Whether your favorite South Hero memories are of welcoming new lambs at Paradise Bay Farm, catching frogs along the trails at Round Pond, or apple picking at Hackett’s Orchard, you know this special place needs to be protected. Our landscape nourishes us, connects us to each other, roots us in our history, and holds our hope for the future. Protecting our legacy of farms and open space means that for generations to come, our children will build their own stories and memories of the land.  

South Hero Land Trust is a 501-(c)3 non-profit organization with the mission of protecting the farmland, woodland, natural and recreational areas, and open spaces which help give South Hero its distinctive quality of life. There are many ways in which we do this work: building strong community ties, forging partnerships with farmers, establishing critical links between consumers and farmers, getting kids and adults out onto the land, education about our natural world, school programs, and of course, land conservation.

A Challenge Accepted Leads to Decades of Land Conservation

South Hero Land Trust (SHLT) was formed in 1997 by a small group of local community members who were interested in taking a hands on approach to protecting the natural resources of the town of South Hero . "When we approached land conservation organizations about the possibility of starting a land trust in South Hero, the response was largely discouraging, as the perception was that it was too little, too late for the fastest growing county in Vermont ." Charlie Tipper, Former President and co-founder of SHLT.

This challenge was all the fledgling organization needed to hit the gate running. SHLT consulted with many other local land trusts during its inception, on everything from by-laws to land conservation strategies to membership dues. It became clear quickly that one of SHLT's most important goals was to establish a broad, grassroots, support base. One way this was accomplished early on was to assemble a Board of Directors that was a true reflection of the diverse community South Hero, including farmers, parents and grandparents, teachers, business owners, long-time residents and newcomers, and others.

The first project, and catalyst for the formation of SHLT, was the conservation of over 300 acres of Vermont 's oldest commercial apple orchard, Allenholm Farm. Since then SHLT has protected over 1,700 acres of land in South Hero, worked with local farmers to start the Champlain Islands Farmers' Market, built and opened community trails at Round Pond State Park, the Landon Farm, and Tracy Woods, published over 10 editions of the Champlain Islands Grown Guide to Agriculture (now the NW Vermont Grown Guide to Agriculture), hosted hundreds of workshops, programs, and events to connect our community to the land and local farms, and much more.

Guided by Core Values

Today, South Hero Land Trust is a dynamic organization with five core areas of work: land conservation projects, land stewardship, farm viability and food access, public access to the outdoors, and environmental education. Each of these areas of work is guided by our core values.

• Conserving land in South Hero, for current and future generations, is the heart of South Hero Land Trust.

• We are deeply engaged in fostering appreciation and stewardship of South Hero’s farms, natural and recreational resources, and community.

• We build programs and relationships that foster and transcend land conservation.

• Our greatest strength is our direct connection and commitment to the land and people of South Hero.

• We recognize that we are embedded in a broader movement, and are eager to engage with our neighboring communities.

• We believe in strong partnerships and healthy collaboration.                        

• We work toward creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces for all people on the land and in our community.

For more on how these core values interact with our evolving thoughts on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, read our “Notes on Equity” HERE>>.