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This story by Alex Driehaus was first published in the Valley News on Sept. 14, 2026.
NORWICH — About 30 people walked through the woods at Brookmead Conservation Area recently clad in hiking gear and armed with printouts of a deer browse assessment index. Attendees scanned the forest understory looking for saplings with torn leaves and chewed stems and other telltale signs of deer browse.
The Aug. 31 event, organized by the Upper Valley Land Trust, brought together foresters and deer biologists from both sides of the Connecticut River to teach members of the public about the impact that overabundant deer can have on forest ecosystems.
Brookmead is a good example of that impact because “it has been hit extremely hard by deer,” said Holly Henderson, naturalist and outdoor programs leader with the Upper Valley Land Trust.
Deer eat a variety of food sources, from herbaceous plants and fresh leaves on sapl...