The Association of Vermont Conservation Commissions is
planning for our annual Conservation Summit to be held this year at the Common
Ground Center in Starksboro, VT on, Saturday, September 23rd, 2017 from
8:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m.. It’s an all-day conference with a variety of presentations
and training essential for VT’s conservation community.
This
year’s theme is “Conservation into the future!”
and we’ll be exploring the skills, partnerships, science, and technology
that are changing the face of conservation. This theme is woven through
all the sessions to help better position VT for conservation into the future!
Our Keynote speaker will be Allan
Thompson , Northern Stewards Consulting and Waterbury
Conservation Commission to talk about conservation work focused on the Shutesville Hill Wildlife Crossing and the
innovative partnerships, years of scientific inquiry and multi-pronged
implementation effort to maintain connectivity at that location.
We’ll be offering sessions on the Economics
of Conservation (Kim Royar
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department & Joe Roman University of
Vermont Gund Institute)), Wetlands of VT
(Zapata Courage Department of Environmental Conservation ), and a panel on youth engagement & recruitment in town commissions with youth members present to speak about their
experience(Joe Colangelo, Shelburne Town manager, Kyle Bergeron, former youth
member of Shelburne CC, & Asa Richardson-Skinner, youth member of
Montpelier CC, Nancy Jones Bradford CC CC relationship with Oxbow Union High
School)
As always we’ll include some basic CC skills - this
year that will focus on CC Strategic Planning,
and we’ll also offer more advanced science topic sessions like Climate Smart Conservation (Melissa Gaydos National Wildlife
Federation) and on how Vermont Conservation Design incorporates climate change
resilience through looking at physical landscape diversity (Liz Thompson
Vermont Land Trust, Robert Zaino & Jens Hilke Vermont Fish & Wildlife
Department).
We’ll also be hosting the Agency of Natural Resources’ NR2 Caring for Natural Resources Taking Action in Your
Community training as an all-day
offering (requiring attendance at all three concurrent sessions).
All this in a great setting with great people! Please be sure
to attend. 2017 Conservation Summit Website.
