GRAFTON — The Saxtons River Watershed Collaborative organized a riparian buffer tree planting on June 6 along the Saxtons River with its partners, the Windham County Natural Resource Conservation District, the town of Grafton, Grafton Elementary School, and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.
With shovels in hand, 53 community volunteers, Grafton town representatives, and students and staff from Grafton Elementary School planted native trees and shrubs on a town-owned property.
According to a news release, this planting represents a culmination of many years of hard work to restore this property, damaged by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, to productive floodplain habitat.
With native trees and shrubs, the buffer will help reduce future erosion and flooding in high-water events.
The Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District is developing stream-side buffer plantings for the fall of 2019 and spring of 2020. If you would like to have a parcel evaluated for a planting, contact the district at 802-689-3024 or windhamcountynrcd@gmail.com.