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Dear Friend,
This e-news shares news about Leadership Upper Valley, free Guided Quests, incentives for curbing your car and reducing carbon pollution, and much more! Happy Spring!
The Vital Communities Staff
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Join Leadership Upper Valley 2024
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Would you like to have greater impact on local issues? Leadership Upper Valley can help you develop the tools, knowledge, confidence, and network to make a difference. Apply to join the 2024 Class!
This Vital Communities program brings Upper Valley residents together once a month over a 10-month period to offer insights, relationships, and examples of service they need to succeed and make a difference in the Upper Valley. Participants come away from the program with knowledge of Upper Valley issues, opportunities, people, lifestyles, and trends, an expanded network of community leaders and partners, and motivation and experience to provide service within the Upper Valley community. Since 2007, the program has graduated hundreds of people who are helping our communities navigate challenges and change for the better.
Vital Communities seeks classes of up to 30 participants from a wide range of backgrounds and roles in the Upper Valley: people currently or formerly associated with corporations, nonprofits, small and private businesses, schools, and municipalities – anyone who wants to learn about the Upper Valley and how they might make a difference.
Meanwhile. congratulations in advance to the LUV Class of 2023, which graduates June 14!
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Sign Up for Ways to Go! Guided Quests
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Registration is live for three Guided Quests that are part of Super Quest 2023: Ways To Go! In Guided Quests , an expert or two leads a group on one of the 150+ Valley Quests of special Upper Valley places. Like the rest of the Quest program, Guided Quests are free! Register now!
- Guided HPR River Quest – Saturday, June 24, 9 am – Wilson’s Landing Lyme Road/Route 10, Hanover NH. BYO canoe or kayak and safety equipment and explore the flora and fauna of the Connecticut River.
- Advance Transit – Thursday, July 20, 1:30 pm Colburn Park, Lebanon, 1:30 pm: Explore Advance Transit’s Red Route from Colburn Park to West Leb, including a group stop at Kilton Library to learn about the Upper Valley E-Bike Lending Library and a conclusion at the Lebanon Farmers Market.
- Linny’s Loop – Saturday, August 5, 10 am – Lake Fairlee Boat Ramp, 3474 VT-244, Fairlee, VT:. BYO bike for a nine-mile bicycle quest ride around Lake Fairlee. Co-led by bicycle enthusiasts who will be able to help with basic skills such as changing flat tires, and safe navigation of roadways on bikes.
Super Quest 2023: Ways To Go! is a celebration of the many ways we can get around the Upper Valley and a journey to better understand the challenges and opportunities of transportation in our region. Through this year’s Super Quest, participants (solo or in teams) will explore different ways that people travel. Participants will challenge themselves to travel using modes they don’t usually use. Participants will also learn about the growing number of bike paths, bus stops, EV charging stations, and other infrastructure that supports diverse modes of transportation in the Upper Valley! The Super Quest challenge starts at the beginning of the Quest season on May 1.
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Ways to Make a Difference in Carbon Pollution
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You can reduce carbon pollution in Vermont and impact worldwide climate change. Go!Vermont's Park Your Carbon Week, May 15-19 is an initiative to help change Vermonters’ transportation and commuting habits by encouraging green ways of travel. Try it for a day, a week, or make it an ongoing habit. Bike. Walk. Share Your Ride. Bus. Work From Home. Every trip counts. Even small ones! Click here to take the pledge.
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Lebanon's Bike-to-Work Day, Friday, May 19, at Colburn Park from 7:00-8:30 am. Use a carpool, bus, or your own power (walk/bike/skateboard/etc.) to get around that day, and stop by the park to connect and celebrate. There will be coffee and food, bike checks, and information about multimodal transportation in the city and region. This event is made possible by Lebanon Recreation, Arts & Parks, the City of Lebanon Planning Department and Pedestrian & Bicyclist Advisory Committee, the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission, Vital Communities, Advance Transit, and Omer and Bobs.
CommuteSmart NH Annual Spring Challenge. Join a rewarding ongoing event! Participants earn points for every non-single-occupancy-vehicle-trip they take (bike, walk, transit, carpool, telecommute, compressed work week) and can redeem those points for discounts at various businesses across the state. It's also a useful tool for ride-matching throughout the year--whether you're seeking people to carpool with or a bike buddy to commute with. There is also a fun workplace challenge.
