Conservation Commission
The Jericho Conservation Commission (JCC) advises the Select Board and other town commissions on best practices for management of natural resources on Town Land. The JCC is also available for residential consultation on request. The Conservation Commission is committed to public education and strives to help Jericho residents learn more about the natural communities within our town and beyond. The JCC has membership in the Vermont Association of Conservation Commissions. | |
![]() | The Conservation Commission meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month. |
The Jericho Town Tree
American Elm (Ulmus americana) on Rt. 15
The Jericho Conservation Commission (JCC) advises the Select Board and other town commissions on best practices for management of natural resources on Town Land. The JCC is also available for residential consultation on request. The Conservation Commission is committed to public education and strives to help Jericho residents learn more about the natural communities within our town and beyond. The JCC has membership in the Vermont Association of Conservation Commissions. | |
![]() | The Conservation Commission meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month. |
The Jericho Town Tree
American Elm (Ulmus americana) on Rt. 15
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Reflection on Burlington & Lamoille Railroad
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link13 Apr 2021Last spring Jericho Conservation Commission member and ecologist, Allaire Diamond, asked her fellow community members for information about the Burlington & Lamoille Railroad, whose bed runs through her neighborhood. Several people responded with very helpful information and connections. In particular, Gary Irish shared some excellent resources and Jerry Fox visited to walk a section of the bed with her. She wrote a short reflection on this unique local feature for Northern Woodlands Magazine, and it's in the March 2021 issue and at this link:
https://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/tracing-the-track
Thank you also to the landowners who own pieces of the railroad bed and keep it unposted for others to safely explore! -
Emerald Ash Borer Awareness
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkEmerald Ash Borer in Vermont
Emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive forest pest, has been confirmed in Vermont.
As of October 2020 Jericho is in the Confirmed Infested Area.
EAB is a major threat to our trees and forests. The emerald ash borer has feasted on over 100 million ash trees in the Midwest, where it was first discovered in 2002. Unless treated with insecticides, most infested trees die within 3 to 5 years. Experience in Michigan and other states has shown that once this pest is detected in an area, more detections follow quickly — and the ash trees die rapidly over a few short years. EAB was confirmed in Vermont and 2018 and there are currently confirmed infestations in five Vermont counties.
- Learn how to identify ash trees and emerald ash borer signs and symptoms. Visit VTinvasives.org for more information!
- Look at ash trees for signs and symptoms – if you see a suspicious trees submit photos on the ReportIT! button at VTinvasives.org
- Slow the spread: burn firewood as close to the source as possible and do not move it outside of infested areas.
Photo Credit: Debbie Miller, US Forest Service, Bugwood.org
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Help Us Keep Invasive Plants OUT of the Landscape
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link26 May 2020You can do your part as a steward of the land by learning to recognize common invasive plants and removing them from your property. Most can be pulled by hand when small and when the problem is limited to only a few plants. Invasive plants are... INVASIVE; they spread easily and in many cases prevent native plants from being able to grow. Stopping them early is KEY to success. Main site: VTinvasives.org
BUSH HONEYSUCKLE fact sheet VTInvasives.org
GARLIC MUSTARD fact sheet VTinvasives.org
COMMON BUCKTHORN fact sheet VT invasives.org
JAPANESE BARBERRY fact sheet VTinvasives.org
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Current Webinars on Management of Invasive Plants
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link08 Oct 2020The Vermont Land Trust and the Windham County NRCD are hosting a series of webinars to educate the public on management of invasive plants in their backyards and woods. Stay tuned for upcoming webinars as they become available for viewing. The Jericho CC has links to some of the resources mentioned in these webinars on our web page. Scroll down to find our previous posts on managing invasive plants.
Webinar #1: Introduction to Invasive Plants: Click here for Intro to Invasive Plants Webinar
Webinar #2: Backyard Invasives: Click here for Backyard Invasives Webinar
Webinar #3: Invasives in the Woods: Click here for Woods Invasives Webinar
Webinar #4: Non-Chemical Invasive Species Management Options: Click here for Non-Chemical Options Webinar
Webinar #5: Should I Spray? Responsible herbicide use in the control of invasive plants. Click here for Should I Spray? Webinar
Webinar #6:Preventing Establishment Of Invasive Species - Early Detection as a First Line of Defense Click here for Early Detection Webinar
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OLD GROWTH FORESTS: A VIRTUAL TOUR OF ANCIENT WOODLANDS
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link15 Jan 2021CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.Learn about old growth forests
Tuesday, November 17, 1-2 pm, online via Zoom
Old growth forests are complex places—ancient, mysterious, and, frankly, messy. Learn about old growth forests in Vermont and in the northeast—what they are, why they are important in the face of climate change, and how you can recognize them.
Join Jericho and Vermont Land Trust’s Liz Thompson and VLT's David McMath as they explore some old forests of Vermont and examine their special habitats. They will guide us to:
- a cedar swamp with old trees
- an old yellow birch grove
- an ancient black gum swamp
- a cliff forest, a blown-down forest
- an old growth rich woods that you can literally drive to.
