Blue Mountain, the namesake of the local high school and grange, is the scenic backdrop of much of Ryegate Corner. From its 2364’ forested summit down to a low-lying Northern White Cedar Swamp (known as Ryegate Corner Swamp) at 970’, Blue Mountain Wilderness Sanctuary has an impressive diversity of habitats.
The landowner has amassed several smaller parcels over time to create this 800-acre forest block with the intention of devoting this land to wildlife habitat in perpetuity. He has never harvested trees on these lands, some of which he has owned since the 1990s, giving these forests a jump-start on their journey to a distinguished old age.
Situated at the nexus of three watersheds and spanning a 1,300’ elevation gradient, the Sanctuary lies at the transition zone between ecosystems typical of northern New England and those of southern New England. Protecting transition areas like this one as forever-wild will be of utmost importance as climate change becomes more severe. Blue Mountain Wilderness Sanctuary helps to build resilience and foster the micro-climates needed by species rapidly losing ground due to climate change.
Blue Mountain Wilderness Sanctuary advances the goals of Vermont Conservation Design, a state-endorsed vision that calls for at least 9% of Vermont’s forests to be allowed to grow old. The Design prioritizes protecting properties that are well-connected to other intact forests and that have healthy interior conditions (also known as ‘core habitat’), such as Blue Mountain.
The Sanctuary’s lower elevation forests are second growth, likely with a history of agriculture, and are a mix of white pine, red spruce, balsam fir, red maples, and more. Slightly higher on the flanks of Blue Mountain forest shifts to a more standard Northern Hardwood assemblage, with more mature American beech, yellow birch, and sugar maple. On the steepest and rockiest slopes of the mountain, many red oaks stand tall. The oaks and beech provide considerable forage for wildlife through acorns and beech nuts. The mature forest includes several large decadent snags and some remarkably clean large beech trees, despite the presence of beech bark disease in the surrounding forest.
The Sanctuary encompasses five streams that form headwaters for the Connecticut and Wells Rivers, Manchester Brook, and McLam Pond. There are four wetlands along the streams, which contribute to clean water and biodiversity. Some of these streams include suitable habitat for brook trout that need cold, clean waters.
Wildlife sign abounds, from antler scrapes by deer or moose on trees, to squirrel midden piles and food caches, to small animal dens. Tracks of coyote, raccoon, porcupine, moose, deer, red fox, and squirrel are readily seen after a snowfall, and claw marks on beech and cedar trees tell the stories of bears searching for a hearty autumn snack or marking a corner of their territory. Steep slopes with ledges and boulders may support bobcat given that nearby stands of conifers provide cover for one of their prey species—snowshoe hare. Vernal pools are tucked away in the mountain’s undulating topography. These seasonal shallow pools dry up each summer, allowing amphibians to lay their eggs in the springtime without fish predation.
Photography: Jerry Monkman/Ecophotography
NORTHEAST WILDERNESS TRUST
17 STATE STREET, SUITE 302
MONTPELIER, VT 05602
802.224.1000
info [@] newildernesstrust.org
NORTHEAST WILDERNESS TRUST
17 STATE STREET, SUITE 302
MONTPELIER, VT 05602
802.224.1000
© The Northeast Wilderness Trust 2020 TERMS OF USE PRIVACY POLICY
Eric has worked as an ecologist in New England for 36 years. He most recently retired from 25 years with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, where he conducted statewide inventories of natural communities and associated rare plants and animals, consulted with landowners, and was involved with numerous plans and projects to protect biological diversity. He is a co-author of Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A Guide to the Natural Communities of Vermont and was one of the principal authors of Vermont Conservation Design, a vision for maintaining an ecologically functional landscape. Eric lives in Vermont with his wife, and they love being in their woods or visiting wild places.
