For the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine
Looking for a gorgeous bird’s eye view of the Stone Valley? Climb Haystack Mountain in nearby Pawlet (not to be confused with Haystack Mountain in Wilmington, VT.)
Haystack is southernmost mountain of "three sisters", visible from Lake St Catherine. Middle and Bald Mountain complete the trio that forms the centerpiece of the north Pawlet hills, where approximately two thousand acres of unbroken forest survives, undeveloped and practically unimpacted by any human use since its beginnings after the glaciers retreated at the end of the last ice age.
Haystack Mountain, the Town's distinctive natural emblem, rises abruptly from the valley in North Pawlet. Once called in local advertisements “the Gibraltar of the America”, Haystack affords the hardy hiker one of the best panoramic views in Southern Vermont.
Start from the center of town and proceed 1.7 miles North on RT 30. Make a Right turn at Waite Hill road (dirt) and go exactly 1.2 miles and park at the entrance to Tunket Road, this is the entrance to the hike. Directions via Google Maps.
Please do not block the entrance to Tunket Road. There are lots of “Do Not Enter” signs about – no worries- this refers to cars. Just follow the trail marked with the green sign for the Nature Conservancy.
The trail head is about a 15 minute walk from the parking area. To reach the summit will take between 1 and 1.5 hours (bring water and good shoes). This is not an easy hike (the last 20 minutes are steep) but the panoramic views from the top of Haystack are well worth it! From the modest 1,919-foot summit you can see as far west as Glens Falls, NY, and south beyond the farms of the Mettowee Valley to Mount Equinox in Manchester.
The Vermont Loon Conservation Project, a program of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE), would like to thoroughly assess loon activity on Lake St. Catherine this year.
The Vermont loon population has expanded greatly over the past 20 years. If a loon pair ever forms on Lake St. Catherine, they will likely need a little help since loons nest right on the water's edge near boat traffic and occasionally near cottages and other shoreline activity. Loons prefer to nest on islands and at marsh edges but occasionally nest on spits of land or little shelves that are easy to crawl onto.
Photo credit: © Elinor Osborn via VCE website
Eric Hanson, the VCE conservation biologist who coordinates the loon program is looking for some volunteers who can boat the entire lake occasionally when the water is calm (evenings and mornings tend to be best) and count all loons present. Whether volunteers conduct just one survey all summer or go every week, it's all helpful. Residents can also report incidental sightings (e.g., out your camp window).
VCE is also looking for a volunteer to survey Lake St. Catherine on July 15 as part of the annual statewide count.
If you'd like to assist Eric with this project, please contact him at ehanson@vtecostudies.org or call 802-586-8064.
The Lake St. Catherine Association is still searching for a Recording Secretary.
The Recording Secretary will record, type and distribute the minutes for the four Trustee meetings and the the Annual Membership Meeting for the LSCA. The dates for these meetings are:
All meetings are held at the Lake St. Catherine Country Club.
If you are interested in this position and volunteering with the LSCA, please contact us at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Looking for a local hike? Climb St. Catherine Mountain and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the lake and the Adirondack Mountains in the distance.
Green Mountain College’s Lewis Deane Nature Preserve is an 85-acre parcel of land located on the eastern slopes of Mount St. Catherine, part of the Taconic Mountains. More than 285 plant species provide a habitat to more than 50 species of birds, nine species of mammals, five species of amphibians, and one reptilian species. Endless Brook is home to indigenous brook trout. The brook snakes its way along the east side of the nature preserve, going underground as it nears Lake St. Catherine, earning the brook its intriguing name. Two trails climb to the top of the mountain, a favorite site for picking blueberries and enjoying the view.
Since its acquisition in 2002, Green Mountain College has utilized the preserve as an outdoor classroom. A number of classes have incorporated Deane Preserve into their curricula. Students from Images of Nature classes have helped to build and maintain these trails.
