Herpetologist Jim Andrews led a workshop in the Waterworks property in Bristol and introduced participants to the fascinating world of amphibians who live in our area. The event started with a slide show and then a hands-on trip to meet the critters. (June 08)

Beltane Community Forest Celebration

2007 2006 2005 2004

The Beltane Community Celebration offers community members a chance to gather and celebrate the return of spring. "Beltane" means bright fire and this event features a bonfire, a potluck dinner, a May pole dance, and music from local artists. Come one, come all and help usher in the first days of spring!

140 participants gathered at Mount Abraham Union High School to discuss community energy solutions. (Apr 07)

VFF collaborated with The Watershed Center in offering a workshop entitled "Sustainable Forestry for the Future: Coppice Woodland Management" with Mark Krawczyk of Rivenwood. Coppice management involves growing hardwood sprouts on rotations of seven to 20 years and was commonly practiced in England from 12th to 16th centuries. It will likely be an important tool as we look to forests for more fuel.

Lincoln landowners contemplated conservation easements as a tool for long-term land conservation at this meeting coordinated by VFF. (July 06)

For the past several years, VFF has been proud to offer Soren Eriksson's "Game of Logging" chainsaw safety training courses. We has offered Levels I-III which include basic chainsaw safety procedures, methods for maximizing your chainsaw performance, limbing and bucking techniques, and, in Level III, techniques for handling difficult trees. Participants rave about the knowledge they've gleaned from these classes. Sign up for one today!

Lincoln residents gathered to brainstorm strategies for conserving Lincoln's natural heritage. At an earlier forum in October, 2005, residents identified and ranked what they valued most about Lincoln's natural heritage (Jan 06)

Angler Dave Henderson (left photo, at right side of group) introduces participants to the art of fly fishing. Geologist Kristen Underwood explains river dynamics and their impacts on fish populations. (May 05)

Twenty hardy participants join Community Forests Project leader, Deb Brighton (lower right, red hat), during two hikes to explore the 115-acre Little Hogback Parcel that will be sold in shares to community members through VFF's Community Forest Project.

45 community members attended three public meetings to learn more about participating in the Little Hogback Community Forest LLC. The meetings were coordinated by Community Forest Project manager Deb Brighton. (Jan. 2005)

Ecologist Eric Sorenson led three sessions of this course for VFF, teachinglandowners and natural resource managers how to identify natural communities to verify field maps. (2003)

Ornithologist Warren King (center right) and VFF Founder David Brynn (right) led this workshop, the third in the Biodiversity Workshop series. (May 2004)

Ben Shepard, of Shepard Maple Production, answers sugaring questions for VFF landowners. (January 2004)

Bristol resident Cassandra Corcoran (center) and other workshop participants examine bearclaw marks in a red spruce with workshop leader Greg Borah (center right) during the Winter Tracking workshop, part of the Biodiversity Workshop Series. Greg performs large mammal monitoring for the Colby Hill Ecological Project.

Participants joined veteran hunter Bill Torrey for an in-depth look at deerhunting, includingequipment choices, hunting techniques, and ethics. (October 2003)

Twenty-five participants joined herpetologist Jim Andrews, ecologist Marc Lapin, and mammalogist Jan Decher to learn techniques for assessing biological diversity. This was the first workshop in the Colby Hill Ecological Project Workshop Series.
(September 2003)

Ecologist Eric Sorenson led three sessions of this course for VFF, teaching landowners and natural resource managers how to identify natural communities to verify field maps. (2003)