the latest at malt

MALT has nearly 350 members who support our mission with annual or monthly donations. Please consider showing your support in this critical way, you can make our mission stronger!

Explore our most recent newsletters by clicking the links below. Follow MALT on Facebook and Instagram to see weekly updates on our mission and work!

MALT’s local photographer Josh Hummel captures sunrise on the TAM. Can you guess what section of the TAM this is?

MALT’s local photographer Josh Hummel captures sunrise on the TAM. Can you guess what section of the TAM this is?

MALT Newsletter Winter 2023

2022 Impact Report

MALT Newsletter Spring 2022

2021 Impact Report

MALT Newsletter Spring 2021

MALT Newsletter Winter 2021

2020 Impact Report

2019 Impact Report

2018 Impact Report

New Projects, New Staff, New Chapter

The Addy Indy highlights the Ribbon Cutting of Salisbury Mills in October 2024. This 4-year project finally opened to the public and MALT is so pleased to share it’s unique history with Addison County.

The Addy Indy shares updates from our access project at Salisbury Mills Preserve, introduces new staff, and sets the stage for the next chapter at MALT.

MALT enjoys growth spurt

The Addy Indy features MALT in a 2022 article about our growth in staffing and AmeriCorps members.

MALT’s Counsellor in training program featured

In Summer of 2021, MALT started a new program engaging local high school students in our nature summer camps. Students earn volunteer hours by supporting young campers as they explore and discover the forests, fields, trails, and rivers of Addison County.

MALT receives $100,000 donation to the tam

Read about the recent anonymous donation to support maintenance of the TAM in perpetuity. Thank you to our local sponsor, The Addison Independent, for covering the story.

A sweeping view of Mt. Abraham from the pinnacle of the conserved parcel. Photo credit: Josh Hummel

A sweeping view of Mt. Abraham from the pinnacle of the conserved parcel. Photo credit: Josh Hummel

MALT CONSERVES IN LINCOLN!


In December of 2020, MALT conserved 130+ acres of forest, brookside, meadow, and trails in Lincoln, VT. You can read about the project in this Addison Independent article. MALT is actively raising funds for the project, you can make a contribution here. Look out for a ribbon cutting ceremony in Summer 2021. It's located off River Rd, just outside the village. It boasts miles of trails through forest, field, and along the Garland Brook. It's just a short walk from the Lincoln Village and the Lincoln Community School. Students from LCS will be able to access the land for outdoor learning, for generations to come. The land will be accessible to all, in perpetuity, for walking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, and all other non-motorized recreational activities. We are deeply inspired by Will's gift to the Town of Lincoln and MALT's support and vision for the project.   


MALT’s newest community engagement project


MALT is putting together a phenology calendar for the 2021-2022 year, and we need your help to gather the photos!
There are photo posts placed on the TAM and on other MALT lands (map here). MALT will be putting together a calendar for 2022 of our lands and trails. Over the next year, we will collect pictures for the calendar from YOUR submissions. The calendar will showcase how our local environment changes over the course of a year. Proceeds from our calendar will directly benefit MALT's lands and trails.

Naomi is MALT’s 2021-2022 ECOAmeriCorps Member and she’s leading the project. Naomi says, “I'm excited about this calendar because I'm looking forward to seeing how one particular landscape or tree changes from month to month. It will be fun to see how Otter View Park might be blanketed in snow in January, but sprouting wild flowers a few pages later in June. I also think that the photo posts will also motivate me to get outside at dawn or right after a snow when there might be a good opportunity for a beautiful photo.”

To participate:

Find a post, take a photo, and submit it to this form.

We will be selecting photos for the calendar from these submissions. If you discover other exciting phenological events in Addison County, feel free to submit photos of those as well!
Questions? Email info@maltvt.org

Thanks for participating!



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New land conserved!

MALT celebrates its most recent conservation project thanks to collaboration with
landowner Gale S. Hurd and the Otter Creek Audubon Society.

