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2025 Caspian Challenge on July 27: Register Today!
The Caspian Challenge:
Sunday, July 27, 2025
at 8:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION ONLINE STARTING MAY 1 ($15)
DAY OF RACE REGISTRATION $20 (CASH ONLY)
The 14th Annual Caspian Challenge Road Race is scheduled for Sunday, July 27, 2025 at the Ballfield in Greensboro, the corner of Lake Shore Road and Breezy Avenue. The race consists of the classic 6.8 mile loop around Caspian Lake and an out and back 5K Walk/Race. Prizes for both races and refreshments for all.
Join us for a morning of fun, exercise and community support. All proceeds from the event go to the Greensboro Community Meals program. The registration fee online is $15 through July 26, and $20 on day of race. Day of race registration begins at 7:15 a.m. and ends at 8:15 a.m. sharp. No fee for those under 13. Minimum age to participate in the 5K is 7.
Eric Hanson, Race Director – [email protected].
Important Information from Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District’s Lake Watershed Program Specialist
A Letter from Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District’s Lake Watershed Program Specialist
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Will Marlier
Spring 2025
For many, Spring is a time of new beginnings. The snow melts, the ice recedes, crocuses bloom, and peepers fill the air with their cacophonous song. Lakes across the state shake the lethargy from their shores as both natural and human systems prepare for the hustle and bustle of summer.
For me, this spring brought new employment and an opportunity to connect more deeply with the thawing lakes of the Northeast Kingdom. The Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District had been advertising for a Lake Watershed Program Specialist over the course of the winter. For a young local man looking to dedicate his life to the stewardship of Vermont’s natural resources, it felt like the perfect opportunity. I was happy to apply, and even happier to be offered the position. I bring with me to this work an undergraduate degree from Temple University, and a session working in the State House with the House Environment & Energy Committee. I moved to Greensboro in 2020, and have spent much of my time since then volunteering with the Greensboro Conservation Commission and Greensboro Land Trust.
In the Lake Watershed Program Specialist role I will support lakeshore communities across Orleans County in managing their watersheds to improve water quality and restore natural ecosystems. The bulk of my work will be focused on collaborating with lake associations, landowners, and other partners to implement recently completed Lake Watershed Action Plans (or LWAP’s). I will accomplish this by interfacing with landowners to develop projects, secure grant funding for project implementation, and coordinating community outreach efforts. I will serve as a resource for landowners with questions about Best Management Practices, and will make myself available to conduct Lake Wise Assessments for those that are interested.
My efforts in community outreach will sometimes manifest as written articles (like this one) and other times manifest as in-person educational workshops. This spring I supported our partner organizations, the Memphremagog Watershed Association and Northwoods Stewardship Center, in developing a program on Lake Seymour. The workshop is designed to showcase practical and manageable projects that lake association members and lakeshore landowners could implement independently. It will be held on Sunday, April 27th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and will feature three stations, each exploring a different type of water quality improvement. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please contact MWA’s Gabryel Gianoni at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
Station One:
Culvert Installation and Driveway Drainage
With the help of an excavator operator, this crew will install a cross culvert that redirects stormwater drainage under an existing driveway and reconnects it to a marshy field it has historically hydrated. Culvert installation requires the careful consideration of multiple points.
1. Is the culvert properly sized to accommodate high flow events?
2. Is the culvert properly pitched to facilitate drainage and natural flow?
3. Are both the inlet and outlet set in such a way that future erosion will be minimized?
Workshop facilitator, MWA’s Patrick Hurley, will lay out the details of how he determined the culvert’s ideal size and pitch to the day’s attendees. If you (or a neighbor) are considering replacing or adding a culvert, it is always a good idea to get a professional’s opinion before moving forward to implementation. After the culvert is in the ground, the day’s volunteers will set about stabilizing the outlet. This will be done with loose stone and a handful of willow stakes. Stone at the outlet helps to slow and disperse the water as it exits the pipe while also protecting the soil from unnecessary erosion. The value of the willow stakes and other plantings are explored even more thoroughly at the next station.
Station Two:
Riparian Buffer Planting
The second station focuses on planting a riparian vegetative buffer alongside Cranberry Brook. There, facilitator Ted Sedell and myself will lead volunteers through the planting of a wide range of wet-loving plant species. The following table provides a list of the species that will be used, as well as some information worth considering before planting.
