Conservation Commission

Meetings are held on the Third Wednesday of each month at 7:15 pm via Zoom.
If you would like to serve on this committee click here for an application.
If you would like to sign up to be a volunteer click here to add your name to our list
Photo: Jericho Town Tree - An American Elm (Ulmus americana) on Rt. 15 near the town line with Essex.
Meetings are held on the Third Wednesday of each month at 7:15 pm via Zoom.
If you would like to serve on this committee click here for an application.
If you would like to sign up to be a volunteer click here to add your name to our list
Photo: Jericho Town Tree - An American Elm (Ulmus americana) on Rt. 15 near the town line with Essex.
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Forests Matter
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe Conservation Commission recently attended this presentation of Vermont Fish and Wildlife - Community wildlife Program.
The concept of maintaining intact forest in Vermont is not new and is something that town planning and conservation commissions have been implementing for years. But as rural sprawl has increased forest fragmentation and the VT Legislature passed Vermont's Forest Integrity law (often referred to as Act 171), the topic is receiving increased interest. The Department of Forests, Parks, & Recreation and the Fish & Wildlife Department has worked with partners to put together a video series highlighting this important topic. The video series pulls together interviews from a diversity of professionals in the field; from foresters, biologists to planners and volunteers working at the local level.
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Bear Talk at JULT's Annual Meeting
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkJericho Underhill Land Trust Annual Meeting
Monday, October 2nd 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Underhill Town Hall
Come celebrate a busy year of land conservation at our Annual Meeting! Refreshments start at 6:30 p.m. with a short business meeting at 7 p.m. We are delighted to have Jaclyn Comeau, a wildlife biologist and the Black Bear Project Leader for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department as our guest speaker. Her topic will be about living with black bears.
For over nine years, Jaclyn has led black bear research and education in Vermont. As a Black Bear Project Leader, she works to coordinate and conduct research evaluating the effects of industrial wind development within large bear-scarred beech concentrations on black bears. She also captures black bears to fit them with satellite GPS collars. She studies black bear activity and habitat use via telemetry and remote camera data. She evaluates roads as potential landscape barriers in cooperation with Staying Connected Initiative. And finally, Jaclyn assists Vermont residents with resolving human-bear conflicts. Bring your questions and learn more about our important black bear neighbors.
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Why We Need Insects and Other Invertebrates
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Sue Morse Presentation - Enjoying Our Trails with Wildlife in Mind
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Webinar Recording: Deer Impact on Forests
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Rain Garden Manual - UVM/SeaGrant
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkIf you missed the Rain Garden presentation on April 19th, we have a link to the manual published by UVM and Sea Grant.
What are some of the benefits of a rain garden?
- Reduces stormwater runoff
- Improves water quality
- Helps control flash flooding
- Removes Pollutants
- Provides Wildlife Habitat
Read more about using nature-based solutions to manage runoff on your property. 2021 Rain Garden Manual for Vermont and the Lake Champlain Basin
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Native Plant Sale
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkHelp Birds and Pollinators by adding some native plants to your gardens this year. Plants are Vermont-grown at Riverberry Farm in Fairfax and will be available for pick up in Jericho. Proceeds from the plant sale will benefit the Jericho Community Center. The deadline for placing orders is April 30th.
More details and Plant Order Form here: https://jerichovermont.blogspot.com/2023/02/pollinator-plant-sale-2023-community.html
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Be A Bear Ambassador
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe Conservation Commission reminds you to take down your bird feeders and store them until December. Learn more about the importance of reducing bear-human interactions and how each of us can help.
https://vtfishandwildlife.com/learn-more/living-with-wildlife/living-with-black-bears
To continue providing food for birds when you shouldn't put out a feeder consider using berry-producing plants and plants and trees that support the life cycles of native caterpillars. Did you know that a Black-capped Chickadee (and most songbirds) feeds its young exclusively on tiny moth caterpillars? You can create a nature-based buffet for the birds and help keep bears away and safe just by adding certain native plants to your garden.
https://www.audubon.org/native-plants
jerichovt.org/backyard-habitat
Photos: Sabina Ernst
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Clean Water is Important for Climate Resilience
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkRead more about the role that clean water plays in building climate resilience in these fact sheets published by the VNRC.
Jericho, Vermont is part of the Lake Champlain Watershed: The Browns River feeds into the Lamoille River and the Mill Brook feeds into the Winooski River.
Click on each image to read the PDF.
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Great Backyard Bird Count 2023
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkHow to Participate
Participating is easy, fun to do alone or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds.
Step 1: Decide where you will watch birds.
Step 2: Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 17-20, 2023.
Step 3: Identify all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:
- If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to bird identification, try using the Merlin Bird ID app to tell us what birds you are seeing or hearing.
- If you have participated in the count before and want to record numbers of birds, try the eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list
If you already contribute to Merlin or eBird, continue what you are doing! All entries over the 4-days count towards GBBC.
Learn more at: BIRDCOUNT.ORG
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Upcoming Meetings
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December 20 2023
Conservation Commission Members
- Tom Baribault, Chair, term expires 2024
- Karina Dailey, term expires 2026
- Allaire Diamond, term expires 2024
- Sabina Ernst, term expires 2025
- Ann Kroll Lerner, term expires 2026
- Laura Vallett, term expires 2024
- Vacant, term expires 2025
Questions? Contact us
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Committee Chair
TBEmail CCchair@jerichovt.gov -
JA
Phone (802) 899-9970 x 109 Email jabbott@jerichovt.gov
Emerald Ash Borer Information
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Helpful Links
- Nature's Best Hope - Dr. Doug Tallamy (WEBINAR)
- Vermont Invasives
- Our Vermont Woods - Resources for Healthy Forests
- VT Fish & Wildlife- Vermont Bird Report
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for landowners throughout Vermont
- Vermont Woodlands Association
- Vermont Coverts - Woodlands for Wildlife
- Vermont P.L.A.C.E. Program - Town of Jericho