What makes an old forest special? What does an old forest look like? Why do we need old forests, and how do we manage the forests of today to function more like old forests? Come join the 2024 Forestry and Conservation Series to learn the answers to these questions and more! Click title for full details.
What makes an old forest special? What does an old forest look like? Why do we need old forests, and how do we manage the forests of today to function more like old forests? Come join the 2024 Forestry and Conservation Series to learn the answers to these questions and more! Click title for full details.
A free afternoon of outdoor activities for BIPOC. We aim to offer a welcoming and supporting environment at this event to build a sense of community while learning new activities or enjoying familiar ones. Click title for details.
What makes an old forest special? What does an old forest look like? Why do we need old forests, and how do we manage the forests of today to function more like old forests? Come join the 2024 Forestry and Conservation Series to learn the answers to these questions and more! Click title for full details.
Bob Zaino (Natural Community Ecologist with Vermont Fish and Wildlife, and Co-author of Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A guide to the natural communities of Vermont) – Learn about ongoing efforts to find, map, and conserve old forests in Vermont. Take a virtual tour of some of Vermont’s most fascinating old forests. Finally, learn about efforts to enhance old forest representation as part of broader conservation vision for Vermont.
Liz Thompson (Independent Ecologistand Co-author of Wetland, Woodland, Wildland: A guide to the natural communities of Vermont) – Old forests capture a special place in our imagination, and they provide important ecological functions. Join a discussion to learn more about what old forests look like (it’s not always what you expect!), why they matter, and where they are found in our state and region.
Sometimes days that are no good for any one things are perfect to do all the things. The fabled quadrathlon returns to Craftsbury.
Friday, December 15, join us at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center (COC) for an evening of the Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM). Mark Isselhardt of Elmore, Vermont has participated in the CSM nine times since 2014. Mark will share some basic information about the event as well as his own experiences traversing the special 160k trail that is only open once a year.
The Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM) is a ski tour, not a race: participants challenge not each other, but themselves by choosing a level of difficulty and trying to accomplish that goal. Since its inception in 1967 the event has taken place annually just north of the Ottawa River between the regions of Montreal and Ottawa, capital of Canada. The tour happens on the second weekend of February and usually covers a distance of 160 km (99 mi). There are many levels of participation in the CSM from “tasters” who ski one or two sections a day to "Coureur des bois" who attempt to ski all ten sections over the two days. Far more people take part in some but not all of the ten sections during the weekend and the event attracts participants of all ages and ski abilities.
This free event runs from 7:00-8:00pm in the COC Activity Center. Hope you'll join us!
Heather Short holds a PhD in Earth Sciences, and has been teaching college and university students geology and Earth systems science for 25 years, focusing on the present climate crisis for the last 15. Now teaching at Sterling College, she will be speaking on the current and projected state of our climate, covering some of the action steps that Vermonters can take to better prepare ourselves and our communities for the changing world we face. She will touch on the importance of our daily actions along with the opportunities for collective action to create and maintain lasting change.
All our 2023 talks are free and meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center. Read more about the rest of the 2023 series.
Claire Polfus will be leading a panel discussion with a group of local outdoor experts who will discuss how they interact with the natural world through recreation. This panel will be made up of speakers involved in summer athletics, winter athletics and hunting and angling. Our speakers will touch on how the Vermont economy is shifting from an agriculture focused economy to an outdoor recreation focused one, and how this change will bring different stressors to our local environment.
All our 2023 talks are free and meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center. Read more about the rest of the 2023 series.
CANCELLED due to flooding. Stay home and stay safe.
Jon Ramsey, local Black Angus cattle farmer, and most recently Director of the Center for an Agricultural Economy, will be leading a panel discussion with a group of local farmers. These farmers are local produce, livestock and maple farmers who will discuss their farming practices and how they maintain their land with the environment in mind.
*all of our forestry talks will meet in the Outdoor Center’s Activity Center and are free to attend
Update: while the poster above shows a different date, this event is on Tuesday, June 13.
