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In April 2025, VLT completed bird-friendly forest management improvements at Pratt Refuge in Duxbury, a conserved property donated by Fred Pratt in 2019. This spring and summer, we are constructing recreational trails to encourage more interaction with the birds that call Pratt Refuge home. Learn more about the project from VLT’s Caitlin Cusack in the announcement below.
A YVCC team and VLT staff help clear the path for more public trails at Pratt Refuge.
As the climate changes and more land is lost to development, birds have a harder time finding food and places to raise their young. We can help by changing how we manage our land. These changes also make the habitat healthier for other plants and animals, including people.
VLT’s forest management improvements at Pratt Refuge followed recommendations set by Audubon Vermont’s Silviculture with Birds in Mind program. One technique we employed was to mimic a natural forest blowdown, felling trees to let in sunlight and leaving them in place to provide cover for new life to thrive. Another was to select several trees that provide the best food or habitat for birds, and free up space around them so they can grow larger and stronger.
The work was implemented by local logger Max Popowicz and students in the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC), in partnership with Audubon Vermont and with grant support from Cornell University’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative.
Pratt Refuge has long been a destination for forest birds. Fred, who was an avid birder, established the property as a Cornell University eBird Hotspot and kept records going back to 1972. Over the decades, he and others have observed more than 120 bird species, including the Black-throated Blue Warbler, Canada Warbler, Wood Thrush, Bicknell’s Thrush, American Redstart, and Blue-headed Vireo.
With our forest management improvements complete, we expect to see even more birds taking advantage of Pratt Refuge’s natural resources. Now, we’re focused on improving public access to the refuge, so that more people can enjoy the show.
A red trillium enjoys the spring sunlight before the trees above leaf out for the summer.
When Fred gifted Pratt Refuge to VLT, he envisioned a place where young people could strengthen their connection to nature and learn about birds. A first step to achieving this is to build an outdoor classroom, which includes recreational trails. Beginning in April 2025, VYCC began construction on a new recreational trail to an outlook above the Pratt Cabin, the rustic home Fred built that is now being used for educational events and gatherings. We’re also making improvements to the existing birding loop north of Ward Hill Rd, including installing foot bridges in wet areas. The crew will be at the refuge for parts of April, June, and July. We hope to have a trail opening celebration in the fall.
Our trail plan includes building an accessible trail loop that will pass through different bird habitats before tying into the larger trail network west of the cabin. Paired with interpretive signage that will be co-designed with Audubon Vermont and installed later this summer, the loop will encourage visitors of all ages and abilities to interact with a wide variety of forest bird species.
The universally accessible trail connects the Pratt Refuge parking area to the cabin and bathroom and adds a new quarter-mile loop through the woods that follows U.S. Forest Service specifications for trail accessibility. These trails are wider, with gentle slopes, a compacted gravel surface, and offer multiple rest areas with benches along the way.
We’re excited about how this new trail will expand opportunities for visitors to more meaningfully engage with the property. We’ll share details as the project progresses. Stay tuned!
This announcement was written by VLT’s Caitlin Cusack, who is an Audubon Vermont-endorsed forester.
