Outdoors & Environment

Whether you are new to gardening or have been growing your own vegetables for years, you probably understand the importance of getting your soil tested for nutrient levels and soil pH.

I am standing in the Winooski River just a couple of miles upstream from the town of Jonesville off River Road. I’m not giving any secret spot away if I tell you that it’s just upstream from the railroad trestle. Everyone knows about this spot.

Whether you are new to gardening, or have been growing your own vegetables for years, you probably understand the importance of getting your soil tested for nutrient levels and soil pH.

The past year has been crazy with storms. After having floods, early freezes and every kind of storm you can imagine, we experienced a geomagnetic storm this past weekend.

I’m guessing you’ve noticed that our weather is different from decades past. Last summer? Horrors. This winter?

Are you looking for a fun gardening project to do with your children? Showing them how to grow flowers to make dyes will prove to be a fun and memorable experience this summer, giving them a sense of accomplishment while fostering in them an appreciation for land and nature.

It’s that time of year again. Sunny yellow blossoms pop up all over the landscape, bringing smiles to children’s faces — and frowns to those who favor manicured lawns.

Flowering crabapples in full bloom are one of the major signs that spring has arrived, and that summer is not too far behind.

Lush green fields and rolling farmlands frame the drive into Hinesburg on Route 116, which was strangely devoid of Green Up Dayers on an overcast but temperate morning last Saturday. 

When Peter Stickney walks along his cow paddocks in the morning, he notes the scattered patches of greener grass across the pasture. He knows what this means: It’s where his cows have peed.

Several dogs have recently been attacked around Thompson’s Point Road. Coyotes are thought to be the culprits.

One of the great joys of being a forester is developing a deep and complex relationship with the vital and beautiful biotic communities that we call “forests.”

Your home landscape can be an amazing opportunity to collaborate with nature. With thoughtful plant choices, you can invite more biodiversity into your yard.

The emerald ash borer is no stranger to Vermont, having first been reported in 2018 in northern Orange County. Since then, it has been confirmed in every county in the state except Essex County.

If you have a background in working with trees and arborist’s ardor, the Charlotte Selectboard wants to talk to you.

Even us whacky ice fishermen, who love the cold barren environment on the frozen lake, share a certain affinity for the second Saturday in April.

We can put the ways that forests benefit our lives and our quality of life into three general categories: ecological, economic and cultural.