Nadine joined Northeast Wilderness Trust in 2022. As Communications Director she guides NEWT’s strategic outreach and communication work. Nadine has led award-winning communications efforts on air quality, land use, and climate in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast. Since 1998 Nadine has worked with Middlebury College, most recently teaching as a Visiting Scholar and as Outreach Specialist with the New Perennials Project. Her master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania focused on community engagement to support Wild and Scenic River Conservation. On the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op Board of Directors for 8 years, she co-founded the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee. From a childhood spent in the forests and shores of New England, to her discovery of the Cascades and lakes of the Adirondacks, to her Daoist studies, forever-wild is simply “the way through this time.” Nadine enjoys practicing Tai Chi Chuan, photography, knitting, paddling, cooking, gardening, and walking.
Tom Garback (he/him) is currently pursuing an MA in Writing and Publishing at Emerson College, where he’s worked as Publisher of Wilde Press and Staff Writer, Copyeditor, Editor, Designer, and Marketing Associate across eight different literary, lifestyle, and fashion magazines. Most recently was a Marketing Intern at HarperCollins and an Editorial Intern at Aevitas Creative Management. In addition to his role at NEWT, Tom also currently works as a literary assistant for NYT bestselling author Danielle Trussoni and as an intern for the Boston Book Festival. In his spare time, Tom enjoys singing with his a cappella group Achoired Taste and building community with his professional co-ed fraternity Zeta Phi Eta. His fiction, poems, and essays have been featured in numerous horror anthologies and over twenty magazines, including catapult, Collective Realms, Cabinet of Heed, Blind Corner, and Sonder.
Tom Garback (he/him) is currently pursuing an MA in Writing and Publishing at Emerson College, where he’s worked as Publisher of Wilde Press and Staff Writer, Copyeditor, Editor, Designer, and Marketing Associate across eight different literary, lifestyle, and fashion magazines. Most recently was a Marketing Intern at HarperCollins and an Editorial Intern at Aevitas Creative Management. In addition to his role at NEWT, Tom also currently works as a literary assistant for NYT bestselling author Danielle Trussoni and as an intern for the Boston Book Festival. In his spare time, Tom enjoys singing with his a cappella group Achoired Taste and building community with his professional co-ed fraternity Zeta Phi Eta. His fiction, poems, and essays have been featured in numerous horror anthologies and over twenty magazines, including catapult, Collective Realms, Cabinet of Heed, Blind Corner, and Sonder.
As the Operations Director, Erin handles all of the administration for the organization. With a history degree from Miami University and an MBA from Northern Kentucky University, she has worked in non-profit management since 2000 when she escorted Peter, Paul and Mary to the concert stage at the Columbus Symphony. In that time, she has helped thousands of artists, educators and reformers by allowing them to ply their craft rather than worrying about whether the lights were going to be on or if there would be snacks. In her spare time, Erin loves to hike, kayak and curl up with her two cats.
After spending 15 years climbing the ladder of wealth management in Boston, Joe decided to trade in his suit and tie for his true passion, land conservation and stewardship. In the seven years since he has stewarded all over New England while also serving as a Ranger and Naturalist Interpreter with Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. He continues to pursue his mission to help people, institutions, and organizations become more keenly aware and connected to the cultural, social, economic, and environmental benefits land conservation brings to our lives.
As Land Protection Manager, Caitlin is the person to contact if you have questions about the Wildlands Partnership Program, or if you are interested in exploring forever-wild conservation for your land. She comes to Northeast Wilderness Trust with a background in a wide range of land conservation transactions while working as a Paralegal at the Vermont Land Trust. Outside the office Caitlin can be found in her garden, swimming in the Northeast’s many lakes, cooking up delights in her kitchen and honing her skills as a backyard naturalist.
Vermont
Emily Bateson has worked for 40 years in environmental advocacy and land conservation, recently retiring as Director of the Network for Landscape Conservation, a North American leader in advancing collaborative conservation at the necessary landscape scale. Past positions have included: Coordinator of the New England Wildlands and Woodlands Initiative; senior staff at the Conservation Law Foundation; Associate Director of the Wildlands Program at Sweet Water Trust; and founder and first director of Two Countries, One Forest/Deux Pays, Une Foret in the Northern Appalachian/Acadian region of the U.S. and Canada. Emily lives with her family in Vermont.