Curb Your Car Day 2019. Rob Strong photo
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Businesses and Early Childhood Education
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Engaging businesses can help a region meet its needs in early childhood education (ECE), according to a May 10 presentation made to Vital Communities’ Corporate Council, a group of top representatives of locally based employers. The council heard from JD Chesloff, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, which includes the Massachusetts Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education, and Dr. Joanne Roberts, Superintendent of the Lebanon, NH school district and Consultant for the Vital Communities ECE Initiative, who spoke about the Initiative’s work in increasing the availability and affordability of ECE in the Upper Valley.
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New Participants in Climate Farmer Stories
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A second cohort of farmers has joined the Climate Farmer Stories project! They represent a wide range of farm type, farming practices, and Upper Valley geography and use a variety of regenerative farming techniques. They have selected the artists who will do their portrait this summer. Meanwhile, check out this list of Upper Valley locations where you can see the portraits of the first Climate Farmer cohort!
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A New Housing Story: Camp Staff and Pets
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The second installment of our "Housing Stories" series takes us to Farm & Wilderness in Plymouth, VT, where the directors struggle to find housing for seasonal staff as well as themselves and their pets. The robust trend toward short-term rentals (i.e. Air BNB and VRBO) doesn't make it easier.
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A Year-One Report on a 14-Town Consortium
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The White River Valley Consortium - a group of 14 Vermont towns working together on regional issues - has wrapped up a year of community engagement and exploration of possible solutions to our housing crisis -- check out our new report about our first year and then a sneak peek at what's coming next!
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Find Farmers Markets 2023 in Valley News
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From Canaan to Woodstock, Upper Valley farmers markets are opening for the season. The Valley News maintains a listing of Upper Valley Farmers Markets times, locations, and season start and end dates for the markets. If one you know of isn't listed, they encourage you to email calendar@vnews.com. Like the Valley News volunteer listing, the farmers market list is in front of the "paywall," so anyone can access it, whether or not they subscribe.
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Sign Up for the VECAN Spring Summit June 3
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Registration is now open for the Spring Summit of the Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network at Middlebury College! VECAN is the network of over 100 Vermont town energy committees and the organizations that support them, including Vital Communities. The June 3 meeting is a chance to "reconnect, strategize, and co-create opportunities to help Vermont advance just and bold climate action."
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Kearsarge Hub to Continue Farmer Meet-Ups
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A final session in a series of farmer meet-ups held this winter and early spring takes place Thursday, May 18, 6-7:30 pm, in the Kearsarge Food Hub Community Room in Bradford, NH. Co-hosted by Vital Communities and the Kearsarge Food Hub, these gatherings give farmers a chance to talk with each other about what's on their minds. Although the series is ending, there's interest at the hub and among the region's farmers in continuing events that foster connection.
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Register for the June 2 Housing Breakfast
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The Spring Housing Solutions Breakfast on Friday, June 2, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Lebanon, presented by Twin Pines Housing and Vital Communities and sponsored by Mascoma Bank and the Vermont Housing Finance Agency: The topics and presenters will be: Sarah Marchant, Chief of Staff and VP of ROC-NH, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, on resident-owned manufactured home communities; Kevin Geiger, Director of Planning, Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission, representing Keys to the Valley, on ADUs and other efforts; and Nick Clark, Board of Directors, Livable Real Estate Cooperative, on small-scale development.
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Tidbits: Frost-Free Nights are Coming!
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While the nighttime temperatures dropped pretty low early this week we are getting close to the frost free date. For the valley, the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting May 13. This, of course, is not a hard and fast rule. Low temperatures can still harm your tender transplants so it's best to be vigilant in the evening with sheets and fabric until we are safely in the clear.
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Events From Other Organizations
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Free unless indicated by $; online unless indicated by location
Free E-Bike Rental Day | Sat, May 13, 10 am-5 pm | Woodstock Wheels, 54 River St., Woodstock VT | Call to book your time, 802-281-9012
Local Solutions, Climate Migration Conference | Tue & Wed, May 15 &16 | Keene, NH | Discussions examining the local planning and decision-making necessary to encourage homes needed for climate migrants while protecting the Upper Valley's resources and resilience for generations to come; and how to plan for accommodating both new and current residents, when we are already struggling with a housing crisis. Presented by Antioch University New England, NOAA, the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup, and the City of Keene. Information & registration
- May 16-17 – Local Solutions, Climate Migration Conference
Uncertainty = Opportunity: A BOLD NEW VISION | Wed, May 17, 8 am-5 pm | Grappone Conference Center, Concord, NH |New Hampshire's leading conference for corporate social responsibility includes morning and afternoon break-out sessions that help attendees take sustainable aspirations to actionable efforts. Early bird pricing ends May 2. $ Information & registration.
