Left) and Golden Russet (Right) and Cinnamon Girl in front. If two or more grafts succceed, our apple tree will benefit by the crosspollination of the different varieties.Our fingers are crossed that at least one of these grafts will succeed. What luck to have a skilled volunteer such as Jack, renewed hope for our apple tree, and a beautiful, sunny Easter Sunday!
Thanks to Jack for his generosity and to Susan K. Johnson and Bart Guetti for providing photos. And thanks Susan for putting a metal guard around the tree trunk to prevent beaver damage. One has to have an ecological perspective when planting for pollinators!
With the recent rains and snowmelt, the Mascoma River was fierce and energizing yesterday. It was not just the roar of the river . . . the air felt different . . . exciting! Thanks to Google, we find that air around waterfalls carries negative ions, which some call “air vitamins”. The splashing of falling water charges the surrounding air with electricity. On impact, some water molecules are wrenched apart and the negatively charged electrons that had held the atoms together are released, only to be snatched up by oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, components of the surrounding air. These now become negatively charged, and paradoxically, negative ions have a positive effect. Inhaling, delivers them into our bloodstream where they can cause biochemical reactions that increase serotonin levels. Serotonin is a natural mood-influencing chemical that helps reduce the effects of depression, relieves stress, and boosts energy.
If the current chaos of our world is getting you down, head to the MRG, pick up some negative air ions . . . oh, and check out the snowdrops in the Pocket Park by the tunnel!
Posted in Good News!
Bart Guetti shoveling a path to reach the snowbound MRG apple trees by APD
Susan Johnson and Bart part of Lebanon’s new Pruning Brigade!
At least 5 Lebanon residents took advantage of Upper Valley Apple Corps free fruit tree pruning workshop this past Saturday and are now equipped to care for fruit trees that have been planted in Lebanon with the help of Apple Corps. There are 3 apple trees on the MRG, one at Lebanon Library, and 2 pear trees at Kilton Library. February is a good time to prune, while the tree is dormant . . . but first you have to shovel a path to the tree.- that snow was wet and heavy!
Aready planning an apple pie! (Thanks to Bart Guetti for photo)
Local Hero Locates and Frees Hopelessly Entangled Victim!
On a recent steamy Saturday afternoon, while many of us were sipping iced drinks in front of our fans and air conditioners, local West Lebanon adventurer, Bart Guetti, set out on a quest to the western end of the MRG. His seemingly hopeless task was to locate an apple tree that had been planted in September 2019. Friends of Lebanon Recreation, Upper Valley Apple Corps, and other volunteers had planted it during Climate Strike Week in an effort to enhance MRG habitat..
A veritable jungle had grown up around the apple tree, Thick vines had clambered atop, dominating the environment, and strangling whatever lay in its path. Were it not for the nearly invisible wooden stakes installed last year, and for the determination of our intrepid hero, all would have been lost. Venturing forth by bike, clad in safety vest and neon pith helmet, and armed with machete, he tripped among the vines, struggling, chopping, and eventually, freeing the victim. “Just in the lick of time. If I had not found it today, we never would have found it – the vines would have won!”
Here is a photo of the rescued Golden Russet apple tree (fondly dubbed “Russ” by our hero) after this stunning rescue. The vines that had clambered atop have been removed, as well as the surrounding tall grasses.
Rescued Golden Russet Apple
Some of the Defeated Vine Debris!
Our hero! Thank you, Bart Guetti!
On Wednesday’s rainy morning, it was a delight to come upon John Garoutte’s expansion of his “Patchwork” mural in the MRG tunnel, depicting many elements of Lebanon’s history and identity. The title itself, “Patchwork”, reflects Lebanon’s textile history of woolen and cotton mills, The mural is a patchwork of some of Lebanon’s neighborhoods with their New England vernacular architecture, historic buildings, the natural features of trees, hills, waterways, snow and ice, the varied seasons. Packard Hill covered bridge, Mascoma Lake, Storrs Hill.
And in this historic railroad tunnel, a reminder of how we have transported ourselves through the centuries, by river, train, on foot, car, airplane, bikes, skis, and skateboard. Do visit and follow the progress of this vibrant addtion to the MRG tunnel and see what special patches you can identify!
Tunnel Vision – John Garoutte – a Man with a Plan
P.S. Noting the buttons in the mural, I wondered if Lebanon ever had a button factory and came upon this little bit of Lebanon history:
“Henry Wood Carter, born in Concord, NH set up shop out of his house and barn in Lebanon, NH. Dubbed “The Merchant Prince”, Carter became a wide-ranging traveling peddler, driving a series of colorful horse-drawn wagons all around the region. He sold a very long list of notions domestic and foreign, dozens and dozens . . . watches, jewelry, cutlery, combs, thread, silk, buttons, perfumes, soap, wallets, guitar strings, boxes, stationery, brushes, fans, “segars”, you name it.” https://www.ephemerasociety.org/yankee-peddler/#:~:text=Henry%20Wood%20Carter%2C%20born%20in,wagons%20all%20around%20the%20region.
Posted in Art Installations, Good News!, Modes of Transport
The Mascoma River Greenway 