Vermont Business Magazine On August 21st Governor Phil Scott issued a proclamation declaring Clean Water Week for the State of Vermont. He said, "We invite you to join us in celebrating Vermont’s waters, and the efforts of businesses, organizations, and communities to protect and restore clean water statewide.Vermonters and visitors alike drink, swim, fish, boat, and admire the scenic beauty of Vermont’s waters. Join us and be “All In” for clean water!"
The state's promotion of Clean Water Week includes the significance of of Vermont's waterways to the economy. "Clean water helps the economy, provides abundant recreational opportunities, benefits public health and sustains critical wildlife habitats. Businesses, organizations, and communities throughout the state are committed to clean water and the efforts to restore and protect our lakes, ponds, rivers, and wetlands. This “all-in” approach highlights Vermont’s collaborative spirit to ensure a legacy of clean water for future generations."
Below is the schedule for the rest of the Clean Water Week, list of sponsors and other information.
To learn more, go to: http://dec.vermont.gov/
Governor's Press Event: Clean Water and Resiliency Investments in Barre City
Host: Governor Phil Scott
Location:12 Reid Street, Barre, VT
Description:Join Governor Phil Scott, Barre City Mayor Thom Lauzon,and local partners to learn about recent investments in clean water and flood resiliency, including a floodplainrestoration project, and stormwater planning and infrastructure mapping.
Pre-registration required: No
Cost: Free
Stream Ecology
Host: Vermont State Parks, JamaicaState Park
Location:48 Salmon Hole Lane, Jamaica, VT 05343
Event Description:
Duration: 1hr-2hr. Starting at noon (flexible start time based on crowd at the river)
Type of Activity: Species Identification, Catch and Release
Audience: Ages 3yrs/o and up
Goal: To understand who lives in the West River, Habitat management, food cycle, the importance of clean water, and water conservation. Theme: Macro-invertebrates play an important role in stream ecology.
Pre-registration required: No
Cost: Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Arts and Crafts
Host:Vermont State Parks, Silver Lake State Park
Location:20 State Park Beach Rd, Barnard, VT 05031
Event Description:Create a beaver puppet.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
River Safari
Host:Vermont State Parks, Little River State Park
Location:3444 Little River Rd, Waterbury, Vermont 05676
- Meet at nature trail
Event Description:Wear watershoes, grab critter nets & get seriously cooled off while exploring the secret life of a shady mountain stream. Bring dip nets if you have them, a limited supply is available. Meet at Nature Trail, up to 90min; with option to extend.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Toad Abode
Host:Vermont State Parks, Silver Lake State Park
Location:20 State Park Beach Rd, Barnard, VT 05031
Event Description:Create a toad house.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Drinking Water Plant Tour
Host: Burlington Water Resources Division, Departmentof Public Works
Location:235 Penny Lane, Burlington, VT, 05401
Event Description:Do you know where your tap water comes from? Learn more at this tour of Burlington's drinking water facility.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Burlington Waterfront Stormwater Infrastructure Tour
Host:Burlington Water Resources Division, Departmentof Public Worksand the Lake Champlain Committee
Location:Burlington Waterfront, 235 Penny Lane, Burlington, VT, 05401
Event Description:Learn about stormwater runoff and some of Burlington's recent green stormwater infrastructure installations (constructed wetland and porous asphalt).
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Otter Paddle
Host:Vermont State Parks, Silver Lake State Park
Location:20 State Park Beach Rd, Barnard, VT 05031
Event Description:Enjoy a free kayak on the lake while learning about otters.
Pre-registration required:Yes, space is limited. Sign up at nature center.
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Sunset Aquadventure
Host:Vermont State Parks, Little River State Park
Location:3444 Little River Rd, Waterbury, Vermont 05676
- Meet at 6:30pm at Contact Station
Event Description:Explore Waterbury Reservoir in search of crepuscular wildlife and spectacular Vermont views. See how the “CC Boys” built Waterbury Dam by hand and saved the lower Winooski Valley.. *Registration required, space is limited, 1st come/1st served. *Meets at 6:30pm at Contact Station to check in and get life vests & paddles. 2hrs
Pre-registration required:Yes,space is limited, 1st come/1st served
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Morning Canoe
Host:Vermont State Parks, BrightonState Park
Location:102 State Park Rd, Island Pond, VT 05846
Event Description:Go for a paddle on Spectacle Pond and learn about its natural history.
