We all love to recreate outside and as the days grow shorter and hunting season approaches, we need to “see and be seen”! Wear bright colors such as blaze orange and don’t forget to include gear with reflectors. When biking, wear your helmet and turn on your bike light using the blinking mode which gets more attention. Don’t assume drivers can see you even on a perfectly sunny day. On many of our winding back roads glare can make it especially difficult to see pedestrians and cyclists. Glare can make pedestrians and cyclists disappear just as much as if they are wearing dark clothing at dusk or on a dark evening.
If you are a hunter, you are familiar with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s page on timing and regulations: https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/hunt/hunting-and-trapping-seasons Hikers and trail volunteers should check for trail closings and be aware that hunters may be in the woods around the corner.
The Mad River Valley Recreation District is offering a “Stop the Bleed” (www.bleedingcontrol.org) workshop on Saturday, October 18, at 1 p.m. in the Wait House conference room. We are pleased to help address the most common cause of preventable trauma death in the U.S., uncontrolled bleeding. In an emergency scenario, we all have the ability to potentially save a life. No matter how rapid the arrival of emergency responders, bystanders will always be the first on the scene. We want to ensure our community is knowledgeable in the use of compression or a tourniquet in trying to stop uncontrolled bleeding. Training is free, about one hour and includes a presentation, the opportunity for discussion and a hands-on skills station. To sign up email
Keeping people safe is an important part of the Mad River Valley Recreation District’s (MRVRD) work. Additionally, the MRVRD manages an annual grant program to support nonprofit groups in the Mad River Valley which provide recreational, safety or environmental projects at the intersection of recreation and ecological sustainability. The grant deadline is November 1, 2025. The grant application is a Google form and can be found at mrvrd.org along with a Q & A section. Moretown voted to join MRVRD last March. Now organizations in Moretown are also eligible to apply. This program is funded by the towns of Warren, Waitsfield, Fayston and Moretown. The MRVRD Board of Directors reviews proposals and grant awards are announced in late December. Successful grants from past years include funding for youth sports (equipment and programs), signage, trail development and maintenance, recreation or environmental education, recreation facility enhancement, etc. While many well-known local nonprofit recreation partners seek funding every year, MRVRD also seeks innovative proposals that offer diverse recreation opportunities and benefit under-served demographic groups.
MRVRD has closed out the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) multi-year grant and received every cent of the $408,019 back in reimbursements for our work and the work of our VOREC partners. Many thanks to our partners for their hard work and tenacity during the past three years. As planned, the Conservation and Recreation Visioning (CRV) component will continue. The three major deliverables for the VOREC Grant, including an online mapping tool can be found at www.mrvrd.org/about-crv. We encourage private landowners and trails groups to utilize this mapping tool plus the document titled “Key Ecological Features” before siting a new trail. Please reach out to
Rodgers is the board chair of the Mad River Valley Recreation District.
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