Camp Common Ground - Stocksboro, VT

Last week we visited Camp Common Ground in Stocksboro Vermont which is an all inclusive family vacation resort with an emphasis on community, nature, creativity and "eco-friendly fun." The camp started in 1994 and has been growing ever since. The natural area was a very beautiful space with programs that were very inspiring to listen to Jim Mendel speak about.
Although this area in is the Champlain Valley where farmland used to be abundant, this area was not used as farmland in the past due to the large amount of rocks and boulders that were prevalent as we started our walk.

The camp uses solar power to power 100% of their energy needs, and they even sell energy back to the grid.

As we walked into the forest just off the side of the camp offices, it was easy to notice evidence of kids playing, having fun and spending time in nature.

After following the trail for a while, we diverted off the path on our way to the stream and were surrounded by a stand of white pine trees.

The stream was beautiful with running water that was partially covered by ice. and surrounded by hemlock trees. 

The ice formations were beautiful on the edges of the stream.

Some of the trees in this area that we identified were cherry, and birch. This birch on the right was very large which is unusual for birch trees to grow so large. Some small fungus was forming on a very small amount of trees in the forest.

This is a picture of a beaver gate to prevent beavers from creating a dam in this stream.

We walked up to the pond that they have on site and were able to walk out onto it as it was completely frozen over.

Shelburne Pond

Lost camera card..

 For over 30 years, the natural area at Shelburne Pond is one of the oldest and longest-running protection projects in Vermont. It is also a successful collaboration between the Conservancy and UVM who own and maintain the land. 

Shelburne Pond is a very biologically rich area with 1300 acres of freshwater wetlands, forested uplands with rare species, current use agricultural lands, and 3.5 miles of shoreline.If this area was developed and used for housing, it would be a very expensive as it looks over the beautiful lake. 

During hurricane Irene almost three years ago, a large tree was blown down in the edge of the pond. With strong winds blowing across a flat surface such as a pond, the wind picked up speed and ripped out the roots that were lightly settled in the fully saturated soil of the pond. It fell across the path and was cut so people could still use the path.

The wetland on the edge of the pond had reed grasses growing through the ice with patches of water through out the wet land.

I identified several trees such as hemlock, cherry, cedar, shag bark hickory and several more.