Flooding has been at the forefront of our minds in the past year, from the summer floods that mostly spared the Mad River Valley, to the December floods that reminded us that even in the winter, the river will do what the river does. But flooding can also be a learning opportunity. It reminds us of our strength as a community and provides an opportunity for us to look ahead and build resiliency in our communities to maintain the safety and well-being of the land and water and all their inhabitants.

In this panel, we’ll hear from individuals from Montpelier and Hardwick who are at the forefront of response and recovery in their communities. We’ll also hear from representatives from Vermont Fish and Wildlife about the impact of floods on aquatic life and from representatives of Friends of the Winooski and The Nature Conservancy who have been involved in various floodplain reconnection projects before and after these recent floods.

We hope that hearing from community leaders and experts on what has worked for other Vermont communities will inspire us in the Mad River Valley to take action that ensures preparedness for future climate change.

Light dinner and childcare will be provided. Please RSVP below if you plan to attend and contact [email protected] with any questions, concerns or suggestions.

Interested in experiencing nature in a mindful and familiar way?

Then join us and Cory Stephenson, a naturalist and the Moretown Library Director, for a forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) experience. On this gentle nature walk we will learn more about the trees that inhabit our forests, and through the practice of forest bathing discover which ones we feel most connected to. Winter offers us a chance to experience a truly quiet forest, and so through our mindfulness practice, we'll be able to discern the sounds of snow falling off branches, critters running up tree barks, and the wind rustling through branches.

We'll meet at the entrance of Moretown Town Forest on School Street in Moretown. The parking lot is shared with Moretown Elementary School and the Town office. Please dress comfortably to be outdoors and bring a hot beverage along if you'd like.

This event is free and open to the public. Please register below if you'd like to attend and contact [email protected] with questions.

As part of our Winter Flood Series, we'd like to invite you to an open mic "Moth-inspired" storytelling event on community resilience on Thursday, January 25th from 5:30 pm to 7 pm.

Have you experienced the power of community in the face of difficult times? We'd love to hear your story! These stories can be about your personal experiences, or they can be about the experiences of people you know. We want to hear stories about how you've coped with unforeseen circumstances like flooding, loss of power, etc., how you've helped out in your community, and what you think can be done to make communities more resilient. We see many stories like this everyday on Front Porch Forum - now is your chance to tell your story to a captive audience!

Each story should be about 5 minutes long, can be read or memorized and should contain no inappropriate content. Here's an example of a story for inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJVgznQu7Rc

If you'd like to share your story or attend the event, RSVP below. Contact us at [email protected] with any questions, concerns, suggestions or if you need help brainstorming a story.