Written by Anna Hernandez-Krol, Manice Education Center Director

Picture the end of October at the Manice Education Center: The OE staff wave goodbye as the last bus of field trip students departs for NYC, reeling from all they took in from the MEC landscape. The last of our summer veggies have been harvested for George; the golden rod, now bronzed, sweeps the edges between the cut grass and wild forest edges; the chickens huddle closer together each night as the temperatures begin to dip…and then the canvas tents come down, the yellow raincoats on the porch get counted, sorted and stored away, and the windows of the farmhouse get boarded up… inside, a once loud and lively dining hall is dark and quiet.

Then we do it all again come April!

Unless, of course, there is wonder to behold in a Manice winter. We put MEC programs and structures “to sleep,” or perhaps the right phrase is “in hibernation” for a few months. But while these aspects of MEC go to rest, what awakens in the landscape? Do plants really die off in the winter completely? Where do the macroinvertebrates go? What thrives in the “off-season”? Is anyone up at MEC in the wintertime?

I’m glad you asked…Let’s take a deeper look, shall we?

Plant life

What do NYC and Berkshire tree landscapes have in common in winter? Perhaps it's the blended look of bare deciduous trees (Maples, Birches, Oaks), combined with dark emerald, feathery evergreens (Spruces, Pines, Hemlocks). Leaves on deciduous trees allow them to photosynthesize and make vital sugars that help them thrive. In winter, the Earth’s axis limits the daylight in North America, which limits how much photosynthesizing can be done. So, leaves drop from these trees to help them conserve their energy for the following warm season. Much of that energy can live down in the roots, and in some cases, roots may continue to grow in the wintertime. Trees may appear “dead” or barren, but big changes and activity may happen underneath the frost, snow, and soil! So, what gives evergreen trees the ability to retain their leaves? Adaptive leaf traits, like cutin, or a thick waxy coating on leaves/needles, protect them from elements like coldness and dryness and allow them to keep photosynthesizing with limited sunlight. Still, signs of deciduous trees and plants that persist in winter clue us in to what was happening in warmer months, and what’s to come. See below:

Pictured left: Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis L.) spore casings, ready to release in spring and still persisting in over 12" of snow...pretty resilient for a name like "sensitive"!

Pictured right: American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) by the challenge course- characteristic in the wintertime for their leaf "possessiveness" which is called marcescense. There are multiple theories as to why this might be! If the leaves don’t tip you off to this species, the severely “spikey” conical buds are a sure tell for American Beech..

Wildlife

Many folks are familiar with the concept of hibernating bears in the wintertime, the idea of prolonged downtime with limited resources…Hey, that sounds familiar doesn’t it? Like deciduous trees, animals need to conserve energy in the wintertime. Other animals that have hibernation habits are squirrels, chipmunks, bats, and bees. But hibernation does not necessarily mean an animal will literally sleep for months on end–it means that activity is reduced and resting is increased (all a result from a slowing metabolism). Macroinvertabrates become benthic, a term that means "bottom dwelling”, where they burrow deep into the mud, leaves and debris at the bottom of the pond for warmth. Up at MEC, signs of animal activity are easier to spot than in any other season when there’s snow on the ground. Coyotes, porcupine, black bear, grouse, (even moose!) leave trails of tracks behind as they amble through the forest looking for food.

Pictured Left: Two white-footed deer mice scamper side by side to their winter burrow.

Pictured Right: CHALLENGE- Who do you think made these tracks? Answer posted at the end of the blog!

Who is at MEC in the Wintertime?

While MEC is definitely more quiet without our students and educators, there are many folks that stay busy year-round at MEC! I spend most of my time working from the Birches, the home across the street from the MEC campus, keeping warm by a wood-burning stove. Our Assistant Director Derrick also visited this winter to check in on farmhouse happenings and help me with program planning. We also take advantage of the empty campus to do grounds and facilities improvements and renovations. Last year, we built the new MEC garden structure and renovated the staff showers in the farmhouse. This year, our Facilities and Grounds Manager Dave is working hard on managing improvements to the Dining Hall service station and a complete renovation of the MEC library. We can’t wait for our 2025 staff and students to see it!

Pictured Left: Assistant Director Derrick standing on the entirely iced over Basom Dam! It’s hard to believe this is the same pond full of our swimming students and canoe tip tests in the summer.

Pictured Right: The start of demolition takes place in the MEC library, revealing an old school interior walling technique called accordion lath where boards were nailed in place and split lengthwise with an axe or hatchet, creating openings for plaster to push through and form ears that secured it to the walls.