Vermont is home to nine species of bats. Six of these species are year round residents and three migrate south in the winter. Our six year-long residents live in caves and mines during the winter and during summer months can often be found roosting in barns and other buildings. Of the 6 resident species all but one are either state or federally endangered.

Little brown and long-eared bats are the ones we are most likely to see in Norwich during the summer months from mid-April to October. They have been a part of our summer landscape as long as we can remember, swooping over fields and ponds tirelessly hunting the night flying insects that make up their diet. We sometimes wonder what part these nocturnal mammals with their impressive echolocation play in our lives, but because many of us rarely see a bat, we are unaware of the services they provide.

The bat holds an important place in a healthy ecosystem. Like insects, bats play a role in pollinating the fruits and flowers we enjoy. They are a critical player in insect control, hunting down the flying insects like mosquitoes that spread disease as well as various moths that turn into the caterpillars that eat our fruits and vegetables. According to the Bat Conservation International Website “a single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in 1 hour.”

Beginning in 2006 a disease known as White Nose syndrome was discovered in a cave in upstate New York and spread rapidly east into Vermont. The syndrome gets its name from a white fungus that attacks the bat’s nose, ears and wings during their winter hibernation. The hibernating bats in attempting to fight off the effects of the disease exhaust their fat supplies and they weaken and die. All 6 of Vermont’s hibernating species have been affected and their populations have declined by over 90 percent.

There is some good news. According to Vermont wildlife officials, this situation seems to have stabilized somewhat for certain bat species. The Northern Long Eared bat has lost 98 percent of its population and does not appear to be recovering. However the Little Brown Bat seems to be holding on , doing better in the Champlain Valley. The Big Brown Bat is actually doing pretty well, maybe because they have two pups a year instead of the usual one.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is very interested in monitoring the population of Little Brown bats and is working to determine if we still have a population in Norwich. Alyssa Bennett (Alyssa.bennett@vermont.gov) is collecting information and answering questions about them and is collecting samples of bat guano to analyze for species identification.

There are some things we can do to help our struggling bat populations.
• We can reduce our use of pesticides which poison bats as well as the insects they eat.
• We can plant flowers that attract night pollinators
• We can participate in citizen science programs sponsored by the Vermont Wildlife Department that monitor summer bat activity.
• We can install bat boxes in our yards to make our land more bat friendly.

As much as we appreciate these amazing creatures, we do not want them in our houses. If you are find a bat in your home, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife web page gives instructions on removing it.

One of the favorite recreational opportunities residents and visitors to the Upper Valley enjoy in the fall is hiking the many area trails. Hiking allows an intimate relationship with nature and, in some cases, a birds-eye view of the spectacular fall color. Residents and visitors are particularly blessed with many local trails from which to choose.

One of the best sources for information on area trails in our area is the Upper Valley Trails Alliance located in Norwich. UVTA executive director, Russ Hirschler, says hikers should be able to thoroughly enjoy the area’s trails this fall, while keeping in mind that the trails get some of their heaviest use this time of year.

Norwich’s Gile Mountain Trail is undoubtedly the most popular of all Norwich trails, Hirschler says. A few years back, the trail received an upgrade with the installation of a series of stone steps, which resulted in the decline of trail erosion and added to the ease of use for hikers. This wooded trail makes its way to a fire tower, the top of which offers great views of the area.

With limited parking available for this trail and heavy use in the fall, Hirschler adds, “Please be respectful of the landowners when choosing a parking place.”

Another trail Hirschler recommends in Norwich is the Ballard Trail, a four-mile long trail located off Beaver Meadow Road. This trail runs close to the Charles Brown Brook, and takes hikers to Norwich’s ‘Grand Canyon.’ Crossing many wet areas and run-off streams, volunteer crews recently installed a new boardwalk, stepping stones, and improved drainage to make this trail more accessible during wetter periods.

Erosion after heavy downpours or a quick spring warm-up followed by a run-off causes trail damage requiring repair. Thanks to the employment of drainage standards when building – or rehabilitating older ones – trails are better able to weather damage from storms or run-off. Most problems occur on older trails where these standards have yet to be employed. Fortunately, Hirschler says there haven’t been any major storms in the recent past to raise havoc with area trails.

For families with younger children looking for a pleasant walk in the woods of Norwich, Hirschler recommends the King Arthur trail next to the King Arthur Store and Bakery. Accessible from the King Arthur parking lot, he says this trail, “is a great place for families.” Ending up at the Dresden athletic fields, this trail allows for non-technical biking as well. What better way to end your breakfast or lunch at King Arthur than by a short, pleasant hike through the adjacent woods?

Another great opportunity for family hikes are the trails around the Montshire Museum. Accessible from the museum grounds, trail maps for these walks are obtained from the museum.

Those looking for maps and descriptions of the area trails can access that information from the UVTA’s website. Descriptions of some area trails are on also on an app called Trail Finder which gives great information on many potential hikes in the area.

Volunteers Michelle Townsend and Nathan Chickering

Hirschler explains that the UVTA works closely with area trails groups – such as the Norwich Trail Commission – to assess trail conditions, help find funding and volunteer assistance for trail work, and to provide professional guidance in determining work needed. As area trail organizations establish themselves and take on the work of maintaining and expanding trail networks, the work of the UVTA expands.