Pre-registration required:Yes
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Wetlands Discovery
Host:Lake Champlain Basin Program
Location:Gordon Center House, 54 W Shore Rd, Grand Isle, VT 05458
Event Description:Join Colleen Hickey, Education & Outreach Coordinator and Ellen Kujawa, Technical Associate for educational program on wetlands!Questions? EmailColleen Hickey
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Open House Airport Parkway Wastewater Facility
Host:Airport Parkway Wastewater Facility
Location:1015 Airport Parkway, South Burlington, VT05403
Event Description:Toursof the South Burlington Wastewater Facility will be offered between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Village of Essex Junction Wastewater Treatment Facility Open House and Tour
Host:Essex Junction Wastewater Treatment Facility
Location:39 Cascade Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452-3685
Event Description:Join municipal staff for an Open House and Tour of our recently refurbished 3.3 million gallon/day advanced treatment facility. Among other things, you will learn how the facility is working to improve the water quality of Lake Champlain, and how we use wastewater by-products to reduce our dependence on heat and electricity for the facility.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Lake Champlain Bridge Quest Guided Tour
Host:Lake Champlain Basin Program
Location:Chimney Point Historic Site, 8149, Vermont Rte 17 W, Addision, VT05491
Event Description:Join Jim Brangan, Assistant Director of Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership, for a special tour and quest of the Lake Champlain Heritage Area.Questions? EmailJim Brangan
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Soil Health for Profitability and Resilience
Host:Orleans County Natural Resource Conservation District
Location: Farimont Dairy, 783 South Albany Road, Craftsbury, VT
Event Description: Drawing on local knowledge and Natural Resource Conservation Servicesoil health evaluation tools, this field day will provide local farmers, landowners, and service providers information on soil health with a focus on soil organic matter and its effects on climate resiliency, profitability, and water quality.
Pre-registration required: Yes
Cost: Free
Stream Ecology
Host:Vermont State Parks, JamaicaState Park
Location:48 Salmon Hole Lane, Jamaica, VT 05343
Event Description:
Duration: 1hr-2hr. Starting at noon (flexible start time based on crowd at the river)
Type of Activity: Species Identification, Catch and Release
Audience: Ages 3yrs/o and up
Goal: To understand who lives in the West River, Habitat management, food cycle, the importance of clean water, and water conservation.
Theme: Macro-invertebrates play an important role in stream ecology.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Stream Stomp
Host:Vermont State Parks, Silver Lake State Park
Location:20 State Park Beach Rd, Barnard, VT 05031
Event Description:Explore the stream that feeds Silver Lake.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Arts and Crafts
Host:Vermont State Parks, Silver Lake State Park
Location:20 State Park Beach Rd, Barnard, VT 05031
Event Description:Create a rain stick.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Vermont Agriculture Supports Clean Water
Host:Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
Location:105 Pearl Street, Essex Junction, VT, 05452
Event Description:As part of Clean Water Week Vermont, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets will be at the Champlain Valley Fair with USDA NRCS and Clover the Cow on August 25th in support of clean water.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Yes (Adults $12,Children $5)
Let's Make a Lake
Host:Vermont State Parks, Silver Lake State Park
Location:20 State Park Beach Rd, Barnard, VT 05031
Event Description:Work together to make a model lake.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Aquatic Invasive Species Decontamination Station Demo
Host: Lake Champlain Basin Program
Location: Shelburne Bay Access Area, Bay Road, Shelburne, VT 05482
Event Description:Free demonstration of high pressure high temperature boat decontamination station for aquatic invasive species removal.
Pre-registration required: No
Cost: Free
Arts Walk, Reception, and Wine Tasting
Location:214 Main Street, Vergennes, Vermont 05491
Event Description:Join usfor our monthly reception and wine tasting. Enjoy the new exhibit "The Colors of Water." Vermont artists celebrate the many colors and moods of Vermont's waters.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Frogger!
Host:Vermont State Parks, Little River State Park
Location:3444 Little River Rd, Waterbury, Vermont 05676
- Meet at B-Side Playground on Wednesday & A-Side Beach Parking on Fridays.
