COLCHESTER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont’s St. Michael’s College is preserving some of its 350 acres along the Winooski River near the school’s Colchester campus.
Biology Professor Declan McCabe tells the Burlington Free Press the four-mile network of trails on the entire parcel will remain open to the public and the area is likely to attract even more wildlife than is already there.
McCabe says more than 165 species of bird have been identified in the area.
About 160 acres of the parcel located across Vermont Route 15 from the campus have been permanently protected through a conservation easement.
Much of the land along the river that straddles Colchester and Essex was farmed until 2018. The farming left a legacy of an overabundance of phosphorus fertilizer typically used to boost crop yields.
The college worked with the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service to protect the land.
The agreement outlines how the college can best maintain a diversity of native plants and animals in the area while protecting the river’s banks from erosion.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.