Recreate Responsibly: Plan ahead, Be Safe, and Have Fun!
October 14, 2021 by ELISABETH FENN, CONSERVATION PROGRAM MANAGER, STOWE LAND TRUST
Vermonters and visitors alike find comfort and escape in the outdoors. Getting outside is so important to our mental and physical wellbeing, and we want everyone to feel like they have a place on our trails. While visiting Stowe, help us make the experience of being in nature positive and inclusive of everyone with these guidelines repurposed from #RecreateResponsibly.
- Know before you go. Look online and at trailhead kiosks for maps, details on closures or restrictions, and permitted trail uses. Stowe Land Trust is our local land conservation organization. Stowe Trails Partnership manages the mountain bike trails in town.
- Plan and prepare. Visit properties at off-peak times. Mornings, evenings, and weekdays tend to be less busy. Pick a different hike for the day if you arrive to a full parking lot. Take care not to block driveways and be thoughtful about how much noise your music or voices make when entering or exiting a trailhead.
- Build an inclusive outdoors. Say hello! Be an active part of making the outdoors safe and welcoming for all identities and abilities.
- Respect others. Dogs should be leashed or under voice control. This means they stay in your sight and come back when called. Please follow all posted leash rules in Stowe.
- Make it better. Check for trash that may have fallen out of your car or pocket. Pick up and dispose of dog waste off-site. Consider volunteering with Stowe Land Trust, Stowe Trails Partnership, or another local trail organization.
About the Author
Elisabeth Fenn is the conservation program manager with Stowe Land Trust (SLT), a member-supported, non-profit land conservation organization dedicated to the conservation of scenic, recreational, and productive farm and forest lands for the benefit of the greater Stowe community. Since 1987, SLT has conserved more than 4,300 acres of land in Stowe, Waterbury and Morrisville, including five properties that SLT owns and manages as community natural areas. By permanently protecting and caring for land, SLT strives to enhance community and ecological values including high-quality recreation, scenic beauty, a rural working landscape, and a local economy supported by the area’s natural resources.