Carse Wetlands Natural Area is a 225-acre property located in Hinesburg, Vermont, and a Vermont Heritage Site according to the VT Department of Fish and Wildlife. The land was acquired by the University of Vermont in 2013 through a donation from the Carse family. It is the most recently designated natural area added to UVM, with the assistance from the Vermont Land Trust which holds a conservation easement on Carse5,6. The area is home to many important species of plants and animals including bobcats, coyotes, moose, white-tailed deer, and many species of birds. The area is also designated for public use and has a trail system running throughout the land. The wetland was initially formed by the creation of a beaver dam during the 20th century and has since become a birding hotspot and key natural area to the University of Vermont’s wildlife and outdoor programs. This area is predominantly composed of Livingston clay and muck soils, which is indicative of low-lying areas with poor drainage. This severely limits farm and nonfarm use (source). The bedrock on surrounding hills contains primarily Monkton quartzite – a calcium-rich sedimentary rock – and other calcium-rich bedrock types including Winooski dolostone and Dunham dolostone (source) Rocks in the area are lime-heavy and contribute to the diverse forest habitats found in Carse.
Carse Wetland contains various streams that run through it, including tributaries of the LaPlatte River (source). Before beaver activity changed the hydrology, the area was a cedar swamp. The area was always marshy, and periodic washouts occurred between 1963-1976. A history of land clearing has had huge effects, resulting in successional stages around ponds and old fence rows. The area contains not only hilly, rocky areas but also shallow wetlands including Shallow Emergent Marsh, Red Maple-Black Ash Seepage Swamp, and other shrub, forested, riparian, and open areas. The area also houses uncommon Vermont natural communities including Dry Oak-Maple Limestone Forest, Oak-Maple Limestone Talus Woodland, and Mesic Maple-Ash-Hickory-Oak forest. The area is a wetland, upland, and riparian habitat for wildlife (source). Carse is used as a recreational area with canoe trails and hiking trails throughout the property. Hunting is prohibited within the bounds, and therefore the area acts as a wildlife refuge. There are new roads on the edges of the property and homes being built on the edge. The area must be protected with riparian buffers to ensure water quality, especially due to the nearby roads.
The intent of this webpage is to bring attention not only to the animals and plants that inhabit Carse Wetlands now but also to the people that used to inhabit the land. We hope to persuade further management and conservation of Carse Wetland and bring attention to harmful anthropogenic effects. We will explore Indigenous History, Land Ownership, Animals and Plants, Rare Species, Soundscape Ecology, and Management. Within each section, there will be sources and links to further resources and we encourage you to explore to your heart’s content. Please enjoy our webpage, and welcome to Carse Wetlands.