The Nature Conservancy in Vermont - Volunteer Opportunities with the Vermont Chapter

2008 Volunteer Opportunities with the Vermont Chapter

Please sign up at least two days in advance. Training and tools are provided.
For more information or to sign up, please call or email Chris Nytch at (802) 229-4425 ext 111, cnytch@tnc.org

Garlic Mustard Pulling in Chittenden and Bennington counties
With the coming spring warmth, invasive plants will quickly green up. Let’s nip these invaders in the bud! We will be removing garlic mustard, a non-native, invasive plant that threatens the biodiversity of the natural areas we protect.

Williams Woods Natural Area, Charlotte - April 19th, May 2nd.

Shelburne Pond Natural Area, Shelburne - April 19th.

Mt Aeolus, Dorset - April 22nd, May 10th, 16th, June 7th & 11th.

Quarry Hill Natural Area, Pownal - April 23rd, 24th, 30th, May 1st & 13th.

Tree Planting in Cornwall & West Haven, VT
Every spring, we ask for your help in planting hundreds, sometimes thousands of trees — and you may wonder why we spend so much time and energy doing so.

One of the main reasons is that the rate of natural vegetative regeneration in many places we protect is inhibited. In Otter Creek Swamps, for example, dominant non-native, agricultural grasses prevent the establishment of trees such as silver maple and green ash. Poor germination, seedling predators, and altered hydrology patterns also limit natural growth of native species.

By planting trees at Otter Creek we seek to accelerate the pace of regeneration and improve site conditions by restoring natural woody vegetation. This helps reduce hydrologic disruption and decreases fragmentation in the living ribbon of forests and adjacent swamps that border the creek. The overall effect is to enhance the connectivity from river to floodplain to swamp — on land that is marginal for agricultural production anyway due high seasonal floodwaters. An additional benefit is that these efforts provide a demonstration site from which we and other organizations can learn about restoration in the swamp.

Cornwall: Please join us for tree planting at Otter Creek Swamps in Cornwall, where we are planting trees in order to restore the floodplain forest. May 16th, 17th, 21st, 30th, & June 6th.

West Haven: Please join us for tree planting at the Hubbardton River Clayplain Preserve, where we are reclaiming and evaluating clayplain forest. Call Cathy Foutch (802) 265-8645 ext 27, cfoutch@tnc.org
May 1st, 6th, 7th, 8th, 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, and June 4th.

Trail Work in Hartland, VT
We’ll be preparing trails for the summer season. Workdays will include clearing debris from trails and maintaining foot bridges. We’ll also remove some invasive plants!
Eshqua Bog, Hartland, VT - June 30th

Office volunteers
We are always in need of indoor assistance. If you would like to help out with a variety of office-related tasks, including data management, visitor reception, filing, and mailings, please call or email Chris Nytch for more information at (802) 229-4425 ext 111, cnytch@tnc.org

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Thank you for your interest! The Nature Conservancy of Vermont could not do much of our work
without the dedicated efforts of volunteers.