Tuesday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m.—BELMONT—Interested in creating wildlife habitat on your property? Biologists from Vermont Fish & Wildlife will present a talk on the techniques and programs available for promoting wildlife habitat at the Mt. Holly Library onTuesday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room.
The presentation will describe a program sponsored by the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service that provides free advice and technical assistance from state wildlife biologists, as well as financial assistance to pay for habitat improvements.
Andrea Shortsleeve, a habitat biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife, will be presenting at the event. Shortsleeve previously worked with the U.S. Forest Service in Montana and Idaho as a wildlife biologist responsible for a wide range of species and habitat management projects. She recently returned to her home state of Vermont to work as a habitat biologist. Shortsleeve brings a wealth of wildlife habitat management and conservation techniques to this discussion.
Biologist Travis Hart, who will also present at the event, worked previously with the Natural Resources Conservation Service on habitat management on private lands and now works on that project for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. Hart is also a native Vermonter who has conducted a wide range of conservation initiatives, from assessing stream geomorphology to monitoring bat maternity colonies.
“Landowners are an essential part of the state’s conservation effort,” said Shortsleeve, who noted that 80 percent of Vermont’s land is privately held. “We can show you how to improve habitat on your land for a variety of species, from brook trout to songbirds, bobcats to deer, or salamanders to turkeys. And we can help you find funding for that work through a federal Farm Bill program.”
The talk is free and open to the public. The Library is located at 26 Maple Hill Road, Belmont.
