Bolton Trails

The website of Bolton Trails Committee. Maps, routes, paths and events on conservation land in Bolton Massachusetts

Overgrown Vinger – Venable Trail cleared

There have been reports that the Vinger-Venable Trail near the shared driveway to Berlin Road was overgrown to the extent that it had become impassable, and that beavers had settled in to the swamp to create a sizeable pond. In particular, an email sent to Bolton Conservation Trust prompted Drew Schaubhut to organize a team to look at the state of the area and clear it.

So on 30 June 2023 Drew, Betsy Taylor-Kennedy, and Gordon Taylor met and cleared the route. Drew noted many invasives – mainly bittersweet, multi-flora rose, and a few burning bush plants.

Fortunately, the beaver pond had not risen high enough to flood the path, but what had been a fairly narrow brook had become an expanse of water.

Trail Before
Trail After
Flooding in the swamp caused by beaver activity
Trail opening up after the major blockage
Drew hard at work
Betsy with weed-whacker
Gordon equipped for cutting bittersweet

One Reply to “Overgrown Vinger – Venable Trail cleared”

  • I plan to start again on Thursday around 11:00 to clear buckthorn at Bowers. It is easier to identify it this time of year and it has it’s energy stored in leaves, so it is vulnerable. It is thick in the area between the ponds, and on either side of the path down to the water. I target buckthorn because it is so hard to identify and easily missed.
    I would love some help.
    Jan

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *