Work began in mid July on excavation and site preparation for a new bunkhouse at the NorthWoods Stewardship Center. The four-season 54 x 24 foot building will include bunks for 18 students and an annex with handicapped-accessible bathrooms and showers.

The bunkhouse will expand the Center’s capacity and ability to offer its educational programming over multiple days to groups from a wider geographic area. For over 25 years NorthWoods has provided school and adult education programs as part of its mission of “connecting people and place through education, science, and action”, but groups have been limited to single day visits, camping, or hosting at the homes of board and staff members. “After a few years of planning, permitting, and fundraising, we’re all very excited to see this dream now become a reality” said NorthWoods Operations Director Jayson Benoit.

In addition to its camp and school programs and conservation corps, NorthWoods provides forestry consulting services to private landowners and manages its own 1,500-acre demonstration forest in Charleston and Morgan. The Center has also hosted workshops and trainings for landowners and college-aged students for decades and the bunkhouse will support expansion of these offerings.

Funding for the project began with a seed grant from the Canaday Family Charitable Trust and has grown to include grants from the USDA Rural Development Community Facility program, the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services, and Vermont Electric Coop’s Community Grants program, as well as donations from a host of local individuals and businesses including Columbia Forest Products, Passumpsic Bank, Community National Bank, and Plum Creek.

Construction is expected to be finished by late fall 2016 and will involve local contractors (RG Gosselin, Wrights Plumbing and Heating, Green and Sons Concrete, Rusty’s Electric, and Dennis Choquette Construction), as well as a number of volunteers.

Groups who are interested in NorthWoods educational programs or booking a stay in the bunkhouse should contact Maria Young at maria@northwoodscenter.org.

We will keep this page updated with photos as building progresses. Stay tuned, and thank you for your support!