The Connecticut River Birding Trail

Goose Over Stinson Lake

46 special places in the Upper Connecticut River Valley, exemplifying a wide variety of habitats and wildlife have been linked together under the rubric of the Connecticut River Birding Trail.

Love in a Larch Wallow

The trail extends from Woodsville, NH to Rockingham, VT and includes sites east and west in the Connecticut River’s watershed. According to Project coordinator Bill Shepard, "We are currently working to map the entire watershed from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound where we would link up to the developing Connecticut Coastal Birding Trail. These forests, fields, wetlands, rivers, shorelines, edges, and cliffs are rich and alive with the beauty of bird song and activity. They beckon for our involvement. They beckon for our concern, for our stewardship, our leadership, and for the difference that we can make for their preservation and their future."

A map has been created by the project and is available from local area town offices, town libraries, farmstands, and Connecticut River Byway Centers. Or you can Bill Shepard at the address below.

Painted Sky Over Jericho Lake

Connecticut River Birding Trail

New Hampshire Sites	Vermont Sites
Bedell Bridge State Park Haverhill	The Boltonville Nature Trail Newbury (Wells River)
Mt. Moosilauke Benton, Warren, Woodstock	Bailey’s Eddy Newbury
Mt. Cube Orford	Palisades Cliff Fairlee
Reed’s Marsh WMA Orford	Lakes Fairlee and Morey Fairlee, W. Fairlee & Thetford
The Pinnacle Lyme	Houghton Hill View Hike Thetford
Chaffee Wildlife Management Area Lyme	Thetford Hill State Park Thetford
Hewes Brook Wetland along the Appalachian Trail Lyme	“The Mystery Trail” at the Union Village Dam Thetford
Wilder Waterfowl Management Area Lyme	Ompompanoosuc River Mudflats Norwich
Huntington Hill Farm Wildlife Habitat Mgt. Area Hanover	Gile Mountain Tower Trail Norwich
Balch Hill Hanover	Montshire Museum Norwich
Mink Brook Nature Preserve Hanover	Ballard Trail and the Grand Canyon Norwich
Mink Brook Natural Area (east and west) Hanover	The Hazen Trail Hartford and Norwich
Goodwin Park Lebanon	Hurricane Forest and Wildlife Refuge Park Hartford
Boston Lot Lake Lebanon	North Hartland Dam and Lake Hartland and Hartford
Northern Rail Trail Lebanon to Grafton	Dewey’s Mills Pond Hartford
Enfield Wildlife Management Area - Shaker Village Enfield	Quechee Gorge State Park & Quechee Gorge Hartford
Enfield Wildlife Management Area - Cole Pond Enfield	Vermont Institute of Natural Science Woodstock
McDaniel’s Marsh Grafton and Springfield	Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park Woodstock
Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary Meriden (Plainfield)	Ascutney State Park Windsor
Grafton Pond Grafton	Lake Runnemede and Paradise Park Windsor
French’s Ledges Plainfield	North Springfield Lake Springfield & Weathersfield
Cardigan Mountain State Forest Orange	Herrick’s Cove Rockingham
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site Cornish	Putney Mountain Hawk Watch Site Putney
John Hay National Wildlife Refuge at “The Fells” Newbury

for maps, comments, and to volunteer
Bill Shepard
Project Coordinator
104 Railroad Row
White River Jct.,VT 05001
(802) 291-9100 x 107
Email: birdvermont@valley.net

Snowy Egret in an Everglades Swamp

Balch Hill Natural Area

Passing the Torch at Dartmouth Pow Wow

Managed by the Hanover Conservation Council, The Balch Hill Natural Area has varied types of vegetation including open grass, shrub edge, apple trees, pines, hardwoods and hemlocks. The summit has views of Moose Mountain, Mount Ascutney and Gile Mountain. It is reputed to be an excellent spot for bird watching and is in the region of the unique Connecticut River Birding Trail. Six different trails will take you to the summit. Parking is available at the corner of Grasse Rd. and Trescott Road. The night view from the parking area is said to be spectacular as well.

The HCC has developed a management plan for the area to provide guidance for stewardship of this beautiful natural area. Central to its mission is the preservation of the pasture and vistas at the top of Balch Hill; the provision and maintenance of foot trails; the conservation of native plants and animal diversity and the protection of wildlife habitat.

The Management Plan has information on geology, soils, vegetation, wildlife. Management policies regarding viewshed, vegetation, wildlife, trail construction and education are included. A copy of the Management Plan in available at the Council office, Town of Hanover, Dartmouth College Real Estate office, Howe Library and the Upper Valley Land Trust.

The Whisper of Winter Wood (Redux) Haiku

Mixed media image hand-painted monochrome with Haiku. This image is part of a developing series on climate change.

This image can be purchased in the following forms: 

A signed limited edition original with a certificate of authenticity. Edition of 25 prints on fine art rag paper with archival inks $495, Click here.

