Programs

  • Program 1 [2020]

    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 COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING PROJECT AREAS AND 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. GIVEN A VERY DISMAL OUTLOOK IN THE SPRING OF 2020 DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, WE WORKED WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO DEVELOP PROTOCOLS FOR MITIGATING THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS WHILE ALSO ALLOWING FOR THE SAFE RETURN TO OUTDOOR WORK. WHILE THE PANDEMIC HAD THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FISCAL IMPACT ON THE CONSERVATION CORPS OVERALL - WITH A BUDGET SHORTFALL OF 20% OF THE OVERALL NORTHWOODS BUDGET JUST WITHIN THE CORPS PROGRAM, THE SEASON WAS ONE OF HOPE AND GRATITUDE. SOME CREWS WERE DOWNSIZED OR CANCELLED TO ALIGN WITH SAFETY PROTOCOLS, BUT THROUGHOUT 2020 THE CORPS EMPLOYED 53 YOUTH CREW MEMBERS, 18 CREW LEADERS, AND NEARLY 20 CONSERVATION INTERNS THROUGHOUT THE FIVE NEW ENGLAND STATES. IN TOTAL, 58 MILES OF TRAIL WERE IMPROVED THROUGH THE WORK OF THE CORPS. NOTABLE PROJECTS INCLUDED A WALKING TRAIL AT THE HISTORIC OLD STONE HOUSE MUSEUM, PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE SILVIO O. CONTE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, VICTORY BOG WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, KINGDOM TRAILS ASSOCIATION, AND OTHERS. OVERALL, THE ATTITUDE AS SEASONAL STAFF RETURNED TO WORK WAS EXCEEDINGLY POSITIVE - RETURNING TO OPEN SPACES AND WORKING ON CONSERVATION PROJECTS WITH A RENEWED SENSE OF SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC WAS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. THE FALL FIELD SEASON EXTENDED THROUGH NOVEMBER, WITH A RIVER ACCESS CREW NAMED "THE STONE CREW" WHICH WORKED WITH THE STATE FISH & WILDLIFE DEPT. TO CONSTRUCT CAR-TOP BOAT ACCESS POINTS ON SEVERAL NEK RIVER SITES. THE SHARED GOAL IS TO BUILD FOR SUSTAINABLE ACCESS - ADDRESSING EROSION, WATER QUALITY AND PROVIDING USER-FRIENDLY ACCESS POINTS. THE CORPS ALSO CONTINUED KEY COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER NON-PROFIT CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPAND OUR IMPACT IN 2020. THIS INCLUDED THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, WHITE MOUNTAIN TRAIL COLLECTIVE, VT FISH AND WILDLIFE, DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS, PARKS AND REC AND MANY MORE.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $560.2K

  • Program 2 [2020]

