The Upper Valley Land Trust

08/28/2026

If you're driving down the road and you see a hardwood tree that's mostly dark green leaves, but with occasional lighter green, yellowish, thinner stripes in it, that'll be a basswood tree. This week Stewardship VP Jason Berard shares some interesting information about basswood (also known as lime wood and linden in Europe).

Find out why basswood can be admired in both historic churches and at classic rock concerts!

Basswood has many positive attributes but it’s not a good candidate for filling your wood box because it’s not high in BTUs. Learn more about this common Upper Valley species.

08/21/2026

This encore video from last year shows wildlife camera action from UVLT's Cream Street Conservation Area in Thetford, VT. Watch Mama Bear and her cub cross a stream, a barred owl take wing, and more!

UVLT's owned and managed Conservation Areas ensure that all Upper Valley residents have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of conserved land and participate in its stewardship. Visit https://uvlt.org/conservation-areas/ to learn more and plan your next visit!

08/19/2026

UVLT Explorer is an interactive and intuitive web mapping application enabling you to easily discover and learn more about the many conservation areas, trails, trail networks, and Connecticut River campsites protected, managed, or owned by the Upper Valley Land Trust. Use it to find locations and filter by type, town, or recreational activity, then display trail routes, viewpoints, even picnic tables and benches by zooming in! Give the Explorer a try and plan your next Upper Valley adventure. https://uvlt.org/explorer/

08/14/2026

In this week’s Field Notes Friday, Summer Intern Audrey Dowell examines and explains holes that are commonly found on local trees. Unlike FNF on July 24, when Naturalist and Outdoor Program Leader Holly Henderson introduced the holes made by the emerald ash borer, an invasive pest that is devastating ash trees, this week’s video points out the more benign handiwork of sapsuckers and pileated woodpeckers.

UVLT encourages you to take Audrey’s advice: “Get out in the woods, see some birds' signs, and have a great day!”

08/11/2026

Summer is a season of growth and gratitude for nature’s bounty, and both are celebrated at UVLT’s Food Pantry Gardens at Brookmead in Norwich, VT, and Up on the Hill in Charlestown, NH. We’ve grown and distributed more than 17,500 pounds of fruits and vegetables for Upper Valley families in need. Thank you to all who volunteer to help keep our gardens green and growing! Learn more about our Food Pantry Garden Program and sign up to volunteer.

UVLT’s food pantry gardens produce fruits and vegetables for distribution to hunger relief programs throughout the Upper Valley. Since 2019, we’ve grown more than 17,500 pounds of food that has provided tens of thousands of servings of healthy produce for people in need.

08/07/2026

In this week’s Field Notes Friday, Naturalist and Outdoor Program Leader Holly Henderson was at our Ely Mountain Conservation Area in Thetford, VT, surrounded by probably 300 common milkweed plants. She was looking for monarch butterflies and caterpillars so she could submit data to Mission Monarch for International Monarch BioBlitz Week. She found plenty!

The Ely Mountain meadow was just mowed in June ahead of our Raise the Roof celebration and has since grown a healthy crop of milkweed that attracts the insects. Plan a trip to view the area’s beautiful new timber frame pavilion, observe monarch butterflies, or hike one of the trails.

First proposed by a 5th grade class at the Cornwall Elementary School, the Vermont General Assembly declared the monarch as the official state butterfly in 1987.

07/31/2026

Naturalist and Outdoor Programs Leader Holly Henderson​ went to the UVLT's My Walden Conservation Area in Sharon, VT. She wanted to see the progress made by Hypertherm volunteers who were rebuilding some of the area's wooden boardwalks when she spotted a baby bird that had left its nest prematurely.

See if you can spot the nestling before Holly focuses in on it!

​​After introducing the baby bird and the great parenting of its mom, Holly ​caught up with the Hypertherm work party. Hyperthem is among the regional firms​ cont​ributing their valuable time and talents rebuilding trails, cutting and distributing firewood to needy families, and growing vegetables in our Food Pantry gardens. We thank all our wonderful volunteers who ​join us in making the Upper Valley ​such a special and supportive community.

07/31/2026

In this week's Field Notes Friday, Naturalist and Outdoor Programs Leader Holly Henderson​ went to the UVLT's My Walden Conservation Area in Sharon, VT. She wanted to see the progress made by Hypertherm volunteers who were rebuilding some of the area's wooden boardwalks when she spotted a baby bird that had left its nest prematurely.

See if you can spot the nestling before Holly focuses in on it!

​​After introducing the baby bird and the great parenting of its mom, Holly ​caught up with the Hypertherm work party. Hyperthem is among the regional firms​ cont​ributing their valuable time and talents rebuilding trails, cutting and distributing firewood to needy families, and growing vegetables in our Food Pantry gardens. We thank all our wonderful volunteers who ​join us in making the Upper Valley ​such a special and supportive community.

07/14/2026

Our recent "Raise the Roof: 40 Years Strong" celebration featured the raising of a wonderful timber frame pavilion by friends at Benjamin & Company Timber Frames and Custom Homes. Then more friends JAM - Junction Arts & Media documented the event. Here's to friendship and having so much to celebrate. Watch JAM's video:

The Upper Valley Land Trust is a nonprofit land conservancy that wo...

07/03/2026

Field Notes Friday! Solving a mystery at the Pohl Conservation Area in Hartland, Vt.

UVLT's Jason Berard, together with Andrea Ambrose of Hartland Winte...