Jenny Blair
BARRE TOWN — A new nature center in Barre Town aims to make outdoor time comfortable and creative for everyone, including people who are neurodivergent.
Milestone Nature Center offers a quarter-mile loop of wheelchair-friendly paths and sensory stations. Visitors can explore nature’s tastes, smells, and textures; make crafts; meditate or rest; and generally maintain control over their outdoor experience.
“I think it’s just such a critical need,” said Denise Lavallee, the center’s founder and executive director.
Hand-washing stations, a first-aid cabin, and a wheelchair-accessible toilet are also on site. Visitors may disclose medical conditions in case they need medical attention on-site.
The center held a grand opening Friday, May 22, with a ribbon-cutting by retired Barre Town Representative Topper McFaun. In a speech, McFaun referred to legislative work he did on behalf of adults with disabilities whose parents age out of caring for them.
“What we’re going to talk about today is another way to provide those services to people,” he said of Milestone.
“Those who are neurodivergent don’t have opportunities to experience things that people who are neurotypical get to experience in the outside world,” Lavallee told The Bridge.
Brains That Work Differently
“Neurodivergent” refers to brains that work differently from what is considered mainstream.
The term can describe individuals with, for example, developmental differences such as autism and ADHD; learning differences such as dyslexia; obsessive-compulsive disorder; anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses; post-traumatic conditions; personality disorders; or certain genetic conditions that affect the nervous system.
The opposite of neurodivergent is “neurotypical.”
“Neurodiverse” refers to human neurological variety. A neurodiverse group might include both neurotypical and neurodivergent people.
“Very Calming”
Visitors at the opening included Barre Town resident Jasmine Wible and her sons Matteo, 13; Luca, 11; Benito, 8; and Carlo, 4.
“We’re always looking for new walking trails,” Wible said.
A crushed-slate path winds among sun-dappled sugar maples and beech trees. Stops along the trail include a craft area stocked with nutshells and other natural materials; a place to plant seeds to take home; and a table offering touchable furs, antlers, porcupine quills, feathers, and a bear claw.
At one station, Carlo sampled honey. (“Can I try it again? It’s good,” he asked Lavallee.) At another, he tried out a cocoon-like pyramidal hammock, squealing and wriggling in delight. At a station with wind chimes, he clambered onto a bench alongside an eagle carving by Stowe artisan Jake Swanson.
All four brothers told The Bridge they liked the nature center, with Matteo calling it “very calming.”
Carlo, 4, tries out a winged seat at Milestone Nature Center. Photo by Jenny Blair.
An Example in New York
Lavallee lives at the 30-acre site, which she bought in 2018 with plans to open an Airbnb before the pandemic forced her to change course.
In 2023, she learned of an autism-friendly nature trail at Letchworth State Park in New York.
She spoke with its founders and decided to follow suit, forming a nonprofit soon after. She then spent three years fundraising and building the nature center.
“I had been looking for something, some purpose … and a target for my retirement years,” said Lavallee, who is a retired construction contract technician for the state of Vermont. “I left my employment and am focusing directly on this … [I wanted] to provide something that doesn’t exist anywhere else around here” for people who are underserved, she added.
Lavallee said she was also inspired by a family member with the genetic condition CHARGE syndrome.
To cover expenses such as labor, equipment, supplies, and accessible signage, she garnered support from area businesses, including Lajeunesse Construction, North Country Federal Credit Union, rkMiles, Bolduc Storage and Auto Salvage, TimberHomes, Tractor Supply, Stewart’s Shops, and Stone’s Trucking and Excavation. Hannaford supermarket donated food for the opening event.
Potential Disruptions
Lavallee is fighting the city of Barre’s plans to place a public works garage on a neighboring property at 277 Morrison Road. She is worried about potential issues such as disruptions from noise and traffic, hazards from fuel tanks, salt runoff, stormwater problems, and other environmental hazards.
“With all the trucks and the equipment and the sand and the salt and stormwater problems, I mean, it’s just unbelievable how much they intend to do there,” she said. “I’ve filed an appeal and I’ve filed objections — one is with the environmental court of the state, one is with the Land Use Review Board of the state.”
But in the meantime, work continues at Milestone, she said. Lavallee plans to add parking and to stand up a website, among other finishing touches, plus add more languages to her signage and materials.
“Neurodiversity isn’t just for English-speaking people,” she said.
Milestone Nature Center is located at 540 Upper Prospect Street in Barre Town, between Airport Road and Morrison Road. With occasional exceptions, opening hours will be Mondays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 802-461-8185 for more information.
