Bennington Museum
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Thank you, for your 'Day of Service' at Bennington Museum! We are grateful for your participation!
Check back soon for upcoming work dates and events.
• Weeds and Invasives: Which invasive species are on our trail? Facts and photos to make identification easier.
• Ferns: History of the early fern industry in Vermont. Quotes from George Aiken, oral histories from locals who picked ferns for supplemental income, lists of important ferns in the state and ferns Aiken grew in his nursery in Putney, VT. How many of these we can get on our trail?
• Plant Profiling: Inventory of species on our trail, both what is in the woods and is planned. Creating a spreadsheet with photos/images (include various growth stages), species information, scientific and common names, references to George Aiken’s book Pioneering with Wildflowers.
• Continue forming planting beds along trails.
• Clean up brook and repair dam.
• Continue removal of invasive species and weeding.
• Mulching and planting.
Please contact GAWT Co-Chairs Jackie Marro at jcminvt@hotmail.com or Sara Bonthuis at sarabonthuis@gmail.com or contact the Bennington Museum Development Office at 802.447.1571. Are you interested in receiveing e-mail updates? We are happy to add you to the GAWT e-mail update keeping you posted on the most current happenings, upcoming volunteer days and plant sales. We will NOT SHARE YOUR EMAIL INFORMATION. We respect your privacy!
Before Aiken was Vermont's Governor, and then a U.S. Senator, he was a local farmer in Putney, Vermont. He ran a large mail order catalog business, specializing in native fruits, berries, wildflowers and ferns. In 1933 he wrote a book “Pioneering with Wildflowers” which became hugely popular and went through four subsequent printings.
The George Aiken Wildflower Trail is intended to preserve the legacy of this famous and highly-respected Vermonter through the creation and maintenance of wildflower gardens. The trails will eventually be filled with native plants that Aiken himself propagated, loved, and described in his book. Created by Museum Volunteers, the wildflower trail will always be a work in progress.
The trail is a short loop behind the Museum, one-third of a mile long, with a 235 foot mid-section connector trail. There are a few benches along the way, with some indigenous plants and trees. Over the next several years, we will cultivate the landscape, creating wildflower gardens throughout the paths, woods and fields.
This Trail is open to the public, free of charge, and is a wonderful space for an afternoon walk or family picnic in the top field. Pets must be leashed and picked up after!
Thank you for your interest and helping us spread the word about the Wildflower Trail and its progress. Bennington Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) and needs active volunteer participation to continue fabulous programs such as this.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET INVOLVED & TO HELP US HELP THE COMMUNITY.
This trail is intended to preserve the legacy of George Aiken, a famous and highly-respected Vermonter, through the creation and maintenance of community wildflower gardens.
