Bridges to Birds: Connecting to People

A slightly different version of this post appeared first in our late summer 2014 issue of Chip Notes.

Bridges to Birds 5-step bannerAs you may recall, we “took advantage” of the devastating flood, integrated that with several pre-existing hopes and plans, and coordinated an initiative we call Bridges to Birds. This four-fold project will make (and already is making) the Museum more accessible to all, indoors and out, enabling better and more bird conservation, environmental education, and appreciation of Vermont’s natural communities.

One phase of the Bridges to Birds Project, Connecting to New Perspectives (the Treehouse), was completed this summer, and you can read more about it elsewhere in the blog.

Two other phases, Connecting to Nature (with Interpretative Trails) and Connecting to Conservation (with Bird-friendly Gardens) are actively underway, thanks primarily to several dedicated volunteers and interns.

Now we focus our attention on another phase: Connecting to People (the reconstruction of our parking-to-entrance access). This one is perhaps the largest endeavor, and you’ve probably seen and read about the planning, engineering, and design aspects already in previous issues of Chip Notes.

Early in August we heard the great news that in the next few weeks the town of Huntington will replace the culvert that funnels the water from the creek above the Museum, under Sherman Hollow Road, and down to “Bob’s Bridge.” This is an essential prerequisite to our own construction process. Once this culvert and Sherman Hollow Road have been repaired, the Museum can start the physical repairs to create a safe passage for visitors from the parking lot to the Museum doors.

While waiting for this construction to start, we all have been learning and researching ADA laws, erosion prevention techniques, effective interpretation methods, and the ways entrances can shape and enhance Museum-going experiences. We have also been consulting with designers and engineers, writing grants, and working on other fundraising to bring this phase into reality.

So Far, with Gratitude

We are grateful for the support already given for work to date:

  • FEMA helped fund some of the emergency work last year: clearing downed trees and debris; removing electric lines ($800)
  • Vermont Community Foundation’s Special and Urgent Needs grant helped support initial personnel time (staff and consultant) as we began the planning and design of both temporary and permanent measures to bring people safely to the Museum, and storm water through the property ($5000).
  • Museum members and community donors help pay for some of the additional staff time as we continue to plan, apply for new grants, and develop related presentations and literature. Some of these donations will go directly to the initial construction costs ($7000).

We also recently received a grant from the Vermont Better Back Roads program to address stormwater runoff, preventing damage in the future. If you have seen the photos of the parking lot, or stopped in recently, you know from your own experience how essential this is to protect the riparian habitats along the tributary creek and Sherman Hollow Brook.

The Next Steps

We are about to embark on a fundraising campaign for the bulk of entrance-access construction. These costs are great. There will be costs for detailed plans and oversight from structural and civil engineers, the site work, bank stabilization, stream bed restoration, the ADA-compliant bridge and walkway construction, materials, and interpretation. One member has already promised to match all donations!

As space here is limited, look for another mailing with more information about the entire project. It will include detailed goals for each phase, costs, donation information, and a generous list of thank you gifts, from watercolor prints by Libby Davidson, to a very special one donated by Denver Holt, renowned Snowy Owl biologist.

Thank you to all who have donated so far! We will continue to post pictures as progress is made. This is a very exciting time as we not only repair what was damaged but create a fully welcoming space that connects people to the essential and exciting world of birds.

You can help

Make a financial donation

We happily accept donations online through JustGive, NetworkForGood, and PayPal. Or use the phone or address below.

Membership

Renew yours, become a new member, or give a gift membership to a bird-loving friend or family member. Use our online membership form (PDF).

Volunteer with us

Opportunities abound! Our Volunteer page has more info.

Bird Conservation Choices

Use your everyday choices, from the coffee you choose to the laws you enact, to create a world better for birds.

Share about us online

Tell people about us with travel reviews, in your blogs, and in your photos!


Bookmark and Share

You can also call (802) 434-2167 with your credit card info, or send a check in any amount at any time to

Birds of Vermont Museum
900 Sherman Hollow Road
Huntington, Vermont 05462

THANK YOU

Dining to Donate: March 6

Join friends of the Birds of Vermont Museum at Applebee’s of South Burlington on March 6, from 4pm – 9 pm. If you present our flyer to your server, Applebee’s will donate 15% of your check (excluding tip and taxes) to the Birds of Vermont Museum!

