BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – You see it on the road, maybe wince and not give it much thought. But Vermont Fish and Wildlife gives roadkill a second life.
“A lot of animals do get hit, and we try to salvage as many of them as we can,” Vt. Game Warden Abby Serra said.
Serra started the “Vension for Vermonters” program in 2020 to process salvageable meat that would otherwise go to waste.
Vermonters can get a tag number from a distribution center or process the animal on their own.
“Process that meat into a form, a packaged form that we can deliver to food shelves. They then distribute the meat to those that need it. And also we’ll give directly sometimes to individuals that need it, and also to outreach programs and things like that,” Serra explained.
Serra says she donates up to 1,000 pounds of meat every year, which in turn can help feed thousands of people, many part of the Abenaki tribe.
“I mean going back to not just native traditions on this Indigenous Peoples Day, but also the traditions of old Vermonters who hunt. It’s always been a point of sharing wild game, reconnecting to the land and the food sources that have sustained our lives for thousands of years,” said Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe.
At four places around the region, the tribe feeds about 1,000 people per month, a number Stevens says has grown since the pandemic.
“There are a lot of hungry people out there, and I just want to say that regardless of your affiliation, your cultural affiliation, has no bearing on hunger, has no bearing on needing to feed people. So I would always say those who have more than they need should always support those who don’t,” the chief said.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife wants to expand the program to serve more parts of the state so that what you see on the roads can help give back to the community.
