Conservation Commission

The tree is located on the Robert Strang property
on the Jericho/Essex town line, Vermont Route 15, and has remarkably survived the
ravages of both Dutch Elm Disease and the ubiquitous road salt to reach its current
youthful majestic height.

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.

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.

Current Webinars on Management of Invasive Plants

The 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
OLD GROWTH FORESTS: A VIRTUAL TOUR OF ANCIENT WOODLANDS

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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: h https://vlt.org/event/old-growth
A New Way to Treat Invasive Knotweed

Here 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.
Managing Knotweed with Hardware Cloth
Town-wide Read: Sand County Almanac

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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.
Film: Urban and Suburban Meadows

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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
National Moth Week - Moth Night

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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.