Conservation Solutions for the Places You Love

January 2023 eNews

January Greetings

As we (im)patiently await more snow, the UVLT team is reflecting on a community-filled end-of-year as we gathered together and celebrated the Winter Solstice not long ago. The dramatic shift in temperature and weather patterns that ushered in the new year, in addition to the powerful late December storm that left many without power for multiple days, is a reminder of the strength and unpredictability of nature.

While plans for winter-themed events are sometimes disrupted, the commitment YOU make to UVLT is everlasting.

With a few online keystrokes, or a check in an envelope, we are grateful to all who donated dollars in 2022 that became protected farmland, nature preserves, trails, and healthy forests. They created places for people of all ages to learn and love being outdoors. They invested in agriculture, clean water, and natural beauty. They supported each other and the stewardship of the landscape we all depend on.

If you haven’t contributed, please consider making a gift today. Give for the snow covered hills and valleys, for the red cheeks of kids playing outside, for the sweetness of late season kale, parsnips, and brussel sprouts. For local eggnog, cider and maple syrup. For glasslike ice on a skating pond. Give for the strength of people acting together.

You count. And we’re counting on you.

Interior Forest is a Gift to Nature

The Mary Elizabeth Kincaid Woodland, donated to UVLT last month, is part of an unfragmented landscape with diverse topography that sustains native plants and animals.

The establishment of the Mary Elizabeth Kincaid Woodland protects 210 acres of highest priority habitat in Vermont. Interior forest blocks – large areas of contiguous forest that are unfragmented by roads, development, or agriculture -- provide critical ecological functions critical for protecting native species and supporting adaptation to climate change. 

The woodland is located in Topsham, in an area prioritized for conservation by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Completely forested, it features a central hill summit and two beaver ponds, each surrounded by wetlands.

UVLT is thrilled to accept ownership of this important woodland and become the steward of a magnificent gift to both nature and people.

"Life is Short; Land is Forever"

Create a Legacy

"Life is short; land is forever." This is my defining philosophy in approaching land conservation; and why I have chosen to make a legacy commitment to the Upper Valley Land Trust. I have been glad to conserve the lands that I have, and by joining the Swan Bedrock Society I can ensure continued support for land conservation that goes beyond my lifetime.- Bob Wetzel, Swan Bedrock Legacy Society Member

You can give permanent voice to your land conservation values by naming UVLT as a beneficiary in your will or living trust, life insurance or retirement accounts. UVLT supporters who have made planned gifts have had an extraordinary impact on our work. These gifts fund our endowment, ensuring our continued long term success by supporting strong, innovative programming and providing stability.

What's in a Name?

UVLT's Legacy Society: The Swan Bedrock Society 

• Bedrock is the hard, solid rock beneath surface materials such as soil and gravel. Engineers rely on secure attachments to bedrock to build safe, stable buildings, bridges, and wells;
• Bedrock geology is closely tied to biodiversity and resilience. The physical and chemical properties of soil are influenced by the nature of underlying rock; soil characteristics influence the distribution of habitats and species. Bedrock supports life; and,
• Bedrock is the fundamental principle on which something is based. Bedrock is foundational. 

Field Notes Friday!

Did you know UVLT sends the OUTside directly to your INbox every Friday?

That's right! Our Land Stewards are always on the move, out in the wild, and sharing their knowledge and exciting finds through Field Notes Friday. 

To catch up on all the action subscribe to our YouTube Channel, and make sure to sign-up for your weekly dose of Field Notes below. 

Nordic at Night 2023

Friday February 3rd & Friday March 3rd | 5 -7 PM

Start the weekend with a Friday night ski adventure, and end it with food and friends!

Taking place on the same weekends as the Norwich Rec Community Potluck series, UVLT will light the lower loop of the Brookmead farm fields for self-guided night skiing. During this time, the sledding hill will be closed.  

 Headlamps encouraged, dogs and unattended/unsupervised minors discouraged

SAVE THE DATE

Bear Pond Snowshoe

Saturday, February 18 / 12pm

Meet at the Canaan Town Forest parking lot off of Route 4



Additional details coming soon!

We Know You Love the Upper Valley. We Do Too.

Become a part of the conservation solution and DONATE and/or VOLUNTEER today!