Establishing buffers on the banks of streams and lakes serve a critical role in protecting water quality. Growing roots work to stabilize and hold the soil, prevent erosion from high-flow events, armor banks against ice push, and slow and filter water draining down the bank and into the body of water. Planting vegetative buffers is a wonderful and accessible way for lakeshore property owners to get involved on their own properties. While this management practice is relatively straightforward, most plant vendors and landscapers are also available to answer questions about the specifics.
Station Three:
Lakeshore Erosion
The third station will be located directly at the lakeshore, by the mouth of a drainage area. This station will serve as an informational station, with less hands-on involvement from volunteers. The site showcases examples of lawn-to-lake mowing, which creates a weaker bank that is prone to erosion, and does little to filter the water entering the lake. Significant ice push at this site has managed to create large berms of soil along the bank and push very large stones up and onto the lawn, threatening the structure of the cabin. At this point, facilitators of the workshop recommend leaving the berms in place to act as natural bank armor against future ice. Volunteers will add willow stakes along the shore to help stabilize the soil there. Willows are incredibly hardy plants, and can often withstand being flattened by ice. This site also observes an erosive gully that is threatening to destroy a portion of the driveway. Due to its proximity to the lakeshore, any excavation work to correct the bank of this drainage is potentially subject to permitting. It is a good reminder that work done by heavy machinery in the vicinity of a lakeshore should go through the proper regulatory channels, even if you are unsure if a permit is required.
Collaborating organizations are hopeful that this workshop will be a huge success. It will engage local lakeshore advocates and community members, and I hope that many attendees will walk away with useful information that they will be able to put into action on their own lakes. Again, if you are interested in the workshop, please contact MWA’s Gabryel Gianoni at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP. Remember, each of us are capable of effecting real positive change for the environment on our own properties and in our own communities.
As we look to the summer ahead of us, I hope to work closely with all of you to further protect our lakes, their shores, and the water and life that they hold. I am currently working on several potential workshops and projects for this summer, so make sure you are subscribed to the
OCNRCD newsletter for updates!
Please feel free to reach out to me by email
([email protected]) or phone (802-595-4538) if you have any questions or ideas regarding this work.
Caspian Lake Watershed Action Plan
Stewards of the Greensboro watersheds partnered with the Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation Service to complete a Lake Watershed Action Plan for the Caspian Lake Watershed. A Lake Watershed Action Plan is an assessment and planning tool which identifies the greatest threats to the lake ecosystem, including impacts on water quality and wildlife habitat from stormwater runoff and from altered, cleared, or converted shorelands. The assessment combines a lake’s condition of shoreland, tributaries, drainage ditches, wetlands, hydrologically connected roads, and working landscapes in an individual planning guide that prioritizes restoration and protection actions for that specific region.
The Caspian Lake LWAP information is available for your viewing on the Storymap site. This story identifies individual properties within the watershed where a stream, wetland, road or shore project could be completed to reduce phosphorus input to the watershed. If you see your property in the storymap (by location identification only) and would like to pursue a project, please contact [email protected]
February Greetings from the Greensboro Association
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Orleans County Conservation District invites you to a Community Meeting on February 10
The Orleans County Conservation District Vermont invites you to a Community Meeting at Irasburg Town Hall on Feb 10th. There will be short presentations on Memphremagog and Champlain watershed water quality, forests and agriculture and a discussion on natural resource priorities, needs, gaps and future solutions. To find out more and RSVP follow the link below.
https://www.orleanscountynrcd.org/2025-locally-led-conservation-community-meeting
There is also an opportunity to have your voice heard by responding to this survey in advance of the meeting with a chance to win a $50 gift card to the annual Orleans County plant sale.
Ban Wake Boats and Wake Sports on Caspian Lake: Hearing on December 12
The public meeting for the Caspian petition to ban wake boats and wake sports will be held on December 12th. The Caspian team will present a summary of its petition and will have time to present supporting evidence. The evidence that we provide in this step in the process will determine whether Caspian will be included in the next step of rule-making.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1) write a letter (see instructions below) in support of the ban on Caspian. We collected over 1200 signatures that were submitted along with the petition and we need to prove that this support is still relevant. Make your letter personal, how would wake boat use on Caspian impact your use of the Lake, your safety, and your ability to enjoy the quiet Lake culture.
2). attend the meeting to show support for the Caspian ban. You can sign up to speak at the link below.
3). Spread the word and encourage your friends to submit letters or attend in person or via zoom.
WHAT: Public Meeting to receive comment on three petitions proposing amendments for lake-specific changes to the Use of Public Waters Rules governing wakesports on Waterbury Reservoir, Lake Fairlee, and Caspian Lake.
