Vernon's Black Gum Swamp: a History

Get the tour and learn all about Vernon's legendary Black Gum Swamps. The Vernon Black Gum Swamp Complex is located within the J. Maynard Miller Municipal Forest (Vernon Town Forest) and with- in the adjacent Roaring Brook Wildlife Management Area (WMA) owned by the VT Fish and Wildlife Department. Vernon Town Forest is a unique forest that contains at least seven swamps supporting black gum trees ( Nyssa sylvatica ). The black gum tree is relatively common 400 miles to the south, but in Vermont it is rare, a remnant from the past when the climate was warmer, approximately 3,000 - 5,000 years ago. Some of the black gum trees are purported to be over 400 years old. Vernon provides parking at the end of Basin Road and an easy 1.35 mile walking trail through the forest surrounding the black gum swamps. Roaring Brook is used primarily for hunting, hiking, and snowmobiling, but has little available access.

Over 80 people took the tour of Vernon's Black Gum Swamp (the red trail) within the J. Maynard Miller Municipal Forest Friday evening, April 28th, 2017 given by Windham County Forester, Bill Guenther,  Laura Lapierre manager of the Vermont Wetlands Program in the Department of environmental Conservation, and Bob zaino Nature Heritage Department of Vermont Fish and Wildlife. Paul Miller, son of J. Maynard Miller talked about historical background of the Vernon Town Forest. The tour was given in conjunction with the proposal to designate VBGS a Class I Protected Wetlands.

Audio of the tour was supplied by Martin Langeveld, suplimental video (2015) by Deb Lazar.