“We are lucky to live in this town with so much access to recreation,” said Michy Lemay. “It’s important to protect the reasons why Stowe is Stowe. Nature is everything to me. It’s the place I feel most at peace, at home, connected, whole, and alive. All day, every day, I just want to be out there.”
The Alpine Junior Program Director at Mt. Mansfield Academy and co-owner of Rugged Adventures Summer Camp, Michy has hiked, biked, and skied just about every trail in town. She’s pretty excited about the Adams Camp Connector.
First and foremost, says Michy, cyclists will have a safer, more enjoyable way to access trails in Adam's Camp.
“What I love is that there will be a way to get up into the woods from anywhere on the Rec Path without having to go on the road. Anytime you take cars out of the equation– especially with campers or athletes–it makes me feel better and it’s way more fun.”
The fact that people will, for the first time in Stowe’s history, be able to travel an uninterrupted trail network from Mt. Mansfield to Stowe Village is “just super cool,” said Michy.
“It’s expanding access and adventure. Isn’t that why most of us are here?”
What is the Adams Camp Connector?
The Adams Camp Connector is an 85-acre parcel connecting two large areas of previously conserved land: the Bouchard Farm and Adams Camp. Conservation of the land will protect important connections for recreationists and wildlife moving along the Little River to the eastern slopes of Mt. Mansfield.
While a new, multi-use trail connecting Mt. Mansfield to Stowe Village is the headline, recreation is not the sole benefit. The parcel is also considered critical to protecting an intact forested habitat, and is important for climate resilience and for wildlife (see sidebar).
Considered a “highest priority area” by Vermont Conservation Design, the parcel is one piece of a large, intact forest block identified as critical to the state’s overall ecological health. When we conserve highest priority lands like this, we add to a growing map of interconnected areas that uphold the ecological integrity of Vermont and protect its natural legacy.
For Michy, who joined the Stowe Land Trust Board in 2023, it’s about protecting the very attributes of Stowe that make it special. “For me, what it boils down to is that I absolutely love nature, and I absolutely love activity. I feel so grateful to live here and don’t want to ever take that for granted.”
How can you help?
Stowe Land Trust is responsible for securing $820,000 for the Adams Camp Connector project and stewardship endowment costs. And, we have to have funding in place by December 1, 2024.
Please join us in supporting this project! For more information and to make a donation, click here.