Understanding ongoing conservation efforts

Bob Zaino (Natural Community Ecologist with Vermont Fish and Wildlife, and Co-author of Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A guide to the natural communities of Vermont) – Learn about ongoing efforts to find, map, and conserve old forests in Vermont. Take a virtual tour of some of Vermont’s most fascinating old forests. Finally, learn about efforts to enhance old forest representation as part of broader conservation vision for Vermont.

Understanding old forests, and what makes them unique

Liz Thompson (Independent Ecologistand Co-author of Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A guide to the natural communities of Vermont) – Old forests capture a special place in our imagination, and they provide important ecological functions. Join a discussion to learn more about what old forests look like (it’s not always what you expect!), why they matter, and where they are found in our state and region.

Heather Short holds a PhD in Earth Sciences, and has been teaching college and university students geology and Earth systems science for 25 years, focusing on the present climate crisis for the last 15. Now teaching at Sterling College, she will be speaking on the current and projected state of our climate, covering some of the action steps that Vermonters can take to better prepare ourselves and our communities for the changing world we face. She will touch on the importance of our daily actions along with the opportunities for collective action to create and maintain lasting change.

All our 2023 talks are free and meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center. Read more about the rest of the 2023 series.

Claire Polfus will be leading a panel discussion with a group of local outdoor experts who will discuss how they interact with the natural world through recreation. This panel will be made up of speakers involved in summer athletics, winter athletics and hunting and angling. Our speakers will touch on how the Vermont economy is shifting from an agriculture focused economy to an outdoor recreation focused one, and how this change will bring different stressors to our local environment.

All our 2023 talks are free and meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center. Read more about the rest of the 2023 series.

CANCELLED due to flooding. Stay home and stay safe.

Jon Ramsey, local Black Angus cattle farmer, and most recently Director of the Center for an Agricultural Economy, will be leading a panel discussion with a group of local farmers. These farmers are local produce, livestock and maple farmers who will discuss their farming practices and how they maintain their land with the environment in mind.

*all of our forestry talks will meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center and are free to attend