Barre City Cow Pasture

06/04/2026

The rain held off just long enough last Saturday for a small but mighty crew—committee members and local volunteers—to get out on the trails and get to work.

We spent the morning clearing waterbars, tending to the newer trails, and closing down unofficial paths and cut-throughs. Thanks to that effort, the trails are in great shape and ready to enjoy.

A few simple asks to help us care for this shared space:

🌿 Please stay on marked trails and respect closures—this helps protect the land and keeps our work focused where it matters most.

🐕 If you’re walking your dog, please bring bags, clean up, and carry them out with you. We don’t have a pickup service, and it makes a big difference for everyone using the trails.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who showed up on a cool, damp morning to lend a hand. This place stays special because of this community.

05/29/2026

Friendly reminder: the Cow Pasture's Volunteer Trail Work Day is happening tomorrow morning! 🌿

🗓 Saturday, May 30
🕘 9:00–11:00 AM

We’ll be doing light trail work to help care for this shared space — no experience needed.

Even an hour makes a real difference. Hope to see you out there!

05/22/2026

Hi neighbors! 🌳

The Cow Pasture Stewardship Committee is hosting a Volunteer Trail Work Day on Saturday, May 30 from 9:00–11:00 AM, and we’d love your help.

We’ll be taking care of some spring trail maintenance—clearing drainage features, trimming back branches, and helping guide foot traffic to protect the land we all enjoy.

No experience needed. Even a couple hours makes a real difference.

Please bring sturdy shoes, gloves, water, and dress for the weather. Consider bug spray and don’t forget to check for ticks.

Come lend a hand and spend a morning outside with your community. We meet at the Cow Pasture's Maplewood Ave entrance. Hope to see you there!
..and if you can't make it, help us spread the word! Simply share this post or tag a friend. 👣

05/05/2026

About a month ago, we looked up and found two porcupines sharing a tree, quietly going about their day, high above the forest floor. 🌳

Nearby, the story of their work was easy to read if you knew where to look. At the base of a hemlock, the ground was scattered with freshly nipped hemlock branches. Rather than risk a fall reaching for the tender tips, porcupines clip the branch, eat the ends, and let the rest drift down below.

The Cow Pasture is full of life and quiet patterns.

05/01/2026

CVCC made local news again last week! 🌱

The Bridge featured a piece by Gina Tron on the work of students & teachers from Central Vermont Career Center here at the Cow Pasture.

Over a few April mornings, students worked together to remove invasive plants, learning the land and making a real impact along the way.

One student, Grace, said it well: “I get to spend time with my friends while doing things that really help our community.”

We’re so grateful for their stewardship.

Read the full story:
https://thebridgevt.org/2026/04/students-remove-invasive-plants-at-barre-cow-pasture-and-see-real-impact/

Central Vermont Career Center students recently led stewardship efforts at the Barre City Cow Pasture, removing invasive plants.

04/24/2026

Last week, Central Vermont Career Center students put in real work at the Barre City Cow Pasture—removing invasive plants and caring for this shared space.

Their efforts even made the front page of the Times Argus.

More to come soon. 🌱

Cow Pasture Clean-up

04/13/2026

Students from the Central Vermont Career Center Exploratory Tech class are rolling up their sleeves again and getting to work—learning how to identify and remove invasive plants to help protect this special place.

They put together this video to share their project, their process, and what they'll be learning along the way. Take a look, and help us cheer them on as they care for the Cow Pasture this April. 🌿

04/02/2026

It takes a caring community to look after our natural spaces. 🌳

A big thank you to Scott Bascom, a dedicated friend of the Cow Pasture. This past weekend, Scott took the time to carefully remount one of our three bluebird houses that he repaired.

To attract bluebirds, birdhouses should always be placed right at the edge of a meadow with the opening facing east. Every spring, we clean out old nests from these boxes to make them fresh and inviting. Even though we haven't had any bluebirds move in just yet, we are keeping our fingers crossed that a lucky bluebird will find a new home here soon! 🐦

These boxes also have a wonderful local backstory. If you check the comments to see the old Times Argus photo, you'll see that back in 2019, students in the Exploratory Tech class at the Central Vermont Career Center actually built and installed these very boxes for us.

Thank you to Scott, our local students, and everyone who helps us care for the Cow Pasture. We love seeing folks connect, explore, and protect this special piece of Barre.

Hope to see you out on the trails soon! 🌿

03/20/2026

Happy First Day of Spring, neighbors!

Winter is melting away and the Cow Pasture is starting to wake up. The trails are calling. Grab your boots and we'll see you out there!

03/04/2026

Throwback to April 2025! 🌳

A big thank you to Stephanie Olsen, Exploratory Technology Instructor, and the students from Central Vermont Career Center who came out to help care for the Cow Pasture. The Exploratory Tech students worked hard to clear invasive plants like Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, and Barberry. Just look at their hard work!

Because of their teamwork and stewardship, this space is healthier and more welcoming for wildlife and our community.

We’re grateful for young hands and big hearts helping care for this special place. Read more from Stephanie below.



"Exploratory Technology prides itself on giving back to our communities! One way that this program engages in community service is through the Invasive Species Lab. This two week long lab allows students to practice being able to identify different invasive species in Vermont. They learn about the harmful impacts that these species have upon our forests, rivers, and wildlife.

For the past four years, Exploratory students have worked with the Barre Cow Pasture Stewardship committee to put their knowledge to the test. They take time to learn about the land use history of the Barre Cow Pasture and explore the Land Management plan for this parcel of land.

For two days students are pulling species such as Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, and Barberry by hand. They carefully remove the roots and hang them in the air to kill the plant fully. They take the dead and dried out plants from previous years to create a wildlife brush pile to continue to support the wildlife in the Barre Cow Pasture.

This project is something we consider a legacy project in Exploratory Tech. Students can not only see the difference they make in their community, but also hear it from grateful hikers and community Members! We cannot wait to see this project continue into the future and know that CVCC makes a difference!"