Stewardship: Finding harmony between people and the natural world, June 14, 7:30pm in the Activity Center at Craftsbury.
Jared Nunery and Rick Morrill, county and private foresters, will discuss forest values, how our changing climate affects forests, and the importance of conserving them. Discussion will cover how landowners' management decisions can either mitigate or amplify the stressors facing forests. They will explore management strategies to increase forests resilience, and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, through increasing carbon storage within the forests.
Hope you’ll join us for this free event. Stay tuned for the announcement of the rest of the summer series.
Sometimes days that are no good for any one things are perfect to do all the things. The fabled quadrathlon returns to Craftsbury.
This is the second BIPOC ski day this winter at the Center. Registration is required to participate in these free events. Choose between two sessions each day, 10:00am and 1:00pm. Participants receive complimentary trail passes and rental equipment, as well as lessons from BIPOC instructors.
The group lessons are optional if you’d prefer to spend your time skiing on your own or with friends old and new. While we encourage those that may have never tried cross country skiing before to take part, we also welcome folks of any ability level to come. Snowshoeing will be available as well. Hope to ski with you this winter!
This is the first of the BIPOC ski days this winter at the Center. Registration is required to participate in these free events. Choose between two sessions each day, 10:00am and 1:00pm. Participants receive complimentary trail passes and rental equipment, as well as lessons from BIPOC instructors.
The group lessons are optional if you’d prefer to spend your time skiing on your own or with friends old and new. While we encourage those that may have never tried cross country skiing before to take part, we also welcome folks of any ability level to come. Snowshoeing will be available as well. Hope to ski with you this winter!
At 5:00pm on October 30th, Craftsbury will be one of the virtual hosts of a free screening of the new short film, Rural Runners, featuring GRP trail runner Canyon Woodward. RSVP is required. A Q+A with Canyon and Chloe Maxmin will follow the film.
Rural Runners is an intimate look into what it takes to show up, rain or shine, and how to balance running for yourself and running for your community and country. The film follows Maine State Senator Chloe Maxmin’s House & Senate runs, as well as Canyon’s demanding trail running career. It’s a unique pairing of affairs - a fun, relevant and inspiring story that humanizes the political process and extends beyond the dark state of party politics. It's also about avoiding burnout - a common occurrence on the campaign trail - by prioritizing self-care, and bringing a bit of joy and purpose to everything we do. Take a look at the trailer.
Rural Runners is about politics and it’s about running, but mostly it's about showing up and finding common ground. “Everything that we love is affected by politics, for better or worse, and we can't afford to not be engaged with it,” says Canyon. “Both politics and trail running require running through the seasons and not just going out when the sun is shining and you’re feeling great. It takes getting out there day in and day out even when it’s really difficult,” he continues. “There’s something especially gratifying and fulfilling on a deeper level when you slog through those cold, dark times and make it through to the other side.”
RSVP for the virtual screening.
(Note that our website requires a physical address - however, at the risk of stating the obvious, this virtual showing will take place wherever you are. There is no event on-site at Craftsbury.)
Calling all BIPOC who are interested in an afternoon of outdoor activities and community building! OGE and Craftsbury Outdoor Center are excited to announce the 2nd annual BIPOC Outdoor Festival!
This will be a setting for BIPOC to try new activities or enjoy old ones in a supportive environment. The purpose of this event is to create a space for BIPOC to feel welcome to learn and build a sense of community at the same time.
A variety of group activities will be offered, with equipment and instruction provided. Many of these activities will be led by BIPOC instructors as well as white instructors who share a sense of making space for BIPOC
Check-in and activity sign-ups begin at 10:30am, with sessions of instruction starting at 11:00am.
BIPOC community vendors will offer food and libations. If the sessions aren’t your thing, feel free to come by and hang out with your friends and have a great time! After an afternoon of activity, join us from 4:30-6:00pm for Happy Hour and general celebration.
