Let's Plant Trees Together!

Want to Transform your Land?

The relationship between the plants that blanket our Valley and the water that flows through it is essential to the health of our rivers and the resilience of our communities. Plants absorb the impact of storms by slowing down rainfall and snowmelt, allowing it to absorb into the groundwater, and by reducing the surface runoff which can cause damaging erosion. Plants absorb carbon, provide shade, and act as habitat for wildlife, mediating the impacts of a changing climate.
​
It was humans in the 19th century who cleared the forests from Vermont’s hills and valleys. It can be humans in the 21st century (and beyond!) who care enough to re-forest many of the places still not recovered.

Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it survive, you haven’t done a thing. You are just talking.” ― Wangari Maathai

Restore Riparian Areas
 
One way we can help is by restoring the sensitive and critical riparian buffers which run along our streams and rivers. These buffers take all the benefits of plants, multiply them, and concentrate them to create a riparian backbone of clean water, wildlife habitat, and resilient floodplains. 

This fall and winter, Friends is working to find people interested in strengthening and restoring the riparian buffers along their property. Whether this is up in the mountains on the banks of Freeman Brook or along the main stem of the Mad itself, we want to work with you to make it happen.
 
Your property might be eligible for buffer plantings at no cost to you. Friends has a long history of bringing the resources, partners, and community members needed for these projects together - but it all starts with you!

Get in touch with us at stormsmart@friendsofthemadriver.org or visit us online to schedule a site visit. Friends staff can meet with you to provide assistance in identifying native trees and shrubs that will suit your property and determine your property's eligibility for programs to cover the cost of the trees. 

Photo: Ira for #madshedlove

Those trees, those trees, those maple trees! All my life I’ve been searching  for trees such as these.... While we might not the have the softer than silk Truffula Tufts, we are truly grateful for the Friends of The Mad River and the intention of beautifying our home, and working to create Forested land and rivers that will carry on for years to come.... I have nothing but thanks to Ira and the people of our valley who share in the philosophy of sustainable ecology, fostering nature and making our home a beautiful place to live."
― Evan Oppenheimer, 2020 Tree planting partner & site steward