Board Emeritus
1932-2022
In 2001, Merloyd Ludington joined a small, dedicated group of wilderness advocates in Boston to sound the bell for increased wilderness conservation in the Northeast. The group unanimously agreed that there was a strong need for a new land trust to fill this niche, and a year later the Northeast Wilderness Trust was born.
Merloyd served on the board of the Wilderness Trust for 15 years. She led the organization with her deep knowledge of the field, thoughtful insight, tenacious line of inquiry, and strong wilderness ethic for which we are deeply grateful.
Sophi comes to Northeast Wilderness Trust with a background in land conservation, communications, and outdoor and environmental education. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science from Washington University in St. Louis in 2013. Since then, she has worked at Vermont Land Trust, Yestermorrow Design/Build School, and Earthwalk Vermont. Sophi is committed to helping create a world where all species have the chance to survive, thrive, and evolve. Outside of work, she can be found roaming forests and rivers with her dog, tending an ever-expanding garden, and cultivating community and creative practice.
Jon has worked in the private land conservation field since graduating from Vermont Law School in 2011. Before joining Northeast Wilderness Trust, he was the Executive Director of Montezuma Land Conservancy in Colorado. Jon serves on the Rewilding Leadership Council, the Steering Committee of Wildlands & Woodlands, and is a co-owner of WildEdge Brewing Collective. He lives in Middlesex, Vermont, where he serves on the Planning Commission. He enjoys wandering the woods behind his house and maintaining a questionable obsession with house plants.
Vice President
Maine
Susie lives in Montville, Maine. She holds Master’s of Science with distinction in Environmental Management from Oxford University, England. She serves as a Research Associate and Visiting Faculty at the College of the Atlantic. Her writing has appeared in Spring: A Journal of Archetype and Culture, the Maine Review, Naropa University’s Phylogeny, and the Spoon River Poetry Review.
Cathleen joined Northeast Wilderness Trust in 2015 with two decades of nonprofit experience. She received her BA from Hawaii Loa College, now part of the Hawaii Pacific University system, and attended the School for International Training’s Master’s Program in Intercultural Management. She worked for almost a decade in Washington, DC on women’s health issues before relocating to Vermont with her family. Prior to that she spent seven years studying and teaching in Hokkaido, Japan. Her experience with public health has connected her to the mission of the Wilderness Trust. In her free time she enjoys living in Montpelier, reading, exploring, and cooking with her family.
Justin is a member of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe of Plymouth and Cape Cod, MA. After high school he took a three-month journey on the Appalachian Trail to try and determine what is “necessary.” He has since spent as much time as he is afforded with Nature, trying to cultivate skills of self-sufficiency and traditional knowledge. He studies and practices tracking animals, trapping, hunting, fishing, foraging, herbal medicine, and gardening among many other disciplines known to his indigenous ancestors. His career goals include natural resources research and management and Native American cultural awareness.
Eric is a recent graduate of Sterling College with a B.A. in Ecology, with a focus on the intersections between recreation and ecology. He has always had a deep appreciation for outdoor spaces and conservation, and finds interest in studying how human recreation can impact natural spaces and alter their functionality. For his capstone project at Sterling College he assessed impacts of recreation along a stretch of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail in order to understand how paddling is affecting the ecology of the area. In his free time, he enjoys wandering through the woods, swimming, paddling, painting, tending to his garden, singing, and playing his guitar.
In wild forests, a cornucopia of species can be found. Old and young trees, standing dead trees (snags), and fallen trees and branches (woody debris) create a mixed canopy and understory. This complex forest structure supports a myriad of niche habitats often absent from young and managed forests.
