The transformation of The Pines Rest Area in Waitsfield is nothing short of amazing. It didn’t happen overnight; it happened over time and because a few people cared, and then more people cared and finally enough people got involved (and the right people got involved).
Eric Friedman, executive director of the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce, credited Joshua Schwartz, Waitsfield, for his years of mowing The Pines because he believed the public parcel deserved better. That small act started the ball rolling. Friedman said it was people like Schwartz that inspired the chamber’s successful stewardMRV program. That program pairs volunteers with local recreation and public sites to monitor and keep them clean, creating an ethos of stewardship that is contagious.
For years, The Pines languished under neglect and questions about ownership. Illegal camping was happening and worse. The picnic tables were a wreck, as was the parking area and dead trees needed attention.
But earlier this summer, things changed. Tom Spencer, stewardMRV coordinator and the chamber worked with Waitsfield on the site. Waitsfield got the state and Vtrans engaged. The town, the state and lots of local volunteers began to take ownership and more importantly, take pride in the park that is a gateway to The Valley
By the Fourth of July weekend, people were picnicking, swimming and enjoying the new barbecues that were funded with grant money. The dead trees are gone and the stumps are ground. The MRV Knotweed Initiative is on site and volunteers remain active in stewarding it. Grant funds have also made the site more accessible for all- which is how it should be with public lands.
“This transformation did not happen because one organization showed up and fixed everything. It happened because a community kept showing up,” Friedman said.
He’s right and The Pines is a visible reminder that collaboration, ownership and pride in our community are powerful tools.
Kudos to the people who care and continue to care. Kudos to the chamber for herding the cats and Waitsfield for taking ownership and the state for stepping up.
