As part of this year’s annual Green Up Day, SHLT is hosting a clean-up and tree planting at the South Hero Rec Park, as well as our free Annual Volunteer Appreciation Day BBQ.
Save the Date: Spring Birding Walk at Roy Marsh
Join former SHLT intern Hans Nedde on Saturday, May 25 at 7AM for an early morning birding walk at the Roy Marsh trail. Hans is now the Youth Conservation Leadership Intern at Audubon, where he gets to continue following his passion for birds. We are thrilled to have him back to lead this casual bird walk in South Hero!
To avoid scaring away the birds, we will require RSVPs and keep the group somewhat small - 15 people max. But, if we have a lot of interest, Hans has graciously offered to lead a second walk the next morning, on Sunday: Same time, same place.
>>Stay tuned (IG, FB, FPF) for an upcoming RSVP form, and info about a potential companion event Sunday. Questions? Email guy@shlt.org
Speaker Bio: Hans Nedde, Audubon Youth Conservation Leadership Intern
Hans grew up being fascinated by the surrounding flora and fauna at his home in Vermont. He carried this love for the natural world into his education where he graduated from St. Lawrence University with a BA in Environmental Studies. Hans discovered his love for birds while researching vulture conservation in his study abroad program in Nepal. Now Hans spends much of his free time outside exploring the birds of Vermont. After graduating college, he spent the fall at the South Hero Land Trust as a Conservation Intern. Hans is very happy to be at the Green Mountain Audubon Center and is excited to support the Vermont youth in practicing environmental conservation.
Cover Photo by Hands Nedde. Check out his instagram for lots more great bird pics!
We will be celebrating Earth Day with a volunteer work party at the South Hero Recreation Park, next to Folsom.
The Rec Park is home to about 5 acres of ash woodlands which are at risk from the emerald ash borer. We expect 99% of the ash to perish in the next 5 years, so in 2023 SHLT initiated a comprehensive ecological restoration project at the park to protect the future of this town asset.
Our partners for this project include the South Hero Congregational Church, Vermont Urban and Community Forestry, the South Hero Recreation Commission, Anne Zolotas (Town Tree Warden), and many local residents.
The goal for the day is to do maintenance on last year’s tree seedlings to ensure maximum survival, proactively cut and bag invasive buckthorn, and pull out invasive honeysuckle to give the seedlings a chance. Later in the spring we will do another tree planting to expand the restoration area (stay tuned for more info on that soon…)
All are welcome, but please leave pets at home.
Please Bring: Water bottle, gloves (we’ll have extra), clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. We have some hand tools to share, but if you have your own shovel, loppers, clippers, and/or pick axe, it never hurts to bring extra just in case!
We will also provide snacks and hot drinks.
Questions? Email guy@shlt.org
Using dried plants and flowers grown and foraged right here in the Champlain Islands, we'll explore TWO natural dyeing techniques: bundle-dyeing and tie-dyeing. You will get to practice these techniques on fun projects to bring home and enjoy.
Led by Christel Nase of Meadow Lane Macrame.
This workshop is part of the 2024 Winter Wednesdays series, brought to you by Healthy Roots Collaborative, South Hero Land Trust, and Worthen Library. These free and fun events connect South Hero residents with local experts while learning about different ways to connect with our landscape.
Free and open to the public.
To save your spot, click HERE or sign up at the Worthen Library.
Join us for the first volunteer day of 2024! We will be gathering at the South Hero Recreation Park to do some monitoring and maintenance of last year’s restoration plantings, as well as removing invasive species to make room for more plantings in 2024. PLUS - get a tour of the restoration project, the new sign, and a short nature walk to learn about our ash forests with SHLT Programs Director Guy Maguire
The Rec Park is home to about 5 acres of ash woodlands which are at risk from the emerald ash borer. We expect 99% of the ash to perish in the next 5 years, so in 2023 SHLT initiated a comprehensive ecological restoration project at the park to protect the future of this town asset.
