Spring officially started March 20, but warming weather ushers in the real telltale signs of spring. Flowers are blooming and trees are budding. Birds are migrating back to Vermont to breed, or they’re stopping in for food and rest on their way further north. You don’t have to be an expert naturalist to observe these seasonal changes. You just have to know where to look.
Where to Look for Signs of Spring
Newt on the Frost Trail. Photo courtesy: Sheri Larsen
In the water:
Amphibians — such as spring peepers, wood frogs, blue-spotted salamanders, eastern newts, and red-backed salamanders — are all telltales of spring. That’s because as temperatures warm, they gather to mate.
Near any wet and marshy areas in spring, and you are sure to hear choruses of short, ascending whistles. These calls are male spring peepers, a type of frog that is looking to mate between mid-March and July. They spend the winters dormant and nearly frozen through, surviving due to a natural anti-freeze. Learn more about Vermont’s frogs here and see if you can spot any amphibians on your next outing.
Woodland lakes and ponds are a good starting point for spotting Vermont’s amphibians, but a better bet (if you can find one) are the state’s vernal pools. Vernal pools are seasonal bodies of water; they form from rain and snowmelt, but dry up in the summer. They’re a favorite among frogs and salamanders for laying eggs because there are no fish or other predators to eat the eggs. Visit a nearby vernal pool and see if you can find eggs (gooey sacks with black dots) and tadpoles.
Take pictures, but remember that we’re visitors to these natural spaces. Don’t chase, poke at, or otherwise harass the wildlife and leave their home as you found it.
In the air:
Eastern Phoebe. Photo courtesy: Katja Schulz, Wikimedia
Many birds migrate south ahead of winter weather looking for abundant food sources and return in the spring to breed. New faces in the neighborhood are a telltale that spring is arriving. Check out this list of Vermont’s common wildlife by season, or start with these five, easy-to-identify spring birds:
These shorebirds are identifiable by their short plover bills and slender and lanky legs; they have brownish-tan coloring, white bellies, and two black bans across their chests.
Find them in near sandbars, mudflats, and grazed fields.
Barn swallows have a cobalt blue coloring above, and tawny coloring beneath. Their deeply forked tails stream out, and you might recognize them as something from a cartoon.
Find them in open areas such as parks, ball fields, hay fields, and beaches.
Their call is whirrs.
Another telltale that you might see in the air (or all over the car) is pollen. Pollen, a common source of allergies, is actually a plant’s way of reproducing. Pollen is produced by male plants, and is carried off by wind and pollinators (such as bees) to a female plant. When the two meet, seeds are produced to start the next generation. Look around your neighborhood: can you find pollen in the air, on a pollinator, or on a plant?
On the Ground:
Painted trillium.
A favorite telltale of spring are its wildflowers. Before the forest canopy fills with leaves, the sunlight is able to reach the forest floor. This spurs many wildflowers to bloom as they turn that sunlight into energy, flower, and reproduce. Some of the earliest bloomers include trillium, trout lilies, and spring beauties. How many wildflowers can you pinpoint on your next nature walk?
Trillium has three petals and three leaves. You can find them in red, white, and white with pink coloring.
Spring beauties are small, with white to light pink flowers.
Trout lilies have yellow flowers and mottled leaves, resembling its namesake fish.
Dutchman’s breeches are small white flowers resembling the namesake pant.
You should also check out this list of common Vermont wildflowers for more info on when they each bloom.
Like birds, another telltale of spring is the animals we haven’t seen since fall. Some emerging creatures — like bears and skunks — have spent most of winter slumbering. You’ll start to see them out and about in spring (don’t forget to maintain a safe distance).
You might also notice more nests and dens. Rabbits, which have left their prints all over the snow through wintertime activities, are now raising their young. You may see their dens in the lawn; be sure to keep a respectful distance. Which animals have you noticed this season? Are there creatures you haven’t seen, but maybe heard their calls or noticed their tracks? Share photos of your scouting adventures.
Good luck adventuring and finding signs of spring, and remember to keep a safe and respectful distance. Learn more about Leave No Trace principles to do your part in protecting and stewarding natural areas.
The Fall 2020 Codding Hollow property conservation agreement protects one-third of a mile of Long Trail in Johnson and Waterville. You can read more about the protection in this press release.
