Stewarding Riparian Forests for Clean Water and Healthy Ecosystems
With funding from the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP)’s Clean Water and Healthy Ecosystems Grant, the Intervale Conservation Nursery (ICN) is enhancing over 30 acres of riparian forest buffer at more than 25 sites across the Lake Champlain Basin this year. At the ICN, we not only grow tens of thousands of native trees and shrubs, but our Nursery Crew also provides stewardship services to conservation projects across the state. Some examples of services made possible by LCBP funding are:
· Removing invasive species, such as buckthorn and knotweed
· Pulling encroaching vines that can smother young trees
· Weeding and trimming competing vegetation around newly planted trees
· Removing tree tubes from established plantings
· Interplanting trees and shrubs to enhance existing plantings
Maintenance and stewardship in the first few years after a site has been planted have a huge impact on successful habitat establishment. Thanks to LCBP, the Intervale Conservation Nursery is able to steward projects that wouldn’t otherwise have the capacity, funding, or expertise to tend to them in these critical first years. Through this work, we are helping to establish healthy riparian forests that improve water quality, stabilize stream and river banks, improve flood resilience, and promote wildlife habitat.
One such project took place along the Mad River at five sites totaling 2.2 acres that were identified for ICN stewardship by our partners at Friends of the Mad River and Waitsfield Conservation Commission. These areas have a large presence of Japanese Knotweed—a fast-spreading invasive species. With about 1,000 newly planted trees across these sites, invasive management during these early years will greatly support young stems to grow into healthy, diverse native forests. Our Nursery Crew was able to perform some maintenance alongside UVM interns, sharing knowledge and expertise with a new generation of conservation professionals while they worked.
“A great team from Intervale spent three days in the Mad River Valley and helped us make progress on managing invasive species and restoring riparian habitat. They were enthusiastic workers and a joy to work with, and obviously committed to helping nature heal.”
Thanks to our partners at Friends of the Winooski River, we implemented another project at Fairmont Farms along the Winooski River in East Montpelier, VT. Fairmont Farms is a third-generation dairy farm with 1,450 cows on 3,600 acres of land. Here, we planted over 100 stems of our native tree stock, creating a healthier environment for their livestock and the greater Winooski watershed by sequestering carbon, strengthening soils, and increasing biodiversity.
Over the years, LCBP has funded ICN stewardship on over 200 acres of new riparian forest, building flood resilience and protecting water quality and wildlife habitat. By caring for our forests, we are building a strong foundation for our community food system.