Our partners for this project include the South Hero Congregational Church, Vermont Urban and Community Forestry, the South Hero Recreation Commission, Anne Zolotas (Town Tree Warden), and many local residents.
The goal for the day is to meet for a tour, unveiling of the new sign, nature walk, and discussion on the status of ash trees in the Islands. Then, stick around for an optional volunteer work party!
All are welcome, but please leave pets at home.
No RSVP required, but feel free to email guy@shlt.org to let him know you are coming
Please Bring: Water bottle, gloves (we’ll have extra), clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting dirty. We have some hand tools to share, but if you have your own shovel, loppers, clippers, and/or pick axe, it never hurts to bring extra just in case!
We will also provide snacks and hot drinks.
Questions? Email guy@shlt.org
Visit the Worthen Library between 10am and noon on Saturday, March 16 to celebrate the 4rd year of the South Hero Seed Library with a good ol’ fashioned seed swap!
Everyone is welcome to attend, even if you don’t have seeds to share! We invite both experienced gardeners and farmers as well as new gardeners looking to dive into growing and saving seeds.
Also, folks from the Worthen Library will be there with seed-themed art activities for kids, a free prize raffle, and more.
The seed library already has a small amount of seeds to start with, and we also accept seeds if you have extra to donate! Some seeds have been donated by organizations such as South Hero Land Trust, the Vermont Garden Network, as well as local businesses like Arbor Farm Market!
All seeds are meant to be freely available for anyone in the community, for whatever reason - You can grow for yourself and your family, and/or grow a little extra for the food shelf, or even to save seeds for yourself and others, whatever you want to do with them!
For donations, we only ask that no invasive species are brought - check out the Vermont Invasives website for photos and information about non-native and invasive plants. If you want to learn more about saving seeds, we recommend visiting https://www.seedsavers.org
Get in touch with your inner pasta chef at this hands-on pasta making (and eating!) demonstration with Gloria Ruvalcaba, owner of Grand Isle Pasta. For beginner and experienced cooks alike, during this class you will learn all the steps to make your very own delicious pasta from scratch. Gloria has amazing skills and this is not one to miss! Please bring your own rolling pin and cutting board, if you have them. We will have extra on hand for anyone who needs one.
Part of the 2024 Winter Wednesdays series, brought to you by Healthy Roots Collaborative, South Hero Land Trust, and Worthen Library. These free and fun events connect South Hero residents with local experts while learning about different ways to connect with our landscape.
Free and open to the public, but space is limited!
To save your spot, click HERE or sign up at the Worthen Library.
Join local mixologists Matt and Christie Farkas for a craft cocktail-making demo! During this hands-on event we will focus on using local, seasonal ingredients wherever possible while developing an appreciation for the creative professionals who bring these ingredients from farm to glass. Participants will learn to prepare and combine crafty syrups, garnishes and more using fruits, herbs & spices.
Matt and Christie also like a challenge, so they are encouraging everyone to bring their own ‘secret ingredient’, i.e. something they want to learn how to incorporate into a cocktail. Think herbs, barks, flowers, berries, or really any exotic ingredients. It could be juniper berries from your backyard or dried herbs from last year’s garden - let’s see if they can make a drink out of anything!
The option to make non-alcoholic cocktails is also available. 21+ ONLY. Space limited.
This workshop is part of the 2024 Winter Wednesdays series, brought to you by Healthy Roots Collaborative, South Hero Land Trust, and Worthen Library. These free and fun events connect South Hero residents with local experts while learning about different ways to connect with our landscape.
Free and open to the public.
To save your spot, click HERE or sign up at the Worthen Library.
Learn how to make tasty and nourishing meals without breaking your budget! Led by Jackie Major, a local chef with a culinary arts degree, who’s starred in national publications, and is the chef instructor for GISU’s summer camps.
