Winooski Headwaters Festival: A Celebratory and Educational Experience

On Saturday, October 6^th, the Winooski Headwaters Community Project is hosting the 2^nd Annual Winooski Headwaters Festival. The Festival will be held at the Old Schoolhouse Commons (OSC) in Marshfield in partnership with the OSC board and the Jaquith Library. In the morning, there will be a volunteer tree planting at the Martin’s Bridge property along the river. In the afternoon, the Festival will celebrate and inform residents and others about the wonderful resource that is the Winooski River.

The Festival will include nature talks, outdoors skills, artisan demonstrations, a guided canoe trip, music and more! Children and adults will be able to learn through hands on workshops about stream ecology and dynamics, water quality testing, native and invasive species, edible plants and more. Residents, including Cabot and Twinfield students, will lead discussions on topics such as local water quality and potential hydropower projects.

There will be a raffle and silent auction to support restoration and protection efforts in the Winooski Headwaters. In a special raffle, streamside landowners can register to win trees and shrubs and the volunteer labor to plant them! Kids can take home a free tree seedling while supplies last.

Music will be provided by renowned Vermont folk singer, Colin McCaffrey .

The volunteer riparian tree planting will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 at Martins Bridge . Lunch will be provided to volunteers at the Festival following the planting. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us so we can plan equipment, parking and lunch.

Schedule of events: Riparian Planting 9:30 to 11:30

Festival 11:30 to 5:00

Tentative Workshop Schedule:

Streamside workshops (aquatic animals, water quality, fly fishing) 12:30 to 2:30

Plant walk on edible and medicinal plants 1:30 to 2:30

Microhydro presentation 2:30 to 3:00

Microhydro site visit (2 time slots) 3:30 & 5:00

Canoe trip 3:30 to 5:00

Weaving and Blacksmith Studio Tours To be determined

Music, food, interactive displays, river stories and other activities throughout the afternoon.

The Winooski Headwaters Community Project is a collaborative effort of many organizations dedicated to the restoration and protection of the ecological integrity and enjoyment of the Winooski River . The headwaters of a river system are particularly sensitive and important to the health of the entire river. Headwaters supply food and critical nutrients, influence downstream conditions and support biodiversity. Due to their small size, headwater streams provide an excellent opportunity for local community-based planning and conservation efforts.

For more information contact: The Friends of the Winooski River, fwr@sover.net, 866-683-7197, or the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District, 802-828-4493.