This article was written by GMC Conservation Manager Mollie Flanigan and appears in the Winter 2020 Long Trail News.
Photo by Matt Larson
In September the Green Mountain Club (GMC) joined its partners, The Trust for Public Land and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, in celebrating the conservation of the Codding Hollow property in Waterville and Johnson. The acquisition protects 160.7 acres of forested landscape and one-third of a mile of the Long Trail, a critical stretch for the long-distance hiking trail where any gap could sever its continuity.
Thirty-four years in the making, the accomplishment depended on the efforts of countless individuals and organizations who maintained relationships with the landowners, brainstormed creative trail protection scenarios, raised funds to support three decades of GMC’s land protection program, and finally signed the deeds.
Why did it take so long to protect this modest but crucial parcel in northern Vermont? GMC’s three-inch thick land protection file for the property tells the complex story of Vermont land use philosophies, trail management priorities, public relations, tax law, and real estate deals that made Codding Hollow a thirty-four-year project.
The Path to Conservation for the Codding Hollow Property
1986 – GMC launches the Long Trail Protection Campaign. GMC has never mounted a capital campaign before. More than 60 miles of Long Trail in northern Vermont are located on private properties, protected only by the generosity of landowners and handshake agreements. Large tracts of timberland in northern Vermont are on the market, and GMC estimates that more than 30 miles of trail could be affected by their sale.
1990 – GMC establishes a relationship with the Codding Hollow property owner, a Vermont-based timber company with multiple landholdings. The landowner is willing to discuss options for permanently protecting the Long Trail route but is not interested in anything that would prohibit timber harvesting along the trail or restrict sale of the land later. GMC and the landowner consider a possible land sale or donation, conservation easement, or trail right-of-way.
1991 – GMC and the landowner continue to discuss trail protection options and example trail rights-of-way are shared and discussed.
1992– The Green Mountain Club Board considers National Scenic Trail (NST) designation for the Long Trail, primarily motivated by the time and money it could take for the GMC to protect the Long Trail without federal support. (GMC had considered NST designation in 1975, 1986, and 1990, but had rejected the idea for fear that national designation would increase use of the already stressed trail system. GMC hoped that its land protection effort could succeed without federal involvement.) GMC’s Land Protection Committee estimates that under the current protection program, it would take more than $5 million and at least eight more years to protect the entire Long Trail.
Photo by Matt Larson
The Codding Hollow landowner lets GMC know that he’s “very gun-shy of having to deal with the federal government.” He is interested in working with GMC on an easement under development but fears the federal government would disregard the terms of an easement and restrict his property rights if the trail received NST designation.
1993 – Governor Howard Dean asks GMC to pursue National Scenic Trail (NST) designation. A motion passes at GMC’s Annual Meeting “thatin cooperation with appropriate interested parties, the GMC proceed to draft federal legislation for federal protection for the Long Trail subject to later Board approval of wording before introduction in Congress.”
The Codding Hollow landowner learns of the vote, again expresses his concerns with federal involvement, and says that if GMC proceeds with legislation, he would want the trail routed away from his property. GMC tries to reassure him that if NST designation were granted, an easement would be grandfathered and recognized as trail protection, and the property would not be subject to eminent domain. The landowner’s concerns are not assuaged, and he expresses concerns about pursuing an easement with GMC.
1994 – GMC’s Land Protection Committee has been working since the summer of 1993 to draft NST legislation. Public meetings held around the state gather opinion from the public, GMC members and landowners in an attempt to build support for the controversial designation. The primary question is how eminent domain authority would be handled by the legislation and how that could affect landowners along the Long Trail.
In September GMC’s board votes by a large majority to seek legislation to add the Long Trail System to the National Scenic Trail System. Proposed legislation stipulates that “eminent domain authority will be limited to the main route of the Long Trail and will not apply to side trails. Landowners who have agreed to protect the Trail corridor, both prior to and following the passage of legislation, will not be subject to eminent domain. Eminent domain can be used only as a last resort when no other means will protect the Trail and is limited to a maximum corridor of 1000 feet.” – GMC Long Trail News, Winter 1994
In November the owner of the Codding Hollow property writes GMC a strongly worded letter stating that NST designation is “incompatible with the goals” of the timber company and that “it is particularly disturbing to us that our fifty years of good-will and volunteer trail protection will now be ‘rewarded’ with a taking.” The letter demands that “upon receipt of this letter you should actively proceed with relocating the trail off of the property.”