Dining to Donate is one way that Applebee’s gives back to their community, by working with non-profit  organizations like the Birds of Vermont Museum. Applebee’s donates 15% of the price of a meal to the Museum as long as the diner presents this flyer and dines on a certain pre-selected day. Our day is March 6th!

By going out to eat that evening, between 4 and 9 pm, at Applebee’s in South Burlington, you will support the Museum’s Bridges to Birds project. All funds collected will help connect people to birds; in particular, the Museum will use these funds towards rebuilding our flood-damaged entranceway and completing an outdoor tree-centered, bird watching and educational space.

This is an informal way to gather as individual families, reconnecting friends, or as a larger group. We will also have a birthday card to sign, celebrating Bob Spear who has just turned 94.

Please feel free to copy the flyers and distribute them personally before March 6th; everyone who dines at Applebee’s and shows the flyer on March 6th will benefit the Museum.

See you there and thank you!

Dining to Donate flyer: bring this to Applebee’s March 6th
(please check your settings or print preview when you print it or it might come out small. Thanks!)

Give a Hoot, Get a Hoot! Donate $10 and

Give a Hoot, Get a Hoot! Donate $10 and we can thank you with a handmade owl.

Crocheted Owls by Intern Elizabeth Mitchell Spinney
Crocheted Owls by Intern Elizabeth Mitchell Spinney

Come on into the Museum to pick your own and donate! Call us if you’re far away; we shipped some to Alaska (for the donation plus postage)!  (802) 434-2167.

Flash Flooding at the Museum

Many of you may already know about the destructive weather in the Huntington area which caused substantial damage to many homes and habitats on July 3rd.

The good news is that the Birds of Vermont Museum’s buildings and collection were untouched.

Unfortunately, the torrential downpours last Wednesday afternoon, July 3rd, turned the normally serene streams through the property converged to create a roiling fury as the water rushed to the roadway. Sherman Hollow Road disappeared beneath a wide swath of water which tore into the runoff basin and over the paths to the Museum entrance and the bridge below. Three staff members, two children, and Bob Spear himself watched from the entrance doors as the flash flood sent one culvert down the surging rapids, caused trees to slide off their banks, and tumbled rocks together in thunderous chaos. Sherman Hollow Road was covered and breached by the water in several places, so it was well after closing time when we were permitted to walk to Main Road and meet our family and friends—leaving our cars behind until the roads were passable. (We have an online album if you’d like to see more: Flood 2013)

Please help us recover: donate if you can

Despite plans to close the Museum for a day or two while Sherman Hollow Road could be repaired, and an alternate route from the parking lot to the entrance could be designated, the visitors came anyway! The Museum has become a favorite destination for friends hosting out of town guests and nature-lovers alike. Even a flash flood couldn’t keep them away on a holiday week and for this we are grateful … we’d rather have a flood of people any day!

However, the truth is: the Museum faces a number of clean-up and repair challenges, from tree removal, stream bank restoration, electrical rewiring, new Museum access design and construction, and restoration of affected walking/birding trails. More needs will surely arise as the layers of debris and mud are scraped away.

In order to recover, the Museum requires funds for services which will address these challenges. We are looking at possible state and federal sources, along with private foundation support. We are are also making an appeal for financial contributions from our members and our community to help the Museum provide our visitors with attractive, accessible, and safe grounds for their visits to this unusual and inspiring institution.

Whether you have have $5 or $5000, all of it is helpful (and tax-deductible to the extent the laws allow).  We also have volunteer opportunities if you have time or if you prefer, and we’re open for visits and programs too! If you can, please pass the word along. Thank you!

      

We have enabled online donations through JustGiveNetwork For Good, and PayPal (use your favorite). Checks and donations by telephone/credit card are always welcome. Please follow us online (blog or facebook or twitter or google-plus) for more information and photos. And please help. At the moment, everything will go into our “Rainy Day Fund” but we will keep you posted with clearer or more specific projects and allocations.

Thank you so much.

Bob, Erin, Allison and Kir