Local Banquet Kicks Off Conservation-Packed Year

And while the sold-out, record-breaking banquet was a great way to raise funds for the mission and get excited about the incoming spring turkey season, it was also a great kickoff to all the volunteer-driven conservation the state chapter has planned for 2023. 

“Vermont may be a small state, but the conservation and hunting community here is strong,” said NWTF regional director Carter Heath. “We can’t thank our volunteers and membership enough for attending our banquet and supporting the mission.” 

A portion of the funds raised from the banquet will be directed to Vermont’s Hunting Heritage Super Fund. 

The NWTF’s Hunting Heritage Super Fund, commonly referred to as just “Super Fund” is a decades-long funding program well-known in every state as a conservation powerhouse. The Super Fund is a volunteer-driven program created in the NWTF’s formative years. NWTF volunteers in every state raise money at banquets and other types of fundraisers and then allocate a significant portion of those funds back into meaningful conservation and outreach projects in their respective states. It’s a picture-perfect example of how the NWTF truly operates as a national federation. And the program’s success in Vermont is no different.

In 2023, the NWTF Vermont State Chapter will allocate money from its Super Fund to numerous conservation and outreach projects within the state, including habitat restoration in the Green Mountain National Forest and multiple projects with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. However, volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to do what they best – volunteering. 

The first upcoming conservation project is an apple tree technical assistance workshop, teaching private landowners how to release and maintain remnant apple trees on their property. This free event is in partnership with Vermont Coverts and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The Vermont State Chapter is also contributing Super Fund money towards a habitat improvement project focused on apple and mast tree release that is being completed this month.

Additionally, the NWTF volunteers and partners are continuing an ongoing habitat enhancement project at the Camel Hump State Forest. Since 2018, the NWTF Lake Champlain Longbeards have partnered with Vermont Forest, Parks and Recreation and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to enhance and restore habitat for wildlife by improving timber stands and planting for brood habitat and pollinator species. The local chapter assists with forest stand improvement, which consists of selecting tree species that benefit wildlife and managing the areas around them. This allows desirable trees to thrive, optimizing food sources and habitat for wild turkeys and other wildlife species. This is especially true with mast trees, such as oak, apple, cherry, yellow birch and serviceberry. 

The Lake Champlain Longbeards will also host their annual JAKES Day April 23. This is an exciting event to get the kids stoked the week before Vermont’s youth turkey hunting weekend. Kids will receive instruction on turkey calling and hunting and have a chance to do some patterning.  

As our favorite season inches its way closer, the year is just beginning to ramp up for mission delivery in the Green Mountain State.

“Between the work our volunteers do to raise money for the mission and getting their hands dirty to improve habitat shows how a small state can do big things,” said Matt DiBona, NWTF New England district biologist. “Wild turkeys are thriving in Vermont, and it is in part due to the dedication of our volunteers, as well as our awesome partnership with VFWD.”