Annual Meeting

May
20
Fri
Resilient Vermont 2016 Conference @ Norwich University
May 20 – May 21 all-day

Update 5/13/2016

View the entire program here.


 

Redefining “Vermont Strong”

Vermonters continue to face climate-related challenges like powerful storms and warming temperatures, all while navigating shifting economies and new policies. We must act now to protect our treasured people and places. Join us for the first Resilient Vermont Network conference and gear up for the challenge.

This interactive event will bring together community leaders, municipal officials, organizations and agencies working to strengthen Vermont’s resilience to climate change and other challenges. Gain the skills, ideas, inspiration, connections and resources for on-the-ground action to make us all stronger, more vibrant, and better prepared.

Let’s make Vermont stronger, together.
Join us in May.


We want to hear from you! Send us:

Conference sessions: We want to feature your work, stories, challenges and your solutions. This is an action-focused conference, so as much as possible we’re crowdsourcing breakout sessions, trainings, field trips and workshops that will help people take action and improve resilience.
Case studies: We’re seeking great ideas and innovations in resilience! We’re looking for a few stories of projects that make our communities and environment safer and better prepared for climate-related challenges. These replicable, innovative, and impactful projects will help shape the conference!

We’re eager to involve as many Network members as possible, and welcome your ideas and participation. Please get in touch if you’d like to help plan the conference, offer a session, sponsor the event, or get involved in other ways. Contact us at:[email protected]


Help us get the word out!

  1. Forward this page to Vermonters who are passionate about building our resilience.
  2. Post a link to this page on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin,
  3. Download this flyer to hand out or email to friends.
Woodlands for Wildlife
May 20 – May 22 all-day

classroom and field studies taught by a variety of professionals to help you improve your woodland for wildlife –MORE

May
22
Sun
Cohase Young Professional Potluck Meeting @ Alumni Hall
May 22 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Cohase Young Professionals – Potluck Kickoff
May 22 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

When: Sunday, May 22nd 5:00-8:00pm

Where: Court Street Arts, North Haverhill, NH

 

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1601185890200831

 

There has been interest in starting a networking group for young professionals in the Cohase Region. We’re hosting this event in hopes of gathering people together and finding out what would be helpful.

 

So, you probably have a few questions… Mainly, What is young? What is professional? Honestly, we don’t want you to get too hung up on the phrase “young professional.” The audience that we’re shooting for is the 21-40 crowd, but we also don’t want to discourage people from either side of the age spectrum that are interested in getting involved. Professional speaks to the fact that this is a group to discuss ideas, projects, business, economic development, creative economy, volunteer opportunities, networking, etc. You can be working for yourself, working for a family business, working for a corporation, volunteering for a local organization, etc. As long as you’re interested in bringing a project to the table, would like to brainstorm, would like to share connections, would like to offer your skills, or would just like to support this cause, you’re welcome and encouraged to come.

 

What’s the agenda? We are setting aside time for introductions, to introduce initial ideas for this group, and to collectively brainstorm what a group like this should offer to members and the community. We’d like your input.

 

What towns are included in the Cohase region? Technically, Bradford, Piermont, Haverhill (N Haverhill, Woodsville, Pike), Newbury (Wells River), Fairlee (W Fairlee), and Orford. That being said, we’d welcome people from the surrounding area as well. Have friends from Thetford, Hanover, Lebanon, Warren, Littleton, etc. that are interested? That’s awesome. Bring them.

 

QUESTIONS? Contact Monique Priestley at [email protected] or 802-222-1909

May
25
Wed
PERMACULTURE: EDIBLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
May 25 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

1 Main Street
Randolph Center, VT

Learn how to build edible forest gardens by arranging useful plants into communities which support one another’s healthy functioning, while providing food, medicine, fuel and more. Through energetic, visually-­rich slideshows, dialogue, participatory outdoor walks, small­ group exercises, and a field trip with a hands-­on planting, students will leave this course with a grounded understanding of what exactly an edible forest garden is, an overview of how to plant and care for home and farm scale systems, a plant species palette, a grasp of basic ecological design principles, and an understanding of why our ecosystems require active human participation.