Activities include:
Biathlon,
Paddleboarding,
Kayaking,
Nature Walks, and
Mountain Bike instruction.
Stay tuned for more information on activities
If you have any questions please email.
Sometimes days that are no good for any one things are perfect to do it all! The fabled quadrathlon returns to Craftsbury.
Join us in our Five for Farmers fundraising challenge to raise money for the Vermont Farm Fund's COVID-19 Relief Campaign and adopt a consistent running routine along the way! For every participant who runs five days a week for the month of May, the Outdoor Center will donate $5 to the Vermont Farm Fund (VFF) each week. We've partnered with Pete's Greens - who's owner and namesake Pete founded the Vermont Farm Fund - to offer challenge bonus prizes!
For full details on how to participate, continue on to our virtual challenges page here.
Join us in our Five for Farmers fundraising challenge to raise money for the Vermont Farm Fund's COVID-19 Relief Campaign and adopt a consistent running routine along the way! For every participant who runs five days a week for the month of May, the Outdoor Center will donate $5 to the Vermont Farm Fund (VFF) each week. We've partnered with Pete's Greens - who's owner and namesake Pete founded the Vermont Farm Fund - to offer challenge bonus prizes!
For full details on how to participate, continue on to our virtual challenges page here.
Join us in our Five for Farmers fundraising challenge to raise money for the Vermont Farm Fund's COVID-19 Relief Campaign and adopt a consistent running routine along the way! For every participant who runs five days a week for the month of May, the Outdoor Center will donate $5 to the Vermont Farm Fund (VFF) each week. We've partnered with Pete's Greens - who's owner and namesake Pete founded the Vermont Farm Fund - to offer challenge bonus prizes!
For full details on how to participate, continue on to our virtual challenges page here.
Join us in our Five for Farmers fundraising challenge to raise money for the Vermont Farm Fund's COVID-19 Relief Campaign and adopt a consistent running routine along the way! For every participant who runs five days a week for the month of May, the Outdoor Center will donate $5 to the Vermont Farm Fund (VFF) each week. We've partnered with Pete's Greens - who's owner and namesake Pete founded the Vermont Farm Fund - to offer challenge bonus prizes!
For full details on how to participate, continue on to our virtual challenges page here.
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center and WonderArts present a film series about climate change, with a focus on how our choices affect our planet. These films present a variety of perspectives on sustainability and are intended to be both entertaining and informative. Come early to grab a bowl of soup, and stick around after the film for a conversation.
Schedule: Soup starting at 6, film starting at 6:30, discussion following film
Location: Activity Center
March 11 - Anthropocene (87 min)- A cinematic meditation on humanity’s massive reengineering of the planet, ANTHROPOCENE: The Human Epoch is a four years in the making feature documentary film from the multiple-award winning team of Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky.
Nordic skiers and wildlife have something in common – they both rely on connections to make their way across the landscape. The Craftsbury Outdoor Center has created an expansive network of trails by connecting lands they own with public and private lands. The Nature Conservancy is similarly working to create a network of connected habitat for wildlife across Vermont and eastern North America.
Join us for a winter snowshoe where we’ll talk about the birds and wildlife of the Center and some of the innovative techniques are being employed to improve wildlife habitat and forest health at the Craftsbury. Then we’ll head inside for snacks and refreshments and learn about what The Nature Conservancy is doing to create resilient and connected landscapes, and why we believe this approach will help wildlife and people in a changing climate.
This event is free and open to the public, but please RSVP your interest.
Join an Audubon Vermont teacher naturalist for outdoor learning at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center twice this February! The morning sessions will investigate how animals have adapted to survive Vermont winters. We’ll explore the winter woods for critters at Craftsbury and learn how to identify and interpret animal tracks and sign in Winter Wildlife. Afternoon sessions will test your wilderness survival skills on Leave-NO-Trace principles, the rule of 3s, and fire making with s’mores!
Winter Wildlife 10:00am-noon
Wilderness Skills 2:00-4:00pm
Either program is free, and you can elect to participate in one or both sessions.