    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. MUCH OF THE YEAR IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS CENTERED AROUND RESPONSE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. DESPITE A SHORT INITIAL CLOSURE, THE EDUCATION TEAM WAS ABLE TO ADAPT TO CONTINUE TO SERVE AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC. IN THE SPRING OF 2020 THIS INCLUDED PROVIDING VIRTUAL PROGRAMS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS OFFERING IN PERSON OUTDOOR PROGRAMS THAT MET SAFETY REQUIREMENTS - RANGING FROM AN APPLE PRUNING WORKSHOP GEARED FOR ADULTS, AND A VARIETY OF SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS - FROM NATURE DRAWING TO TEAM BUILDING ON ZOOM. IN ANTICIPATION OF THE BUSY SUMMER SEASON, SIGNIFICANT WORK WAS DONE COLLABORATIVELY WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO SET UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROCEED WITH SUMMER CAMPS, ADJUSTED TO MEET SAFETY PROTOCOLS. WITH VERY LOW COVID 19 CASE COUNTS IN THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM, WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER SUMMER CAMPS WITHIN THE RECOMMENDED CDC GUIDELINES. WE SCALED DOWN THE CAPACITY OF CAMPS, REDUCING OVERALL CAMPERS BY ABOUT 25%, WITH 115 CAMPERS THROUGH 10 WEEKS OF CAMP PROGRAMS. WE WERE STILL ABLE TO OFFER CAMPS IN OUR TWO LOCATIONS AT THE NORTHWOODS CAMPUS IN EAST CHARLESTON AND IN THE HUB FOR REGIONAL OUTDOOR RECREATION IN EAST BURKE. CAMP THEMES INCLUDE EXPLORATION OF THE NATURAL WORLD, BUILDING SKILL AND SENSE OF PLACE THROUGH OUTDOOR RECREATION AND HANDS ON EXPERIENCE, FOSTERING INCLUSIVE TEAMS, AND TEAM BUILDING AND LEADERSHIP. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HOST THE LOCAL NORTH COUNTRY SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH 4 WEEKS OF ENRICHMENT EDUCATION - WORKING WITH 8 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN THE SUPERVISORY UNION AND BRINGING 75 LOCAL STUDENTS TO NORTHWOODS FOR A WEEK-LONG ENRICHMENT PROGRAM. WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE HOMEMADE, HEALTHY FOOD, IN PART THANKS TO THE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM, SPONSORED BY THE USDA. WITH THE RETURN TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL OF 2020, OUR EDUCATION STAFF COLLABORATED CLOSELY WITH SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SUPPORT THE GROWING DEMAND FOR OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING. IN TOTAL, 2,141 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THE SUPPORT FOR LEADERS OF ALL AGES WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN 2020 WITH THE SECOND COHORT OF THE 6-MONTH INTENSIVE ADULT NEK LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, AND THE LAUNCH OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, GEARED FOR 8TH GRADERS AROUND THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM. BOTH PROGRAMS ADJUSTED AS NEEDED TO A HYBRID VIRTUAL PROGRAM BUT WERE ABLE TO CONCLUDE IN THE SUMMER WITH AN IN PERSON GATHERING. WITH THE GOAL OF SUPPORTING LEADERS WHO MAKE CHANGE IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOUNG LEADERS TRANSITIONING TO HIGH SCHOOL, THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE DESPITE THE PANDEMIC WAS INCREASINGLY VALUED, AS THE CHALLENGES, STRESS, AND BURNOUT THAT IS A PERENNIAL LEADERSHIP HURDLE WAS EMPHASIZED THROUGH THE ADDITIONAL STRESS AND CHALLENGE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PANDEMIC.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $119.1K

  • Program 3 [2020]

    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 SPRING RIPARIAN LANDS CREW WAS THE FIRST CREW TO RETURN TO WORK AFTER THE SHUTDOWN CAUSED BY THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT TURNING POINT - WHERE A SMALL CREW, WORKING OUTDOORS, WITH PROPER SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE, WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO FIELD WORK SUCCESSFULLY. THE FIRST PROJECT WAS ALONG THE CONNECTICUT RIVER - WHICH NOT ONLY CONNECTS VERMONT AND NEW HAMPSHIRE BUT HAS LINKED MANY PARTNERS IN A DECADE LONG RESTORATION EFFORT OF THE FLOODPLAIN FOREST IN THIS AGRICULTURAL VALLEY. THROUGHOUT THE SPRING OF 2020, SEVERAL PROJECTS TOOK PLACE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CT RIVER. IN 2020, RIPARIAN LANDS CREWS PLANTED 5,796 TREES AND SHRUBS, 2635 HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS, AND 8440 LIVE STAKES AND WHIPS. THE CONSERVATION SCIENCE PROGRAM BUILT CAPACITY TO POSITIVELY IMPACT RIPARIAN LANDS THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE, WHICH SUPPORTS LANDOWNER OUTREACH AS WELL AS RESTORATION PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY ON STATE-OWNED RIPARIAN LANDS. THE CON SCIENCE DEPARTMENT WORKED ON HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS ON A TOWN LEVEL AND CONSULTED WITH THE MANY AREA LAKE ASSOCIATIONS TO SUPPORT AWARENESS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING RIPARIAN BUFFERS, INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL, AND INFILTRATION STEPS.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $115K