Archive for category: UVLT Conserved Lands

March is Women’s History Month — and at UVLT, that means it’s time to recognize the many women in conservation who have helped preserve and share the wild spaces in our community. The Upper Valley has been home to a number of remarkable women conservationists — but Miriam Jarvis Johnson Carreker stands out for her bravery, adventuresome spirit, and vision. This week, we’re highlighting Linny Levin, a remarkable teacher and naturalist who introduced countless Upper Valley children to the magic of the outdoors — and who we remember through the Linny Levin Trail in Thetford’s Zebedee Wetland. 

When Lynn Freeman and Peter Martin bought their Plainfield property in 1988, their neighbors were eager to advocate for its conservation because it sits in one of the region’s largest areas of unbroken forest. There are numerous streams, wetlands, and vernal pools -- all important resources for amphibians and other wildlife. Red oak, white pine, hemlock and maple grow on high, gentle slopes far from roads and other intrusions. And now, 35 years later, they have donated a conservation easement protecting over 380 acres, fulfilling the hopes of local conservationists and their own commitment to the health of their land and the planet.

One of UVLT’s most complex conservation transactions is also one of our earliest – a project that brought together farmland conservation and affordable housing development. The Farrell Farm project, begun in 1988, involved the purchase of conservation easements and land, innovative financing including a grant and loan from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, subdivisions, Vermont Act 250 permits, and strong leadership and vision from Norwich residents. In the middle of all of this was Lois McGean, then chair of the Norwich Conservation Commission.