A recent project the UVTA completed with the Mascoma River Greenway (MRG) is one example. The MRG is a multi-use trail running through Lebanon and West Lebanon and is used by pedestrians and bicyclists. The UVTA built an access trail behind the Alice Peck Day Hospital which allows anyone – including disabled folks using wheelchairs or walkers – to reach the MRG. The 250-foot-long gravel and hardpack access trail has numerous switchbacks, which lessens the grade considerably. Lebanon is considering making the trail asphalt in the future. The dedication for this access trail to the MRG took place in August.

With so many trail opportunities available locally, residents and visitors alike should take advantage of the beautiful autumn colors and view them from one of these well-maintained walkways. Dress warm, be ready for some wet patches, and enjoy autumn from the trailside.

Meeting Norwich’s Katie Kitchel is a bit like catching hold of a rocketship. She gives the impression of fast movement even when she’s sitting down. But she focuses her attention on what she’s doing or saying – this is not a woman who indulges fog.

Katie Kitchel in We the People’s 1776

She obviously loves children, smiling and admiring new babies that friends bring into a cafe, and she is keenly aware of how long her own children, a sophomore, a 6th grader, and a 3rd grader, can benefit by supervising themselves and when some adult contact would be a good idea.

Katie has found jobs she loves that intersect with her interests and talents: children and performing arts. She teaches in and coordinates the Music Together program at the Upper Valley Music Center in Lebanon, and she has just begun a position with Northern Stage as Director of Outreach.

For Northern Stage, Katie will be working as part of the team with the YES – Youth Ensemble Studio – program, an ambitious and surprisingly affordable project that immerses 7th–12th graders in all aspects of stage performance. Students work over the year with experts in choreography, staging, and more to produce two smaller shows and a grand finale – this year’s spring musical will be Frozen, Jr. – which plays on the main stage. Not surprisingly, the program is already full for the coming season.

Katie will also work with Northern Stage’s BridgeUp program that brings Shakespeare and musical theater into the schools, with professional actors helping older elementary school students interpret scenes. The students present an abbreviated play for their school and also an on-the-road show for family and friends at Northern Stage’s impressive theater. It’s an experience to remember for a lifetime, not just the excitement of theater but the overcoming of challenge and risk. Finding that Shakespeare can be accessible and not intimidating gives students a bolder approach to cultural landmarks. The program began in 2016 and excitement about it continues high. It’s a good fit for Katie. Irene Green, Northern Stage’s Managing Director, praises Katie’s passion, enthusiasm, energy, and discipline.

Never Too Young for Music

What’s the youngest age it makes sense to take your child to a music class? The national program Music Together says, “At birth!”

Children have an innate sensitivity to rhythm and melody – think of all the times you’ve seen a toddler bouncing around joyfully on the edge of the dance floor at a wedding. Encouraging that innate sense by playing rhythmically with your baby makes them happy and helps their development. The Music Together program provides social contact for parents and children, and, importantly, gives parents ideas of ways to play with their child, and validates interactions that grown-ups may at first find silly as useful and connecting. MT leaders
introduce songs and chants from traditions around the world, expanding a parent’s toolkit and providing a broader base for a child’s future experience. And the group discusses ways to use music at transition times of days, perhaps with a song about bath time. “As parents we have various skills that we use to help direct our children’s behaviors in positive ways, why not use singing as one of them!?” says Katie. “Music is a language. The more it’s spoken in a household the more fluent everyone is.

“Play is how kids learn,” adds Katie. She describes a game that helps children develop their ability to maintain a steady rhythm where a circle of kids use their arms as gates that swing open and shut at a certain speed. “Because they’re playing, they’re more apt to stay
interested in repeating a motion for an extended period of time. They are having so much fun, they don’t even realize that they’re practicing how to keep a steady beat!” she explains. Other games include musical “Hot or Cold,” where the increasing volume of the group’s tapping shows a seeker they’re approaching the object. Social skills grow with sharing equipment, putting toys away.

Katie with the cast and crew of We the People’s Working

And in Her Free Time…

Katie has worked with Perry Allison’s We The People theater company, which produces a show to spark discussion and interaction. Founded after the 2016 election, WTP produced 1776, provoking conversations about the nature of democratic government. Katie was a mill worker in Working, and played John Hancock in 1776. Coming up this spring in White River’s Briggs Opera House is Man of La Mancha, aiming to present Don Quixote’s still-timely message of hope. “Whether through the lens of world events or concerns close to home, we all want to
believe in a brighter future,” says the producing team. Katie, as Director of Audience Engagement, will be drawing out audience reactions and ideas in intermission and post-show discussions. “Even in conflict, foundations can be laid,” says Katie. She is planning ways to convey audience ideas across performances, with comment boards in the lobby and other means.

Katie will audition for a role in La Mancha. She’s loved performing since she was young. Her mother also loved to sing, and “I shared a birthday with my mom (Halloween!),” she recalls. It was the occasion of a trip into New York to hunt up some discount tickets and finish off with a deluxe ice cream at Rumplemayer’s, then a palace of children’s sweet delights.

Katie and her family live in Norwich on Sugartop Road. Her husband, Davy, was born in St. Johnsbury and went to Marion Cross. Katie likes to run (surprise!) with “a group of amazing moms” that’s grown to about eight over the years. The women tend to meet at Marion Cross in the morning and love to head off, en masse, into the trails of Norwich, although in winter you will likely see them bundled up on the roads, even in sub-zero weather.

“They all have lives like this,” says Katie, admitting that things sometimes get a little crazed, “and they’re very supportive. It’s a sisterhood.” The women trade suggestions and encouragement as they run. Katie’s way to find time in the day? “I drink a lot of coffee
and I don’t sleep much. I’m like a shark – I gotta keep moving.