“The family is an entire town”

Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship

HINESBURG – Hinesburg Town Forest was an unusual pick by the Vermont Woodlands Association for Tree Farmer of the Year.

Winners are usually families, said Kathy Beland, program administrator for Vermont Tree Farm.

“In this case, the family is an entire town,” Beland said. 

Earlier this month, more than 60 members of that family came together to celebrate that award through a variety of experiences in the town forest. 

Beland said forest supporters “have gone the extra mile” through the opening of the land for education, their serious conservation efforts and thoughtful management.

She said the award recognizes the town’s shared commitment to preserving the forest while cultivating the space for education and recreation.

Hinesburg Town Forest started in 1936 with a donation of 100 acres and has expanded over time to its current 1,125 acres. It’s now one of the state’s largest town forests, according to the Vermont Land Trust.

A variety of entities partner to support Hinesburg Town Forest. It is owned by the town of Hinesburg and managed by the nine-person Hinesburg Town Forest Committee, which advises the selectboard.

In 2022, the town partnered with Vermont Land Trust and the Hinesburg Land Trust to expand and conserve the forest, according to the Vermont Land Trust.

The nonprofit group Fellowship of the Wheel stewards the 18-mile trail system. Fellowship of the Wheel helps build and maintain local trails, principally for mountain biking.

In addition to mountain biking, the trails are popular for hiking, snowshoeing and observing wildlife.

The celebration Saturday began at Town Hall. Attendees could choose one of four different walks and experiences: one centered on forestry and birding, another outlining the history of the land, a mountain bike tour, and a family-friendly reptile and amphibian expedition.

Before each group dispersed for their preferred forest experience, all attendees gathered for a photo. A voice emerged from the crowd: “Say trees!” 

The reptile and amphibian walk was led by herpetologist Kate Kelly, chair of the Hinesburg Conservation Commission. She said she focused on frogs and salamanders for practical reasons.

“Reptiles and amphibians are very hands-on,” Kelly said. “You can’t grab a black bear!”

Kelly engaged a group of children during the walk, encouraging them to get their hands dirty and celebrating all the reptiles and amphibians they managed to find. The group found an Eastern newt, two Eastern redbacked salamanders, a pickerel frog, and many Northern two-lined salamanders. 

Throughout the event, the children were invested in the activity, running around the forest, laughing, turning over rocks and admiring each and every creature.

Breeding a love of reptiles and amphibians in the next generation is good for more than just getting them off their phones.

From an environmentalist standpoint, reptiles and amphibians represent the importance of preserving the intersections between different types of habitats, as opposed to preserving just one type of habitat or another, she said.

“Because reptiles and amphibians live in between different types of habitats, it is easy to understand the kind of conservation we are interested in through them,” Kelly said.