The West River Trail is delighted to announce the addition of two new picnic tables along the trail.
One is located on the deck of the I-91 bridge and the other is at the Rice Farm Rd Trailhead, down a little trail towards the river.
Thanks to RiseVT for funding the construction of the picnic tables with a RiseVT Amplify grant. RiseVT’s mission is to support outdoor physical activity and healthy lifestyles for families throughout the state.
The West River Trail relies solely on the generosity and help of volunteers and donations to make improvements and we have a team of folks to thank for making the picnic tables happen. Thanks to Jim Webster (pictured above) for building the tables, to Mark Anderson of Trevett Millworks for donating the white oak lumber, to Jesse Wagner for making the connection for the donation of the lumber, to Jesse and Mark Westa for picking up and delivering the lumber to Jim, and to Jason Cooper (pictured above) for help with delivery and installation.
Check out the beautiful new picnic tables the next time you are out on the trail. Happy Spring!
The reports from earlier this year are in, and all across the state, the number of people using Vermont’s hiking trails was way up.
Whether it was the Long Trail, Vermont’s State Parks, or developed trails in our towns and cities, people flocked to the outdoors during the early months of the pandemic.
“There’s a certain peace that I feel walking along this river. Nothing like walking near water, or being near water that soothes the soul, so to speak. It’s consoling during this time of great anxiety and isolation.” – Robert Peeples, Brattleboro resident
The West River Trail has a beautiful new sign at the Rice Farm Road trailhead.
Gratitude and huge thanks go out to Jason Cooper, Mark Westa, Steve Shriner, Malcolm Moore, and Howard Printing.
* Jason Cooper and Mark Westa put the posts in the ground last fall. * Steve Shriner crafted and painted the signs. * Malcolm Moore and Steve Shriner attached the signs to the posts. * Howard Printing, enlarged and printed the map for half the cost, as a donation-in-kind.
Stop by to check out the new sign and enjoy an early spring walk on the trail!
Please consider supporting the West River Trail on Giving Tuesday and in your end of year giving. With your support, we can continue to maintain and enhance the Trail for our local and visitor community.
People make trails. Take a walk down the West River Trail and you will see a cross section of our community. Couples strolling hand in hand, kids on their first bike ride, runners preparing for their first marathon, and awestruck out-of-state visitors getting a closeup view of the I-91 bridge. The West River Trail continues to flourish and has become a local destination.
The support of the trail has come about in large part because of the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers. The Friends of the West River Trail ensures that the trail is maintained by trimming and repairing the trailbed, contracting for invasives control, and providing signage and maps to spread the word about this important community asset. We work to grow the trail, with possible land acquisitions and extensions of the trail.
With your support, we look to continue this work in several ways over the coming year:
Ongoing improvement of the West River trail. Over the coming year this will include the new sign on Rice Farm Road, benches, picnic tables and interpretive signs in the Riverstone Preserve. We also will continue our efforts at invasives control and drainage improvement.
Partner with other trail networks with the goal of providing continuous trail access throughout Brattleboro. We have worked over the past year on a vision for connected trail networks. We strive to work with other trail organizations to create a trail network to provide not only recreational opportunities, but realistic modes of transportation to help our region lessen its dependence on automobiles, reducing contributions to climate change. A network of safe, functional, connected pathways is key to this vision.
Continuation of the trail from the West River south to the unused rail bridge crossing the Connecticut river just south of downtown. We are now working to understand the various rights of way needed and any legal obstacles to making this a reality.
We would appreciate your support of these efforts though a year end gift. Click on the link to donate online or mail a donation to: West River Trail, Lower Section, 138 Elliot St, Suite 3, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301.
Best wishes from the Trail, with thanks for considering a gift to the West River Trail.
FRIENDS OF THE WEST RIVER TRAIL
Lower Section steering committee: Lester Humphreys (chair) Jason Cooper Wendy Ferris Matt Mann Malcolm Moore Steve Shriner Jesse Wagner Mark Westa Kathleen White Alex Wilson
Fundraising committee: Orly Munzing Brett Morrison Marcia Steckler Tom Yahn
Join paddlers of all skill levels at the Annual Brattle Paddle! Racers can register on race day. Spectators are encouraged to watch from their own paddlecrafts on the river and along the shoreline and on bridges along the route. The more the merrier!
The Brattle Paddle Sunday June 30, 2019 Registration: 8:30 am – 10 am Race starts: 10:30 am Entry fee: $25.00 Racing distance: 9 miles Recreational distance: 5 miles Separate starts for different classes Awards will be presented following the races
A light lunch will be provided under the party tent for all registered participants by The Marina On the Water.
Directions from North or South I-91 to Exit 3, South on Route 5 to The Marina On the Water (located right before the bridge where the West and Connecticut rivers meet)
For more information Contact: Sandy Harris at 603-363-4868 or racemonkey14@myfairpoint.net Click through to read more about the Brattle Paddle on Upcountry Magazine.
Pictured are Malcolm Moore and Jim Webster, clearing a fallen tree on the Riverstone Preserve trail. Photo by Alex Wilson.
Recent maintenance work on the West River Trail tackled clogged drainage ditches and fallen trees. Trail workers cleared drainage areas and chainsawed downed logs. A huge thanks to trail volunteers for their hard work!
Dan Healey of Long View Forest and Jackie Comeau of Vt Fish & Wildlife survey invasive treatment results on the Riverstone Preserve.
Don’t be concerned about all the dead plant material you are seeing from the trail along the Riverstone Preserve area! This past Tuesday morning, lower section steering committee members Kathleen, Alex and Malcolm, had a tour of the results of the invasive plant treatments that were done on the Riverstone Preserve last fall, with Dan Healey of Long View Forest (who directed the treatment) and Jackie Comeau from the VT Dept of Fish & Wildlife (who monitors the work for the EQIP grant funds from the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) . In order to receive grant funds to pay for follow up treatments, at least 90% of the invasive species that were treated last fall had to have been eradicated. As the photo illustrates, the effect on invasive plants was dramatic. Long View Forest will do a follow up treatment on the japanese knotweed and black swallow wort later this summer, and a third treatment in 2020. After that, volunteers will be needed to keep these plants (that will inevitably make a come back) at a manageable level. Along with the knotweed and black swallow wort, asiatic bittersweet, honeysuckle, multiflora rose, barberry and buckthorn were treated. It was lovely to see lots of ferns and other native plants springing up around the treated invasive plants–evidence of the effectiveness of the targeted treatment. For more information about this project, you can email lowersection@wrt.org.
The Brattleboro Food Co-op’s Bag a Bean program is a convenient way for shoppers to donate money to local organizations. Many thanks to the Co-op for featuring The West River Trail in April. If you shop at the Brattleboro Food Co-op this month, please consider donating your beans to the West River Trail. Each Fava bean is worth 5¢ each, and helps support improvements to the West River Trail.
How does it work? For every reusable bag or container you use during your shopping trip, we will provide you with a Fava bean at the register. These Fava beans are worth 5¢ each when donated to one of the three local non-profits displayed at our exit. Each month there are three different organizations to choose from (organizations are featured on a rotating basis).
Visit or Contact: Brattleboro Food Coop 2 Main Street Brattleboro, VT 05301 Hours: Monday – Saturday: 7am-9pm, Sunday: 9am-9pm
THE WEST RIVER TRAIL 