Senses of Place: The Intervale

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Description

The Intervale is really a jack-of-all-trades natural location, with spots for relaxing, running, hiking, skiing, and just about anything else you may imagine. To top it all off, its primary manager, the Intervale Center hosts a plethora of programs connecting the Burlington community! This audio tour walks listeners through the rich natural and human history of this truly remarkable landscape, and will hopefully help you experience some of the fun species that live here alongside you!

This site, along with many others, was originally home to the Abenaki Nation. We acknowledge the struggle for recognition, land, and autonomy of the Abenaki people. An official land acknowledgement can be found on the Crow’s Path website, and we encourage listeners and readers to learn about the history of the Abenaki people and recognition in Vermont.

Park amenities
  • Community gardens
  • Picnic areas
  • Information kiosk
  • Seasonal ski trails
  • Year-round hiking trails
Resources
  • Parking areas: free parking
Considerations
  • Frequently used by bikers, runners, children at play
  • Park trails are often wet
  • Slopes of the forest next to the river may be steep and abrupt

References

  • Burlington Geographic. (2023). Focal places in Burlington: the Intervale. Burlington Geographic. uvm.edu/place/burlingtongeographic/focalplaces/int-ecology.php
  • Holland, M. (2010). Naturally curious: A photographic field guide and month-by-month journey through the fields, woods, and marshes of New England. Trafalgar Square Books. 
  • Intervale Center. (2023). Intervale Center. Intervale. intervale.org/
  • Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation & Forestry. (2021). Maine natural areas program: silver maple floodplain forest. Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation & Forestry. maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/communities/silvermaplefloodforest.htm
  • Thompson, E. (2019). Wetland, woodland, wildland (Sorenson, E., & Zaino, R.). The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, The Nature Conservancy, and Vermont Land Trust.

Other Senses of Place parks

Partners & Acknowledgements

Senses of Place a project with support from Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired & Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. All audio content was developed, recorded by Henry Bartels, Mike Doucette, Alanna Duff, Nicole Hardy, Madi Ingram, Halsey McLaen, & Faryn Steckiel as part of the the UVM class NR 4060: Environmental Problem Solving and Impact Assessment.