Visitors to Newport’s Bluffside Farm will be greeted with several new signs and kiosks recently installed by the Vermont Land Trust
A large sign on Scott Farm Road in Newport, Vermont welcomes visitors in English, Abenaki, and French to our Bluffside Farm property. A kiosk at the start of the pedestrian trail networks has a map and tells the history of the land, including its importance to the Abenaki people and its stewardship as a farm by the Scott family. A smaller kiosk, also with a map, tells visitors about the recreation trail connecting the farm to Prouty Beach.
“We’re excited for the community to see these new signs,” said Dan Kilborn, lands director for the Vermont Land Trust. “Walkers, bikers, skiers, and community gardeners — all the people who visit Bluffside from near and far – should find the new signage helpful as they explore and enjoy the land.”
The kiosks also have QR codes so people can look up additional information on their phones, such as updated winter trails map from Memphremagog Trails. These ski trails meander through much of the farm and are now open.
More signs to be installed in 2023
More educational signs will be installed in spring. They will tell the story of the wetland restoration along the recreation path and help visitors identify wetland plants that were planted with Abenaki citizens.
The Vermont Land Trust bought the Newport, Vermont property seven years ago this month. It opened the land to the public at that time. The signs are part of continued improvements. Schools use the land as an outdoor classroom and community gardens were added. Most recently, a one-mile-long ADA-accessible trail was completed in 2021. And, earlier this year, a wetland was restored and wildlife habitat improved.