GMC responds, asking the landowner to reconsider the relocation demand until they have reviewed the legislation wording, and the landowner agrees to suspend the relocation demand.
1995 – Conversations with the landowner continue, discussing purchasing all or part of the property. The landowner is inclined to wait to see how GMC moves forward with NST designation before committing to any action. The Nature Conservancy discusses possibly helping to facilitate a land swap to conserve the Codding Hollow property with some recently donated land to the Conservancy. As a result of the 1994 mid-term election and continued public feedback, GMC decides to not pursue legislation designating the Long Trail as a National Scenic Trail.
1996 – The land swap with The Nature Conservancy doesn’t work out, but GMC offers to look for land to exchange for the Codding Hollow property. The landowner is open to the offer.
1997 – A land exchange is still being discussed, but a suitable property has not been identified.
A neighboring property is opened for logging, and the Codding Hollow landowner is interested in conducting the harvest. Access to the neighboring land is through a GMC conservation easement. GMC tries to leverage the required permission to get protection for the trail on the Codding Hollow property, but the landowner is not interested.
1998 – GMC purchases a neighboring property and offers to allow the Codding Hollow landowner to harvest the timber in exchange for Long Trail protection. The two parties discuss a long-term management agreement in exchange for a 25-acre protection zone for the Long Trail on the Codding Hollow property, but problems with the terms of the agreement emerge.
2002 – GMC learns that the landowner is interested in selling their timber lands in Vermont, including the Codding Hollow property. GMC asks to buy the property or secure a trail right-of-way before the sale. An appraisal is conducted but the landowner asks for a purchase price that is deemed “outrageous” by GMC and GMC decides a purchase isn’t worth pursuing with the current owners.
The landowner works with LandVest, a New England timberland management and real estate firm, to bundle their Vermont holdings—a total of 7,000 acres in 15 parcels—and offer them for sale for $6.5 million.
GMC talks with The Nature Conservancy and the Vermont Land Trust to see if a collaboration to purchase the bundle is possible.
Photo by Matt Larson
2003 – The 7,000 acres are sold to an investment firm, and LandVest continues to manage the properties. GMC establishes a relationship with the new landowner.
2004 – GMC discusses its interest in the Codding Hollow property with the new landowner, and the owner expresses a willingness to do a land exchange, proposing a 3:1 acreage ratio because they want to increase their holdings. Both parties look into potential properties for a land exchange.
2007 – The landowner tells GMC they are interested in selling a bundle of their Vermont holdings called the Green Mountain Portfolio. GMC makes an offer to buy just the Codding Hollow property. The landowner considers the offer, but decides to sell the bundle of properties together instead.
2008 – The Green Mountain Portfolio is on the market. GMC continues to express an interest in purchasing the Codding Hollow property. GMC discusses the Green Mountain Portfolio with The Trust for Public Land to see whether the bundle could be purchased and protected as a larger conservation project.
2009 – A timber harvest is conducted on the Codding Hollow property. The forester gives GMC reassurance of a light-cut buffer along the Long Trail and promises to “make an effort to keep skid trail crossings to a minimum, ideally just one crossing, and will post signs on the trail warning of logging activity.”
2011 – The timber harvest on the Codding Hollow property wraps up. GMC gets the property appraised and makes an offer to the landowner, but the offer is rejected as too low. The landowner moves forward with selling the Green Mountain Portfolio.
2013 – The Green Mountain Portfolio properties are purchased by a privately held limited liability corporation. LandVest continues to manage the Codding Hollow property.
GMC and The Trust for Public Land launch the Partnership for the Green Mountains, a collaboration to strategically conserve priority lands surrounding the Long Trail.
2015 – LandVest lets GMC know that the landowner understands GMC’s interest in the Codding Hollow property and is willing to sell GMC the tract. The sale can happen once the landowner finds a comparable property to buy so as to not decrease the acreage of his holdings. GMC works with The Trust for Public Land to monitor the land deal, since GMC’s internal land protection capacity has decreased in recent years.
2019 – LandVest tells The Trust for Public Land that the landowner has found a comparable property and is ready to sell the Codding Hollow tract. The Trust for Public Land gets the property under contract, and the State of Vermont invests $130,000 in the project through a legislative appropriation so the land can become part of the Long Trail State Forest. The towns of Johnson and Waterville support adding the land to the state forest system. The Trust for Public Land, GMC, and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation work to conserve the property.
