Vermont
Town of Stowe competing with beavers over rec fields
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/VZXI5KCXB5DIBGKLNOYNOJLRFU.jpg "Town of Stowe competing with beavers over rec fields")
STOWE, Vt. (WCAX) – Town officials in Stowe are trying to figure out a way to keep their recreational fields dry as beavers cause the surrounding wetlands to expand.
People in Stowe say the wetlands surrounding Memorial Park are getting closer and closer to the fields and courts.
“Growing up here. It’s always been wet in that area. It has gotten worse over the years but it’s something we’ve always kind of dealt with,” said Andrew Kneale, a local resident.
The growing wetlands pose a threat to the town’s recreational spaces as they’ve continued to expand. Two of the baseball fields have had to be re-classified as wetlands.
“The casual observer would say, well, it just looks like grass to me, but they get squishier certain times of the year. The interesting thing about wetlands — they can not only affect the surface conditions but the subsurface conditions. They saturate the surrounding soils and area,” said Stowe Town Manager Charles Safford.
The town commissioned a study of the area that showed that beaver activity had caused the wetlands to broaden, growing to more than 25 acres. The findings create a challenge for the town, which wanted to replace buildings and add more courts to the park, but now will have to think twice as wetlands are protected habitats under state law.
“We’re trying to live with the beavers. Maybe we’re gonna have to think about other options and sites. Land is at a premium already and then when you put wetlands on top of that, we’ve got to figure out what, if anything, we can practically do at this site,” Safford said.
He says they’ve been trying to clear away the downed trees and dams as fast as the beavers can build them but have not found much success. They’ve partnered with environmental advocacy groups to find new ways to approach the issue, like installing “beaver deceivers” and water control devices.
“Protect our Wildlife worked with the town of Stowe on a beaver plan. And so the town will not kill beavers unless they’ve tried all other non-lethal options first. Doing everything we can to ensure that the beaver families can stay here, while at the same time protecting, you know, vital infrastructure and the recreational fields,” said Protect our Wildlife’s Brenna Galdenzi. She says it’s important that the beavers stay in the area and hopes the town will not have to resort to trapping, due to the negative effects removing beavers could have on the environment. “Vermont is not immune to drought, right? We’ve had record-low rainfall for the past couple of years. And one thing that beavers do is they keep water on the land, and so that’s just one of many ecological benefits that they provide.”
Safford says they will continue to study the wetlands over the summer and take possible ecological effects into account as they chart a path forward. “Let’s hope we’re able to live in harmony and share the land. The beavers have theirs and we have ours and we can coexist together, but time will tell,” he said.
Copyright 2023 WCAX. All rights reserved.
CAVENDISH, Vt. (WCAX) – Two people on a motorcycle were injured– one of them critically– when they hit a bear in Cavendish.
It happened at about 6 p.m. Sunday on Route 131.
EMTs arrived minutes later to provide aid to the two victims. A helicopter was requested to airlift the person with critical injuries.
The Proctorsville Fire Department says the bear was seen running away into the nearby woods.
First responders remind drivers to travel with caution as many different species of wildlife are on the move this time of year.
Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Cathedral Square Corporation has been selected as a Top Workplace in Vermont for 2024.
The organization was founded in 1977 by St. Paul’s Cathedral in Burlington to address a shortage of affordable senior housing, a situation that Cathedral Square Chief Executive Officer Kim Fitzgerald said still exists today. Still, Cathedral Square has been doing its part to solve the problem for the past 47 years.
“We now have 28 properties in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties,” Fitzgerald said. “We serve just over 1,300 people. Of those 28 properties, 26 are for independent living and two of them are long-term care communities.”
One of those long-term care communities is Memory Care at Allen Brook, with 14 residents, which Fitzgerald said is “truly affordable.”
“We are 100% Medicaid and 100% Section 8 for the rent,” she said. “Truly affordable and memory care don’t usually go together. You can spend $12,000 to $15,000 a month (on memory care). We have a wait list. We could build 10 more of those communities if we could afford it and had the staff.”
Cathedral Square wants to care for its staff as well as its residents
Speaking of staff, Fitzgerald said her mission is to care for Cathedral Square’s employees just like the organization cares for its elderly residents.
“People who come to work for Cathedral Square want to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “We are making a difference in peoples’ lives. It’s also about supporting each other.”
Fitzgerald said she cultivates a culture of family and togetherness on her staff.
“Living that work-life balance is important to us,” she said. “We have an active wellness committee that makes sure people are supporting each other from a health perspective. I’m also proud of the fact that we have a 20-plus club of people who have worked with the organization for more than 20 years.”
The 20-plus club as six members, including Fitzgerald, who takes everyone out to lunch every year.
“It’s a time for me to connect with them and find out what they see has changed over 20 years that they like and don’t like,” Fitzgerald said. “I value them so much for their longevity.”
Fitzgerald will celebrate 25 years with Cathedral Square Corporation this fall. She has been CEO for 10 of those years.
“I feel very honored and blessed,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve all had difficult times. Being there for each other, supporting each other and caring for each other is what we do for residents and the people we serve. It’s important to do that within our staff as well.”
Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.
BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Hundreds of supporters gathered in Burlington Saturday for Outright Vermont’s annual fire truck pull.
Teams of enthusiastic participants showcased their strength and spirit by pulling the truck down Church Street to help raise funds to support LGBTQ+ youth.
The goal for this year’s event was $200,000, with every dollar going directly to support the organization and its outreach programs.
Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.
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