The sheer amount of life—and death—is the secret to biodiversity in wild forests. Up to 30% of the biomass found in an old forest is made up of snags and trees in various states of decay. Decomposing logs host an abundance of insects, fungi, and slime molds. In some forests, a third of bird species live in cavities of old trees. Wild forests have also been found to have a higher density and diversity of species in studies on salamanders and lichen.
Vast, interconnected habitats offer the best hope for species to survive and adapt to climate change as weather events become more unpredictable and temperatures rise.
In wild forests where soil is undisturbed, vast mycorrhizal networks help trees, especially older ones, “share” carbon with one another, even between different species. These subterranean networks of fungi become more connected the older and less disturbed a forest is. They help forests react to and survive stresses such as drought or pests.
In addition, complex habitats are resilient habitats. No matter the state of a forest when the Wilderness Trust first protects it, from that day forward, it will grow in age and complexity year after year, becoming more resilient as time goes on.
Old forests store immense amounts of carbon. Across the Northeast Wilderness Trust’s portfolio of 37,000+ forever-wild acres, there are approximately 3 million metric tons of potential carbon storage.
As a forest’s age increases, so too does the amount of carbon it stores. It was once believed that old-growth forests were sources of carbon (giving off carbon into the atmosphere) but we now know that they are more often carbon sinks, continuing to absorb carbon even when they are centuries-old.
To avoid the worst effects of a changing climate, we must implement “Natural Climate Solutions.” Legally protecting forests as forever-wild—sometimes called proforestation—is among the most cost-effective and efficient tools to combat climate change.
Reciprocity is the rekindling of humanity’s affection for the riotous, wondrous wild. At its core, reciprocity is a visceral revelation of our interdependence with all the astounding entities of this planet.
Places where people may witness a kaleidoscope of beings evolving freely are integral to cultivating the will to preserve diverse, resilient ecological communities. When other life forms are honored for their own sake, and granted the freedom to flourish, the wonder of the natural world becomes increasingly palpable. Experiencing this innate awe can transform us, and inspire the wisdom and compassion needed to protect and pass on a vigorous, beautiful world.
Northeast Wilderness Trust is dedicated to the reciprocal act of offering our wild neighbors places where they may rest, recover, and thrive. The Wilderness Trust welcomes careful, responsible experiences of reciprocity with these cherished lands and waterways.
Board Emeritus
New Hampshire
Annie is a founding board member of the Northeast Wilderness Trust, and served as President, Secretary and Treasurer during her 15-year tenure on the Board of Directors. She is a landowner with conserved properties in New Hampshire and Maine. Annie has worked as an environmental activist and writer, community organizer, and reproductive health researcher, educator and counselor. Annie likes to hike, ski, and camp in remote and/or high elevation terrain. She lives with her husband, Bob King, their two amazing teenagers, and two pets in a nicely converted woodshed in Keene, New Hampshire.
New York
Paul Torrence was a staff scientist and Section Chief at the National Institutes of Health where he pursued research on antiviral and anti-cancer therapeutics from 1969 until 1999. He then became Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff where he continued his research and teaching until 2007 when he was appointed Emeritus Professor. Paul has wandered in and defended wildlands from Alaska to Arizona and from New Hampshire to the Oregon coast. Since 2008, he has served on the Board of Directors of the Wilderness Land Trust. Paul resides in southwestern New York on the traditional lands of the O-non-dowa-gah (Seneca Nation).
Vermont
Brian is an entrepreneur in the hospitality and insurance industries. Previously, he worked for Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse in their fixed income divisions. Prior to that, he was a finance attorney with Latham & Watkins. Brian lives in Underhill, Vermont with his wife and a menagerie of animals, and spends as much time as he can in the wilderness.
