BTV Conservation News
The Pulse of Burlington's Wild Green Heart

Fall/Winter 2019/20
Issue No. 11

A Letter from Dan & Alicia 

As fall turns to winter, lofty, billowing summer clouds lower into a grayer blanket.  In Burlington we have water above, below and all around us.  The lake shore and the Winooski River make up two thirds of our border.  And whether this border is summer water or winter ice, the shoreline is beautiful.  Burlington Wildways opened a new interconnected and blazed trail along the Winooski River making it easier to explore this Silver Maple Ostrich Fern forest that wends along beside the river.

This is also the season when geese fly south (or they don't), insects fall silent, and our landscape takes on quieter hues.  This issue is full of good winter reading about pollinator habitat, emerald ash borer and wild geese.  Another exciting aspect of this issue is the integration of the Burlington Area Community Gardens into the Conservation News. 

Enjoy!  And when you are through reading, we hope to see you out in the snowy woods exploring.


Alicia Daniel
Field Naturalist, BPRW
 
Dan Cahill,
Land Steward, BPRW
Pollinator Habitat, Emerald Ash Borer and Geese
Photo courtesy of: Jason Mazurowski
Solar Panel Meadows:  A Ray of Sunshine for Pollinators

As solar trackers pop up in Vermont fields, planting pollinator friendly plants around them adds ecological value by attracting native bees and other pollinators.  Solar energy is a ray of hope for our energy future and now it is also a sunny patch for pollinator conservation. 
 
 
Click Here To Read the article by Jason Mazurowski 
 
Photo: USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab

Ash Trees and Emerald Ash Borer

The invasive and deadly emerald ash borer beetles are already killing ash trees in Central Vermont as they make their way to Chittenden County.  Foresters, home owners and arborists are planting replacement trees and taking other actions to Slow the Spread. 
Photo: Bernard Spragg
Wild Geese Calling in the Fall 
 
The honking of Canada Geese as they pass in Vs overhead signal the return of fall to Vermont.  After a population crash from over hunting 100 years ago, Canada Geese have wildly exceeded expectation for recovery.  Like it or not, these birds are now inextricably woven into the fabric of Burlington life.  
   
   
Vermont Master Naturalist BTV Program  
VMN BTV and South End Art Hop: 
Celebrating Art & Burlington's Nature 

Photo: Carolyn Gould

The Vermont Master Naturalist BTV Program and BPRW hosted the thrid annual  Burlington Wild! art show as a part of the 2019  South End Art Hop.  Over a dozen local artists and naturalists displayed their works, including photos, poetry, paintings sculpture, and drawings.  
Photo: Cindi Wight
A Walk on the Wild Side: VNRC Joins BPRW at Rock Point

With the sunset sending golden light through the woods, Vermont Natural Resource Council joined BRPW Director Cindi Wight and Field Naturalist Alicia Daniel for a tour of Rock Point.  It was the first time many of the participants had seen the world famous thrust fault.
Courtesy of University of Bath
Community Observations for Burlington's Natural History Calendar

Share your favorite natural seasonal observations with the Burlington's Master Naturalists!

The Burlington Phenological calendar will represent the sequence of seasonal natural events in the city, and encourage residents to experience our dynamic environment. With an impressive 49% of open space, direct proximity to Lake Champlain, and a variety of natural community types, Burlington is a unique urban ecosystem.
 
The content for the calendar will draw from the collected observations from residents. No Burlingtonian can avoid the cottonwood fluff that blanket the entire city in early summer. Or miss hundreds of roosting crows cackling as winter comes. There are lesser-noticed events too, like short-lived ephemerals that only surface their pretty flowers in yet-shaded spring forests. When can you expect to see migratory birds? Or when is the most likely time in the winter to find fox tracks in the snow? These are just a few possibilities for what the calendar might include.
 
We want to hear what your favorite observations are!
Conservation Corner
Photo: Joshua Brown
First Burlington Wildways Trail Opens Through the Intervale

The first section of the Burlington Wildway, a new trail that connects the wild places of Burlington, Vermont, was opened on 
Saturday, September 7th .


Burlington Area Community Gardens
The History and Evolution of the Burlington Area Community
Photo: Meghan O'Daniel
Garden Program

The Burlington Area Community Garden program (BACG) began as a passion project for Bryson "Tommy" Thompson in 1972 under the name of "Gardens for All". He believed whole heartedly that everyone should have the opportunity to work the land and grow their own food. 


New Program Model Underway
Photo: Meghan O'Daniel


As community gardening enters it 48
th year in Burlington, BACG is embarking on a pilot to explore a new program model - communal gardening.  Our existing model that is utilized across the 14 sites, will continue to be the framework... 


Important BACG Dates

  • Returning Gardener Registration:  now through December 6th
  • New Gardener Registration: starts on February 4
    th
  • BACG Potluck : April 4
    th , 2020 - 5pm-8pm in the ONE Community Room
  • Seed Swap and BACG Plant Sale
    - dates are yet to be finalizeed, stay tuned!


 
Save The Date: Field Walks, Talks and Events

Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront:
 
Tracking and Winter Trees
Join Alicia Daniel, BPRW Field Naturalist and the Vermont Master Naturalists for a winter walk at Ethan Allen Homestead.   We will look for the track and sign of animals and explore the amazing diversity of trees along the Winooski River and uplands.  Meet at the museum.
Saturday January 25, 10am-12noon
 
Farming and Gardening on the Wild Side, meet the authors
Nancy and John Hayden, co-authors of 'Farming on the Wild Side' and co-creators of The Farm Between in Jeffersonville, VT will talk about the evolution of their farm practices and philosophies over the past 28 years that allow them to make a living from their land while increasing biodiversity, improving water quality and confronting climate change. Learn from these experienced farmers how you can incorporate perennial polyculture, pollinator habitat, uncommon fruits and no-till gardening into your own practices. They will also have signed copies of their book available for sale.

Tuesday, December 3, 7pm at the Old North End Community Center, (20 Allen St.)

This event is free, but requires registration. 
Click here and then, scroll down to find the "Garden Events" section. From there you will click on the "Garden Workshops" and will see the event there. If you have any questions, please reach out to Meghan O'Daniel via e-mail: [email protected] . 


Branch Out Burlington


Burlington Permaculture
For information about the Bi-Monthly Burlington Permaculture Meetup on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month visit Burlington Permaculture on Facebook to RSVP and for more details.
 
BTV Conservation News edited by Alicia Daniel and Dan Cahill 
Banner Photo:  Dan Cahill