Vermont State Parks

As an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) member, most of the work I do for Vermont State Parks on the Muckross project and day camp is behind the scenes.  I’ve been designing curriculum, writing grants, and applying for the state parks to sponsor an AmeriCorps NCCC Team for a second summer, all of which are done out of the Springfield office.    The Muckross Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation Day Camp is part of an ongoing process to integrate a new state park into the community of Springfield, Vermont.  The park and camp are the vision of the late State Senator Edgar May, who hoped to transform his 204 acre estate (“Muckross”) into a state park that offers the community opportunities for recreation, environmental education, and access to the natural world.  The camp serves children in 1 st -8 th grades, and ran a successful pilot program in July and August of 2015.  Our mission is “to provide a safe, natural environme...

When the snow starts melting and the temperatures get warmer, most of us want to get outside and hike! But, mud season is not a good time for hiking in certain areas. Rain and melting snow at higher elevations are keeping many of Vermont's hiking trails wet and muddy. When hikers tramp on saturated soils, they cause soil compaction and erosion as well as damage to the trail and surrounding vegetation. Please help protect the fragile trails this time of year by staying off muddy trails. Higher elevation soils take longer to dry out. And after winter, and heavy spring rains, the trails will take longer than normal to firm up.  A trail may seem dry at the trailhead, but is muddy at a higher elevation this time of year. If you notice this happening, please turn around! Trails at lower elevations, dirt roads, and recreation paths provide excellent places for early spring walking. Below is a list of great places to hike during mud season - enjoy! Southeast Vermont:...

My husband, Chris, and I have been the Innkeepers at Seyon Lodge State Park for the past three years. One aspect we love most about working in Vermont State Parks is living in a 27,000 acre state forest and observing the animals that also call this forest home. This year that effort was aided further when Chris' parents gifted us a wildlife camera (we think they really wanted to see more animals of the forest!) So throughout this past season we have been placing it in different areas around the park. Here is a look at some of the animals we saw:   One of the first animals we got photos of was a moose. We see so many signs of moose activity every day. Hoof prints and droppings are everywhere, but to actually see a moose, that is a different story. Moose (alces alces) are the largest of the deer family and are surprisingly nimble for their size. Of the few times over the past couple years I have been lucky enough to see one in person, I am always amazed at how quietly they can m...