The Hunger Mountain Co-op, perched along the Winooski River in downtown Montpelier, is a community gathering spot. Unfortunately, when the building was built in the late 1990s, the landscaping was filled with Norway maple, burning bush and Japanese barberry. In 2009, Manager Kari Bradley took an important step towards making the co-op more ecologically sound. After receiving approval from the city’s Design Review Board, the invasive plants were removed. North Branch Nature Center campers – girls learning about careers in the environment – came out for a service-learning day and worked with TNC staff and co-op volunteers to dig up 14 plants and replace them with native chokeberry and winterberry. The landscaping is now both beautiful and wildlife friendly.
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