Northeastern Section - 40th Annual Meeting (March 14–16, 2005)

Paper No. 20
Presentation Time: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

LANDSCAPE CHANGE IN STARKSBORO


SANDY, Ashley and HANSEN, Harmony, Mt. Abraham Union High School, 7 Airport Drive, Bristol, VT 05443, Ssnyder@mtabe.k12.vt.us

Starksboro, Vermont, a town of mystery, a town of change. Buildings have grown, while others have been destroyed. Many were farms that have transformed significantly in the past 80 years. From houses to hills, roads to rivers, the inhabitants of Starksboro have seen a great metamorphosis.

We are documenting the changes seen in Starksboro through historic and current photographs. This will help gain insight about development patterns in our community. We compare historical photographs with the present day photographs of the same area to determine changes in the landscape. We draw conclusions about development in the landscape.

We have learned that many agriculturally based enterprises have disappeared, and that our rural Starksboro is becoming more developed. Is this good? This is the question that the community needs to answer. Documentation of changes in the landscape will assist Starksboro through time provide insight into patterns of development support zoning decisions they make.