After leading South Hero Land Trust for 9 growth-filled years, Emily Alger will step down from her position of Executive Director at the end of 2024. We are thrilled to announce that Guy Maguire, our Director of Programs, will be stepping into this leadership role. We will miss Emily as a daily part of South Hero Land Trust, are grateful for all she has done for the land trust and our community, and wish her all the best in her new adventures with her family. At the same time, the South Hero Land Trust Board and staff are excited about new opportunities for the land trust under Guy’s leadership.

Emily has worked at South Hero Land Trust for over 15 years. After serving as Director of Programs for 6 years, she was appointed Executive Director in 2015. She’s had a hand in everything we do during her time here, including land conservation projects, trail development, environmental education, and farm viability programs. She oversaw the conservation of Tracy Woods and opening of the Tracy Woods Community Trail, expanded the Guide to Agriculture into the interactive website and print map it is today, inspired us to prioritize accessibility in current and future trail projects, and more. Her love of the land and commitment to nurturing the relationships we each have with the land have been guideposts for our growth over the last several years.

“Having grown up on this very island, it has been a particular honor and joy to work closely with the community here to protect the land we love. I have a favorite spot around every corner and in every season. Watching the apple trees bloom in the orchards, hunting frogs and dragonflies at Round Pond, catching up with farmers over the perfect tomato at the Farmers’ Market, and watching the first snowflakes fall over farm fields… this place and the people who live here will always be in my heart. Thank you for inviting me into your kitchens and barns, for trusting me with your hopes and dreams for the future, and for working side by side with me to care for the land. I will miss being a part of the daily life of this community, and am so glad to know that South Hero Land Trust will continue to be in good hands with Guy.”

Emily Alger

Many of you know Guy well. He can be found in the community almost every day, leading outings in our natural areas, building trails, and teaching in our summer camp programs. Guy grew up in Portland, Oregon. Following a lifelong passion for the outdoors led Guy to study restoration ecology and to jobs as a field botanist, stewardship  coordinator, environmental educator, and vegetable farmer. Guy started as Director of Programs soon after he and his wife Danielle moved back to her home state of Vermont in early 2017. Working closely with Emily, Guy has developed a robust set of programs that engage community members in learning about and stewarding the natural world, improving access to the outdoors, and supporting local farm and food businesses. Guy’s diversity of skills, plus affinity for relationship building and improving equity in the conservation field, make him a great fit for our next Executive Director. We are confident in his ability to lead South Hero Land Trust with compassion and commitment over the coming years.

“From when I was young, my parents took me camping, hiking and exploring the waters of the Pacific Northwest. This fostered an early passion for the beauty of nature, and a deep feeling of responsibility towards the land. I also grew up within a community of farmers, gardeners, and great cooks, which kindled my lifelong love for local food and farms. Since then I have pursued opportunities where I can blend these two interests, which is why I was thrilled to join South Hero Land trust back in 2017, and am equally excited and honored to move into this role as executive director.”

~ Guy Maguire

Guy will officially step into the role of Executive Director on January 1. Between now and then he and Emily will work closely with the Board of Directors to facilitate a smooth transition. This will include a gradual handing over of projects and programs from Emily to Guy, and a thoughtful re-organization of staff responsibilities more broadly, so that we will be well placed to hire a new programs staff person in the spring. While some changes are inevitable, we look forward to maintaining our diverse programming, and will continue to move forward with the rebuild of the Recreation Park boardwalk, the building of the Islandacres Farm Trail, and the conservation of the Goulet Farm (amongst many more programs and projects).  If you have any questions about this transition, you are welcome to email Emily at emily@shlt.org

As we look back on the last two and a half decades of land conservation and community building in South Hero, we are so proud of what we have accomplished. Together, we have protected local farms and natural areas, built trails, improved access to local food, educated the next generations of land stewards, and more. Thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration. We are excited for all we will do together in the next decade!

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the US live with disabilities, and historically, many outdoor spaces haven’t been designed to include them. Over the past few years, SHLT has increasingly been focusing on this injustice: it’s one of the main drivers behind projects like our inclusive paddles, the rebuilding of the wheelchair accessible boardwalk in the Rec Park, and design plans for the Islandacres Trail, our next major trail project.

We’re grateful to have a strong local partner and mentor in Cathy Webster, Northeast Disabled Athletic Association’s Kayak Program Manager. Earlier this year, we paired with Cathy to design a new project that will deepen our involvement in making our community’s trails and outdoor spaces more accessible for people with disabilities. We’re excited to share that this partnership is one of only 10 groups in the country who were awarded the Partnerships for Disability Access, Inclusion, and Leadership grant - a new grant co-created by the Land Trust Alliance and Disabled Hikers.

This funding allows us to create an Advisory Committee of community members with disabilities, their caregivers and family members, and advocates of the disabled community.

We’re also partnering with a member of the Disabled Students Union at UVM to conduct an audit of trails and outdoor spaces in South Hero. The results of this audit will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee, and by early next summer, we aim to have a list of recommendations to make South Hero’s spaces more accessible, and plans for how to accomplish them.

“Through my work with NDAA, I have seen the power of inclusive access to the outdoors for people with disabilities. I am thrilled that South Hero Land Trust is working to increase opportunities for inclusive and accessible outdoor recreation, and look forward to working with them in the coming years to expand upon our shared programs and vision.”

~ Cathy Webster, Northeast Disabled Athletics Association

If you spent time exploring South Hero’s trails, parks, and gardens recently, you may have run into our two incredible interns, Parker Rouse and Naomi Cocker. Students in the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School, Parker and Naomi brought knowledge, energy, and a great sense of humor to our community this summer, and we miss them already!

As they head into another school year, we wanted to say thank you for all they accomplished during their time with us.

They were out and about every day caring for our trails, maintaining the South Hero Community Gleaning Garden and Folsom Learning Garden, co-leading our summer camp programs, undertaking the first phase of an accessibility audit of our outdoor spaces, and more.

Parker brought such pride and love to his work growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs in our gardens.

Naomi is an expert chainsaw wielder, clearing fallen trees and making sure that our trails were open and safe.

They both built strong relationships with the students in our school and summer camp programs and really made an impact on their lives. We hope they will always feel at home in South Hero and can’t wait to see what they do next!

If you’d like to send your thanks or well wishes to Parker and Naomi, please email guy@shlt.org