Green River Island field trip (Guilford VT) – September 17, 2019

 

Join SER New England board rep Michael Leff and other restoration professionals for a guided tour of the newly formed Green River Island in Guilford VT on Tuesday, September 17, 11:00am-1:00pm. See first-hand the power of floodwaters and learn about the multi-phase efforts to stabilize and protect this unusual property.

 

Trip leaders:

 

Before Tropical Storm Irene hit the region in August 2011, there was no Green River Island. But when the storm hit, major slope failures upstream let loose a cascade of boulders, trees, and debris that plugged the historic channel along Hinesburg Road. The river swiftly carved a new channel down to bedrock along the valley wall, creating the “island” and stranding a house which was then abandoned.

 

The restoration project that got underway during the summer of 2016 has included various measures – starting with acquisition of the abandoned property, followed by removal of the house along with an enormous amount of household trash and hazardous waste, leading to design and installation of various in-stream measures to encourage stable equilibrium, and culminating in extensive riparian buffer plantings, ongoing invasives management, and an all-encompassing conservation easement.

 

This extraordinary project has involved active collaboration among numerous partners, led by the Connecticut River Conservancy, and including Guilford municipal officials, the Windham Regional Commission, Vermont River Conservancy, Vermont Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as several active neighbors – including Jimmy Karlan and Kathryn Mason, the new owners of the protected property.

 

Please join us in the field on September 17th to learn all about the unique project – as well as associated ecological restoration and watershed management practices. 

 

Sponsored by the New England Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), the event is free and open to the public, with registration required. Contact Michael Leff at MLeff@ecologicalconnections.com (or 215-870-0605) to sign up.

 

Logistics:

  • The site is closest to mailbox #6202 on Hinesburg Road, Guilford VT 05301. Park along the side of the road itself at the access point, which is about 100 yards or so down the road to the east of that mailbox. (It will be clearly marked.)
  • Bring footwear suitable for wading across a shallow stream.
  • No bathroom facilities on site.
  • No cell reception in the vicinity, so pre-load your Google Map if needed!