Speaker Bio: Jaclyn Major has a degree in culinary arts. She has worked in New York City, Maine, and Vermont as a restaurant chef. Jackie has appeared in many local and national food publications along with Food Network appearances for her work at Butch & Babe’s. And most notably, she is a chef instructor for the Grand Isle Country Supervisory Union summer camps at Folsom.
Part of the 2024 Winter Wednesdays series, brought to you by Healthy Roots Collaborative, South Hero Land Trust, and Worthen Library. These free and fun events connect South Hero residents with local experts while learning about different ways to connect with our landscape.
Free and open to the public.
To save your spot, click HERE or sign up at the Worthen Library.
Join Mary Lake, professional shearer, butcher and shepherd (and South Hero native!),as she does an educational cutting demonstration where she will share about how you can use all the different parts of the sheep!
Speaker Bio: Mary Lake is a shearer, butcher and shepherd based in Tunbridge, Vermont. She travels the Northeast shearing and trimming hooves of sheep and goats. She is a former full-time butcher at The Royal Butcher, where she slaughtered and cut meat. Now, she is a traveling on-farm slaughterer-for-hire, processing sheep, goats, pigs and small bovines. Mary works with the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association to promote healthy and efficient sheep and goat production. She raises sheep for breed stock, meat, sheepskins and fleece.
Part of the 2024 Winter Wednesdays series, brought to you by Healthy Roots Collaborative, South Hero Land Trust, and Worthen Library. These free and fun events connect South Hero residents with local experts while learning about different ways to connect with our landscape.
Free and open to the public.
To save your spot, click HERE or sign up at the Worthen Library.
Join local nature-enthusiasts Chuck Hulse and Guy Maguire for an interactive workshop on how to use nature apps like eBird, iNaturalist, Merlin, Seek, Rockd, and more.
Tired of sriracha shortages? Learn to make your own and many others at our Jan 24th hot sauce making class.
Speaker Bio: Jaclyn Major has a degree in culinary arts. She has worked in New York City, Maine, and Vermont as a restaurant chef. Jackie has appeared in many local and national food publications along with Food Network appearances for her work at Butch & Babe’s. And most notably, she is a chef instructor for the Grand Isle Country Supervisory Union summer camps at Folsom.
Part of the 2024 Winter Wednesdays series, brought to you by Healthy Roots Collaborative, South Hero Land Trust, and Worthen Library. These free and fun events connect South Hero residents with local experts while learning about different ways to connect with our landscape.
Free and open to the public.
To save your spot, click HERE or sign up at the Worthen Library.
Join Grand Isle County NRCD and South Hero Land Trust for your first look at the Keeler Bay Action Plan - a roadmap for improving water quality in Keeler Bay and how you can get involved! We’ll be joined by Joe Bartlett from Fitzgerald Environmental and Karen Bates, watershed planner from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.
We are currently adding the finishing touches to the plan. Check back here soon for the link!
While not required, we courage you to RSVP so you can receive important event details. RSVP here >> tinyurl.com/KeelerBayActionPlan
We'll be meeting upstairs in the mezzanine. Food and drink will be available to purchase. Live music will begin at 6:00p.m. so feel free to stay and enjoy.
What is the Keeler Bay Action Plan?
An assessment and planning tool that provides an in-depth analysis of the watershed’s landscape, encompassing shorelines, streams, roads, and more. Through a combination of data and mapping reviews, field tours, and landowner insights, the project team collaborated with willing landowners to identify a range of projects and actions, varying in scale, all geared toward addressing and mitigating the most critical threats to the bay's ecosystem.
Learn how to paint birds and sip some (non-alcoholic) drinks in this “paint and sip” style workshop with local artist Aprille Soons Palmer. Part of the 2024 Winter Wednesdays series.
Join South Hero Land Trust on January 1st, 2024, at 9:30 AM at Round Pond State Park for a casual walk through the meadows and woods as we make our way down to celebrate the New Year on the beautiful Lake Champlain shoreline.
