Current Projects
We center our work on four key initiatives: Loving our Forests and Farms; Expanding Recreation for All; Creating Healthy Habitats; and Creating Community Connections. To learn more about our priorities, read our 5-year strategic plan.
A Trail for Everyone: Enhancing Access at the Mill Trail
The Mill Trail is one of Stowe’s most valued public trails, offering access to scenic waterfalls, forested landscapes, and the historic Moravian Cabin.
In recent years, however, heavy rains, erosion, and aging culverts have made the Mill Trail a prime candidate for trail repairs. Instead of taking a simple maintenance approach, Stowe Land Trust is upgrading the main trail and the trail that leads to the property’s historic cabin into a universal access trail that can better accommodate families with young children and those that require canes, crutches, or a steadying hand.
This summer, we will make the remaining universal access upgrades to the Mill Trail main trail and cabin side trail, including new bridges with flush decking, re-graveled surfaces, and gentler trail grades. These upgrades do more than maintain a well-loved trail. They mean visitors won’t have to turn back early due to steep conditions, that grandparents can easily walk alongside their grandchildren, and parents can more easily push their strollers down the path.
Thanks to grants and generous community members, we have already secured $75,000, but we still have $25,000 to go. Will you help us complete these upgrades to ensure the Mill Trail remains accessible and resilient for generations to come?
Muddy Moose: A Conservation Trifecta
Muddy Moose in Morristown conserves land while supporting community – it protects an important low-lying forest, expands recreational opportunities, and converts eight cabins from short-term rentals to single-family homes for full-time residents. The property's established trail system, river frontage, and stunning gorge add a true gem to our region’s recreation economy. In partnership with Downstreet Housing & Community Development, the vacation rentals on the property will be converted into permanent homes for local residents.
The 150-acre forest will be protected under a permanent conservation easement to continue its essential work – providing flood resilience for downstream communities, filtering water, absorbing stormwater, and providing sanctuary for wildlife.
Connecting Shutesville & Protecting Wildlife
When traveling between Waterbury and Stowe, you may have noticed various wildlife crossing Route 100. This is not a coincidence. The Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor on the Waterbury-Stowe town line is the only viable connection between the Green Mountains and Worcester Range. With 50% of global species on the move to find suitable and cooler places to live, it is vital to protect intact forests within the corridor.
We are excited to announce our latest contribution to helping safeguard wildlife within the corridor: North Hill Forest! With support from The Nature Conservancy's Vermont Biodiversity Protection Fund and two generous neighboring landowners, we conserved an additional 74-acres that adds to the growing patchwork of already conserved land within the corridor. North Hill Forest also protects a bottleneck that wildlife must traverse to move between the two mountain ranges.
Land protection projects like North Hill Forest help keep the wildlife corridor open and safe by permanently protecting the highest priority parts of the corridor. This corridor is a valued part of the Stayed Connected Initiative, which involves an international partnership working to conserve land and protect wildlife.
All told, your previous support of land protection projects has conserved nearly 800 acres in Shutesville, tripling the amount of protected habitat in the corridor since 2018. Together, we are making progress!
Creating Space for Housing & Conservation to Co-Exist
Located along Stagecoach Road, Stagecoach Meadows features sweeping views of the Worcester Mountains and vast open meadows.
The landowners' vision to conserve the property was clear: to protect the wildlife, aesthetic, and ecological values of the property; to continue allowing farming in the meadows; and to maintain access for the Catamount and VAST trails that traverse the land. However, through conversations that brought Downstreet Housing & Community Development to the table, an even more ambitious solution emerged. The family decided to gift the entire property to Stowe Land Trust and allow Downstreet to replace the aging outbuildings with single-family homes for full-time residents.
As a result of this incredibly generous donation, families will be able to live in a home that allows them to step outside and immediately be surrounded by nature. With views of mountains from their windows and trails abutting their homes, families can enjoy all nature has to offer.
Stowe Land Trust will steward the 115 acres in perpetuity, safeguarding wildlife and ensuring public access. The result is a powerful legacy: one of the most beautiful properties along Stagecoach Road conserved forever, with thoughtful development that honors both affordability and the natural character of the land.