Trail head parking is on the west side of Endless Brook Road just past the pink bed and breakfast, Toad Hall, about one mile southeast of Route 30. A kiosk provides visitors with background information on the geology, hydrology, ecology, and history of the reserve, and it highlights how the preserve is being used by Green Mountain College for education, research, and recreation.
Map by Green Mountain College
Visitor Guidelines
All visitors to the preserve are asked to follow these guidelines:
Each season, the Lake St. Catherine Association staffs the boat launch with "Greeters". These representatives of the LSCA play a very important part in keeping invasive species of plants and fish out of the lake.
We are currently looking to add to our monitoring staff for the 2017 season.
Our boat launch greeter duties include:
To be a LSCA boat launch greeter, you need to:
At the DEC training class, you will learn about:
Greeters will be paid $15 per hour, including a paid lunch hour. Supervisors have the potential to make more for their increased responsibilities.
If you are interested in becoming a LSCA Boat Launch Greeter, please email us at: info@lakestcatherine.org.
On Town Meeting Day, the Town Of Poultney voted to approve the appropriation of funds for the Lake St. Catherine Association.
"We want to thank the new Poultney Town Manager, Paul A. Donaldson and the Town of Poultney for their contribution of $20,000.00 to the Lake St. Catherine Association towards our work to maintain the health of the lake," said LSCA President, Jim Canders.
Maintaining the lake costs approximately $100,000 annually. Grants, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding. If you'd like to help, please consider becoming a member or making a donation. The LSCA is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and any contribution that you make is tax deductible.
Thanks again to the Town Of Poultney!
On Tuesday, March 7th 2017, the residents of Wells voted to provide $12,000.00 in support of the Lake St. Catherine Association's mission to protect and maintain the lake.
"We want to thank the residents of Wells for providing this money to help support our efforts to maintain the lake," said LSCA President, Jim Canders. "These funds will be used for numerous tasks, including: controlling Eurasian Watermilfoil, boat launch monitoring, suction harvesting and the continued vigilance over the general welfare of this magnificent natural resource."
Thanks again to the good folks of Wells!
Longtime Lake St. Catherine Association Trustees Martin and Ellen Greenberg have decided to retire from the board. The LSCA would like to thank them for their MANY years of service to the lake community!
As a result, we have an opening on the board for our Recording Secretary.
It's something the lake community looks forward to every year - the 4th of July fireworks!
The Lake St. Catherine Association has been informed by lake residents Rick Roberts and Jack Williams that they have scheduled their coordinated fireworks displays for the evening of Saturday, July 1st. Rick and Jack are working with Young’s Explosives from Rochester, NY.
Rick expressed his gratitude to those who donate in support of the show financially - and to the good folks that help him each year with "The Barge".
Rick also talked about why he likes putting on the show each year, "...I hope that the show lets everyone lay down their 'stuff', if only for a time, and to sit back, relax, and realize that sometimes life—and the Lake—are pretty good things."
On behalf of the Lake St. Catherine community, the LSCA would like to thank Rick and Jack for their extremely generous efforts to light up the sky for Independence Day.
Hello Lake St. Catherine community!
The Lake St. Catherine Association's 2017 Membership Drive is underway.
Last week, we sent out mailings to the Lake St. Catherine community containing the 2017 Membership Application.
If you'd like to support the LSCA and become a member, you can fill out the Membership Form linked above, or you can fill in our online membership form and submit your dues online. If you'd like to do so, you can click here to go to our Membership section.
Some of the services the LSCA provides are:
Your membership and the dues and contributions we receive allows us to accomplish our work. Maintaining the lake costs approximately $100,000 annually. While we do receive annual grants from Poultney, Wells, and the State, membership dues and contributions make up the majority of our funding.
After receiving your dues, our Treasurer Elaine will send you a welcome mailing which includes a LSCA member card for your window and a LSCA pen.
We appreciate your support!
If you have any questions, please contact us at at info@lakestcatherine.org.
Search lakestcatherine.org:
Follow us on:
