The Intervale Center’s
Conservation Nursery
Growing Native Trees & Shrubs
for Riparian Conservation
Each year thousands of trees are planted along Vermont's waterways. As the new trees grow and put down roots, they filter nutrients from runoff, stabilize stream banks, reduce soil erosion, and provide valuable wildlife habitat.
The Intervale Conservation Nursery is a native tree and shrub nursery offering a local source of ecologically grown plants for conservation projects statewide. In addition, the Conservation Nursery acts as steward for the Intervale riparian forest and provides educational workshops for the public. To propagate 35 species of trees, nursery staff and volunteers follow the life cycles of trees particularly suited to riparian environments. By collecting local seeds and cuttings from natural areas, the resulting trees have the best chance to thrive in local settings and conditions.
In 2006 we have offered 13 different species of native trees and shrubs for sale. Most of our plants are bareroot, but we will have container stock for sale the summer of 2007.
Now a planting service! We are now offering a full range of services, from locally sourced trees to tree planting. Our experienced team can maximize the effectiveness of conservation trees planted in Vermont.
If you are looking for tree planters, or if you would like more information about purchasing plants, please !
Read all about the Intervale Conservation Nursery in our latest newsletter.
View the current availability of trees here.
Stable Rivers — Stable Economy
Restoring native forested buffers is critical to fostering a healthy ecosystem and a stable economy.
Called the arteries and veins of our landscape, rivers and streams hold many attractions for Vermont's residents, tourists and wildlife communities. But a river's stability and the wildlife corridor it provides depends on the deep rooted vegetation and woodlands that buffer its banks. Riparian or stream side vegetation binds the soil, creating a stable bank that is resistant to erosion and capable of filtering sediments and pollutants before they reach the water.
Historically neglected, riparian buffers went unprotected as towns cleared and built roads, farmers grew crops and loggers cut to the edge of riverbanks, all at great environmental and economic cost to Vermont. From 1995-1998, flood damage alone resulted in $57 million in public and private land losses. Stream side woodlands protect fish and wildlife habitat, improve water quality, reduce flood damage and agricultural land loss, and offer privacy, shade and improved recreational opportunities.
Growing Demand For Native Species
The demand for riparian trees and shrubs in the State has grown exponentially in recent years, as conservation and restoration projects have expanded. Riparian conservation efforts in Vermont annually demand 100,000 to 150,000 native trees and shrubs. Unfortunately growing bare root plant material for conservation is not profitable for private Vermont nurseries. As a result, groups continue to purchase native species, but non-native genotypes, from as far away as Montana and Oregon. There is serious concern that plants from milder West Coast climates lack the hardiness to survive in Vermont, and that the non-native genetic material is compromising Vermont's plant communities. The Intervale Conservation Nursery (ICN) was developed in 2002 to address these concerns and offer a local alternative to purchasing riparian vegetation from out of state.
Nursery
In the 2005 collection season (generally autumn) seeds or cuttings of 25 different native species from Vermont's watersheds were collected or propagated using environmentally friendly methods. Organic nursery operations are nearly unheard of, and ICN’s protocol will be shared with others interested in riparian conservation. Approximately 30,000 plants are currently growing in the nursery, with another 20,000 expected by the end of 2006. In 2006 the Conservation Nursery distributed 8,000 stems, twice as many as in 2005, for conservation projects in four major watersheds in northern Vermont. The Nursery's five-year goal is to become a self-sustaining business, a revenue source for the Intervale Center, and a model for similar projects nationwide.
Collaboration
The Intervale Conservation Nursery is collaborating with public and private non-profit agencies and hundreds of volunteers to develop a statewide network that is contributing to seed and cutting collections, education and outreach and nursery operations. Agencies include the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts, US Fish & Wildlife Service, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and US Forest Service, Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont Department of Forests & Parks, The Nature Conservancy, University of Vermont's Watershed Alliance, Vermont Family Forests, and numerous other watershed groups.