Leave No Trace Spotlight: Mt. Philo State Park

Leave No Trace’s new Spotlight program is a multi-day event to bring attention to community conservation, spread education, and to build momentum and inspire involvement for the future.

The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Team will be at the Mt. Philo State Park Spotlight October 13-15, collaborating with hosts and partners on a variety of programs including stewardship projects, workshops, and community outreach.

Opportunities to Get Involved:

Saturday, October 14:

9:00 am – 11:00: Stewardship Projects – Join Leave No Trace and Mt. Philo State Park staff and partners for a fun volunteer day and stewardship project as part of the Mt. Philo State Park Leave No Trace Spotlight. Volunteer projects will include removing invasive species to help conserve native plants and vegetation as well as trail maintenance and rehabilitation to help improve trail sustainability and reduce erosion impacts. Volunteers will be introduced to Leave No Trace and learn more about how to protect this popular and special park.

11:00 am: Stop by the Leave No Trace booth at the summit for additional Leave No Trace education and outreach.

Sunday, October 15:

8:00 am – 10:00 am: Secrets of Mount Philo – Guided Hike – Come learn about the mountain’s fascinating past and how it ties into an important, larger landscape history of Vermont, the Northeast, and the country. Discover the park’s hidden-in-plain-sight secrets that you probably walk by all the time. We’ll start with a brief talk that will provide a historic context for what we see, then head up (mostly on the up-road because that’s where the history is), stopping at sites along the way to look at historic photos and read late-19th/early-20th century writings about the mountain. Whether you’re new to the park or a Mount Philo regular, surprises lie in store!

10:00 am: Stop by the Leave No Trace booth after the hike for additional Leave No Trace education and outreach.