It’s been a busy few months here at Vermont River Conservancy. Here are a few highlights – more land conserved around our popular Nulhegan Hut, volunteers out on-the-ground at Dog’s Head Falls fishing access site, and floodplain conservation along the White River.
Nulhegan Hut and Conservation Lands, Bloomfield
If you’ve spent a night at Nulhegan Hut – whether drawn for the winter wildlife habitat, spring kayak runs, summer swimming, or fall foliage – you know the magic of the Nulhegan River. This fall, with your help we we protected another 2-acres, expanding the block of connected conservation land to benefit area wildlife. Right now, there are multiple dilapidated buildings gracing the banks, which mars the riverfront and jars visitors. Come spring, we’ll tear down the buildings to make the area feel more welcoming and safe for visitors, and we’ll plant trees and shrubs along the river – a win for wildlife and people.
Thank you! Davis Conservation Foundation, Jane B. Cook Foundation, Carl and Susan Taylor, and an anonymous donor at Vermont Community Foundation.
Psst! Book yourself a cozy night or two at Nulhegan Hut, one of Vermont’s most popular cabin rentals, and see for yourself. Winter nights still available.
Dog’s Head Falls and McCuin Island, Johnson
“Whoa! It is a dog’s head!” This joyful exclamation from a 6-year-old was possible this summer thanks to our work just weeks earlier, when we mobilized a cadre of volunteers to clear trails, pull up invasive weeds, and build a bridge providing safe passage around Dog’s Head Falls. Instead of wading through invasives, it’s now possible to run, skip, and hop (or just walk) to see the Dog’s Head waterfalls. Volunteers also spent time at nearby McCuin Island, where they installed new signs, steps, and a box privy with a view, all part of our work for the Lamoille River Paddlers Trail.
Check it out! When visiting the Lamoille Rail Trail, park at Cambridge Junction and walk or bike an easy 1.2 miles to the signed Dog’s Head Falls Fishing Access.
White River Waterways and Wildlife Habitat, Bethel
In Vermont’s river world, there are two eras: Before Irene, and After Irene. That’s perhaps best illustrated along the White River, where waters rushed out of the steep sides of the Green Mountains, cutting through homes and bridges, and into peoples’ lives. With climate change, we’re likely to see another “Irene” again. When you help us protect land along rivers and restore wetlands, we help slow raging rivers, keeping downstream homes and businesses safe. That’s exactly why we worked with White River Partnership in Bethel to protect several properties along the riverbank. Our work guarantees the land will be at-the-ready to absorb the next big flood. And between now and then, it’ll provide great habitat for riverside-loving birds and wildlife.
