Guided Walk

Join VT Fish & Wildlife habitat biologists and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for a walk to highlight habitat management opportunities for private landowners. Information on NRCS programs that can help support habitat projects with funding as well as other resources available to Vermont landowners will be offered.

Please dress for the weather and wear suitable footwear. We encourage you to bring water, and a journal for notes. As well as an eagerness to learn about how to control invasive plants in your backyard.

Date: Saturday, July 9, 2022 
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Location: Barbara Moore's property - 3441 Vermont Route 30, Pawlet VT

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Time: 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Castleton, VT - US Route 4 West to Exit 5; North 1/4 miles on East Hubbardton Road

Habitat Stamp Donations At Work! 

Habitat Stamp donations made in 2021 are funding the removal of this dam in Castleton, which is planned this summer and will reconnect approximately 37 miles of trout habitat. Tour with VT Fish and Wildlife Department & Vermont Natural Resources Council and see plans to reconnect approximately 37 miles of trout habitat.

Friday, May 13, 2022 | 8 pm
Location:  Jericho Center Green

Join the Jericho Conservtion Commission for a presentation on bats with VT Fish and Wildlife biologist, Alyssa Bennet.  

Take a walk around the Green and nearby quiet streets as the sun goes down and bat activity starts up around dusk to learn about what bats live in Jericho and how you can manage your home, yard, fields, and forests to support these voracious insect eaters while avoiding any unwanted conflicts. 

Providing there is good weather (no heavy rain, strong winds, or temperatures below 45 degrees), we will also be able to listen for bat activity and identify species flying in the air around us using specialized microphones and sonogram software. Dress for a walk on easy terrain and bring a headlamp for this family-friendly event. 

The department acquired the farm field along Rt 107 in Bethel in the 1960s in part to protect Parkers Hole for Atlantic Salmon returning to the White River Hatchery. The field remained in agriculture until 2015 when the department began efforts to restore the field to a floodplain forest, one of the rarest natural communities in Vermont.

The walk will highlight the steps the department and the White River Partnership have taken to restore the field including breaching a large berm along the White River, plugging a ditch to restore a wetland, and planting over 5,000 trees and shrubs including disease resistant American elms. Participants will be introduced to the values of floodplain forests for fish and wildlife, water quality and flood resilience.

This walk is appropriate for ages +5. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes as the walk will go off trail.

Date: Sunday, June 5, 2022 (rain  date: Tuesday, June 7)
Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm (rain date time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm)
Location: Old Turnpike Road, Bethel, VT | map
Limit: 30

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Otter Creek WMA in Danby and Mt Tabor is 1,139 acres and includes floodplains along Otter Creek and foothills of the Green Mountains. This walk will be led by department staff Will Eldgridge and Joel Flewelling, and will highlight the floodplain areas and the work department is doing with our partners to restore these forests along the river. Topics covered will include: function of riparian forests/buffers, erosional issues, promoting tree survival with beaver guards and herbaceous spraying, benefits to trout, recreational importance of the area, and opportunities for helping landowners address similar issues on their property.

This event is suitable for children ages 5 and older. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes for walking off trail through grass and shrubs. 

Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 (rain date: Thursday, May 26)
Time: 4:00 pm to 6:00pm
Location: Otter Creek WMA (WMA pull off from Route 7 at the Danby/Mt Tabor town line) | map
Limit: 50

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Join Vermont Fish & Wildlife biologists and habitat managers to tour an alder habitat management site. This habitat management area focusing on woodcock habitat was started in the early 2000s and was recently restarted this winter. Topics discussed will include alder habitat and regeneration techniques, woodcock life history and habitat preference, historic land use, forest succession, and general birding of a unique habitat type.

This event is suitable for children as young as 8 years of age. Waterproof boots are recommended and be prepared for a little non-strenuous hiking.

Meet at East Hill WMA Parking lot on Marsh Road. Please carpool if possible.

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Join warbler enthusiasts Mike Winslow from Otter Creek Audubon and VT Fish and Wildlife biologist Noel Dodge and specialist Toni Mikula on a warbler walk around the Dead Creek WMA. With most warblers arriving with the Spring weather in May, this is the perfect time to search for, learn about, and spy some recent arrivals! We will meet at the West Branch parking lot and walk for about an hour and a half. We will provide a spotting scope, but bring your own binoculars if you have them, and be prepared to walk off trail through forest and field and be aware of ticks. The rain date for this event is May 21.

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Join the team from the VT Astronomical Society and Fish and Wildlife biometrician Katy Gieder to observe and learn about the objects in the night sky, and its importance to the ecosystems around us. The first quarter moon in May brings excellent night sky viewing; as you look through telescopes you will also learn about the importance of dark skies to local wildlife populations. Be prepared for the cold and dark, and bring red light headlamps and flashlights if you are able. Our sky science discussion will be in the beginning of the night; feel free to come and go freely after that concludes. This event has multiple rain dates (May 12th, 14th, 20th or 21st) since a clear sky is imperative-we will notify you close to the date if we need to use them.

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Join biologist Toni Mikula for a tour of one of the department’s newest additions at Intervale WMA in Colchester. You will tour the property, look at wildlife, and learn about how the department is turning this former dairy farm back into floodplain forest to benefit wildlife and people.

Please wear shoes appropriate for mud and be prepared for bugs and poison ivy. The trip is suitable for any age. 

Date: Saturday, June 4, 2022 (rain or shine)  
Time: 10 am to 12 pm
Location: Intervale WMA, Intersection of Shipman's Land and Pine Island Road, Colchester, VT | map
Limit: 25

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The North American Beaver is an incredible keystone species that benefits entire ecological communities across the continent and right here in our own backyards. These charismatic rodents that nearly disappeared from the Vermont landscape, continue to play a pivotal role in Vermont’s ecological communities. Join Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s Tyler Brown (Wildlife Specialist) and Chris Bernier (Wildlife Biologist) for an afternoon exploring a local and unique beaver flowage in the beautiful Turner Hill Wildlife Management Area.

Registration required. This event will happen rain or shine.

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