Vermont State Parks Newsletter - March 2024 | | Greetings Parks Enthusiasts! | |
As Vermont State Parks move into their 101st season, we are excited to see what the future brings for our one-of-a-kind park system. We are proud of the incredible legacy that grows year after year. This year promises to be remarkable for Vermonters and visitors alike.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who visited our parks this winter and shared their experiences with us. Whether you join a photo contest, share your favorite park memories, or volunteer in a park, these contributions highlight the deep connection we all share with these amazing places and help shape the future of our parks.
No matter the season, our parks remind us how important they are in our lives. Parks are not only a haven for nature and recreation. They are vital contributors to local economies, conservation efforts, and community building. Together, we work to ensure that Vermont’s state parks remain welcoming, accessible, and cherished for all to enjoy.
Thank you for being a part of this journey, and here’s to another season of unforgettable experiences!
Nate McKeen, Director of Vermont State Parks
| | Explore Career Opportunities | | |
Do you know someone who loves the great outdoors and is looking for a rewarding job opportunity? Vermont State Parks is looking for passionate individuals to join our team! Whether it's a summer job or a long-term career, you can make a difference and enjoy the natural beauty of our state
Ready to start your next career? Review job openings, read full position descriptions, and learn how to apply at the VT State Parks Employment Page.
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Seeking Attendants at:
- Alburgh Dunes State Park, Alburgh
- Bomoseen State Park, Castleton
- Camp Plymouth State Park, Ludlow
- Coolidge State Park, Plymouth
- Gifford Woods State Park, Killington
- Jamaica State Park, Jamaica
- Lake Shaftsbury State Park, Shaftsbury
- Ricker Pond State Park, Groton
- Sand Bar State Park, Milton
- Stillwater State Park, Groton
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Seeking Commuting Assistant Managers at:
- Coolidge State Park, Plymouth
- Jamaica State Park, Jamaica
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Additional paid positions include:
- Assistant Manager at Quechee State Park - housing provided!
- Maintenance technicians in Rutland
- Workcampers based out of Knight Point and Coolidge State Parks
| | Outdoor Observer: Early Spring | | |
What is happening in the forests and fields of Vermont while we rake away the leaves and other debris of winter off our lawns and out of our gardens? You may have already seen snowdrops pop their dark green leaves and white blossoms out of the soil where you thought you would never see life again. Even the hardy daffodils will soon emerge from a spot where there is nothing but dried, brown grass and piles of old leaves. Spring is appearing all across the Vermont landscape, and it is the most exciting time for outdoor observing.
While your garden flowers start poking their green heads out of the cold ground, the same thing is happening in the forests of Vermont. Do you remember walking along the shore at Emerald Lake State Park or hiking up to the fire tower in Elmore State Park last summer? You probably enjoyed a nice shady hike under a canopy of green trees. When you head out the door today, instead of shady leaves, all you will see above your head are tree buds swelling up nice and big—with every tree getting ready to bust out with new spring leaves and flowers.
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Conditions are perfect for forest wildflowers before tree leaves emerge because it is the only time of year when sunlight reaches the forest floor and temperatures are nice and mild. Early spring wildflowers are taking the opportunity to have their moment in the sun. These jewels of the early spring forest will soon be everywhere, and you will see them if you know where and what to look for.
When you walk through the spring forest, look down along the forest floor for the yellow drooping lily flowers of the trout lily. The green leaves, speckled with brown like trout, carpet the forest floor this time of year in Coolidge State Park.
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One of the greatest treats in looking for wildflowers is to find a native poppy plant. What can this possibly be? The bloodroot flower, a small white flower with a yellow center (kind of like a big, low to the ground daisy), with a unique curled leaf, can be found in moist forest edges. Look for these below a row of sugar maple trees next to a road. If you are having trouble finding these, they have been spotted in Branbury State Park.
Watch the ground in front of your feet to keep an eye out for the tiny spring beauties. These flowers are pink with lines of darker pink and seem to pop right out of rocks before your eyes. You can see them in moist soils and along trails and roads in Underhill State Park.
