We’re a Certified Wildlife Habitat®

July 8, 2017August 14, 2018 Peggy Farabaugh 1 Comment

Last updated on August 14th, 2018 at 01:45 pm

Certified Wildlife hatitat — The National Wildlife Federation has recognized us in their ‘Garden for Wildlife’ program. Our Stonehurst showroom is on 109 acres of sustainably managed woodlands and meadows which NWF has designated as a Certified Wildlife Habitat®.

Dear Customers, Thank You!

The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization. We’re excited to support their work by creating a Certified Wildlife Habitat® as part of their ‘Garden for Wildlife’ program. This achievement is only possible because of the strong support we receive from our wonderful customers and stakeholders.

Fellow Nature Nuts: you can do the same at your home or business! If you have a garden that improves habitat for birds, butterflies, frogs and other wildlife, join the club and get it certified. It’s all about providing your neighborhood wildlife with natural food sources, clean water, cover and places to raise young.
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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

May is ‘Garden For Wildlife’ Month

May 18, 2017May 25, 2017 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Last updated on May 25th, 2017 at 11:53 am

Nina's beautiful pollinator garden at Stonehurst | Vermont Woods Studios — This our flower garden at Stonehurst. When Nina and our Vermont Woods Studios “Garden Club” planted it, we had pollinators (especially monarch butterflies) in mind. But LARGER wild visitors also decided it was beautiful and delicious. Cut flowers for the showroom usually take a backseat to delicacies for ground hogs, wild turkeys and deer. Click on any photo to enter our #GetDirty giveaway (a $425 gift certificate) and celebrate planting with us.

Plant a Garden For Wildlife

May is National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife month. Since 1973, the program has been showing people how to turn their own small piece of the Earth into thriving habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife. The goal is to restore habitat and wildlife populations to our cities, towns and neighborhoods. The program helps wildlife and gives people a daily connection to the natural world right outside their door.
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Happy Birthday to our National Parks

August 25, 2016November 10, 2017 Megan Fulton Leave a comment

Last updated on November 10th, 2017 at 12:55 pm

What This New Englander Has Learned about Our National Parks and Nature.

Growing up in a small, rural, New Hampshire town, I was born loving the outdoors. Being raised in a log cabin situated in the middle of a forest gives you a unique perspective on nature and wildlife. My sister and I would spend our days climbing huge glacial rock formations behind our house, using the roots of trees growing on the rocks as our rope. We’d pretend we were pioneers in the winter and hike through the snow covered woods. We got tips at a young age on what to do if we crossed paths with a black bear on our walks. And thunderstorms were always a little scary because we worried a tree would fall on our house.

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Vermont Coverts: Managing Woodlands for Wildlife

June 1, 2014June 1, 2014 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Vermont Coverts Cohort: Woodlands for Wildlife — These are the amazing people in my cohort at last week’s Vermont Coverts workshop: “Woodlands for Wildlife”. The word “covert” (pronounced cuh-vert) is an old English term meaning a thicket, home or hiding place for animals.

After locating our fine furniture and home decor store on a 100 acre wood in the foothills of Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest (see my last post), I found myself in the familiar position of trying to do something I knew little about. How would we properly manage this woodland for wildlife and sustainability? My friends Kathleen Wanner (Executive Director of the Vermont Wood Manufacturer’s Association VWMA) and Lynn Levine (a professional forester) suggested that Ken and I attend the Vermont Coverts: Woodlands for Wildlife Cooperator Training. What a great idea!

Mess is best when it comes to creating habitat for wildlife — One of the key points we learned about managing our woodlands is that “mess is best” when it comes to creating habitat for wildlife. Forests need to be thinned with plenty of coarse woody debris remaining on the floor to provide cover for animals.

The program was last weekend at the Woods of Wikahowi in Northfield, VT. Ken had to cancel at the last minute but I attended along with a dozen or so like-minded landowners from all across Vermont. Because 80% of Vermont’s forestland is owned privately, the Coverts organization concluded that the key to sustaining our state’s forests & wildlife is education of private landowners. They provide a free 3-day training course every Spring and every Fall, focusing on classroom and field studies in forest and wildlife management.

*Kim Royar, VT Department of Fish and Wildlife shows us bear claws on a beech tree.*

The course was taught by Vermont’s foremost experts in forestry & wildlife including:

Lisa Sausville, Executive Director, Vermont Coverts
Mary Sisock, UVM Extension Forester
Kim Royar, VT Department of Fish and Wildlife
Dan Singleton, Washington County Forester
Steve Hagenbuch, Audubon VT
Kathy Decker, VT Forest, Parks and Recreation
Rich Chalmers, VP VT Coverts

Maple is Vermont's Most Important Hardwood Tree — *The Maple is Vermont’s most important tree. Here Rich Chalmers is showing us his newly built sugar house– made from timbers logged in the surrounding forest.*

VT Coverts is so committed to their mission that they offer the course for free, including food and lodging! Dedicated Coverts members work hard to meet expenses through grants and fundraising programs. If you own woodlands in Vermont or know someone who does, please refer them to the Coverts program. It’s an unforgettable weekend with fascinating people and thought-provoking discussion. The graduates of the program hold the future of Vermont’s forests in their hands.

Vermont Coverts | Reference Books | Sustainable Forestry — *Some of the handouts from Vermont Coverts. Click here to apply for the next Vermont Coverts Training workshop. Did I mention the training is FREE?*

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All I Ever Wanted Was To Be Marlin Perkins

January 21, 2014November 10, 2017 Peggy Farabaugh

Last updated on November 10th, 2017 at 02:27 pm

Marlin Perkins, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom — Marlin Perkins, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom

If you’re under 50 you probably don’t know who Marlin Perkins was. When I was a kid, my whole family would sit in front of the TV on Sunday nights and watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom*. Marlin Perkins was the host— kind of a 1960s version of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter.

Marlin was always venturing into exotic places like the African savannah or the Amazon rainforest, filming wild animals in their natural habitats. Orangutans, gorillas, kangaroos, pythons, lions, tigers, bears… the whole shebang. He would be holding a chimp and talking about conservation and… oh how I wanted to be him! Cuddling up with a tiger cub, rescuing a couple orphaned bear cubs — what could be better?

Although I didn’t end up majoring in zoology or doing research for Jane Goodall, my passion for wildlife conservation has stayed with me. Like most people I went for a “more practical career” and decided to pursue my passion as a hobby. I visited zoos and natural history museums whenever I could. I studied wildlife news in National Geographic, World Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club and other green publications. I poured my support into wildlife conservation non-profits.

But the real fun didn’t start along until Kendall and Riley came along. How convenient? It seems little boys love wildlife! We camped out in local beaver ponds and vernal pools getting to know the resident turtles, frogs, salamanders, snakes and such. We made trips to the rainforest, adopted snakes and started a non-profit called Kids Saving the Planet. Our adventures in Vermont’s forests and in the Central American rainforests eventually led to the creation of Vermont Woods Studios Sustainable Furniture. More about that in my next post.

* and the Wonderful World of Disney and Ed Sullivan Show, of course

The Vermont Furniture Blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, a 200 year old farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

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