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Invest in the Trail: Matching Grant & New Pathway Campaign Launches!

West River Trail Autumn

We have an unprecedented opportunity to advance the mission of the Friends of the West River Trail (FWRT) on both ends of our beloved corridor. The Upper Section is leveraging a $10,000 matching grant to eliminate property debt and unlock future improvements, while the Lower Section is launching the ambitious campaign to create the new Fort Hill Trail Extension. Your support today will ensure we move from maintaining the past to building the future.

Since 1992, the long-term goal of the Friends of the West River Trail (FWRT) has been to establish a seamless, scenic corridor through the West River Valley, securing as much of the historic West River Railroad bed as possible to ultimately link towns from Brattleboro to South Londonderry; this vision is realized through the focused efforts of two groups: the Upper Section, which maintains and enhances trails on public lands in Londonderry, Jamaica, and Townshend, and the Lower Section, which concentrates on expansion efforts in the south, from Brattleboro into Dummerston.

Upper Section: $10,000 Matching Grant to Eliminate Debt: Letter from Greg Meulemans, President, Friends of the West River Trail

We have very exciting news to share. The FWRT has been offered a special, one-time opportunity to eliminate the debt incurred by our acquisition of the Derby property adjacent to the South Londonderry West River trailhead. A generous donor has offered a matching grant of up to $10,000 to help us shed this burden. Eliminating this debt will immediately enhance our ability to improve both the Trail and the Depot and to expand our educational and entertainment programs. Note the word “matching”, every dollar you donate is doubled!

As a user of this well-loved community resource, we are asking for your help to eliminate this debt so we can focus entirely on the trail. The Friends chose to acquire this property to protect access to the trailhead and to permit the potential future improvements of increased parking and the installation of an information kiosk. These enhancements have been delayed while we amortize the purchase cost.

Our normal operating income currently only covers our basic operating expenses, including those debt payments, leaving little room for the crucial improvements we want to make and leading to deferred maintenance of the Depot.

We know you believe in our organization’s mission. We hope we can count on you to be generous and not let this unique opportunity slip away.

Please help us realize this one-time opportunity for the Upper Section of the West River Trail. Thank you for your interest and consideration! 

While the Upper Section focuses on unlocking existing infrastructure, the Lower Section is focused on an exciting new expansion.

Lower Section: Building the Fort Hill Trail Extension: Letter from Friends of the West River Trail, Lower Section Steering Committee

The Lower Section has had an active year, significantly improving the West River Trail by installing new culverts, clearing ditches, and enhancing accessibility, all thanks to your ongoing support!

Now, we’re looking to the future with an exciting vision: the creation of the new Fort Hill Trail Extension in Brattleboro. This ambitious project will extend from Bridge Street to the abandoned Fort Hill Railroad Bridge, securing key easements and rights-of-way.

Imagine a pedestrian and bicycle path offering stunning river views and directly connecting Brattleboro to over 80 miles of existing rail-trails in New Hampshire!

We are committed to building this pathway without direct town funding, but realizing this vision, including necessary infrastructure separation, requires significant capital.

Our Goal: The estimated capital required for the Fort Hill Trail Extension is at least several hundred thousand dollars.

Please consider an early donation today to help us make the Fort Hill Trail Extension a reality! Your generosity is also vital for the ongoing, critical maintenance of the existing West River Trail.

Support the FWRT Today

As the year comes to a close, we sincerely hope you will consider including the West River Trail in your year-end charitable giving plans, if you are able. The West River Trail is a vital place of community, happiness, and outdoor recreational opportunity.

As an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your contribution is fully tax-deductible. Click here to donate.

To double your impact for the Upper Section. Click on Make a Donation for the Upper Section. Donations can also be made out to Friends of the West River Trail, Upper Section, and mailed to P.O. Box 2086, South Londonderry, VT 05155.

To help fund the new Pathway for the Lower Section and to support the ongoing, critical maintenance of the existing West River Trail, click on Make a Donation for the Lower Section.

Thank you for your generosity!

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Vermont through the eyes of Hollywood

The Vermont Historical Society’s Amanda Gustin will present “Vermont vs Hollywood, 100 Years of Vermont in Film”.

The event will be held on Sunday, Dec.10 at 1:30 p.m. at the South Londonderry Depot, located on West River Street at the intersection with Route 100, immediately south of the West River Bridge.

