Page 52 - 2021 Annual Reportprint

Northwoods Stewardship Center
Dear Residents of the Town of Brighton,
On behalf of the North Woods Stewardship Center, I would like to express my
sincere thanks for the Town of Brighton’s ongoing support of the Center and
specifically the Conservation Corps. In 2021, thanks in part to support from the
Town of Brighton, the Corps completed many conservation projects throughout
the Northeast Kingdom. Highlights included working on Cow Mountain Pond in
Granby, the golden trail in Victory Bog, completing trail patrol on the Kingdom
Heritage Trail, and hosting both a youth and professional crew in the Nulhegan Basin
Division of the Wildlife Refuge. The youth crews worked on North Woods trails as
well - where they rebuilt bog bridges on the Lang Brook Trail and updated signage
on the Gardner Path Living History Trail, featuring a very impressive round barn
foundation - just off the Ten Mile Square Road. If you haven’t been, we hope you
will come see it. This season was record-breaking, with just over 120 employees at
peak season. This means job opportunities for high school youth, and also draws in
young professionals to the NEK from across the country.
Despite delays from Covid, we are planning to launch the Kingdom Heritage Trail
Ramble in June 2022 in partnership with Brighton Recreation, with Island Pond as
the hub for the event. We enjoy the opportunity to partner with the Town of Brighton
in both the planning and implementation of projects to support sustainable outdoor
recreation tourism.
North Woods provides discounted program offerings to Brighton Elementary School
for winter outdoor recreation programming, a week-long summer school program
and year-long after school programming where we highlight appreciation and
awareness of trails, waterways, mountains and natural communities of Island Pond
area. We also provided our facility at no cost as the host site for the youth hunter
education course each spring, and offer access to our trails at no cost for Brighton,
Charleston and Morgan residents.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Dusty May
Conservation Corps Director

52 Town of Brighton, VT