Northwoods Stewardship Center

CONNECTING PEOPLE AND PLACE THROUGH SCIENCE, EDUCATION AND ACTION.

CONSERVATION CORPS - THE NORTHWOODS CONSERVATION CORPS IS A HANDS-ON CONSERVATION-BASED EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 15 - 25. CREW MEMBERS ARE HIRED FROM THE COMMUNITY SURROUNDING PROJECT AREAS AND ARE PROVIDED WITH HIGH-QUALITY CONSERVATION TRAINING AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. THE EXPERIENCE PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH TO EXPLORE CAREER PATHS IN VARIOUS FIELDS OF CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE AND NATURAL RESOURCES. IN 2022, NORTHWOODS PILOTED THE FIRST AFFINITY CREW - THE WOMEN'S PLUS CONSERVATION CREW. CREW MEMBERS REFLECTED THAT THE SUPPORTIVE ATMOSPHERE HELPED ELIMINATE BARRIERS AND TREPIDATION THAT THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY FACED IN OUTDOOR WORK. SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE PROJECTS IN 2022 INCLUDED WORKING WITH NEIGHBORING TRAIL ORGANIZATION KINGDOM TRAILS ASSOCIATION AND MOOSE HAVEN FOREST, FOCUSED IN THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM, TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL SUSTAINABILITY OF RECREATIONAL TRAILS. THE CORPS ALSO CONTINUED KEY COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER NON-PROFIT CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE, VT FISH AND WILDLIFE, APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB AND GREEN MOUNTAIN CLUB.

FOREST STEWARDSHIP - THE GOAL OF THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP INSTITUTE IS TO PRACTICE AND PROMOTE ECOLOGICALLY SOUND LAND MANAGEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING FOR FOREST ECOSYSTEMS. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH MANAGEMENT OF THE NORTHWOODS DEMONSTRATION FOREST, BY PROVIDING SERVICES TO FOREST LANDOWNERS, AND THROUGH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR LANDOWNERS, LAND MANAGERS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WERE ENHANCED THROUGH THE DAYBREAK FUND CAPACITY SUPPORT. PROJECTS AND WORKSHOPS TOPICS INCLUDE CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENT FORESTRY PRACTICES, CURRENT USE PROGRAM UPDATES, AND WILDLIFE HABITAT. NEW MODELS OF LANDSCAPE-SCALE EDUCATION HAVE BEEN PILOTED BY NORTHWOODS - INCLUDING WORKING WITH NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS - RECOGNIZING THAT PEOPLE CARE IMMENSELY ABOUT THEIR OWN BACKYARDS, AND THAT PROPERTY BOUNDARIES ARE A SHORT-COMING IN LANDSCAPE SCALE PLANNING. BY WORKING AND THINKING ACROSS BOUNDARIES, THERE IS MORE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT WILDLIFE, WATER QUALITY, AND FOREST HEALTH AT SCALE. THE FORESTRY INTERNSHIP GRADUATED ITS FIFTH SUCCESSFUL COHORT - WITH A FOCUS ON INVASIVE SPECIES, FOREST ECOLOGY, LANDSCAPE LEVEL FOREST HEALTH, AND BUILDING A SET OF BOTH FIELD AND OFFICE SKILLS FOR EMERGING CONSERVATION PROFESSIONAL.

EDUCATION, GROUPS & CAMPS - THE EDUCATION PROGRAM SEEKS TO FOSTER A SENSE OF STEWARDSHIP OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS BY PROVIDING DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT BRING AWARENESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS WITH EDUCATION AND EXPLORATION OF THE NATURAL WORLD, AND PROVIDE SKILLS, CONFIDENCE, TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO BUILDING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PLACE. IN 2022, THERE CONTINUED TO BE AN INCREASED DEMAND IN EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS, PARTICULARLY AFTER -SCHOOL PROGRAMS. NORTHWOODS BUILT CAPACITY BY ADDING A FULL TIME POSITION, FILLED BY A RETURN SEASONAL STAFF MEMBER. IN 2022, NORTHWOODS SOLIDIFIED THE GROWTH OF THE WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM - AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, AND PARTICULARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, IN WILDLIFE-BASED PROGRAMMING. THE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOUND NEW WAYS TO CONNECT LOCAL YOUTH IN THEIR BACKYARD - INVESTMENTS IN UPDATING OUTDOOR RECREATION EQUIPMENT, AND TRAIL ACCESS WAS A BOON FOR THESE EFFORTS. KEY PARTNERSHIPS - LIKE VERMONT RURAL EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE AND THE KINGDOM EAST AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM OFFER COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO NOT ONLY FACILITATE PROGRAMS, BUT TO SHARE IN THE IMPORTANT WORK OF PLANNING, DEBRIEFING, AND EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAMS AND THE COMMUNITY NEED. THE UPDATE AND PUBLICATION OF THE NEK MOUNTAIN TRAIL GUIDE BY NORTHWOODS PROVIDED AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY. THE UPDATE INCLUDED ADDITION OF THE KINGDOM HERITAGE TRAIL, AND IMPORTANT CONTEXT BRINGING IN THE ABENAKI HISTORY IN THE REGION.

CONSERVATION SCIENCE - THE GOAL OF THE CONSERVATION SCIENCE PROGRAM IS TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS, PARTICIPATE IN WORK GROUPS, AND PROMOTE PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORT ECOLOGICAL HEALTH, HABITAT ENHANCEMENT, WATER QUALITY, AND OTHER OUTCOMES WHICH HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO EXEMPLIFY GOOD STEWARDSHIP THROUGH GOOD SCIENCE. THE CONSERVATION SCIENCE PROGRAM SUSTAINED CAPACITY TO POSITIVELY IMPACT RIPARIAN LANDS THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, THAT SUPPORTS LANDOWNER OUTREACH AS WELL AS RESTORATION PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY ON STATE-OWNED RIPARIAN LANDS. THE FOCUS IN 2022 WAS ON TWO KEY PROJECTS -NATIVE SEED COLLECTION, AND INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL. THE CON SCIENCE DEPARTMENT CONSULTS WITH THE MANY AREA LAKE ASSOCIATIONS, CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, MUNICIPALTIES AND LANDOWNERS TO SUPPORT AWARENESS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING RIPARIAN BUFFERS, TREE PLANTING, INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, AND INFILTRATION STEPS. THE WOODS AND WATER CREW WAS A PILOT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NORTHERN VERMONT UNIVERSITY SCIENCE PROGRAM, AND IN ADDITION TO HANDS-ON CONSERVATION TRAINING AND WORK INCLUDED MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MEMBERS.