Current Projects
We center our work on four key initiatives: Loving our Forests and Farms; Expanding Recreation for All; Creating Healthy Habitats; and Creating Community Connections. To learn more about our priorities, read our 5-year strategic plan.
Vermont’s wildlife need your help to stay on the move
When traveling between Waterbury and Stowe, you may have noticed frequently seeing wildlife cross Route 100. This is not a coincidence. The Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor crosses Route 100 on the Waterbury-Stowe town line and is the only viable connection between the Green Mountains and Worcester Range. With 50% of global species on the move to find suitable and cooler places to live, it is vital to protect connected, higher quality blocks of forest within the corridor.
Since 2010, a group of local, statewide and international organizations have been working together to use several key strategies for keeping the wildlife corridor open and safe, including cooperating with local families to permanently protect the highest priority parts of the corridor. This Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor Partnership is a valued part of the Staying Connected Initiative.
Yet, the future of the corridor is far from secure. Mounting development pressure continues to pose a looming threat to wildlife's ability to migrate. Vermont's wildlife need your help to say on the move, and we know you're up to the task.
Expanding Recreation for All
Did you know that 80% of the more than 7,100 acres of land and water we have helped protect is open for public access, including all six properties Stowe Land Trust owns and manages: Wiessner Woods, Kirchner Woods, DuMont Meadow, the Mill Trail, Page Forest, and Shutesville Ledges?
Our commitment to conserved land doesn't stop once a place is protected: we're out in the field year-round making sure its trails are in great shape, and its conservation values are being protected.
Right now, we're giving SLT-owned lands some extra TLC. From puncheon replacement to upgrading the lower trails at Kirchner Woods to make them accessible to adaptive cyclists and a wider variety of walkers, we are working with partners, individuals, and groups of volunteers to make your experience outdoors even better. Interested in getting involved? Visit our Volunteer page to learn more about how you, your friends and family, and your workplace can help us keep Stowe special.
Making Every Kid an Outdoor Kid
Learning Landscapes is a national effort which aims to build more accessible outdoor classrooms within a 10-minute walk of schools and to support educators in utilizing those classrooms year-round for interdisciplinary instruction. These spaces and supports will allow teachers to bring their lessons outdoors – deepening the connections between their students and the place they live, and providing numerous benefits for student learning, behavior, and development. Local educators and schools are looking for ways to instill a sense of place in their students, and to help them get outside more often, but are faced with many competing needs and limited resources. As a trusted partner of local schools, summer camps, and afterschool programs, Stowe Land Trust is uniquely positioned to help meet their needs. Through the Learning Landscapes collaboration we are strengthening our commitment to the next generation.
Learning Landscapes at Stowe Land Trust is continuously evolving and helping every kid be an outdoor kid.
Learn more about the Learning Landscapes collaboration.