The Jericho Conservation Commission (JCC) has an advisory role to the Selectboard, DRB, PC and other town commissions on best practices for management of natural resources in Jericho, including the use of the Conservation Reserve Fund. 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 is also available for residential consultation on request. The JCC has membership in the Vermont Association of Conservation Commissions.
Meetings are held on the Third Wednesday of each month at 7:15 pm via Zoom.
Photo: Jericho Town Tree - An American Elm (Ulmus americana) on Rt. 15 near the town line with Essex.
The Jericho Conservation Commission (JCC) has an advisory role to the Selectboard, DRB, PC and other town commissions on best practices for management of natural resources in Jericho, including the use of the Conservation Reserve Fund. 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 is also available for residential consultation on request. The JCC has membership in the Vermont Association of Conservation Commissions.
Meetings are held on the Third Wednesday of each month at 7:15 pm via Zoom.
Help 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.
Read 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.
The Jericho Conservation Commission is beginning a project at the Town Green which will model the practices of allowing leaves to remain under trees from the trunk out to the dripline and combining that with some native plantings ("Soft Landings"). This will:
Protect the trunks of the trees
Prevent soil compaction around the trees
Provide natural mulch in the forms of leaves and other plants
Provide habitat for overwintering insects such as moth caterpillars and some types of bees
Stay tuned as this project progresses through 2023 and beyond.
One of three Sugar Maples in the project with a base layer of fallen leaves from the site
Join the Jericho Conservation Commission on Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 pm at the Community Center (Browns Trace) as we welcome local plant expert and nursery owner, Jane Sorenson. View the video of the presentation here: Pollinator Gardens Presentation link
She will give us professional tips on how we can use pollinator plants to improve the ecological function of our gardens. Learn which plants can be used to provide blooms throughout the growing season to support a wide range of native bees and other pollinators.
Jane Sorenson is a retired landscape architect. She gives presentations on Landscape Design for Pollinators around the region and also teaches a course at the University of Vermont. Her locally grown plants were featured in our recent pollinator plant sale to benefit the Community Center.
Join state small mammals biologist Alyssa Bennett from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department as she teaches us about the bats in your backyard, barn, and bat house.
Take a walk around the Green and nearby quiet streets as the sun goes down and bat activity starts up around dusk to learn about what bats live in Jericho and how you can manage your home, yard, fields, and forests to support these voracious insect eaters while avoiding any unwanted conflicts.
Providing there is good weather (no heavy rain, strong winds, or temperatures below 45 degrees), we will also be able to listen for bat activity and identify species flying in the air around us using specialized microphones and sonogram software. Dress for a walk on easy terrain and bring a headlamp for this family-friendly event.
