2025 COC Forestry and Conservation Series: Exploring the intersection of housing, conservation, and forests

Please join the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and Headwaters Community Trust for a speaker series exploring the intersection of housing, conservation, and forests in Vermont. Facing the challenges of a critical housing shortage AND the need to maintain healthy farms, forests, and natural systems, how do we balance development and conservation? 

Join us for 3 events that explore these questions and the role that forests can play in helping to find solutions.

Housing and Conservation - Finding Balance and Solutions

August 7th, 7:00-8:30 pm - Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, Vermont.

Nearly 50 years ago two organizations emerged to address concerns about the need to balance economic growth with the protection of Vermont’s working lands and natural beauty. Today, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) and the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) are at the forefront of statewide efforts to meet these persistent challenges.  Join us for a conversation with Gus Seelig, VHCB Executive Director, and Tracy Zschau, VLT President & CEO as we explore approaches to balance Vermont’s needs amid ever-changing economic and ecological conditions.

Beyond the Illusion of Preservation - Balancing Forest Values

October 16th, 7:00 pm - Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Common, Vermont.

A team of New England-based forest researchers developed a report entitled Beyond the Illusion of Preservation, exploring how the region's forests can be managed to meet a full range of societal values and needs, from wildlands to wood products. Join lead author Dr. Caitlin Littlefield to learn about the report’s findings, recommendations, and the role forests can play in addressing many of our most pressing challenges.  

Forests to Homes - How Forests can Support Housing Solutions

October 29th, 7:00 pm - Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Common, Vermont.

Forests cover nearly 80% of Vermont’s landscape and provide a core structure of our natural systems, local economies, and sense of place. Wood products can also help address our region’s housing crisis in an environmentally responsible way. Join Maura Adams from the Northern Forest Center to learn about how innovative wood products and building reuse can be part of our housing solution.