Hikeu Leads Effort to clean up the Lamoille River

The Hikeu Adventure Guide basecamp is located just outside of the little village of Fairfax, Vermont. We love it here because it is quiet and peaceful. Fairfax boasts its own newspaper, The Fairfax News . The town even has it's very own Grandpa in Henry Raymond (who lived in the Hikeu basecamp back in the 60's) whose website http://www.vtgrandpa.com/ is visited by many people every day; those of us that are living locally and those who moved away for one reason or another, keep a finger on the pulse of Fairfax through Henry's website.

Last summer the Fairfax Park & Recreation department started to build a beautiful little park, nature trail and bike path in town. More work has gone into the area this summer, which now has inviting benches and picnic tables; ball fields, trash receptacles,and poop bag dispensers. A real gem for a small Vermont town.

So guess where my girls (two beautiful Golden Retrievers) like to walk? Well, not exactly on the trail or path. If they have their way, they head for the Lamoille River the first chance they get. As long as we follow, they are content to wade the entire length of the park in the river. No big deal when the water isn't too high, but the problem is all the stuff that has been thrown into the river over the years; bikes, tires, car pieces and parts, even a lawn mower. Our river is not exactly a model for Leave No Trace...not yet at least!

Hikeu is now on a mission to rally the other members of the Fairfax Business and Professional Association (FBPA) to help us clean up the Lamoille in the area of the park. The Park & Rec department has already agreed to pay for any recycling costs, so we have momentum. We are targeting July 22nd as River Clean-up Day in Fairfax.

Stay-tuned for a full report on just how much stuff really lies at the bottom of the Lamoille in Fairfax Vermont!