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Dear Friend,
With well over 1 million visitors in 2021, Vermont's 55 state parks just capped off another great, record-breaking season! We didn't need to hear that number to know the importance of our parks. They remain an enduring place of adventure and also respite for us all.
At Vermont Parks Forever (VPF), the growing non-profit foundation for Vermont's 55 beautiful state parks, we focused on nature education, access, and equity this year with real impact seen in the parks.
VPF supporters and the work we do together energizes me every day. Read on for some highlights of what we accomplished together in 2021 or view our Impact Report to see the good work you helped make happen.
Feeling inspired? Honor your time in Vermont's state parks and make a gift online today!
Have a safe and happy rest of 2021,
Sarah Alberghini Winters
Executive Director
p.s. In this time of thanksgiving, we can all spread our gratefulness. Submit your message of appreciation for our state parks here and we’ll highlight it on social media in the coming weeks! You can always stay in touch by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
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The Good Work we do Together
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In 2021, support from park enthusiasts like you:
- provided over 4,000 free days in the parks to Vermonters in all 14 counties, making it possible for Vermont’s children, foster families, new Americans, front-line workers, mental health clients, members of the BIPOC community, those with limited mobility, those in recovery, those re-entering society, and those with developmental impairments, to enjoy the parks!
- invested in hands-on nature education supplies throughout the park system, making replica catamount skulls available for handling and bird call software available for interested listeners
- funded 3 paid internships focused on public service, stewardship, and equity in the parks, and crafting a survey to determine who isn’t able to access our state parks and how we can help
- shepherded the revitalization of Groton’s Nature Center, creating a free, museum-quality experience in partnership with ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain - opening next year!
That's a lot and we couldn't have done it without you! To learn more, visit our Impact Report.
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Fun facts from Vermont State Parks:
Parks stay open for use all year long! While there is no staff present or drinking water/restrooms available, parks are a great place for fall and winter activities.
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Interpreter Diane Sendra sharing Monarch caterpillars in the outdoor nature center at Emerald Lake State Park
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Hunting season is in full swing in Vermont and is allowed on all state lands, including State Parks during this off-season. Please come and visit, but remember to be cautious in the woods. Dress in blaze orange (dogs, too) and make yourself heard! Check off-season state park access.
What did you learn? Over 52,000 state park visitors attended hands-on inspirational and educational programming in seventeen state parks around Vermont from June-October 2021. These experiences help foster connections between park visitors and the natural and cultural resources in our beautiful state parks, and in turn inspire people to move toward stewardship behaviors in their lives. Some of the most popular programs this year included: history hikes; evening campfire programs; edible wild plant identification; sunset paddle tours; Leave No Trace education; and catching, cleaning, and cooking wild fish.
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Our VPF Business Partners make Vermont's state parks
even better!
Over 30 local businesses create a backbone of support for the work Vermont Parks Forever does each year to enhance the state parks.
Ask your business to support us in 2022!
A big thanks to SunCommon for their love, enjoyment, and support of the state parks!
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Looking for a special gift this holiday season?
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 Vermont Parks Forever was founded in 2013 to enhance and protect Vermont State Parks through charitable support. VPF provides innovative nature education opportunities in the parks, increases access to parks for underserved communities, and inspires stewardship of Vermont’s natural places.
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