Massachusetts
Henry is a conservation consultant and an instructor in the Master’s Program in Sustainability at the Harvard University Extension School. He has a background in land conservation and has played a direct role in the protection of almost one million acres around the world. Henry’s past work experience includes fourteen years at The Nature Conservancy, first as the Director of the New Hampshire Program and then as the Director of the New York State Program. Henry serves on the Board of Directors of Tierra Austral Land Trust in Chile. Henry holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.A. and Admission to Doctoral Candidacy from Cornell University. He lives with his family in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
Vermont
Randy Kritkausky is the president and co-founder of ECOLOGIA, an international environmental non-profit. ECOLOGIA projects have included: NGO development in “countries in transition” (former Soviet bloc and China), water monitoring, greenhouse gas accounting, corporate responsibility standards, and environmental remediation and restoration. After decades of approaching environmental issues through the lens of science, activism, and policy making, he recognized that spiritual grounding which encourages us to approach the natural world as our kin is a critical part of environmental problem solving. Randy is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, author of Without Reservation, and advocate for indigenous affairs.
Maine
Daniel is board chair of Diversified Communications, a family-owned trade media company based in Portland. Diversified produces trade shows and conferences for a variety of industries in North America, Europe, and Australia. Daniel currently serves on the board of Acadia Center, a clean energy policy and advocacy nonprofit, and on the Maine advisory board of the Conservation Law Foundation. In the past, he has also served on the board of Maine Audubon. He and his wife live in Falmouth, Maine.
New York
Carol is General Manager, Global Accounting Firms, at Thomson Reuters in New York. She received a BA in Political Science from Yale University and an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. She is also a certified Master Composter. Carol spends much of her free time in the Adirondacks with her partner Phil Brown.
Vermont
Brett is a consulting ecologist and botanist specializing in the inventory and mapping of wetland and upland natural communities, and the inventory of rare, threatened and endangered plants, in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Maine. He has worked on many inventory projects in northern New England, especially Vermont and New Hampshire focused on inventorying a wide variety of natural communities, and rare, threatened, and endangered plants for a variety of clients. He also teaches workshops on natural communities and plant identification and was part-time faculty at Lyndon State College for ten years. Brett lives with his family in Vermont.
Vermont
Rachel Drakon is an Associate Analyst at Champlain Investment Partners, LLC in Burlington, VT. She holds a BS in Finance from Champlain College and is a CFA Level II Candidate. Originally from Bangor, ME, she has a background in grassroots conservation and rewilding efforts. An avid backpacker, Rachel spends her free time in the Green Mountains with her husband, Bill.
Massachusetts
Jim is the Executive Director for the Indiana Land Protection Alliance, serving the land trusts of Indiana. He has been in the land trust field for 30 years working for organizations including the Trustees of Reservations, the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts, the Northeast Wilderness Trust, and was the Founding Board President for the Ashburnham Conservation Trust. He has taught graduate level courses in nonprofit management, and is currently completing his doctorate at Northeastern University. He holds BS and MS degrees in environmental science, and an MS in nonprofit management. Jim and his wife Vickie are avid hikers and walkers, have two sons, and residences in both Indiana and Massachusetts.
Massachusetts
Kristin is the Executive Director of Kestrel Land Trust, which is dedicated to conserving, caring for, and connecting people to the wildlands, woodlands, and farmland of the Connecticut River Valley in western Massachusetts. Kristin has a BA in economics and environmental science from Bucknell University and an MS in Environmental Studies from Antioch University, and has worked in the environmental field for more than 25 years. Kristin lives with her family in Massachusetts.
Treasurer
Vermont
Rick is a CPA and he currently works as the controller of a fast growing tech company in Vermont. Previously he worked for a large public accounting firm performing financial statement audits and other financial reporting services for various organizations. Rick is a wilderness enthusiast who currently lives in Stowe, Vermont with his wife and son.
President
Massachusetts
Mark is Director of Conservation Science for The Nature Conservancy’s eastern U.S. region. Mark provides science leadership, ecological analysis, and landscape assessment tools for conservation efforts across twenty-two states. His current research interests include ecological resilience, disturbance processes, geophysical landscape properties, and seafloor mapping. Mark lives with his family, two goats, three cats, one dog, occasional chickens, a visiting pair of barred owls, and a lot of trees in coastal MA.