Zienzele Night Celebration | Wed, May 24, 4:30-8:30 pm | Dartmouth Outing Club, Hanover NH | A silent auction, talks, and Q & A with co-founders, and live music to support an Upper Valley nonprofit that supports women's cooperatives in Zimbabwe. Tickets by donation. Information & tickets
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More Resources & Opportunities
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"Double The Love": Shop woman-owned this Mother’s Day. Honor the Mom(s) in your life by showering them with gifts from one of the many women-owned businesses in Vermont. It's a double dose of love - supporting women while celebrating them - and it's as easy as looking at this map.
Unite for better mental health. May is Mental Health Month. Join the National Alliance for Mental Illness in an effort to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness. Learn more
NOFA-NH is Hiring a Transition to Organic Partnership Program Coordinator! The Northeast Organic Farming Association of NH (NOFA-NH) is hiring a Transition to Organic Partnership Coordinator to join our team to administer a five-year USDA program that is just beginning to take shape in New Hampshire and across the region. Learn more & apply
BIPOC Summer Camp. The Education Justice Coalition of Vermont offers its first annual BIPOC Summer Camp at the Common Ground Center in Starksboro, VT. This camp is for youth who are 14-18 years of age; identify as Black, Brown, Indigenous, or a person of color; and live in Vermont outside of Chittenden County. Learn more & apply
Apply by June 12 for VT housing program. The Vermont Housing Finance Agency's Homeowner Assistance Program (VHAP) has made over $29 million in grants for mortgages, utilities, property taxes, and homeowner's association fees on behalf of Vermont households. Due to high demand, the program will no longer accept new applications after Monday, June 12. Make sure you apply before the program closes at vermonthap.vhfa.org or get assistance through their hotline at (833) 221-4208.
Photo contest on housing. Across the United States, small- to mid-sized housing that’s affordable for middle-income households is in short supply. The Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development is teaming up with AARP Vermont and Vermont Natural Resources Council to launch a photo contest to raise awareness of this “missing middle housing,” which includes backyard cottages, attached and detached in-law apartments, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes and more. Enter by May 31. Information & contest entry
AmeriCorps service opportunities. AmeriCorps VT is conducting interviews to fill four AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator positions. The new cohort will serve from August 21, 2023, through August 2, 2024. AmeriCorps members work within schools in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Information
Grow crops for the Abenaki Land Link Project. The project can accommodate a dozen more growers of any size this season. The Project was established in 2020 as a way for farmers, homesteaders, and gardeners to grow crops for the Abenaki Nation. Growers donate their land, time, skills, and resources to grow squash, corn, and/or beans. NOFA-VT works in partnership with Abenaki Helping Abenaki and coordinates the growers. Information & registration
VT food aid can be used for gardening. Vermonters can buy seeds and seedlings that produce edible foods with 3SquaresVT benefits. 3SquaresVT is Vermont’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides eligible people monthly benefits to help pay for groceries. Learn more
Fight hunger even though pandemic-era programs have ended. Although Vermont Everyone Eats and Emergency Allotments for SNAP recipients have ended, there is still food assistance available. Everyone has a right to nutritious, abundant food. See this resource list of organizations you can get help from or give to, if you are able. Resource list
Assistance for Farmers: Farming has long been a profession that can be very fulfilling, but just as stressful - especially with such recent challenges as the pandemic, unpredictable weather like droughts or dramatic temperature shifts, and economic turbulence. Both New Hampshire and Vermont offer help including financial assistance, legal assistance, mediation services, mental well-being resources, and peer-to-peer support networks and events. Browse the resources here.
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What does this photo represent? A lot of potential new housing units in the Upper Valley! These are some of the approximately 150 highly engaged individuals who attended the May 6 Home Creators Expo co-presented by Two Rivers-Ottauquee Regional Commission, the Town of Hartford, and Vital Communities, and held at the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center. Visitors stopped by tables of information on pre-fab accessory dwelling units (ADUs), home share programs, the permitting process, landlord-tenant aid, and more, and attended sessions offering both introductory and in-depth information on how to create an ADU on your own property.
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