Topics Covered:

  • Edible Forest Gardening (EFG) ­ history, definition, plant and animal archetypes of the edible forest garden and the ecological frame
  • Ecological design principles applied in the EFG
  • Specific plants ­ why to use them, how to use them and where to grow them
  • Designing perennial polyculture­ guidelines, principles and examples of functional interconnection
  • EFG establishment overview  from soil prep to harvest
  • EFG’s place in the homestead,­ urban, suburban and rural settings
  • Agroforestry & farm­scale EFG applications
  • Personal & community empowerment through the EFG
  • Field trip & site visit to East Hill Tree Farm in Plainfield, VT; a fruit, nut and berry nursery with diverse, extensive orchard ecosystem plantings

For more information and to register: https://www.vtc.edu/ag-course/permaculture-edible-forest-management

For questions contact Rachel at Vermont Tech’s Institute for Applied Agriculture and Food Systems

Email: [email protected]

Stalled at the Start: Vermont’s Childcare Challenge
May 25 @ 9:00 am – 11:00 am

Register here: https://www.letsgrowkids.org/stalled-at-start

Wednesday, May 25 in Brattleboro
Marlboro College Graduate School, Room 2E
28 Vernon St, Brattleboro, VT 05301

TIME: 9 AM – 11 AM. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 AM – See more at: https://www.letsgrowkids.org/stalled-at-start#sthash.0s5X3Hkn.dpuf

TRORC Board Meeting @ Thompson Senior Center
May 25 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

For a copy of the meeting agenda, click here: TRORC Board Meeting Agenda 5-25-16

May
26
Thu
East Central Vermont: What We Want “In Action” Celebration @ The Quechee Club
May 26 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

East Central Vermont: What We Want “In Action” Celebration

Thursday, May 26, 2016, 5:30
The Quechee Club
3268 Quechee Main Street
Quechee, Vermont

View the agenda here: ECV Celebration Agenda.

The East Central Vermont: What We Want Plan is finished!

Cover-300.psd

Download the full Adobe PDF version here:
ECV:WhatWeWant

Jun
1
Wed
i-Tree Software Training
Jun 1 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

i-Tree Software Training
Two-Part Workshop
June 1st & 15th

Registration fee: $25; limited space
Register online by clicking here

i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides inventory, analysis, and benefits assessments tools for the trees in our cities and towns.  i-Tree tools can help communities of all sizes strengthen their urban forest management, planning, and advocacy efforts by understanding and assessing the makeup of community forests, and the environmental services and economic benefits that trees provide.  i-Tree tools can support watershed planning, placement of trees, forest conservation, land use decisions, and much more.

 

i-Tree tools are free and accessible online.  This two-part workshop is intended to teach participants how to apply and promote i-Tree locally in order to make more informed decisions about tree management and stewardship.  This workshop is appropriate for anyone involved and/or interested in urban and community forest management: town planners, VT Tree Wardens, municipal recreation and public works staff, professional arborists, conservation commission and tree board members, educators, landscape architects, foresters, and municipal officials.

 

Training details:

  • The first part of this training will be an introductory live webinar on Wednesday, June 1st, from 10am-12pm, which participants will join remotely.
  • The second part of this training will be a full day training on Wednesday, June 15th from 9am-4pm at the Vermont Technical College in Randolph.
  • Registration is $25 and space is limited; click here to register.
  • The training will be led by Dave Bloniarz and John Parry, both with the USDA Forest Service.
  •  Participants are asked to bring their own laptop computer, if possible, to the in-person training on June 15th
  • Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided at the in-person training on June 15th.

 

This training is co-sponsored by the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program, a partnership between UVM Extension and the VT Department of Forests, Parks, & Recreation, and the USDA Forest Service: State and Private Forestry, Northeastern Area

 

Questions?  Contact Elise Schadler with the VT Urban & Community Forestry Program.  Flyer attached; please spread the word!

Affordable Housing Meetings
Jun 1 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Dear Local Officials,

 

The TRORC region is short thousands of homes that are affordable.  Many of TRORC’s towns could benefit from more homes, as this would lead to more community members – employees, employers, customers, students, volunteers – as well as allowing current community members to move in to more appropriate housing for them.  Zoning regulations can inadvertently get in the way of producing such homes. Come discuss ways in which regulations can be changed to encourage more housing in your town with TRORC Senior Planner Kevin Geiger. Some of the topics that will be discussed are reduced lot sizes, mixed uses, waivers as incentives, and more. There will be two meetings over the next few weeks with one in Norwich and the other in Bethel a week later with more details to come. Please let me know if you plan on attending either one of the meetings.

 

See details below for Meeting:

 

Norwich Area Meeting

Date: June 1, 2016

Where: Tracy Hall: Norwich, VT

When: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

 

Bethel Area Meeting

Date: June 8, 2016

 

Where: Bethel Town Hall 318 Main St.

When: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.