|
|
|
|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
VPT's Outdoor Journal #301
SoaringA flight in a glider is unlike any other airplane experience. No engine. No noise. Just the sound of the wind and your own thoughts. Gliders fly on rising pockets of warm air called "thermals." These are the same thermals hawks use to soar to great heights. Gliders can climb thousands of feet and, under the right conditions, travel great distances. Vermont provides a number of ideal locations for soaring. One of them is Vermont's Mad River Valley, home to the Sugarbush Soaring Association. Located at the Warren Sugarbush Airport, the Association is made up of about 150 members who come from all over New England to fly glider planes. The Association gives glider rides to those interested in possibly learning the sport. It also sponsors a summer youth camp for two weeks, giving kids between the ages of 13 and 17 a chance to learn to soar. The learning curve for young people is fairly steep. Adults can expect to spend up to forty or more hours to learn to soar, depending on their abilities. But the first step is taking a glider ride. Host Marianne Eaton visits the Warren Sugarbush Airport and joins Ron Webster, president of the Sugarbush Soaring Association, for a glider ride high above Vermont's Mad River Valley.
RETURN TO TOP  Bat
ResearchThe Indiana bat was one of the first species to be included on the Federal Endangered Species list in 1967. Still, their population continues to decline. In 1991 there were approximately 500,000 Indiana bats on earth. Today the number is estimated at around 300,000 and declining. Vermont is home to 9 species of bats. Biologists recently discovered that large numbers of Indiana bats spend the summer in the Champlain Valley of Vermont. With the help of private landowners, a cooperative research effort is underway to learn what can be done to help restore this imperiled and fascinating creature of the night. We join members of the Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit — a cooperative of Vermont State Fish and Wildlife, USGS, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and University of Vermont — on a nighttime operation to net, tag and track Indiana bats with radio transponders in the hopes of determining the ideal characteristics for good roosting trees in the Green Mountain State.
RETURN TO TOP 
Fishing
for WalleyeAt one point walleye were the most popular game fish for recreational anglers in Vermont. A thriving commercial fish market existed for these toothy members of the perch family into the early 1960s, with as many as 65,000 harvested annually. During the late '70s and early '80s the population dwindled and concerns grew that overharvesting or environmental issues were responsible for the decline. In 1984, the Lake Champlain Walleye Association was formed with the goal of restoring, preserving and protecting the walleye fishery in the Lake Champlain Basin. The Association has worked closely with the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife to monitor walleye populations. In the tributaries of Lake Champlain, fish are caught, measured, sexed and some tagged for research purposes. The Department also collects eggs for fertilization. Over the last six years they have collected 64 million walleye eggs, which has resulted in over 40 million fry being stocked in Lake Champlain. The first Saturday in May marks the opening day of walleye season on tributaries flowing into Lake Champlain. Host Lawrence Pyne heads out with walleye enthusiast Cubby Smith on the Lamoille in search of "Old Marble Eyes."
RETURN TO TOP
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
About VPT | Become a Member | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Search | PBS
Our Technology Alliances: Digital Frontier | Sovernet
© VPT 1998-2002. All rights reserved. Visit www.stowe.net.See Cape May Investment.