March 2026 eNews

Become a Conservation Easement Monitor

Event Report:

Stonehouse Mountain Snowshoe

Hikers Treated to “Paradise” Perfect Conditions

Who needs the Olympics? A spectacular snowshoe at the Stonehouse Mountain Conservation Area in Orford, NH, got the gold for 25 lucky hikers, who scored plentiful, lightly-packed powder and magnificent views framed by indigo skies.

The February 22 hike was co-sponsored by the Orford Conservation Commission and hosted by landowners Christie and Bob Hedges. Their generous 270-acre conservation easement donation lies within two distinct watersheds and has earned the state’s highest ranking for wildlife habitat.

Christie, a UVLT trustee, and Bob hiked along and shared personal anecdotes, pointing out favorite family hiking and camping spots. Both were delighted by the turnout.

“So many are here to enjoy,” said Christie. “When the winter sun comes down through the trees and the birches have all the snow on them – it’s a winter wonderland, it’s paradise! And it's even better when you can share it with people. That is truly what makes it more special.

Ag Lands Changing Hands:

Golden State Farmer with Upper Valley Roots Points the Way

Upper Valley native Dru Rivers leads a tour of California's Full Belly Farm.

Vice President of Stewardship Jason Berard journeyed west to Sacramento in February to attend the American Farmland Trust’s annual Land Transfer Navigator training. Along with discussions on the latest strategies for supporting farm succession and transfer planning, Berard visited a highly successful organic farm with some Upper Valley heritage.

Berard’s visit included a field trip to the nearby Capay Valley, where crops grow 365 days a year. “We visited certified organic Full Belly Farm, where one of the owners, Dru Rivers, grew up around Springfield, VT,” says Jason. “Dru and Paul Muller established the farm in 1984 and have since helped dozens of their workers and interns start their own farm businesses.”

In addition to being founding board members of their own regional land trust, Dru and Paul are now creating a community land trust to work with the local farm worker community to build quality affordable housing. In addition, they’re working on their own farm succession plan as the next generation of the Rivers/Muller family joins the family business.

Land for Farmers & Farmers for Land

Do you know a farm that needs farmers, or a farmer needing land? Keeping our best farmland intact, healthy, and productive requires both!

UVLT is actively engaged in a nationwide initiative that’s encouraging succession planning among farm families and helping a new generation of farmers access land. The land trust is the only recipient in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont of a four-year grant through the Land Transfer Navigators Program, which is led in partnership by the American Farmland Trust (AFT) with support from the USDA National Resources Conservation Service.

“We’re proud to be part of this critical effort,” says Vice President of Stewardship Jason Berard. UVLT has 40 years’ experience providing conservation leadership, tools, and expertise to permanently protect the working farms that make the Upper Valley a truly special place to live, and our knowledge and expertise are at work throughout the 45 towns that we serve on both sides of the Connecticut River.

Over 300 million acres of agricultural land are slated to change hands across the nation in coming decades, which is why it’s so important to encourage succession planning among farm families.

Farmers working on succession planning who either have land conserved with UVLT or who are working with the land trust on a land conservation project are eligible for a $10,000 AFT grant to help cover costs associated with succession planning. It's only available to farmers working with a navigator, and since Jason is theonly one in northern New England it’s a very unique opportunity.

If you are:

1. a farmer looking for resources to assist with succession planning,
2. a landowner who owns open land that you'd like to see put back into active production, or
3. a new farmer seeking access to land,

Reach out to Jason at jason.berard@uvlt.org to find out how UVLT can help.

Advancing our Vision, Growing our Team

We’re recruiting a Chief Philanthropy Officer whose work with donors will be vital to UVLT’s growth and impact as we enter our fifth decade. Help us spread the word and find an experienced fundraiser who loves donor-centered work and is passionate about the health and resilience of people and nature.

Cultivating Cuttings Kicks Off

"Tree Team" Program

You’re invited to join others taking advantage of seasonal opportunities with the land trust’s new Tree Team, a volunteer group focused on arboreal activities. Along with learning new skills, team members will be contributing to the vitality of our precious woodlands.

“The Tree Team will help mitigate the impact that deer browse, pests, pathogens, and invasive plants are having on the regeneration of our forests,” says Naturalist and Outdoors Program Leader Holly Henderson. “We’ll also enjoy nature and have fun while learning techniques for improving our own trees and plantings.”

The first event is slated for Friday, March 27, at the Brookmead Conservation Area in Norwich, VT, from 3-5 p.m. Late winter to early spring is a great time for maintaining trees—the lack of leaves makes it easy to see your work and dormant trees are less easily stressed.

Holly will lead a short hike to collect cuttings from various native trees. The cuttings will be planted in an air prune box (a planting container that helps develop root systems) as the start of a small-scale tree nursery at the Brookmead garden. You will learn to make "willow tea", which will be used as a DIY rooting growth hormone for our tree cuttings! 

Tree Team events will continue throughout the growing season and will include using tree cuttings for clonal propagation, beginner forest assessments, tree caging, native seed collection, and tree plantings. 

Take a Family-Friendly Walk with Gluskonba and the Maple Trees

Maple sugaring requires lots of hard, collaborative work, and the Lyme Hill Conservation Area is a great place to consider this important lesson during this sweet time of year. Gluskonba and the Maple Trees, written by Joseph, James, and Jesse Bruchac and illustrated by Vermont native artist Amy Hook-Therrien, is currently on display as part of Lyme Hill’s Story Walk Trail.

The Story Walk is a fun, family friendly hiking destination that encourages children to get out onto local trails. It creates enthusiasm for hiking and reading while developing respect for the forest and nature at a young age.

Gluskonba and the Maple Trees explains, “In early times, the Creator gave humans the gift of maple syrup. They could eat as much as they liked by simply breaking off a twig. Gluskonba, who had been given the power to change things, decided to visit the humans. When he arrived, he saw the humans abusing the Creator’s gift and not taking care of each other or their village.”

The legend continues with the villagers eventually realizing that “…Gluskonba had given them a gift even sweeter than maple syrup—the reward of community and people coming together for a common goal.”

The book and the trail present the tale in English and in Abenaki, clearly illustrating the differences in communication styles between the two languages. Both versions are faithful to the story’s heart and message.

UVLT partners with Lyme’s Converse Free Library to select story books for the trail, where a new book will be mounted this spring. Be sure to plan a visit while maple season is in swing.

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