2020 – The Codding Hollow property is purchased by the State of Vermont and incorporated in the Long Trail State Forest. GMC purchases a conservation easement for the Long Trail on the property.
Photo by Matt Larson
When immersed in the continuing work of managing and stewarding a 110-year old resource like the Long Trail, it is easy to forget the hard work, generous support and bold vision that has gone into making the resource a reality. The conservation of Codding Hollow is a chance to celebrate the vision, vigilance and effort that it takes to steward the Long Trail. Its conservation is a critical addition to the quilt of conserved lands the Long Trail traverses. It fits perfectly into the design composed of more than a hundred other trail protection projects that GMC has worked on, and it joins the countless other conserved lands in Vermont open for public recreation today.
Thank you and congratulations to all the members, donors, supporters, landowners and partners who have brought the Codding Hollow project to fruition! We especially want to thank Bari & Peter Dreissigacker for supporting this project.
This article was written by Rosalie Sharp, 2019 Long Trail Patrol Leader, and previously appeared in the Fall 2019 Long Trail News.
Family and friends typically struggle to understand what I mean when I say I lead trail crews. I’ve found the quickest way to create an image is to tell them something like “My crew and I find boulders in the woods, move them onto the trail, and set them in the ground to make structures that prevent erosion.”
That’s a simplification for sure, since we do more than stonework, but it fairly represents most Long Trail Patrol projects. Vermont trails are often steep, rocky, muddy, or some combination thereof. Stone structures are usually the best way to concentrate hiking traffic on a durable and well-drained surface. And ‘boulders’ is no understatement—the rocks we use are truly massive.
How can a crew of four move such big rocks? With the right tools! Generations of trail builders have moved boulders with hand tools since Long Trail construction began. The Long Trail Patrol continues to use rock bars and pick mattocks almost daily. While rigging systems help bring rocks to the trail, the rock bar and the pick are the most essential tools. We could do any of this season’s stone projects with just them and a sledgehammer. They’re simple, but powerful.
Of course, they must be wielded effectively. A bar rightly placed can flip rocks no human could budge with muscle alone. Physical strength is an asset, but it’s not the most important one. Using tools wisely, we can lift heavier loads, with less strain. That’s essential for anyone hoping to do trail work for more than a couple years, and to avoid back problems before 30.
A rock bar is simply a lever. Placing the beveled end under a rock and prying up or down gives a worker substantial mechanical advantage. The closer the rock to the fulcrum, and the farther away we grip the bar, the less force we need to move the rock.
As a worker starts rolling a big rock, they can lift only so far before the bar must be repositioned for another lift. This requires teamwork: another crew member places a bar to hold or move the rock further while the first person repositions. They take turns until the rock flips, then repeat the process. When the rock nears its final location, workers must plan their movements to place the rock properly in the hole they’ve dug, all of which requires foresight, precision, and a good sense of how that rock will behave.
Which brings me to the pick mattock, which is a combination lever and digging tool. The mattock end can dig a rock out of the soil, moss, and leaves where it starts, and also dig the hole in the trail where it will finish. The pick end is the lever. However, because the handle is perpendicular to the pick, using a pick instead of a bar requires forces in different directions. Workers usually use a bar to move rocks up and away, but a pick works best to move rocks up and toward a worker. Predicting the forces to apply to our tools enables us to move rocks through the woods efficiently, accurately, and safely.
Building skill and confidence with these tools can be incredibly rewarding. Last summer I approached three Green Mountain Club volunteers struggling to lift a rock the size of a tractor tire from a deep, boggy section of soil. Their rock bars kept slipping through the mud, deer flies buzzed above, it was at least 80 degrees, and they were understandably tired and frustrated. “We’re not strong enough to move this rock,” they declared.
But they were strong enough. What they needed was strategy. We set smaller rocks for fulcrums so our bars wouldn’t slide through the mud; we planned where to place our bars; and we focused on communicating clearly. Within 20 minutes we had that rock flipped out of the hole, and they were rolling it down to the trail with renewed energy and confidence.
