Sunday, September 14th

​​Join the Vermont Master Naturalists for Conservation Field Day and explore everything from bedrock to birds.

Field Day Schedule

9:30am - Field trips to naturalist sites around the Mad River Watershed (ALL WALKS ARE FULL)
​12pm - Lunch at Lareau Farm in Waitsfield
1pm - Family friendly activities near Lareau Farm

Support this event

​The field day is a collaboration between Friends of the Mad River and Vermont Master Naturalists. Partnerships and events like this don't happen without your support. For this event we are suggesting a donation of $20 to offset the cost of a shared lunch, while larger gifts help compensate our skilled naturalist guides and ensure these programs remain accessible to a wide and diverse audience. Your support not only sustains this event but helps us offer similar opportunities in the future that deepen our collective understanding and care for the Mad River watershed.
Registration is required to participate in the morning walks. Click the button below to register!

Field Trip Descriptions:
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Scrag Mountain Town Forest - FULL

Scrag Mountain is a town forest conserved with the Vermont Land Trust that has mixed and hardwood forests with two active brooks. It provides habitat for moose, deer, bear, birds, and many other species. This guided moderate hike will focus on observing and discussing the property's natural and human history.  The walk will be just over 2 miles total out and back to the upper waterfall with an elevation gain of around 300 feet. Meet at the parking lot on Bowen Road in Waitsfield.

Directions 
The parking spot for Scrag Town Forest is at the very end of Bowen Road, Waitsfield. From Rt 100 in Waitsfield Village, head up Bridge Street to East Warren Road, after several miles and a sharp right curve and a big dip in the road, take a left on Sherman Rd, and Bowen will be just ahead on the left.  From Rt 100 in Warren, take Brook Road several miles to East Warren Rd and stay on East Warren several miles, look for Sherman Rd on the right and Bowen just ahead on the left. There is a small gravel parking lot - carpooling is highly encouraged. We will meet right there at the trailhead by the large sign. 

Boyce Hill Forest Time Travel Ramble - FULL

Travel back in time to meet old neighbors that built homes, farmed the land, and raised families here. From rocks to robins, this landscape has secrets to share and stories to tell when we slow down and listen. 

During this family-friendly (gentle) approximately 1.5 mile round trip hike, you will stroll up an old road through alpine meadow to gentle peak with 270-degree view, explore an old cellar hole, an apple orchard, and see who’s in the pond. 
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Directions
  • From I-89, take the Waterbury/Stowe Exit and head south on Rt 100 for 8 miles. Turn right onto Fayston Rd in Mooretown and then right onto Boyce Rd in about 3.5 miles. Parking is at the top of the road.
  • From the south, head north on Rt 100 and make a left onto Fayston Rd. In about 3.5 miles, take a right onto Boyce Rd. Parking is at the top of the road. 
  • From the west over the App Gap/Rt 17, about ½ mile after the Hyde Away Inn, make a sharp left onto Number Nine Rd. (Alternatively proceed along Rt 17, turn left onto Rt 100 North and follow the directions above.) In about a mile, go right at the fork onto Bragg Hill/Number Nine Rd. At the T, turn right to stay on Bragg Hill, then left onto Kew Vasseur Rd. After about 2miles, turn left onto Central Fayston Rd which curves right and becomes Fayston Rd. In about ½ mile turn left onto Boyce Rd. Parking is at the top of the road.
In Google Maps, enter Boyce Hill to follow the above directions.

Wetland Walk - FULL

​Join Vermont Master Naturalists for a walk along a well maintained boardwalk near Lawson’s
Finest Liquids to examine a lively wetland ecosystem. We will discuss the plants and animals we find as well as the various disturbances - human and animal - that have influenced the area. 
This walk is suitable for all abilities although if it rains heavily beforehand a portion of the
boardwalk may have standing water.

Directions
We will meet on the boardwalk behind Lawson's Finest Liquids, near the new dog friendly patio. Feel free to park in the Big Picture Theater lot. Here is a Google Maps pin with the parking location for GPS. 

 Lincoln Gap Catamount Trail - FULL

Meet at the lower parking lot off Lincoln Gap Rd for a walk through changing forest types on the Catamount Trail. We will be investigating interesting forest features, noticing many different plant species, and discussing what constitutes an old growth forest. The trail is about 1.5 miles round trip and starts with a downhill, includes some obstacles, and we will return with an uphill hike.

Directions
​Meet at the top of the Lincoln Gap in the lower parking lot (on the Warren side) for the Mt. Abraham trail.  The Catamount Trail is directly across the street from the parking lot.  We will meet in the parking lot and go across the street as a group.
Thank you to Brad Long (header, 1 ,2), Gregg Mason (3), and Eve Frankel (4) for the photographs!
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