This family friendly hike is about 1.3 miles round trip, relatively flat, with one short steep section to get down to the beach (optional detour is available).
If there is enough snow, snowshoes can be handy, but are usually not necessary. Similarly, if the conditions are icy, microspikes, yaktrax or other traction devices can be helpful. The Worthen Library has kid and adult-sized showshoes for rent.
Contact guy@shlt.org if you have any questions or concerns about gear or anything else related to the walk. Between our staff, board and members, we can usually find someone with extra gear that is willing to lend it to a person in need, so that everyone who wants to come is able.
Our staff will assess the conditions and relay the information to all RSVPs beforehand, so will know what to expect.
Please RSVP HERE>> to let us know you are coming!
If you have any questions about the event, please email guy@shlt.org.
Google Map with Directions: https://www.shlt.org/round-pond-natural-area
Champlain Islands Indoor Winter Farmers' Market on the first three Saturdays in November & December from 10-2 at the Congregational Church of South Hero 24 South St.
Champlain Islands Indoor Winter Farmers' Market on the first three Saturdays in November & December from 10-2 at the Congregational Church of South Hero 24 South St.
DUE TO WEATHER, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8
Join naturalist Sean Beckett for an early evening of owling at Fox Hill. We will start inside Snow Farm Vineyard with a quick presentation about owls by Sean, while enjoying a cup of non-alcoholic hot cider (provided), or a fermented beverage (available for purchase). Then, we will venture up Fox Hill in search of owls!
What to Expect: The walk will be approximately a mile long at most, beginning at the vineyard and moving up the hill and into the forest. Our route will take us along a flat, mowed field to start. Then, after about 200 yards we will turn left to head up Fox Hill. The path remains wide and mowed, but it will get moderately steep as we ascend. Then at the top we may walk into the woods, at which point the trail surface will change to a dirt trail, with occasional rocks, sticks, and changes in elevation.
In order to have the best chance of hearing or seeing owls we will try to stay as quiet as possible, so this event may not be best for children. No pets except for service dogs.
There is a maximum number of attendees for this event. Register at the link below to save yourself a spot!
What to Bring: The pace will be slow and the group will make frequent stops. Expect to be outside for at least an hour so make sure to dress warmly! The paths may be icy or muddy depending on the weather, shoes with good traction are encouraged. Finally, we encourage you to bring a headlamp or flashlight, it will be dark!
Location: Snow Farm Vineyard. 190 W Shore Rd, South Hero VT 05486
Parking is available in the lot next to the main building. Bathrooms are available inside.
Guest Speaker: Sean Beckett
Sean is the program director at North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier. He received his M.S from UVM’s Field Naturalist and Ecological Planning Program. Sean has worked extensively as a wildlife ecologist and gained experience researching Saw-whet Owls in New York. He is excited to share his knowledge of owls and hopefully guide the group to encounter the nocturnal predators in the wild.
Cost: Free for SHLT Members & BIPOC, $5 for non-members.
Photo By Mdf - Taken by Mdf, CC BY-SA 3.0
Champlain Islands Indoor Winter Farmers' Market on the first three Saturdays in November & December from 10-2 at the Congregational Church of South Hero 24 South St.
Champlain Islands Indoor Winter Farmers' Market on the first three Saturdays in November & December from 10-2 at the Congregational Church of South Hero 24 South St.
Champlain Islands Indoor Winter Farmers' Market on the first three Saturdays in November & December from 10-2 at the Congregational Church of South Hero 24 South St.
Champlain Islands Indoor Winter Farmers' Market on the first three Saturdays in November & December from 10-2 at the Congregational Church of South Hero 24 South St.
Visit your favorite local farmers, makers, artists, and cooks at the Champlain Islands Farmers' Market! The market in open two days a week from May 20th through October 28th. Saturdays in Grand Isle at St. Joseph's Church from 10 AM - 2 PM. Wednesdays in South Hero behind St. Rose of Lima Church from 3 - 6 PM.