WHERE: National Life Dewey Conference Room, 3 National Life Dr., Montpelier, VT, 05620 (in person)
OR online via Microsoft Teams, using the link at the meeting time: Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 268 492 569 354 Passcode: EExYY3
OR: Dial in by phone
WHEN: December 12, 2024 from 4:30pm to 7:00pm
To submit a comment:
Written and verbal comments will be accepted.
- Please submit written comments to [email protected] . Public comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on December 23rd. IMPORTANT: when submitting a public comment, please include the word “wakesports” in the subject line AND the specific petition (lake) for which you are providing a comment.
- Registration to provide verbal comments at the public meeting will be available here two weeks prior to the meeting
Equal weight is given to comments that are made in person, virtually, or in writing.
2024 Community Impact Report: Celebrating 90 Years of Collective Action
As we look back on this year’s events and activities, we are deeply appreciative of our members’ collective impact throughout the greater Greensboro community. Your ideas, connections, time, and donations make a big difference in the lives of many. Last winter, in recognition of the GA’s 90 years, the Board engaged in a strategic review of priorities and updated our Mission and Vision statements to guide our commitment to this community as we approach our century mark.
Together, we are finding creative ways to celebrate the arts and culture, steward our lakes and natural environment, strengthen emergency and medical services, address unmet needs and food security, and enhance educational and recreation opportunities for all. We value our relationships with our neighbors and are inspired by all that our partnerships make possible – whether responding quickly to disasters or investing in long-range plans. This report includes a sampling of some of the initiatives the GA membership has helped make possible this past year.
If you are able, we hope you will consider a year-end gift to the Fund for Greensboro (FFG) in your annual giving or estate plans. Gifts of any amount to the Unrestricted, Lake Reserve or Endowment Fund will help advance our mission of connecting and enhancing our greater Greensboro community, protecting our lakes and environment, and supporting a vibrant local economy now and for years to come. Donate here.
We welcome your energy, interests, and perspectives on any of our committees or working groups. Thank you for joining us,
Naomi Ranz-Schleifer, President and Cathy Irwin, FFG Chair
Click here to read the full report.
Seventy-Five Willow Trees Planted
Volunteers from the Greensboro Association and the Greensboro Conservation Commission planted 75 Willow trees on Saturday, November 9th in East Hardwick and Greensboro Bend as part of the Stream Wise program. The trees were purchased with funding provided by the Greensboro Association.
Thanks to property owners Meredith Holch, Cindy Dailey and Pierrette Lyman for their participation and stewardship and also to Smith’s Grocery in Greensboro Bend for providing lunch to the volunteer team!
Stream Wise engages streamside property owners to help them enhance and protect vegetated stream buffers, increasing flood resiliency and benefiting water quality and natural habitat.
For more information please go to https://streamwisechamplain.
2025 Tour de Greensboro
The Tour de Greensboro is a non-competitive classic style ski tour event located in the beautiful town of Greensboro Vermont. The course is a 25 km single loop starting and ending at the Highland Lodge with a 15 km cutoff for those who prefer not to ski the entire distance. Participants will experience some of the best classic skiing in NE with spectacular views along the course incorporating the Greensboro Trail System and private trails. The course will be professionally groomed by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and private landowners. Please note that this event is not for beginner skiers. You must know the basic classic techniques needed for skiing uphills and downhills and the fitness required to ski 25km or 15km. For event registration, go to: https://www.skireg.com/tour-de-greensboro
Seeking Volunteers for Town of Greensboro Adopt-a-Culvert Program
The Town of Greensboro has over 800 culverts that play a functional role in moving water through road ditches or from water storage areas. Blocked or failed culverts can lead to costly road damage and water pollution via phosphorus transport. The goal of the adopt-a-culvert program is to ensure that ditches and culverts are maintained by cleaning on a biannual basis or as needed. Property owners should ensure that the culvert (if you have one) where your drive meets the town road is free of debris. Maintenance of these culverts should be completed by the property owner. If you are unable to complete this, we can ask volunteers to help you.
We are looking for volunteers to monitor ditches and culverts on town Rrads and, if able to, clear them of debris. This simple maintenance task will prevent culvert blockage and significantly reduce road damage. If you want to volunteer for the adopt-a-culvert program please fill out the form at https://forms.gle/
Detailed instructions will be provided when you have committed to the program.
This program is organized by the Stewards of the Greensboro Watersheds of the Greensboro Association and the Greensboro Conservation Commission.