Open Edition print 12"x14 $20.00 Click here

Open Edition print 12"x14 $20.00 

Open Edition print 20"x23" $48.34 Click here

23" x 26" Poster  $34.34 click here

By Way of the Connecticut River Scenic Byway

By Theresa Ludwick

Geography and Geology made the Connecticut River. History made the villages and towns that grew up along its rolling course. Like the river itself, a drive along the Connecticut River Scenic Byway will put you in a meandering mood as you leave the present (and its hassles) and enter a past filled with the quaintness of pristine farmlands and time-stands-still village

squares.

A River Runs Between Them

Starting near Canada, New England’s longest river forms a natural north-south border between the states of New Hampshire and Vermont for much of its 410 miles, before traveling through Massachusetts and its namesake state on its rendezvous with the Atlantic Ocean. The river’s vibrant life-force began drawing European settlers over 250 years ago to the rich soil that edged its banks, giving rise to an agricultural tradition that many of their descendants carry on to this day.

With the escalating growth of farming and animal husbandry – sheep wool became a major commodity early on – supporting industries sprouted to keep up with growing demands in and beyond the Connecticut River Valley. Textile mills and manufacturing companies ensured an ever-increasing economical stability. These stalwarts of commerce still stand in many of the river communities, though their functions have changed: museums, office buildings, malls, even restaurants, the architecture paying homage to an era in which the Connecticut River was an integral part.

One of the outstanding features of the Connecticut River Byway communities is the historical covered bridges that span the river and its tributaries along its course. From Creamery Bridge in Brattleboro, Vermont, to Mechanic Street Bridge in Lancaster, New Hampshire, the artful combination of function and symmetry reflects the skill and devotion of their original architects.

The Current Of Time

With the advent of the steam engine, Connecticut River Valley technology leaped into the future. Railroad transportation replaced the relatively slower, more arduous river and road conveyance of both goods and people. This allowed for quicker transport of farm produce and raw materials, and the birth of a new industry that has not abated: tourism.
In support of this, the Connecticut River Byway Council was formed in1999 to promote the Connecticut River Valley’s rich historical, agricultural, and recreational resources. Combining a conglomerate of interests in both New Hampshire and Vermont, the Council strives also to maintain wise stewardship of resources and to cultivate support through education and various related initiatives and programs.

As a historical treasure trove, the Byway is indispensable, providing visitors to the valley with an abundance of insight into the culture of early Americana. Landmarks, buildings, architecture, and museums chronicle the fact that history happened here, and in a big way. Agricultural fairs have long been a binding force among the communities, and are still a source of pride and cultural significance where the past blends with the present, demonstrating the best of both.

So, it’s not just about the past! The present is filled with opportunities to sample a natural realm of rugged mountains, waterways, and forests that time and the valley’s unavoidable development could not alter. State parks abound. Camping, biking, hiking, kayaking, skiing: all manner of recreational possibilities invite year-round, and for pilgrims seeking spiritual refuge from the white-heat world, there’s no better sanctuary than the Connecticut Valley’s wilderness, where the Great North Woods enclose you like a mother’s warm and comforting womb. Numerous trails accommodate the quiet seeker and the challenge-seeking adventurer, including the venerable Appalachian Trail, which traverses the two states for a total of 311 miles. As well, the varied character of the river itself provides the opportunity for leisurely canoeing or fast and furious kayaking, and some of the region’s best fishing occurs along its moving mass.

The present also offers the treat of enjoying the bounty of the land as locals vend everything from homegrown maple syrup, honey, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables, to artistically and traditionally crafted wood and wool products. After biting into a crisp, freshly picked Cortland or Macintosh apple (Is your mouth watering yet?), you’ll never want another store bought imitation.

Flowing Toward the Future

The individual municipalities that make up the Connecticut River Byway community – villages like Bellows Falls in Vermont, or New Hampshire’s Colebrook – each contribute to the whole in their own unique ways. Take Bellows Falls: once a leader in the papermaking industry, and home to the country’s first canal, built in 1802. Colebrook, on the other hand, had the distinction of being the “potato capital” of the state, thanks to its fertile farm soil. Tucked into the northern, forested reaches of the state, its section of the river was the site of many a log drive (and jam) in the heyday of the New Hampshire logging industry.

Blessed by a prosperous past, the communities of the Byway press on toward the future, welcoming travelers like old friends. Indeed, some have come to visit, and stayed, captured and liberated at the same time by their small-town, homespun essence, their natural beauty, and their connection to the river. Like an umbilical cord that sustains and nourishes the child, the American Heritage-designated Connecticut River faithfully supported the early New England Byway communities as they grew and thrived. Though the people, the times, and the definition of progress have changed, the river still runs.

(For more information on the Connecticut River Scenic Byway, lodging, activities, and just about anything you want to know, visit www.ctrivertravel.net)