Nature at Night is a series of events connecting families with nature in creative and fun ways. These events are designed for children between the ages of 2 and 7 and their families.
Join us in the Gleaning Garden to help with final harvests for the year, to be headed to local food assistance programs. We will also put away the beds for winter and plant some garlic!
Please bring gloves and plenty water, and wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. We will provide tools.
RSVP: Email guy@shlt.org to let me know you are coming
Location: Landon Community Trail
Landon Rd, South Hero (google map)
More Site info at: https://www.shlt.org/landon-community-trail
More about the Gleaning Garden:
In partnership with Pigasus Meats, the Healthy Roots Collaborative, and local volunteers, we developed and coordinate the South Hero Community Gleaning Garden, growing vegetables and herbs for local meal programs and charitable food sites. We have a particular focus on culturally relevant food crops for migrant farmworkers in our region, distributed through the Healthy Roots Collaborative in partnership with the Open Door Clinic and Bridges to Health. Finally, we provide food to local meal programs and charitable food sites including Food for Thoughts, the Champlain Islands Food Shelf, Islands in the Sun, and St. Amadeus Church.
Visit your favorite local farmers, makers, artists, and cooks at the Champlain Islands Farmers' Market! The market in open two days a week from May 20th through October 28th. Saturdays in Grand Isle at St. Joseph's Church from 10 AM - 2 PM. Wednesdays in South Hero behind St. Rose of Lima Church from 3 - 6 PM.
Visit your favorite local farmers, makers, artists, and cooks at the Champlain Islands Farmers' Market! The market in open two days a week from May 20th through October 28th. Saturdays in Grand Isle at St. Joseph's Church from 10 AM - 2 PM. Wednesdays in South Hero behind St. Rose of Lima Church from 3 - 6 PM.
Join SHLT staff and fellow volunteers for an afternoon in the garden! We will be doing some fall garden tasks such as harvesting, weeding, and also…drumroll please… doing some groundwork for the new greenhouse going in later this fall!
Please bring gloves and plenty of water, and wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. We will provide tools and instructions.
RSVP: All are welcome. Please email guy@shlt.org to let us know you’re coming.
Visit your favorite local farmers, makers, artists, and cooks at Harvest fest!
More information will be posted at www.champlainislandsfarmersmarket.org.
Visit your favorite local farmers, makers, artists, and cooks at the Champlain Islands Farmers' Market! The market in open two days a week from May 20th through October 28th. Saturdays in Grand Isle at St. Joseph's Church from 10 AM - 2 PM. Wednesdays in South Hero behind St. Rose of Lima Church from 3 - 6 PM.
The South Hero Congregational Church is organizing their annual Crop Hunger Walk and want to invite everyone from the community to help raise money to fight food insecurity locally and around the world.
SHLT Programs Director Guy Maguire, is one of the three featured guests, and he will be showing us the Ash Forest Restoration Project at the South Hero Recreation Park, made possible with generous support from the South Hero Congregational Church, Vermont Urban and Community Forestry, and guidance and partnership from County Forester Nancy Patch, and the South Hero Recreation Commission.
Twenty-five percent of the total raised will be shared evenly between the Grand Isle Food Shelf and the Food for Thought summer food and literacy program. Seventy-five percent will provide people nationwide and worldwide with food, water, materials for recovery from disasters, and the tools, seeds, animals and support needed to grow food and access clean water. CROP began 72 years ago in 1947 as a way to help farmers in the Midwest share grain with hungry neighbors In post-World War II Europe.
Learn more about the other featured guests and other details, including how to register at: https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2023/event/southherovt
Visit your favorite local farmers, makers, artists, and cooks at the Champlain Islands Farmers' Market! The market in open two days a week from May 20th through October 28th. Saturdays in Grand Isle at St. Joseph's Church from 10 AM - 2 PM. Wednesdays in South Hero behind St. Rose of Lima Church from 3 - 6 PM.