Caspian Lake Sailing–2024 Season Report
Caspian Lake Sailing – 2024 Season Report
Caspian Lake Sailing ran another strong season of racing this summer. In the August Series 38 total sailors competed over the course of 8 races in 3 weeks. Counting July programs there were 43 participants over all. August races averaged 12 boats per race. On three occasions the fleet reached 16 boats. Sunfish comprised the majority. Also competing were Lasers, RS Class, a Flying Dutchman, a Voyager, an Hunter, a Hobie Cat, and a Rocket.
Throughout the series sailors raced with sportsmanship and real joy in typical Caspian wind that is predictable only in being unpredictable. Constant shifts in wind direction and speed made for classic Caspian races in which the back of the fleet caught up to the front, leads changed regularly, and the order of finish remained uncertain until the last moments. Often boats finished within seconds of each other. In short, loads of fun was had by all.
Series scoring works on a low point system with 1 point for a first place, 2 for 2nd, and so on. Sailors top four finishes were counted toward final scoring. Top finishers for series were:
Paul Brierre – 4 points
John Jacobs – 7 points
Peter Osterhout – 8 points
Rusty Newhouse – 14 points
There were numerous other strong finishers who may have only sailed in 3 or fewer races. Among them were Paul Landon, Scott Slater, Patrick Hewes, Cem Arcula, Blake Auchincloss, Chris King, Mark Wright, Doug McDonald, Phoebe Osterhout, Finn Osterhout, and Josie Marshall.
Very notable as well was seeing John Stone racing his Flying Dutchman crewed by multiple family members. This strategy paid off as the Stone/Slater family took home the prize for entering the most family members in the series over all.
Added note: a 2nd Dutchman sailed by Andy and Mateo Kehler took to Caspian waters for the first time in late August… Beautiful and fast these boats are. Hoping to see spinnakers out for a two boat Dutchman class next year.
Please see this attachment for complete results from each race.
Thanks to the efforts of Peter Osterhout CLS expanded its program into July with two scheduled races as well as regular practice and instructional races. Having marks set early in the season gave sailors the opportunity to run pick-up races whenever the wind called, which, of course, it often did. Basically, seeing two or more sails meeting up just north of the sunken island is an invitation to rig up and get out there. Using a slightly higher tech method, Peter built up a group text for sharing announcements, results, and photographs. This group ended up numbering 32 people, which apparently is the maximum for a group on iPhone messaging.
Caspian Lake Sailing is organized by a core group of advocates promoting love of sailing as a means for building community on the lake. All levels of experience, all ages, all boats are encouraged. We offer free and informal instruction. Basically, we see all races as opportunities for learning and teaching. Please come out and join in! See contacts at bottom for more information.
Next summer CLS plans to carry momentum forward with its same programs for July and August – informal/instructional races in July, race series in August. In addition, plans are in the works for a regatta on August 15/16: 5-7 races over two days. Mark your calendars now!
For more information on instruction, for general questions, or to volunteer to help with race committee, please contact:
Paul Landon @ [email protected]
John Jacobs @ [email protected] or 617-504-9203
Paul Brierre @ [email protected]
Peter Osterhout @ [email protected]
Caspian Lake Sailing can also be followed on Instagram
@ caspian_summer_sailing_series
The Great Greensboro Bird Event on Saturday, August 17
Mark your calendars for the Great Greensboro Bird event on Saturday August 17th at 1pmfeaturing the ‘Vermont Bird Diva’ Bridget Butler followed by the Raptors of VINS – the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences. This event will take place at the Highland Center for the Arts (HCA) and is jointly sponsored by the HCA and the Greensboro Conservation Commission. Click on this link to find out more. https://greensborovt.
GREENSBORO ASSOCIATION RELIEF FUND – FLOOD RELIEF
After last year’s devastation we’re learning and getting stronger by supporting our mutual aid networks. We are still learning about the impacts and understanding the extent of the damage of last nights storm. Every dollar donated will support our local community. Please share widely!
Link: https://bit.ly/GreensboroAssociationDonations
2024 Caspian Lake Sailing Race Schedule
Welcome to the 2024 summer racing series. Races will be held on:
Saturday, July 20
Saturday, July 27
Then, beginning Saturday, August 3rd, races will be every Saturday and Wednesday, ending on Saturday, August 24.
The start times are 2:30 pm. The starts are off Aspenhurst Point, just north of the sunken island. All levels of experience are welcomed and encouraged. All classes of boats are welcome!!
