Conservation Science

The work of the NorthWoods Conservation Science department began in 1998 with the Ecosystem Management Project based on the 1500-acre land base now owned and managed by NorthWoods. Since then, the program has expanded, fielding multiple off-site crews, completing projects in the watersheds of Northern Vermont throughout the field season. The goal of the ConSci program is to implement projects and promote partnerships that support ecological health, habitat enhancement, water quality, and other outcomes which have been shown to exemplify quality environmental stewardship through good science.

Our projects often involve collaborations with non-profit, state, and federal project partners and a cadre of dedicated citizen scientist volunteers. The findings of our work lead to conservation actions through a number of channels. Many results are summarized in project reports and contribute to watershed or forest management planning. Others are used to identify and prioritize projects, such as riparian buffer tree plantings, for the NorthWoods Conservation Corps or volunteer groups.

Our ecological monitoring data are provided to state, federal, and private research entities to be incorporated into powerful regional or long-term datasets to answer broader research questions and for conservation planning.