Lewis Creek Association 2024 Party!
Sunday, October 6th
A day long celebration of the lives and work of Marty Illick and Terry Dinnan in partnership with Vermont Master Naturalist. Free and open to the public.
Location: Starksboro Cota Field, States Prison Hollow Road & Route 116
Join friends and neighbors for all or part of the day. In the morning (9-11 AM), Vermont Master Naturalists will lead several field trips to explore the watershed from Mountains to the Mouth and Bedrock to Birds. Registration required - see below.
The afternoon will begin at Cota Field with lunch and remarks from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM (lunch and refreshments provided or bring a picnic).
From 1 to 4 PM, there will be a treasure hunt for children and outings with local experts on history, wildlife, geology, and other natural history topics. Outings (no registration required) will include the history of the States Prison Hollow mills, identification of aquatic wildlife in Lewis Creek with Declan McCabe, and a visit to a gravel pit discussing the geological history of the area with Craig Heindel.
Morning Field Trip Information and Sign-Ups (click on the name of the field trip to get additional information and sign up):
Walk on a well-established mountain bike trail across a field and on switchbacks up the wooded slope of the Carse Hills finishing the uphill hike bushwhacking about a half mile to the Red Rock overlook. From here we will look out over Hinesburg Hollow and the Champlain Valley at the northeastern corner of the Lewis Creek watershed. At the overlook and along the way and way back we will discuss the conservation, landscape and watershed context as well as the geologic, glacial, natural and human history of the Carse Hills and Hinesburg Town Forest area. Round trip about 3 miles.
Lincoln Hill Road Beaver Complex, Hinesburg
Walk along the start of the Hinesburg Town Forest trails to and along the extensive beaver complex, while learning about the importance of beavers as floodplain engineers and providers of habitat for a variety of species. We will also discuss the human history of the area. Wear shoes or boots that can get wet/muddy as we may explore the ponds to get a closer look at the series of dams if the conditions allow.
History at the Headwaters, Starksboro
Meet at the bottom of Hillsboro Road for a walking tour of four sites highlighting the cultural history of a vanished village. Explore the remnants of a once-thriving community, including abandoned farms and a historic cemetery, and learn how Hillsboro got its name. The ponds, swamps and streams of these hillsides feed the Lewis Creek. This walk includes bushwhacking and uneven terrain, and possibly two or more total miles of walking on a steep dirt road.
We will be stopping at a few locations around Bristol Pond to discuss the geologic history, wetlands, flora, fauna, reptiles, amphibians and human history of the area.
Mouth of Lewis Creek, Ferrisburgh
Walk through open woods along the Lewis Creek toward the mouth while hearing about the geological history, flora, fauna, birdlife and human history of the area.
Photo of the Lewis Creek watershed by Robert Langellier