Honoring our Interdependence: Annual Celebration

Honoring Our Interdependence

It’s time for our annual celebration! Join us at the beautiful Retreat Farm in Brattleboro as we recognize our community’s conservation-minded people and organizations. This yearly event is always a great way to get energized by hearing about the great work happening all throughout our region. Activities will include:

4:00 to 5:15

• Optional field walks at nearby farms and natural areas (details below)

5:00 to 7:00

• Business meeting, and award presentations
• Dinner made with fresh, local ingredients
• Time to chat with VLT staff and fellow attendees

Field Walks:

Whetstone Woods – Explore this VLT-owned property and hear about the many different ways the property serves to educate the public: from hosting a birding trail, to preserving the genetic diversity of ash, to serving as a model for invasive species management, the forest provides a multitude of opportunities for education and recreation. 

Retreat Farm – Enjoy a gentle trail walk with Retreat Farm staff to hear about the history and current offerings of this over 500-acre property whose mission is to “connect people to the land and one another with a vision of creating a just, healthy, and sustainable community.” 

Friends of the West River Trail – Come learn about the Riverstone Preserve, a rare, ice-scoured riverine cobblestone ecosystem and a floodplain forest. As of last fall, the preserve now encompasses 188 acres and the Friends of the West River Trail are working to provide recreational opportunities, manage invasive plants and protect this fragile riverside resource. 

Lilac Ridge Farm – Lilac Ridge Farm is owned and operated by the Thurber family, who have been farming on this land for over 80 years. Today, they grow organic vegetables and berries, milk cows, run a sugaring operation and a farmstand, plus they have a creemee stand! We will explore the farm and learn all about the work that goes into milking cows and growing food for the community. 

*This year, VLT is introducing a fee for our annual celebration to help defray costs. If you would like to attend but the cost is a barrier, please contact Sam Graulty.