Those three volunteers were women. Unfortunately, their belief in weakness is common among women new to trail work. Women trail workers often, though not always, have less upper body strength than many men, so they tend to feel less capable. That’s how I was at first, but I’ve been fortunate to work with extraordinary women who showed me that small size and limited strength need not be a disadvantage. I’ve never been very good at moving rocks by hand, but that pushed me to learn how to choose and use the right tools. I’m much stronger now than when I began rock work, and choose using tools over my hands most of the time. I’m a faster, safer, and healthier trail worker because of it.
Nearly every stone structure on the Long Trail was built with rock bars and pick mattocks, and many have lasted decades. The tools are timeless, simple, and essential to working on Vermont trails. Long Trail Patrol crews will be using them all over the Green Mountains this season. Come, find us, and see some rock moving in action!
Black Bear at Goddard Shelter, photo by hiker Ruth “Chocoholic” Morley
Vermont hiking trails have long been perceived as places where you don’t need to worry about bears. People hiked, camped, and cooked and stored food without concern. Times have changed, and with the increase in the black bear population, hiker behavior needs to change too.
In recent years we have experienced bear problems at several areas on the Long Trail, including Stony Brook Shelter, Montclair Glen Lodge, Hump Brook Tenting Area, Bamforth Ridge Shelter, and Journey’s End Shelter, to name a few.
Bear in Goddard Privy, photo by hiker Ruth “Chocoholic” Morley
In 2019, we had bear problems at Kid Gore, Goddard, and Stratton Pond Shelters. The bears at these locations did not react or show fear when yelled at or when stones were thrown in an attempt to scare them off. They got into several hikers’ food supplies, ripped apart a privy that had a moldy loaf of bread thrown in it, and sniffed into a shelter one night—leaving only after a startled hiker smacked the bear in the head with a trekking pole.
Most black bears are wary of humans and shy away, but food-conditioned bears are potentially threatening to humans, and, if determined to be a nuisance, may be shot. This is the last thing we want, so before you head into the backcountry, take time to educate yourself about bear behavior and avoid putting them, yourself, or future hikers at risk.
GMC staff work with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and wildlife officials on the Green Mountain National Forest to address current bear issues and plan for improvements at the shelters and other overnight sites. We ask that you help by being prepared and taking some simple precautions.
How to Store Food in Bear Country
When you step into a shelter, you might see an inverted tin can tied to a string that hangs from the ceiling. These “mouse hangers” are affixed by hikers, not GMC staff. They are intended to suspend food bags and backpacks to keep them safe from mice and other pesky critters looking for goodies and salt. But guess who is also interested in your food, and can reach those hangers? Bears. With the change in bear activity and incidents on the trail, we ask that you remove the strings and cans from the shelters (and don’t add new ones). This will be a good first step to detracting bear visits to the shelters.
How, then, do you secure your food? As of summer 2019, one of these options is required in the Green Mountain National Forest. Here are some options, from most secure to least secure:
If a bear box is available at a designated overnight site, use it. Food and other scented items (toothpaste, deodorant, chapstick, sunscreen, etc) should be stored away. Make sure the box is closed and latched. See the list of all overnight sights with bear boxes on the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail.
GMC strongly recommends that hikers carry a bear-resistant food storage container. There are a variety of them available; some are more effective than others. Know how to use yours correctly, leave it closed and locked, and stash it at least 100 yards from your—or anyone else’s—shelter. Don’t put it near a cliff or water source or a bear might bat it over the ledge or into the water. Check the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee website for approved personal food storage options.
Hang a bear bag from a tree limb. This is very often done incorrectly and finding a suitable branch is difficult in our dense forests. However, if it is your only option, make sure food bags are hung 100 yards away from the shelter and all tents in the area.
*A Food Storage Closure Order for the entire Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) aims to minimize black bear and human encounters and interactions. The order specifies proper food storage and prohibits leaving food or refuse on National Forest system lands in Vermont. The Order was issued to provide for visitor safety and the conservation of bears. Find more information in the press release; this order is still in effect (summer, 2021).
If a bear is successful at getting into your food, please report it to GMC and Vermont Fish and Wildlife. If you see a bear in the vicinity of a designated campsite on the Long Trail, please notify GMC.
Trash in a composting bin at Bamforth Ridge Shelter
How Humans Should Behave in Bear Country
As the bear at Goddard Shelter who tore apart the privy demonstrated, bears are not particular about where discarded food is. Do not throw food or trash into the privy or composting bins. (Also, our caretakers have the unpleasant task of removing these items from the waste bin later.)