Ages: This is a family program, perfect for children and their adults to learn together.
Join an Audubon Vermont teacher naturalist for outdoor learning at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center twice this February! The morning sessions will investigate how animals have adapted to survive Vermont winters. We’ll explore the winter woods for critters at Craftsbury and learn how to identify and interpret animal tracks and sign in Winter Wildlife. Afternoon sessions will test your wilderness survival skills on Leave-NO-Trace principles, the rule of 3s, and fire making with s’mores!
Winter Wildlife 10:00am-noon
Wilderness Skills 2:00-4:00pm
Either program is free, and you can elect to participate in one or both sessions.
Ages: This is a family program, perfect for children and their adults to learn together.
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center and WonderArts present a film series about climate change, with a focus on how our choices affect our planet. These films present a variety of perspectives on sustainability and are intended to be both entertaining and informative. Come early to grab a bowl of soup, and stick around after the film for a conversation.
Schedule: Soup starting at 6, film starting at 6:30, discussion following film
Location: Activity Center
February 12 - Game Changers (88 min)- Presented by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and Chris Paul — a revolutionary new film about meat, protein and strength.
According to the National Audubon Society’s recently released report “Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink”, climate change is the greatest threat to birds through the end of the 21st century. Along with the challenges that climate change poses to birds and people comes opportunity and hope. There is still time to act.
Join Audubon Vermont’s Steve Hagenbuch as we explore Audubon’s climate report and what it means for bird in Vermont. Steve will also discuss opportunities for action that we can all take now to mitigate against the level of future change as well as create a resilient landscape for the changes that are already occurring.
This event is free and open to the public.
Donations to Audubon Vermont gladly accepted.
Come Contra Dancing with incredible musicians from around the Northeast Kingdom Wednesday January 29th, and/or February 5th at 7:00pm.
Join George Wilson, Andy Davis, and David Kaynor along with 12 other musicians for a warm and fun evening of contra dancing at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center!
A talented, multi-instrumental virtuoso and singer, George Wilson's repertoire samples a wide variety of traditional and folk styles. As a fiddler, he has nearly 400 tunes for dancing and listening, and has been popular with contra dancers and concert-goers since the late 1970s.
In turn, Andy Davis calls traditional New England style contra and square dances. He plays the accordion and piano for traditional dances. Andy's specialty is calling community events inclusive of dancers of all abilities. For over thirty years, Andy has taught music and dance in Vermont public schools, summer camps - and at weddings, parties, and community gatherings.
Nonetheless, David Kaynor is a fiddler and expert contra dance caller. David grew up playing music and took up the fiddle in 1974, then began calling local contra dances around 1980. He has called and taught dancing at many folk schools and music camps from Vermont to California to Sweden.
This free event will bring joy, laughter, and warm in these cold evenings. The more, the merrier!
Come Contra Dancing with incredible musicians from around the Northeast Kingdom Wednesday January 29th, and/or February 5th at 7:00pm.
Join George Wilson, Andy Davis, and David Kaynor along with 12 other musicians for a warm and fun evening of contra dancing at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center!
A talented, multi-instrumental virtuoso and singer, George Wilson's repertoire samples a wide variety of traditional and folk styles. As a fiddler, he has nearly 400 tunes for dancing and listening, and has been popular with contra dancers and concert-goers since the late 1970s.
In turn, Andy Davis calls traditional New England style contra and square dances. He plays the accordion and piano for traditional dances. Andy's specialty is calling community events inclusive of dancers of all abilities. For over thirty years, Andy has taught music and dance in Vermont public schools, summer camps - and at weddings, parties, and community gatherings.
Nonetheless, David Kaynor is a fiddler and expert contra dance caller. David grew up playing music and took up the fiddle in 1974, then began calling local contra dances around 1980. He has called and taught dancing at many folk schools and music camps from Vermont to California to Sweden.
This free event will bring joy, laughter, and warm in these cold evenings. The more, the merrier!
