Montgomery Center - The Hazen's Notch Association initiated their Winter Speakers Series on January 5, 2008 at the Montgomery Town Library with a talk by wildlife biologist Jeffrey Parsons of Lowell. Parsons is a consulting ecologist with Arrowwood Environmental based in Huntington, Vermont who has made seven trips to the boreal forest region which comprises much of the northern parts of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. Parsons' trips included performing research with graduate students from several northern Vermont colleges. He explained that the boreal forest is a broad zone of evergreen forest that lies north of the mixed deciduous temperate forest of the northern United States and southern Canada yet south of the Arctic zone.

He introduced his topic by discussing boreal forest habitats in northeastern Vermont in the Nulhegan River Basin and surrounding Victory Bog and Moose Bog. The boreal regions in Vermont are mainly composed of black spruce, red spruce and balsam fir with an understory of mosses. Many wildflowers grow tucked into the mosses, such as bunchberry, twinflower and mountain cranberry.

Large mammals of the boreal forests of both Vermont and Quebec include moose and black bear. Woodland caribou also occur in the boreal forests of Canada. Smaller mammals include coyote, lynx (in Canada), bobcat (in Vermont), fisher and beaver. Several bird species make the spruce and fir forest their home: spruce grouse, gray jay, boreal chickadee and black-backed woodpecker.

“The boreal forest covers eight million square miles of land in Canada and is the largest intact forest in the world,” explained Parsons. “The Cree and the Inuit peoples have lived here for thousands of years,” he said. “They are simultaneously living in two cultures. Young natives in this region are being influenced by the modern life of Montreal through television while their elders work to instill traditional tribal practices passed down through many generations.”

During his visits north, Parsons and his students have had the opportunity to meet and learn the ways of the Cree that live near the waters of James Bay, Hudson Bay and in the wide Rupert River valley. The Cree welcomed them and shared their knowledge and customs. “The Cree language is well preserved in northern Quebec,” said Parsons. “Family bonds and tribal customs are still very important there.”

Hunting, fishing and trapping are age-old means by which the people gather their food, shelter and clothing needs. Parsons related that the trapping routes used today have been handed down through generations within families. “In Quebec” related Parsons, “the Cree revere the black bear so much that when one is killed, the bear's skull is placed in an elevated place, such as high in a tree, to prevent dogs and scavengers from desecrating the skull.”

The audience expressed their appreciation for the evening's speaker. “Jeffrey Parsons' presentation was very informative, thorough and enjoyable” said Bernadette Earley of Montgomery. “I am thankful that the Hazen's Notch Association has begun these programs. And I look forward to future lectures and other activities with the association this winter.”

The second lecture in the winter series will be a presentation on February 2, 2008 on winter birds by Deborah Benjamin, President of the Vermont Botanical & Bird Club.

- Rolf Anderson