Dear MALT members and friends,

I've been keeping a secret, a very exciting secret from you! The MALT team and partners have been working for over a year on a milestone conservation project. As of last Friday, it's completed and now YOU get to not only read about it, but visit it too!!!

On November 1, MALT closed on its most recent conservation project, the Hurd Grassland in Weybridge, VT. A true collaborative effort in the spirit of conservation, MALT worked with landowner Gale S. Hurd and Otter Creek Audubon Society (OCAS) to protect in perpetuity the scenic, wildlife habitat, and public access elements of this spectacular property. We can't say it better than Gale, who deeded the land to OCAS and entrusted MALT to hold the conservation easement and carry out future stewardship needs:

"The Hurd Grassland, as it has become known, is made up of grassland, brushland and wooded hedgerows. As one of the entry vistas to Weybridge, it reflects the agricultural and natural landscape that is valued by its residents as highlighted in the Town Plan. The formal conservation of the 55.33 acres of the Grassland reflects my love of birds, dedication to the preservation of wildlife corridors and the enhancement of natural habitats for the purpose of protecting and encouraging native bird, animal, and plant species. I am also an enthusiastic supporter of educational outreach and am pleased that the Hurd Grassland habitat and trails welcome everyone, from novice birdwatchers to expert naturalists and those who just want to enjoy the outdoors." - Gale Hurd's vision for the Hurd Grassland


Left to right: MALT Executive Director Jamie Montague, Landowner Gale Hurd, and OCAS President Ron Payne

Access this Weybridge property by turning down Sheep Farm Road from Route 23 or from Hamilton Rd, then enter the Terrace Heights neighborhood. Access the grass footpaths and trails by finding the gravel parking area at the end of Meadow Lane. The property is open to the public from dawn until dusk, for on-foot recreation as well as skiing. Dogs are welcome but we ask you keep them on a leash to preserve important bird habitat. MALT and OCAS will host a joint ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, January 25 from 10:00 to 11:30 am. We'll celebrate the official opening of the Hurd Grassland, offer hot cider, and take guests on a guided snowshoe tour of the property.

 

In the meantime, we invite you to explore this new conserved land
and to express gratitude to the many people who made this project possible:

  • Gale Hurd - thank you for your incredibly generous donation of land, love, and time. You were with us every step of the way and this land will carry on your spirit and love of nature in perpetuity, for all the generations to come.
  • Ron Payne and Otter Creek Audubon Society - thank you for your faith and trust in partnering with MALT. Our organizations are closer than ever and we are eager to see all the nature connections that will be inspired on this land.
  • Bill Roper - thank you for your steadfast and generous support in developing the best possible partnership for this land. What a wonderful memory to add to your portfolio of conservation success for our communities.
  • Eben Punderson - thank you for the technical and legal support you provided during the conservation process. One year later we look back and say "We did it, together!".

 

Welcome to the Hurd Grassland!


NEW!

North Country Trail Extension


Have you visited the new North Country Trail southern extension? This trail, accessed from the southern side Jeffrey Murdock Nature Preserve, features one mile of ledge walking through forests and fields.

The Blue Trail is part of the North Country Trail, a 4,600 mile trail stretching from North Dakota to Crown Point, New York. The Blue Trail sections are part of a plan to extend the North Country Trail (NCT) from its current end to Moosalamoo National Recreation Area - this takes the NCT right through Middlebury! 



Access the new trail by walking through the Jeffrey Murdock Nature Preserve and following signs for the North Country Trail. Alternatively, park at the middle school and head to the fields, following signs and blue flags.

Keep an eye out for an official updated map of the North Country Trail in Vermont, as well as a TAM map including North Country Trail routes. We'll host a guided winter walk on the trail in December (date TBD) to help you get acquainted with accessing and enjoying the trail. Until then, let us know if you have any questiobs and let us know how you like the new extension!