“Vermont versus Hollywood: 100 Years of Vermont in Film” is a Vermont Humanities Council program hosted by Weston Historical Society and co-hosted by the Friends of the West River Trail and the Londonderry Arts & Historical Society.

Vermont has been a featured location in Hollywood movies for nearly a century. It has represented many different ideals during that time, and its portrayal reflects both Vermont’s own history, as well as that of America.

The talk is free, open to the public, and accessible to those with disabilities. For more information, contact Bob Brandt at rbrandt840@aol.com.

Image from the film “Way Down East” courtesy of the Brandon Reporter.

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Vermont Winter Trails

The West River Trail was recently featured in an article on little-known Vermont winter trails. 

Here’s an excerpt:

For a small state, Vermont is big on trails. Fortunately, access to Vermont winter trails can happen without going to a ski resort or traversing the backcountry. The Green Mountain State is home to a variety of smaller Vermont winter trails and trail networks offering snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

The 36-mile West River Trail includes an Upper Section in Londonderry, Jamaica, and Townshend and a Lower Section in Brattleboro and Dummerston. Most of the trail system is not groomed for skiing. However, the Army Corps of Engineers grooms in the Winhall Campground and along a few miles in the Upper Section.

Upper Section access points include the Winhall Campground and the trail head at the end of West River Street in South Londonderry. Lower Section parking and access is at the Marina Trailhead or Rice Farm Road in Dummerston.

Click through to read the full article here. Thanks to Erica Houskeeper at Happy Vermont for the feature!

Happy Winter!

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West River Trail Winter Pop-up Market

The Winter Market in South Londonderry is back. Come to the Historic Depot Station (off Route 100) on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for hot food and locally-made crafts.

This community-led market is sponsored by the Friends of the West River Trail and will be open at the same time every Saturday until Dec. 17, featuring different vendors each weekend.

For more information contact Kyle Cohen at klc0319@gmail.com.

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Office Space Available in Historic South Londonderry Depot

Looking for office space in the Southern Vermont area?

Conveniently located along VT Route 100 within renovated historic structure owned by non-profit organization.

Offering +/-350 sq ft space with private entry, open reception area and enclosed office space, as well as shared use of kitchen-ette, restroom and parking.

Lease to include utilities, snow removal, and potential for periodic access to +/-560 sq ft meeting space.

Seeking compatible, respectful tenant for immediate occupancy. For more information, please send email to gunyb@yahoo.com

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West River Trail Featured in The Manchester Journal

Photo courtesy of Kris Radder, Brattleboro Reformer via the Manchester Journal.

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
– Rachel Carson

For those seeking “social distancing” the way that Henry David Thoreau described it — a silent communion with the woods — Southern Vermont offers many places for a walk, a ramble or a hike.

The West River Trail was featured in a recent Manchester Journal article by Greg Sukiennik, about places to find quiet, natural beauty in Southern Vermont. Read the Full article in the Manchester Journal. Photo courtesy of Kris Radder, Brattleboro Reformer via the Manchester Journal.

The West River Trail: The former railbed of the misbegotten West River Railroad is currently split into two trail sections, with future plans to connect them into a single 36-mile trail. The lower section stretches from The Marina in Brattleboro to the old quarry on Rice Farm Rd in Dummerston. The upper section stretches from the former South Londonderry train depot to Townshend Dam, with several parking lots along the way, and is home to the annual West River Trail Run, scheduled for June.

Enjoy the trail! Be safe, be well, and embrace nature and the outdoors.

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The 7th Annual West River Trail Run

Join The Collaborative Saturday, June 1, 2019 for a beautiful run from South Londonderry, Vt. to Jamaica State Park. The route is 11 miles of fun and exciting terrain along the West River. We encourage all outdoor enthusiasts to participate individually or as a three-person relay team. There is also a 5K Fun Run with discounted registration for youth participants. All proceeds go to The Collaborative, a nonprofit providing healthy choices and activities for youth in the southern Vermont communities. For more information, call the office at 802-824-4200. For more information go to http://www.thecollaborative.us/westrivertrailrun.

