Bourn Pond | Aug 18-22, 2022

Bourn Pond, located in the Lye Brook Wilderness near Arlington, VT, is a popular spot for hiking, camping, and fishing. It is part of Green Mountain National Forest, which is a day’s drive for approximately 70 million people. Impacts from increased recreation are becoming more and more evident at Bourn Pond. Some of the most concerning impacts include damaged vegetation, water resource impacts, litter, campfire impacts and campsite impacts. For the Hot Spot activation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team will be at Bourn Pond leading a variety of workshops, outreach programs and community events, including opportunities for community involvement.

*Bourn Pond is located on the ancestral lands of the Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), Mohican, Abenaki/Abénaquis, and possibly other tribes*

Solutions:

During the Hot Spot activation, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Team led a variety of workshops, outreach programs and community events at Bourn Pond. Leave No Trace collaborated with the Manchester Ranger District of the Forest Service, and Vermont-based trail stewardship organization the Green Mountain Club (GMC), to address the impacts happening in Bourn Pond and the Lye Brook Wilderness. Through facilitated meetings and training sessions, primary opportunities for continued impact reduction included the development of site-specific trail information and bolstering Leave No Trace messaging throughout educational materials and outreach, website/social media information, and in programming with local community partners. The Hot Spot reached 304 people with stewardship education and activated volunteers, successfully conducted 5 educational programs over 5 days, and restored 3 wilderness campsites.