Voices from the Trail
Category: Stewardship
Help us remove Missisquoi River dam remains
In 2006 the Northern Forest Canoe Trail received a photo from a paddler showing his kayak wedged against a remnant dam wall in the Missisquoi River in East Highgate, Vermont. The paddler had become pinned against the wall and then…
River Overlook Project Creates Community Participation in Richford, Vermont
By Walter Opuszynski Trail Director This year, the town of Richford, Vermont has the potential to see multiple recreation-based projects come to fruition after countless hours of community effort. The Northern Forest Canoe Trail has been proud to…
Thankful for Our Summer Interns
Interns are ubiquitous in the non-profit realm. Northern Forest Canoe Trail interns tend to be college-aged, excited to spend a summer outside, and are impressively willing to work hard for the experience and a small weekly stipend. This Thanksgiving we…
Trail Materials: Can We Get More Local?
By: Jack Powell, NFCT Regional Field Coordinator Using durable material is essential to building lasting trail infrastructure. It can be the difference between many years of quality user-friendly recreation versus a too-soon needed replacement. White cedar in particular is a…
Waterway Work Trip at Treadwell Mills Dam
By Megan Connolly, NFCT Stewardship Intern The Fourth of July weekend marked the first Northern Forest Canoe Trail Waterway Work Trip of the year. Interns and a group of dedicated volunteers gathered on the Saranac River in West Plattsburgh, New York…
Preparing Interns for a Stewardship Season
By: Matt Gerjol, NFCT Stewardship Intern The following describes the first three weeks of training typically experienced by Northern Forest Canoe Trail stewardship interns. 6:00 am wake up. June 8, 2015 was a rainy Monday morning. I was sleeping in…
The Saranac River: New Campsite, Safer Portage
By Trail Director, Walter Opuszynski There are 42 dams along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Treadwell Mills Dam on the Saranac River is owned and operated by Enel Green Power North America (EGP-NA). Thanks to their generosity, the combination of…
This Summer Be a Part of Something BIG! Join a Northern Forest Canoe Trail Waterway Work Trip
It’s the Northern Forest Canoe Trail’s 15th anniversary! Thanks to our maturing trail stewardship program, we have more volunteer service trips to choose from this year than ever before. If you want to get away for a weekend, get your…
Concentrated Effort at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge
By Walter Opuszynski, NFCT Trail Director This year we had a river-wide focus on Vermont’s Missisquoi River. When I think about this river I picture farm fields, fun and challenging rapids, and the Bird’s Foot Delta. The delta and surrounding…
A Full River Concept of Stewardship
By Walter Opuszynski, NFCT Trail Director This year with support from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, REI, LL Bean, American Canoe Association and New Hampshire Recreation Trails Program, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail was able to change…