Local Natural Treasures

The Boswell Botany Trail, Manchester VT

The Boswell Botany Trail is on the grounds of the Southern Vermont Arts Center. It has a long list of wildflowers, shrubs and ferns, some of them common, some unusual and a few that are very rare. The trail is a rambling, three-quarter mile nature trail dotted with rustic seats and benches. Though originally built in 1917 as the nature walk of the original Webster estate, the trail was re-created and greatly expanded in 2001. The Boswell Botany Trail has stately white birches, native orchids, grasses and moss, most of the 67 varieties of fern found in Vermont and a towering, 300 year-old sugar maple, all in a unique glacial microclimate. No matter which month you visit you are sure to find something interesting in bloom. But if you are interested in spring ephemerals (the plants that bloom early in the spring before the trees leaf out, and die back in the summer months) then April and May is the time to visit. In June you can see starflower, wood betony, pink and yellow lady’s slippers and golden ragwort. The trail is easily explored at a leisurely pace by most walkers in about a half-hour. If you are looking for a longer hike in the Manchester area, we suggest the Equinox Preservation Trust trail system which is linked to the Southern Vermont Arts Center land. More information and maps for the Equinox trails can be found at www.equinoxpreservationtrust.org

Directions:
The Southern Vermont Arts Center is on West Road in Manchester (802) 362-1405, www.svac.org.