Vermont

Vermont

By Philippe Tousignant
Renaissance School, Grade 4

When I think about Vermont, I think that we are very lucky to have such a wonderful place to be, with green trees everywhere and birds flying in every direction, fishing from the river bank, and campfires at night. Vermont is a great place to live!

Vermont was discovered by Samuel de Champlain in 1609. He was impressed by the beauty of the mountains and called the area “Vert Monts”. In French, vert means green and monts, mountains.

Vermonters are lucky to be able to enjoy the change of seasons. Spring is the rebirth of nature: the flowers and trees bloom rapidly, and the animals are busy raising their newborns. Summer brings long, warm days sailing on Lake Champlain. I think autumn is the most spectacular time of year in Vermont! The mountains are ablaze with color. The air is crisp and dry. From the mountaintops, one can see for tens of miles. It is a perfect time for walks and hikes. As autumn comes to a close, the colorful maple trees shed their leaves and begin preparations to make sap for delicious maple syrup at the end of winter. Winter quickly follows fall. In winter the air becomes so cold that it pinches your cheeks. Vermonters are divided on how they feel about winter: some, like me, enjoy winter sports and looking at snowflakes of many different designs. Others find the winter days too short and lacking sunshine. They long for the return of spring.

One thing I would change about Vermont is the amount of trash there is in our landfills (although this is a problem that all states share). In our landfills, the trash is getting packed and polluting the ground. In Vermont, like other places, you can see people littering on the sidewalks, and global warming is getting closer. If we all try, we can reduce the risks of global warming.

Each day is a miracle for people in Vermont! Why? Because we can enjoy beautiful days. Tourists come to visit each year to share in this wonderful place.

A true Vermonter is someone who doesn’t just live in Vermont but a person who cares about Vermont and realizes it’s a miracle each day. People who care about Vermont clean up on green up days and participate on Earth Day.

Growing up in Vermont has given me an appreciation of the importance of being a good steward of all of Vermont’s natural resources: clean air and water, healthy pastures for the livestock, hiking and biking trails and state parks. Tourism is an important aspect of Vermont’s economy: people come here each day to see how beautiful Vermont really is. The maple trees give us lots of sap for sugaring in late winter. Healthy pastures help cows produce delicious milk, cheese and, of course, Ben and Jerry’s famous ice cream!

I love Vermont! Vermonters like to see the seasons change. They appreciate the abundance of natural resources. Tourists love to visit, whether it be to see the glorious colors in the fall or have a blast zooming down the many ski slopes in the winter. Although Vermont is a lovely place, we can all benefit from caring for our environment.

The most important thing about Vermont is that it feels like home!