Pack out all garbage and food scraps and do not leave any trash in the bear boxes. There are no trash cans on the trail, and there is no one to collect your trash. If you see trash in the bear boxes already, please consider packing some out with your own garbage.
While Trail Magic can be a wonderful and welcome gesture, do not leave extra food in the shelters or unattended alongside the trail. The bear at Montclair Glen Lodge busted the door open and went inside searching for some magic.
Cook meals away from your tent or shelter, and do not eat in your tent or shelter. Keep tasty smells away from where you sleep. Secure food as listed above.
When the bear is unaware of your presence you should:
Quietly back away from the bear and leave the area.
DO NOT approach the bear.
When the bear is aware of your presence and is uninterested you should:
Quietly back away from the bear and leave the area.
DO NOT approach the bear.
When the bear is curious and continues to look in your direction, smells the air, or slowly approaches you should:
Talk in a calm voice while slowly backing away from the bear.
DO NOT approach the bear. If the bear is defensive it may:
Make vocalizations which can include huffing and jaw popping.
Retreat up a tree.
Swat at the ground or tree.
Lower its head with ears flattened, and sways back and forth.
When the bear is defensive you should:
Begin repeating “Hey bear” in a calm voice.
Back away and leave the area.
If the bear continues to be defensive or becomes aggressive it may:
Approach you.
Begin to follow you.
Charge you.
When the bear is aggressive you should:
Make yourself look bigger by putting your arms above your head. Continue to repeat “Hey bear” in a calm voice. Back away and leave the area.
If it continues to follow you, stand your ground, make yourself look bigger, shout at the bear, threaten the bear with whatever is at hand (bang a stick on the ground, clap your hands), and prepare to use bear pepper spray if it is available. Back away and leave the area.
If charged, stand your ground, talk to the bear in a calm voice and use bear pepper spray when available. If the bear makes contact with you, fight back using anything you have (e.g. stick, binoculars, etc.).
For even more information about bear behavior and what to do in certain situations, check out this FAQ.
GMC’s Bear Plans
In 2019, the bear that tore apart the privy at Goddard Shelter was a concerning incident. In response to this, GMC immediately installed a bear box for secure food storage for hikers, reinforced the privy door to make it harder for a bear to enter into the privy, picked up all trash within 150 feet of the shelter, and placed informational signs at the shelter, privy, and bear box on the importance of properly storing food, keeping a clean camp, and how to handle an interested bear. Since then, this particular bear has taken two backpacks from hikers and destroyed two tents looking for food. Goddard Shelter was closed while game wardens from Vermont Fish and Wildlife tracked down and shot the bear. It is now reopened, but please continue to practice safe food storage as outlined so we can avoid this outcome in the future.
GMC evaluates food storage options on a site-by-site basis and intends to create secure, efficient, and easy-to-operate food storage systems for most overnight sites. In the meantime, human behavior will determine whether Vermont’s black bears become “problem bears” or remain the shy and elusive creatures they started as. Please do your best to be part of the solution and to educate others on bear safety. This will create a safer trail for hikers and a safer environment for bears.
Except while being consumed, all food, food containers and refuse shall be stored in a closed motor vehicle or suspended at least twelve (12) feet above the ground and not less than six (6) feet horizontally from any object. Bear boxes and bear canisters designed specifically for food and/or refuse storage are acceptable.
All refuse containing food materials or containers shall be deposited in receptacles provided for that purpose, removed from the Green Mountain National Forest to be disposed of properly, or stored in the manner prescribed for food in #1 above (36 CFR 261.58(cc)).
We have had many questions about whether Ursacks are allowed with the GMNF order. Ursacks are currently acceptable under the Food Storage Closure Order, but as with any newer device or technology, they could be unacceptable in the future if GMNF sees issues with them. We recommend that they be used in conjunction with the odor-proof OPSaks recommended by Ursack.
This article was contributed to by Jocelyn Hebert, Keegan Tierney, Kristin McLane, and Lorne Currier.
Spring officially started March 20, but warming weather ushers in the real telltale signs of spring. Flowers are blooming and trees are budding. Birds are migrating back to Vermont to breed, or they’re stopping in for food and rest on their way further north. You don’t have to be an expert naturalist to observe these seasonal changes. You just have to know where to look.