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Green Mountain Club Hike

West River Trail

LONDONDERRY — Join the Green Mountain Club and explore the West River Trail on Saturday, Feb.16, 2019. Participants are meeting 1 p.m. in the old railroad depot building at the corner of Rt 100 and West River Street in South Londonderry, then carpooling to the trail head. Depending on snow cover, snowshoe or hike with traction on the level railroad bed of the old West River Railroad on this northernmost part of the West River Trail. This is an easy, beginner hike. RSVP to Dale Malekoff at 802-824-5030 or dmalekoff@myfairpoint.net.

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39 Steps at the South Londonderry Depot

The_39_Steps_1935_British_posterOn Tuesday, May 15, at 7 pm, the Friends of the West River Trail will present “The 39 Steps” a Hitchcock classic at the South Londonderry Depot.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and light refreshments will be served.
South Londonderry Depot, 34 River St., South Londonderry, VT.

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Connecting Communities: The West River Trail is Expanding  

wrt spring 2013 elin waagen 4Connecting Communities: The West River Trail is Expanding: Friends of the West River Trail and The Nature Conservancy Collaborate to Grow Public Access.

The Friends of the West River Trail Inc. (FWRT) recently secured 13.7 acres of woodland in South Londonderry, Vermont, achieving strategic goals related to enhancing and expanding the existing West River Trail (WRT) – an off-road path that is popular year-round with locals and visitors of all ages and abilities.

Overall, this opportunity brings the FWRT that much closer to realizing its founding vision of completing a 36-mile scenic, multi-modal trail linking the West River Valley towns of Brattleboro, Dummerston, Newfane, Townshend, Jamaica, and South Londonderry , once connected by the West River Railroad which ran from 1880 to the1930s.

For the past 25 years, FWRT has been working in partnership with state and federal organizations including Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation, US Army Corps of Engineers, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, Vermont Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy, as well as private landowners, to reclaim and reconnect remnants of the original railroad bed and adjacent lands for year-round recreational use and multiple resource values.

By acquiring this particular privately owned parcel, public access to what is known as the ‘Upper Section’ of the WRT (South Londonderry to Townshend Lake ) can be improved for an even better user-experience, says Greg Meulemans, current FWRT Board President.

“We are thrilled to finally secure this piece of property for all to use in the future. With ambitious fundraising to complete the transaction, clean up the remains of an old junkyard and redevelop this parcel, FWRT can move forward to preserve the very popular northern access point to the 16-mile section of the trail. Our plan is to enhance the access to the trail and the surrounding area by creating designated parking, building an informational kiosk and developing an expanded trail network.”

The FWRT concept of “an expanded trail network” is further supported by a concurrent neighboring land transaction by which The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired and permanently protected 102 acres adjacent to the Winhall Brook Natural Area, already owned by the Conservancy. The collective conservation of these parcels will help safeguard the West River itself and the freshwater species that rely on it for habitat, such as American shad, American eel, brook trout, and state-threatened freshwater mussels.

“This project is a great example of protecting a stage for biodiversity while also increasing public access to a community trail that helps connect people with nature. It’s a win-win to work with great local conservation partners like Friends of the West River,” said Jon Binhammer, Director of Land Protection for The Nature Conservancy.

To donate online to the West River Trail Upper Section (credit card or PayPal), please click on the WRT DONATE page. Or, mail your gift to West River Trail (Upper Section), P.O. Box 2086, S. Londonderry, Vermont 05155

Posted on behalf of:

Greg Meulemans, The Friends of the West River Trail, 802-366-0689
Eve Frankel, The Nature Conservancy, 802.595.5000

Friends of the West River Trail
Organized in 1992, the Friends of the West River Trail Inc. (FWRT) is a 501c3 non-profit organization working to: develop and maintain a publicly accessible system of paths along the West River corridor for educational, recreational and alternative transportation purposes; promote public awareness and enjoyment of the recreational path system and of the history, geology and biota of the West River valley; and coordinate local, state and federal interests in planning, funding, construction, management and use of the trail system. Please visit: www.westrivertrail.org for trail maps, volunteer opportunities and current information.

The Nature Conservancy in Vermont is a leader in safeguarding the natural resources of the Green Mountain State. We have helped conserve over 300,000 acres of land, 1,200 miles of shoreline, and we manage and maintain 55 natural areas that are open for hiking, fishing, snowshoeing and hunting. The Vermont chapter is proud to be connecting land, water, and wildlife for over 50 years. To learn more and support our important work, please visit: www.nature.org/vermont.