Ottauquechee Water Protectors Association (OWPA) & the Abenaki Garden
The mission of the Ottauquechee Water Protectors Association is to educate the diverse communities of the Upper Valley about Abenaki agriculture, gardening, history, and culture, and provide food for Abenaki families in need.
About OWPA and the Abenaki Garden
The OWPA Abenaki Garden is located at the Quechee Polo Field off of Dewey Mills Road in Quechee, Vermont. It is a joint project between Quechee Lakes Landowners Association and the Ottauquechee Water Protectors Association. We are creating a place to gather, to dance, to tell stories, to host ceremonies, and to continue living in right-relationship with this land for generations to come.
We will plant seeds that have been growing here for thousands of years, and that continue to grow in reciprocity with the needs of the land we are tending to. We hope to be able to cultivate and share these seeds widely, as well as sharing the produce with Abenaki families in need.
Project Highlights
Over the past two years, OWPA has organized work days at the site, utilizing community volunteers from the area and around the state, including members of the Quechee Lake Resort (whose land the project resides on through a Land Use Agreement). We have built a fence around the one-acre site and planted and harvested crops, with 2024 being our first full growing season.
The Three Sisters garden provided a banner crop of corn, beans and squash, both for seeds for the next year and produce to give away to Abenaki families. In coming seasons, we will add sunflowers, ground cherries, gourds, tobacco, and sweet grass.
Get Involved
To volunteer, visit abenakigarden.org/contact and fill out the contact form. Your message will go to Earl Hatley, who will add you to our listserv so you can get announcements.
Photo Credits: Earl Hatley