NorthWoods Stewardship Center

06/05/2026

Tomorrow! Saturday, June 6th, 10am-12pm — Join Executive Director Maria Young on a guided walk of the Westmore Town Forest's interpretive trail. NorthWoods forestry interns and staff worked with the Town of Westmore to create interpretive signage for the trail last fall.
There will be coffee and snacks at the Westmore Town Cottage, and the walk starts at 10:30. Parking is limited - please consider carpooling if you can! See you there!

05/29/2026

The registration for the 10th annual Westmore Mountain Challenge is open! We'd say more about this being the 10th Anniversary, but that will have to wait because it's already half full! So for now we'll just say if you want to get in, head on over and register ASAP!

Link in bio and at: https://www.northwoodscenter.org/wordpress/trails/westmore-mountain-challenge-18/

05/14/2026

A companion event to the Clyde River Paddle on Saturday, May 23rd - check it out!

World Fish Migration Day Film Screening of Documentary River hosted by Vermont River Conservancy and supported by Great Lakes Fishery Commission: Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog Program, at the Haskell Opera House

05/08/2026

It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Oberon, our respected and beloved Barred Owl ambassador, passed away on Tuesday, May 5. Oberon served at NorthWoods longer than any current staff member—she came to live with us in 2006, after being struck by a vehicle and rehabilitated at the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences. Unable to be returned to the wild, she spent two decades at NorthWoods as our wildlife ambassador, teaching thousands of visitors around the region about the wonder and importance of our avian neighbors.

Oberon remained a truly wild being through her long life—she was fierce, opinionated, and never tame—learning how to feed and handle her was a rite of passage for many of our staff over the years, and she chose to become close only to a select few. She kept us on our toes in more ways than one, as in 2021 when after years of being assumed to be male, she laid an egg. In this way, Oberon truly was an ambassador of the wild—teaching us humility, respect and consideration for the other inhabitants of this place we all call home.

We know that Oberon touched many lives over the decades, and we welcome you to share your stories and remembrances in the comments or by emailing [email protected].

On Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 5:30pm, we will be holding a public memorial service, celebrating Oberon’s life and her return to nature. We thank you for your condolences, and will be sharing more about how Oberon’s legacy will live on at NorthWoods over the coming year.

05/07/2026

05/01/2026

The Smokey House Center in Danby, VT recently hosted an Ash Conservation Gathering, with professionals from around the state convening for a day of learning and sharing methods and resources for conserving ash trees.

Over the past twenty years, ash tree populations throughout the country have been devastated by the Emerald Ash Borer beetle. While the spread is expected to continue, we are fortunate to still have areas of uninfected ash in Vermont, and conservation professionals are looking ahead to ways to preserve those healthy ash specimens for the future.

A primary technique for ash conservation will be utilizing seed collection techniques during the upcoming fall, when ash trees are expected to have a high-yield seed crop.

The NorthWoods Conservation staff, and our native seed project partners at the Intervale Center were fortunate to be able to exchange experiences and techniques from our years of successful seed collection with other scientists and conservation professionals from organizations around the region.

Do you have ash trees on your property? Stay tuned for more about ash tree seed collection efforts this year and ways you can help!

05/01/2026

Tomorrow!! 8am-12pm.
Bring your kiddos to our FREE annual Youth Fishing Day at the NorthWoods Pond at our campus in East Charleston.
The pond is freshly stocked with trout and ready for your kids to try their hand at casting a line. Give your kids an experience they'll never forget!

Sign up via our link in bio, or register on our website: northwoodscenter.org

04/29/2026

Saturday, May 23, 10am-1pm

Free!

Join the Vermont River Conservancy and NorthWoods for a paddle on the Clyde River to celebrate migratory fish and free-flowing rivers, and learn how these two organizations are working to protect vital ecosystems like the Clyde!

Register at the link in bio & see you on the river!