They will talk about the rich history of these places and the many benefits they provide.
And you will learn how to recognize old growth when you see it. Who knows? Maybe there is an old growth forest waiting to be discovered in your town, or even on your property.
Register Here: hhttps://vlt.org/event/old-growth
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A New Way to Treat Invasive Knotweed
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link28 May 2020Here is an article from VT Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Andrea Shortsleeve, on a new method of controlling Knotweed. The Conservation Commission does not have direct experience with this method, but it seems like it deserves our consideration as a viable option.
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Mobbs Bioblitz
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link15 Jan 2021CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.The Jericho Conservation Commission is partnering with the Mobbs Committee to host a Bioblitz from September 12-26.
Why a Bioblitz? A bioblitz is a community science effort to record as many species within a designated location and time period as possible, in this case, our own backyard treasure - Mobbs Farm.
Anyone can participate, but you will need to set up an account on iNaturalist to submit your observations. Visit the JCC/Mobbs Bioblitz page to sign up. Our goal is to learn more about the diversity of natural communities that exist within the Mobbs boundaries by inviting residents to make observations of plants, insects, birds, fungi (photographs or sound recordings) during their walks along the trails and submit them to iNaturalist . This project will allow us to continue safe distancing while exploring nature within Jericho. Participants should NOT collect items... follow the "Take only photographs, leave only footprints" mantra. You can make observations any time within the specified dates (September 12-26th, 2020) as long as you are anywhere on the Mobbs property.
All participants must follow the parking guidelines and rules of Mobbs while participating in the Bioblitz.
State of Vermont COVID-19 restrictions in place during the dates should be followed.
The Mobbs Farm Property, acquired by the Town of Jericho in 1970, is located approximately one mile south of Jericho Center on Browns Trace. The property consists of over 260 acres of both open and forested land and is roughly separated into two equal halves by Fitzsimonds Road.
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Town-wide Read: Sand County Almanac
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link08 Oct 2020CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.The Jericho Conservation Commission would like to invite you to join us for a town-wide read of Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac, a provocative collection of essays from one of the most influential thinkers in the environmental movement.
We will host a kickoff meeting on February 5th at 7pm at the Community Center to introduce the book and enjoy some light refreshments. We have 20 copies of A Sand County Almanac and will give them to the first 20 people who arrive at the kickoff meeting. We invite readers of all ages to participate as well as anyone who has already read the book and wants to read it again or just join in on the discussion.
We will give readers a little over a month to complete the book. We plan to reconvene for a book discussion on March 11th at the Jericho Town Library to enjoy some more light refreshments and talk about the book! Time TBA.
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Film: Urban and Suburban Meadows
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link11 Feb 2020CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.Meadows can be big or small, short or tall. However large, the environmental benefits are great. Meadows sequester carbon, retain water, filter pollutants, eliminate the need for fertilizers or pesticides and provide habitat.
Reduce your carbon footprint. Improve your neighborhood. Enjoy a meadow in your backyard!
Join the Jericho Conservation Commission as we show the film "Urban and Suburban Meadows: Bringing Meadowscaping to Big and Small Spaces".Date: Thursday, October 24th at 7pm
Location: Deborah Rawson Memorial Library
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National Moth Week - Moth Night
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link07 Nov 2019CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.Please join us on Thursday, July 25th at 8 pm as we celebrate our first MOTH NIGHT!
Where: Mills Riverside Park, Rt. 15, Jericho, VT - meet in the Pavilion
What: As part of National Moth Week,a global citizen science effort to learn more about moths, we will be hosting some experts from the Vermont Entomological Society. We will begin with a short presentation about moths and then go out into the field to observe them up-close.
Upcoming Events
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April 21 2021
Agendas and Minutes
Conservation Commission Members
- Tom Baribault, Chair, term expires 2024
- Karina Dailey, term expires 2023
- Allaire Diamond, term expires 2024
- Sabina Ernst, term expires 2022
- Eric Hill, term expires 2022
- Ann Kroll Lerner, term expires 2023
- Laura Vallett, term expires 2024
We are looking for new members! Please contact Tom Barribault at 899-6736 or if you know any of the other members please talk to them.
Conservation Reserve Fund Information
Follow Project
Jericho Center Pollinators Workshop
Photos
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Jericho Center Pollinator Garden - August 2018
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Volunteers who worked on the Pollinator Garden learn about native plants from Annie White.
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MAY in the pollinator garden. Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders) is a host plant for Black Swallowtail caterpillars.
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Penstemon digitalis blooming in June - This native plant attracts bees and hummingbirds
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JUNE in the garden - A VT native small carpenter bee forages for pollen in Penstemon digitalis
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JUNE in the garden-A Sedge Sprite finds refuge among the plants
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Nectar guide
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Jericho Center Pollinator Garden - August in Bloom
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Milkweeed is a host plant as this chewed leaf indicates
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Butterfly Milkweed - Asclepias tuberosa
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Cardinal Flower - Lobelia cardinalis provides nectar for Hummingbirds
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Learn more about pollinators at Xerces.org
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Jericho Town Treesepia F