Woodstock, Vt. - Many Vermonters remember the 2011 Irene flood like it was yesterday. Yet, in the seven years since the flood, towns and individuals have made enormous progress to build flood resilient communities. This weekend, scientists from the National Park Service (NPS) and Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are inviting the public to the Working Woodlands Workshop in Woodstock to learn about what it means to be ‘flood resilient’, the importance of vegetation along our streams and rivers, and how to accurately assess water quality.

The NPS and the DEC’s Rivers Program will host the workshop on August 11th, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. in the Forest Center at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock. The event is co-sponsored by Vermont Coverts and the Vermont Woodlands Association, and is part of the annual Taste of Woodstock event held later that day from 10am - 9pm.

NPS Science Communication Specialist Ed Sharron and NPS Ecologist Kyle Jones will explore Woodstock’s long history of land management and explain how this history has shaped water quality and watershed health today. DEC’s River Management Engineer Todd Menees will speak about flood resiliency, riparian vegetation, and water quality in the Ottauquechee River watershed.

The workshop format will be in 3-parts: presentation, a river flume table demonstration, and a stream walk. After the indoor presentations, participants are invited to join the scientists for a quick walk to investigate Barnard Brook and look for signs of streambank erosion, stormwater runoff, and stream health indicators. 

The workshop is free and open to all ages. Please register in advance by contacting Kyle Jones at (802) 457-3368 x 222, or via email at kyle_jones@nps.gov. To learn more, visitwww.nps.gov/mabi/learn/nature/working-woodlands-workshops.htm

CONTACT:

Todd Menees

Department of Environmental Conservation

(802) 345-3510 | Todd.Menees@vermont.gov