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Watch for the deep burgundy petals of the red trillium in the rich soils in Niquette Bay State Park. Later in the summer, these three-leaved plants will have a red berry-like fruit where red flowers can be found today. Niquette Bay is also home to painted trillium, which has white blooms with variegated stripes of pink.
Look carefully for the rare native orchid, the pink lady slipper, under oak and pine trees in moist woods. Lady slippers are a treat to find—look for the two large green leaves on either side of the stem, and the pouched pink orchid flower hanging in the center. These have been spotted in Brighton State Park.
Conditions soon will be perfect in the forests of Vermont for these beautiful wildflowers. Take a closer look at the woods near your own home, and then watch for these flowers in State Parks during your next visit. Look carefully and you will find these beautiful and temporary signs of spring.
Rebecca Roy, Parks Interpretive Program Manager
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Free camping in beautiful places? Sign me up!
The campground hosts volunteer for 30 hours per week. Benefits include free use of a campsite with hookups, propane refills, free admission to State Parks, and discounted or free admission to many Vermont tourist attractions. Volunteers provide their own self-contained camping equipment.
Explore campground volunteer opportunities state wide.
| | Best In Snow Photo Contest Winners | | The results are in for the 2025 Best in Snow VT State Parks photo contest. Congratulations to our winners! Over 250 voters picked our Action Shots and Scenic Landscapes winners. | | First place goes to Charlie Drollett for his action shot of "Dropping off Jay Ridge into the Saddle in Jay State Forest." | Second place goes to Robert Salter for his action shot of "Birdwatching at Kill Kare State Park, Pileated Woodpecker." | | First place goes to Morgan Driscoll for her scenic landscape of "Full moon at Brighton State Park." | |
Second place goes to Charlie Drollett for his scenic landscape of "Top shack of the Bonnie Quad on a beautiful morning in Jay State Forest."
Thanks to all who participated. Be sure to keep your eye out for another Vermont State Parks photo contest soon!
| | Parks Restoration Crew Coming to A Park Near You! | | |
On your next park visit, you may notice some new conservation workers in Vermont State Parks! Vermont State Parks are excited to be expanding our partnership with Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC), as the VYCC Parks Restoration Crew (PRC) is planning park infrastructure projects statewide from June through November.
The VYCC PRC was launched in the northeast region of Vermont State Parks. The goal was to create a program focused on providing crew members with the skills needed to maintain parks and connected dispersed recreational settings. Crew members learn valuable skills related to water quality, stormwater management, historic structure repair, trail building, and forestry projects.
The VYCC PRC projects completed so far include:
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This upcoming season, the VYCC Parks Restoration Crew and Advanced Forestry Crew will be spending approximately 32 weeks traveling statewide to complete a long list of recreational infrastructure projects in Vermont State Parks.
Key project work includes:
If you visit a Vermont State Park and see these hard-working people in their green hard hats, take a moment to check out their work!
| | Vermont Parks Forever,
helping to make the state parks for everyone! | | |
Vermont Parks Forever (VPF), the nonprofit foundation for Vermont’s state parks, is currently accepting grant applications from nonprofit organizations for 2025 Park Access Fund Grants.
Since 2016, VPF's Park Access Fund has granted free days in Vermont's state parks to nonprofit organizations serving Vermonters facing barriers to outdoor recreation. Through these organizations, VPF has supported foster families, youth programs, those with developmental disabilities, BIPOC communities, new Americans, mental health clients, and those with limited mobility, experience all Vermont’s state parks have to offer. In 2024, over 14,000 days in the parks were given out through this Fund!
Do you know of a nonprofit organization that may be a good fit for a Park Access Fund Grant? If so, please share this application or contact info@vermontparksforever.org with your suggestion.
Applications are due Friday, April 11th, 2025.
Visit the Parks Access Fund page to learn more and support the Park Access Fund! Help ensure everyone can experience the state parks you love.
Thank you to the Vermont Department for Children and Families, an annual Park Access Fund grantee, for the above photo from summer 2024.
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