Event Description:Find frogs & toads by sight & sound.Duration: 45min.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Lessons from the Floods
Host: Lake Champlain Committee (LCC)
Location: NA
Event Description: Six years ago Tropical Storm Irene slammed into the Champlain Valley. Up to 11 inches of rain fell; rivers swelled and flooded; homes, roads and bridges were wiped away. Download LCC's publication "Lessons from the Floods" to learn eight lessons that will help increase community resilience for the future.
Pre-registration required: No
Cost: Free
Plein Air Farmstead Conservation Painting
Host: Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District
Location:Maxwell Neighborhood Farm, 213 Maxwell Road, Coventry, Vermont
Event Description:Orleans County NRCD is collaborating with local farmers, Plein Air Northeast Kingdom, the Memphremagog Watershed Association (MWA) and Memphremagog Arts Collaborative (MAC) to offer a unique artistic experience highlighting agricultural conservation practices in Orleans County. This Plein Air session will be hosted by the Maxwell's Neighborhood Farm in Coventry, Vermontand is one in a series of four sessions hosted by farms in Orleans County this summer. The session will begin with an introduction to the farm, the farmers, an overview the existing and potential conservation practices on the farm and their connection to water quality of our local waterways. After all sessions are complete, the artistic works will be displayed in a final gallery hosted at the MAC in downtown Newport, Vermontas a part of MWA’s “Waters of Life: Farms, Rivers and Lakes” exhibit running September 8 - 30, 2017.
Pre-registration required: No
Cost: $5
Fishing Fun
Host:Vermont State Parks, BrightonState Park
Location:102 State Park Rd, Island Pond, VT 05846
Event Description:Relish a fun hour of fishing from the shore of Spectacle Pond!
Pre-registration required:Yes
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Burlington's Main Wastewater Facility Tour
Host:Burlington Water Resources Division, Departmentof Public Works
Location:Burlington Main Wastewater Treatment Plant (near Perkins Pier), 53 Lavalley Lane, Burlington, VT, 05401
Event Description:Learn what happens to your waste when you flush the toilet and how Burlington's largest plant is designed to maximize treatment of storm events that flow to the combined sewer.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Vergennes Day
Location:214 Main Street, Vergennes, Vermont 05491
Event Description:Come celebrate Vermont Clean Water Week at the gallery, with hands-on art activities for all ages from 11am-2pm on Vergennes Day. Enjoy the new exhibit "The Colors of Water"
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free
Mountain Water Company, Mountain Wastewater Inc. Open House
Host:Sugarbush / Mountain Water Company
Location:117 Inferno Rd., Warren, VT 05674
Event Description:Open House for Sugarbush's utility system,Mountain Water Company Community Water System, Mountain Waste Water Inc, System. Learn about how we protect human health and the environment. Open to Mountain Water Company's customers and the general public.
Pre-registration required: No
Cost:Free
Nature Walk
Host:Vermont State Parks, Silver Lake State Park
Location:20 State Park Beach Rd, Barnard, VT 05031
Event Description:Walk along the lake and discover it's features.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Fish Painting
Host:Vermont State Parks, BrightonState Park
Location:102 State Park Rd, Island Pond, VT 05846
Event Description: Gyotaku, the wonderful art of “painting” fish on paper. Come celebrate Spectacle Pond’s fish through a unique craft.
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
Who Dirtied The Water
Host:Vermont State Parks, Silver Lake State Park
Location:20 State Park Beach Rd, Barnard, VT 05031
Event Description:An interactive story and discussion about clean water
Pre-registration required:No
Cost:Free (event is free,park admission fee required)
September is Vermont's River Cleanup Month
Host:Watersheds United Vermont
Location: Statewide
Event Description: For years, local watershed groups and other volunteers in Vermont have organized river cleanups to remove trash that has accumulated in our waterways. Trash in rivers and lakes not only creates an eyesore for paddlers and swimmers, but it also negatively impacts riparian wildlife and adds pollutants to our waters.
Watersheds United Vermont is helping to promote Vermont River Cleanup Month and to provide information and resources to help you run a successful cleanup. You can help volunteer with an existing cleanup or you can help organize your own. Click here to find a river cleanup near you!
Pre-registration required: Yes
Cost: Free