With a BS in Adventure Education Leadership from Maine’s Unity College, Becky has spent much of the last few decades teaching people how to rewild themselves in the remote river canyons of the Southwest, the coral reefs of the Caribbean, along trout streams of the high Sierras, and throughout the mountains and arctic tundra of Alaska. Her return home to Maine provided the opportunity build herself a small home in the woods, live close to family, and realize her dream of stewarding the same forests that give adventure to her soul by working as Northeast Wilderness Trust’s Northern New England Land Steward. When not in the woods, Becky enjoys woodworking, packrafting, gardening, coffee by the woodstove, and ski/mountain bike patrolling at her local hill.
Nathaniel joined Northeast Wilderness Trust in 2022 after working in nonprofit development for several years. Since graduating with a B.A. from Cornell University in 2018, Nathaniel has worked as a grant writer for a mental healthcare provider and in grants management with GlobalGiving, a large international grantmaking foundation. Outside of work, he is an accomplished artist whose landscape paintings have been recognized for several awards. He enjoys connecting with the natural world through his painting practice, as well as through kayaking, hiking, and trail running.
Hannah joins Northeast Wilderness Trust with a background in land stewardship and a lifelong connection to the northeastern landscape. After receiving her B.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Vermont, she began her career as a land steward with the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire followed by the Vermont Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. She has also worked growing and planting native trees and plants for restoration projects with the Intervale Conservation Nursery (Vermont) and the National Park Service (Nevada). In her free time, Hannah can usually be found exploring new places with her dog.
In his youth, Bob formed an early connection with wilderness. At his family’s Lynx Camp for Boys he led summertime wilderness canoe trips in the Adirondacks and Canada. During the school year, he witnessed the Hudson Highlands’ beauty and their environmental degradation. Those experiences led him to earn a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Studies from St. Lawrence University and an M.S. in Water Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin. Bob has worked for four land trusts, including serving as a Regional Director for 19 years at Vermont Land Trust. Devoting himself to expanding the forever-wild landscape represents the opportunity of a lifetime. Bob lives in Hinesburg, VT with his wife Leanne Klyza Linck, who has also devoted her career to wild nature. Their grown sons, Ethan and Garrett, also care deeply about wilderness.
Before joining the staff, Tom was a founding board member and past board president of Northeast Wilderness Trust. During his years working for the Foundation for Deep Ecology and Tompkins Conservation (where he serves as a board member) he’s had the privilege to learn from some of Earth’s leading wilderness champions. A former editor of Wild Earth journal, Tom is the author or editor of more than a dozen books including Wildlands Philanthropy, Plundering Appalachia, Keeping the Wild, and ENERGY: Overdevelopment and the Delusion of Endless Growth. As Senior Fellow, he serves as the Wilderness Trust’s ambassador for wild values, and while not in front of a laptop he spends as much time as he can exploring in his canoe.
Sophie coordinates Northeast Wilderness Trust’s Wild Carbon projects. Her desire to be involved with protecting the forests and waters of the Northeast for all the species who reside there, and to play a role addressing the challenges of climate change, made Northeast Wilderness Trust a natural work habitat for her. Sophie has a Bachelor’s degree in Classics from St. John’s College and a Master’s degree in Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School. In her free time Sophie enjoys paddling, walking among trees, and spying on birds. Indoors, she loves food, strategy games, and family.
Shelby joined the Wilderness Trust in 2016 with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a M.S. in Plant Biology – Field Naturalist from the University of Vermont, and a deep love and respect for wild places. She had previously spent two years documenting and advocating for wilderness in Wyoming’s Red Desert, and served terms in both AmeriCorps and the US Peace Corps, caring for conserved lands in the High Sierra in California and as a water sanitation engineer in West Africa, respectively. When she’s not protecting and defending wilderness, Shelby enjoys exploring it on foot or through photography, science, and artwork.
