First oral history interview with Joseph Vibert, recorded September 22, 2003 with Professor Joan Morrison of Trinity College, Frank Haviland, and Jean Klein. Three of Dr. Morrison's students from her Conservation Biology class were with her at the time the interview was recorded. They were were working on a management plan for the Station 43 Audubon property in the South Windsor meadows. Because of this, the bulk of the interview focuses on the meadows. The recording began several minutes before Morrison and her students arrived, so they do not appear on the first several pages of the transcript. Jean Klein recorded the conversation which centered on the changing landscape of the South Windsor "meadow," a tract of land bordered by the Connecticut River and running south from Ferry Lane (Scantic River) for approximately 4 miles. The Audubon property being discussed is a 100-acre parcel of land located near Vibert Road. The group noted various brooks, ponds and drains on the property, as well as how changes in the water table have caused changes to native plant and animal life.
Orgnaizational or Biographical History
Joseph Watson Vibert, Jr. was born August 1, 1927, the son of Edith Miller Vibert and J. Watson Vibert. He was a lifelong resident of South Windsor, CT. During his career he worked as a dairy farmer, in the military as a tank operator, and later at Pratt & Whitney and Gerber Scientific. He was married to Angela Rinaldi Vibert and was the father of a son and two daughters. Vibert died on March 10, 2008.
Connecticut River Ferries Great Depression Meadows Native Americans Ornithology Railroads Revolutionary War Wetlands Wildlife conservation World War I World War II
