Place-based Landscape Analysis & Community Engagement
M ontpelier PLACE is a series of community events celebrating the sites and stories in Montpelier’s unique heritage and ecology. Join us this fall on a citywide exploration to discover what makes our Capital City so special!
Montpelier PLACE is presented in collaboration with the Montpelier Conservation Commission, the Montpelier Parks Commission, and North Branch Nature Center. The program is supported by Hunger Mountain Co-op, the Vermont Community Foundation, and the Ben & Jerry's Foundation. The PLACE Program is an initiative of the University of Vermont and Shelburne Farms.
Past Events
Ecology of North Branch River Park
Join field naturalist Erica Hample to learn about the ecology that makes our local park special. Erica has been engaged in a new ecological assessment of the park, uncovering a fascinating story of seeps, trees, and insects. This event will involve light hiking for less than one mile. Meet at the Recreation Field parking area on Poolside Drive. More Info
Queen Bee Day Brunch at Barr Hill
In collaboration with Caledonia Spirits’ Bee's Knees Week, come sip on some cocktails and enjoy local honey-infused donuts with pollinator ecologist Jason Mazurowski who will share his expertise on the nearly 400 native bees species found in Vermont. This event will also feature live music by Joanne Garton on fiddle and Brendan Taaffe on guitar, fiddle, and voice. More Info
Harvest Meal at the FEAST Farm
This celebratory meal will include a tour of the city’s FEAST Farm, a farm-to-table meal from the grill, a thank you to the FEAST Farm volunteers, and a forward looking planning discussion aimed at increasing local food access and sourcing for our community. All are welcome! More Info
History on the Land: Hubbard Park
Peel back the layers of Hubbard Park with landscape historian Samantha Ford. Discover Montpelier's history and the origin of the conservation movement using hidden clues in the form of stone walls, witness trees, barbed wire, and more. More Info
Ecology of Hubbard Park
Join field naturalist Erica Hample for a guided group exploration of the most special places in Hubbard Park. Erica’s work creating a new ecological assessment of the park has uncovered a complicated land use history, a strong conservation ethic, and exciting geological formations. Come learn about ecological resilience and the future of this forest! Physical Expectations: This will be a two-mile round-trip hike with short steep sections. More Info
Montpelier’s Built Environment
Recording Available Here
Discover the history of downtown Montpelier with Paul Carnahan, author of Montpelier: Images of Vermont’s Capital City. We will examine how the city’s buildings and bridges have responded to the natural environment and defined our community. More Info
Participants are encouraged to head outside and try our History Scavenger Hunt before the program. Answers will be revealed at this talk!
Montpelier Underfoot
Discover how Montpelier’s local geologic and geographic setting has shaped the city’s modern infrastructure, architecture and personality. Led by Sean Beckett of North Branch Nature Center. This two part event includes a Friday evening presentation followed by a field outing on Saturday morning. Attendance of one day of the event is not mandatory for participation in the other. Field outing will include less than ½ mile of walking on mostly flat, wide trails. More Info
Upstream–Downstream: A River Resilience Film Festival & Panel Discussion
1/19 and 2/8 | Recording Available Here
A community celebration of Montpelier’s watershed and our place within it. From the Winooski headwaters to Lake Champlain, we’ll travel upstream and downstream showcasing endeavors in conservation, education, and recreation along our local waterways. We’ll begin the evening with a series of 5- to 40-minute films, then transition into a panel discussion about the health of our local rivers.
More Info & Tickets Here
Presented By:
Sponsored By
The PLACE Program
is a project of:
713 Elm Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05602
(802) 229-6206
Hours: Center Open Monday-Friday 9-4
Trails Open 24/7
