Nearly 200 Vermont Land Trust members, supporters, and conservation partners gathered virtually on Monday, October 1 for the organization’s annual meeting where Xusana Davis, Executive Director for Racial Equity for the State of Vermont, was the keynote speaker.
VLT ecologist Allaire Diamond works closely on our wetland restoration projects. We asked her about Vermont’s wetlands and why they matter.
Vermont is rich in outdoor places for all to enjoy, but this year has brought a new appreciation. We are continuing to expand recreation for Vermonters and visitors alike. Here’s what we’re working on now—noted mountain bike trails in Lyndon, a new nature preserve in Cambridge, a scenic meadow in Underhill, and a one-of-a-kind trail connector in Newport.
A $2 million grant from the USDA National Resources Conservation Service has been awarded to the Vermont Land Trust to help farmers implement practices that enhance the health of their soils.
Fairmont Farm conserved 201 acres of land between Route 14 and the Winooski River, and agreed to provide trail access across the recently conserved land, helping to connect a critical section of the Cross VT Trail between East Montpelier and Marshfield. The farm is also working with VLT and other conservation partners to protect and restore a half-mile stretch of the Winooski River in Marshfield.
Over a mile of land along the White River in Bethel has been protected for water quality, the Vermont Land Trust announced today. Supported by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, this is the latest project in a statewide effort to protect Vermont’s high priority rivers and to improve water quality.
We’re excited to share our new trail map for Bluffside Farm in Newport. Enjoy a lakeside stroll or a scenic walk through the farm. Check out forestland, pasture, and beach!
For the fifth consecutive year, Bluffside Farm in Newport will be open for archery deer hunting. Applications are due by September 26. As per Newport City ordinance, no firearms are allowed on Bluffside Farm at any time, including rifle season which coincides with the late November time period. All hunters must carry written permission and hunt in designated areas away from neighboring houses.
“When things are insecure, it’s not a bad idea to produce more food,” said Angus Baldwin as he deftly cut and bound flat-leaf parsley. “I wasn’t sure if we’d be selling or giving it away this year, but I figured there would be a need for it.” Angus operates the nonprofit West Farm on VLT’s Brewster Uplands Conservation Trust property in Jeffersonville. The parsley was destined for the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program, one of several partners Angus is working with this year to get healthy food in the hands of those who need it.
When I went out to look for edible mushrooms in a stand of oaks, beech, and hemlocks recently, I found uprooted, overturned, and torn-apart mushrooms everywhere. It looked like a tiny hurricane had targeted only the fungi. A closer look revealed rodent toothmarks. Small mammals like chipmunks and red squirrels feed on mushrooms; the scene of destruction might be explained by this year’s chipmunk baby boom, which was spurred by high seed production in oaks and beeches in 2019.
