Rewilding Happen(ing)s!

Several people carry a ribboned maypole along a path.

Beltane at the Waterworks

all photos by Jonathan Blake The delicate white blossoms of Amelanchier canadensis (also called serviceberry, shadbush, shad blow) herald spring…  MORE>

hepatica flowers

Savoring the Forest

Spring is here, and Vermont’s forests will soon be stirring with beautiful spring ephemerals, including many that are edible. How can we harvest respectfully and sustainably?

yellow-bellied flycatcher

Bring Back the Commons

Aristotle recognized three broad types of interests: common, private, and public. VFF Executive Director David Brynn explains why that matters a whole lot today.

Time for a Forest Ecosystem Advisory Council

It’s time to bring back a vehicle for citizen involvement in the processes that inform the ways that we relate to Vermont forests.

Family Forest Carbon Program

Developed by the American Forest Foundation and The Nature Conservancy, the Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) enables family forest owners to access…  MORE>

Sharing the Gift of Portrait of a Forest

Vermont Family Forests has received a beautiful, insightful gift that we are excited to share with our local community.

Reserve Forestland Category added to Current Use Program

During the 2022 legislative session, Act 146 was passed and signed into law, amending Vermont’s Current Use program by adding…  MORE>

Halcyon Gathering Celebrates Kingfishers

Visiting author Marina Richie shared insights, images, and excerpts from her award-winning book,Halcyon Journey: In Search of the Belted Kingfisher. Learn more >

Up She Rises! The West Barn Returns to Wells Farm

Restoration of the West Barn at VFF’s Anderson Wells Farm is nearly complete. Check out photos of the process.

 VYCC Helps Heal a Steep Access Road 

This summer, Vermont Family Forests teamed with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and local excavator Lucas Nezin to lend a healing hand on a piece of forestland we recently purchased. Read all about it >

CFR, Not TSI

Words matter. “Timber Stand Improvement” reflects a use-based, human centered approach to forests. “Community-based Forest Renewal” or CFR signals something very different. Learn more > 

VFF’s Latest HCC Course Explores Vermont’s Reptiles

Students in our latest Hogback Community College course–Conserving Vermont’s Reptiles–had plenty of up-close time with local reptiles.

Conserving Vermont’s Amphibians with Jim Andrews

It’s the weekend after Easter, and thirteen students are on hands and knees on a forested hillside at the southern end of Snake Mountain, clustered in twos and threes… More >

Welcome, Cold Brook!

In March, 2022, Vermont Family Forests purchased 95.6 acres of land in Bristol and Lincoln. Learn all about it!

Hands-on, Hearts-on Learning

LCMM Students Meet Boat-building Pines Each January, local high school students in the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) Longboats Program…  MORE>

Meet our New Forester, Ralph Tursini

We are thrilled to welcome Ralph Tursini to the Vermont Family Forests team. Ralph comes to us after 15 years…  MORE>

The Joys of a Battery-powered, Veggie-lubed Saw

A battery-powered chainsaw, teamed with vegetable-based bar oil, makes for joyful work in the woods.

Expanding Vermont’s Current Use Program to include Wild Forests

The purpose of [the Agricultural and Managed Forest Land Use Value Program] is to encourage and assist the maintenance of…  MORE>

Welcome, Winter!

Tending the Solstice fire at the Waterworks By 4:15pm, the sun had dropped behind the white pines flanking the beaver…  MORE>

Twenty Years of Local Boat-building, Rowing, & Racing

For 20 years, Vermont Family Forests partnered with Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to provide wood from healthy forests for LCMM’s boat-building program.