Description
Shelburne Pond is a surprising find. Located just 10 miles from the city of Burlington, it is an area that has retained its wild and rich character despite the pressures of development. There are over 400 acres of swamps, marshes and rich woods associated with the pond. These habitats support several unusual plants—especially ephemeral spring wildflowers—and birds.
The pond also serves as an important educational resource for the University of Vermont. Now largely owned and maintained by the University of Vermont (UVM), the H. Laurence Achilles Natural Area at Shelburne Pond—named for the Kodak heir and philanthropist who supported TNC's earliest acquisitions there — is a place where conservation, recreation and research peacefully coexist.
Over 30 years in the making, the natural area at Shelburne Pond is one of the oldest and longest-running protection projects of the Vermont chapter and a successful collaboration between TNC and UVM.
Why TNC Selected This Site
Regional analysis identified the deepwater marsh, dwarf shrub bog, and limestone-rich pond at Shelburne Pond as high priorities for conservation.
What TNC is Doing
Over the last 30 years, TNC has protected 1200 acres here. Most of the land has been transferred to the University of Vermont. TNC owns a few parcels surrounding the pond that are leased to local farmers. Most recently, TNC and volunteers planted a 50-foot wide shoreline buffer of native shrubs, dogwoods, willows and alders at the south end of the pond which will someday replace the invasive buckthorn.
