Farms to Fish – Restoring a Corn Field to a Floodplain Forest 

The department acquired the farm field along Rt 107 in Bethel in the 1960s in part to protect Parkers Hole for Atlantic Salmon returning to the White River Hatchery. The field remained in agriculture until 2015 when the department began efforts to restore the field to a floodplain forest, one of the rarest natural communities in Vermont.

The walk will highlight the steps the department and the White River Partnership have taken to restore the field including breaching a large berm along the White River, plugging a ditch to restore a wetland, and planting over 5,000 trees and shrubs including disease resistant American elms. Participants will be introduced to the values of floodplain forests for fish and wildlife, water quality and flood resilience.

This walk is appropriate for ages +5. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes as the walk will go off trail.

We will meet at Old Turnpike Road in Bethel | map