Photo by Karen Gowen.
Greensboro Celebrates our Freedom and Independence on Saturday, July 6
The Funky Fourth Parade: 10 AM Saturday, July 6st. Grand Marshal Clive Grey and the graduating Class of Lakeview Elementary will lead the menagerie down Breezy Avenue. The parade will feature bagpipe virtuoso Bill MacEisner, the legendary HoneyBee Steel Band, the Bread and Puppet Theater, Greensboro Ladies Walking Society, dogs, horses, cows, small & big-time politicians, weird floats, mega farm equipment plus our own The Road Crew and Fire Department.
Community Picnic: 11:30 – Bring Your Appetite. The parade will transition into the community picnic on the lawn of the Town Hall. Free sandwiches, grilled sausages /hot dogs, Kingdom Creamery cones plus Church Lady home-made cookies will be served(as long as they last).
Dessert & Art Auction: 12 Noon. As the picnic winds down, slick-talking Tim Nisbet assisted by Vanna White-Robinson will hawk Greensboro’s finest home-made heirloom desserts and local art pieces to benefit the Hardwick Area Food Pantry. Additional desserts and art pieces will be available for bidding on the accompanying Silent Auction tables.
**Dessert & Art Donations: They should be delivered to Greensboro Town Hall : Desserts- Saturday morning prior to the 10 o’clock start of the parade. Art donations- Anytime the week prior to the auction. For more info, call John Schweizer @ 802.533.9289 or Dave Kelley at 802.586.2588
Music & Dancing at Highland Center for the Arts: 5:30 PM. The Radio Rangers will ignite the evening air with their sound and energy. Mini-golf, outdoor games, Sugar-on-Snow plus family fire pits will be open to all on the HCA lawn. The Radio Rangers concert is free of charge (donations welcome). Picnic dinners and libations will be available for purchase. In case of rain, music will move indoors.
The Greensboro Funky Fourth Committee
The Greensboro Association’s New Mission and Vision Statements
In honor of our 90th year as an organization, the Greensboro Association Board of Trustees recently conducted a strategic review and planning process to guide us to 100 years and beyond. As part of that review, we revisited the Greensboro Association’s Vision and Mission statements, which we are delighted to share with you:
Our Mission is to advance initiatives that connect and enhance our greater Greensboro community, protect our lakes and environment, and support a vibrant local economy.
We envision that the Greensboro Association will be an essential connector within our greater Greensboro community and an example throughout Vermont for what we achieve through community collaboration and environmental stewardship.
These updated statements reflect our sustained focus on both environmental and community needs. We recognize that Greensboro exists within an interconnected community, ecosystem, and economy. To be a part of ensuring a vibrant Greensboro for generations to come we must continue to engage our greater Greensboro community in all that we do.
The Greensboro Association has long supported organizations and efforts that provide important community services and engaging programming for our residents and visitors alike. We have worked to protect Caspian Lake and its surrounding environment for generations, expanding efforts to include the entire watershed of all our lakes, rivers, and streams. We continue to find ways to forge connections between neighbors and build relationships that span generations. This is fundamental to the work we do and the community we envision in the years to come. We hope you join us on this journey!
As we celebrate 90 years of mission-driven work, we look forward to collaborating with you all as we bring this vision to life. We are an all-volunteer, member-based organization and consistent with our vision, encourage all full and part-time residents of Greensboro who support this mission to contribute their voices and become members of the Greensboro Association.
13th Annual Caspian Challenge: July 28, 2024: Registration opens on May 1
The Caspian Challenge:
Sunday, July 28, 2024
at 8:30 a.m.
REGISTRATION ONLINE STARTING MAY 1 ($15)
DAY OF RACE REGISTRATION $20 (CASH ONLY)
The 13th Annual Caspian Challenge Road Race is scheduled for Sunday, July 28, 2024 at the Ballfield In Greensboro, the corner of Lake Shore Road and Breezy Avenue. The race consists of the classic 6.8 mile loop around Caspian Lake and an out and back 5K Walk/Race. Prizes for both races and refreshments for all.
Join us for a morning of fun, exercise and community support. All proceeds from the event go to the Caspian Lake Adult Swim program. The registration fee online is $15 through July 27, and $20 on day of race. Day of race registration begins at 7:15 a.m. and ends at 8:15 a.m. sharp. No fee for those under 13. Minimum age to participate in the 5K is 7.
Eric Hanson, Race Director – [email protected].
