Watershed 101

Field Trips

Along with in-class presentations, FCNRCD coordinated field trips throughout Franklin County, including:

• Tree Planting: Students helped to plant over 1,000 stems along the Black Creek in Franklin and the Lamoille River in Fairfax. Students received instruction on how to plant bare-root trees and live stakes, and learned about how forested buffers support water quality, flood resilience, and wildlife habitat.  

• Water Quality Testing: Students used in-field testing kits to measure temperature, phosphorus and nitrate levels, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen, drawing connections between water quality and factors such as upstream land use and recent weather. During these field trips students also conducted ‘stream habitat assessment’, observing stream bed composition, bank stability, depth and velocity, and local vegetation to better understand different types and conditions of streams and the habitat they offer.  

• Urban Stormwater Tours: Students learned about ‘grey’ and ‘green’ stormwater infrastructure in St. Albans, and how different strategies can be used to address flooding and water quality. Students practiced calculating runoff in developed areas and areas with more vegetation to better understand how development impacts runoff and the need to manage stormwater. During these trips students were often surprised that features in the landscape that look 'natural', such as ponds and wetlands, are actually designed systems intended to manage water running off roads, buildings, and parking lots.  

• Learning from Local Land Stewards: Students visited Heart and Soil Farm in Fairfield, a small flower farm, and Breezy Acres Farm in Montgomery, a small farm raising grass fed beef and pastured pork. During these field trips students learned about the connections between soil health and water management, and the practices farmers use to promote soil health, keep nutrients in their fields, support water quality, and adapt to flooding and increased precipitation.