Conservation
Conservation & Connection at the Vermont Leadership Center
Caring for Land, Water, and Well-Being
At the Vermont Leadership Center, we believe conservation goes beyond protecting land — it’s about restoring our relationship with nature and ourselves. Nestled between the Battenkill River, Red Mountain, and West Mountain, our work blends environmental stewardship with wellness practices to create a more resilient, grounded community.
Our Approach: Where Nature Meets Well-Being
🌿 Place-Based Conservation
We protect and restore the Battenkill watershed and surrounding mountain ecosystems through hands-on, science-based projects.🧘 Wellness in the Wild
From yoga in the forest to mindfulness by the river, we use the natural world as a space for healing, grounding, and connection.🧠 Education + Experience
Our programs for youth and adults blend ecological learning with personal growth — building both knowledge and resilience.🤝 Community-Led Stewardship
We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to care for the land and find belonging in shared purpose.
What We Offer
Conservation Projects
Trail building, habitat restoration, waterway cleanups
Seasonal field crews for youth and adults
Scientific monitoring and ecological education
Wellness & Mindfulness Programs
Nature-based yoga and meditation
Mindfulness retreats and daylong wellness events
Forest therapy and reflective outdoor practices
Youth Engagement
Outdoor leadership programs for teens
School partnerships and summer experiences
Mind-body-environment curriculum
Retreats & Events
Weekend retreats focused on renewal and reflection
Workshops that blend ecology, creativity, and well-being
Community events celebrating seasonal cycles and conservation
Why It Matters
We care for this land not just to preserve nature — but to cultivate peace, presence, and purpose. By protecting the ecosystems of Southern Vermont, we’re also helping people reconnect with what truly sustains them: wild places, quiet moments, and shared stewardship.
Building the Next Generation of Land Stewards
Hands-On Experience. Real-World Skills. Lifelong Impact.
At the Vermont Leadership Center, we believe that conservation is learned by doing. Our programs are designed to ignite a passion for environmental stewardship while building practical skills and leadership capacity — especially for youth and early-career adults.
Who We Work With
We welcome individuals from all walks of life:
High school and college students exploring their first job in the field
Career changers looking to work with purpose
Outdoor enthusiasts ready to turn their passion into impact
Whether you’ve studied environmental science or are just beginning your journey, if you care about the land and are ready to work hard, you belong here.
Our Facilities
We are a new organization and currently based on Red Mountain. We would like to be able to acquire land on Red Mountain and in this area where we can build a big barn that will serve as our leadership center with classrooms and a space for community events, kids programming, wellness events and more!
If you have land that you want to donate or make available to the VLC please reach out.
Join the team! If you would like to GET INVOLVED please reach out!
The Work
We will partner with local state and federal agencies and other conservation non-profits to implement on-the-ground conservation restoration, trail building, forestry, and research projects that benefit the ecological health of our region.
Examples of projects that we would like to implement:
- The building and maintenance of a walking trail system on Red Mountain
- Conservation of The Battenkill River
- Developing and executing methodologies around native seed identification, documentation and collection.
- Implementing water quality best management practices for The Battenkill River
- Accessibility improvement for hiking, mountian biking and walking trails
- Manual removal and treatment of invasive plants
- Exotic plant control,
- Riparian forest buffer enhancement
- Process-based restoration implementation (beaver-dam analogs)
- Timber Stand Improvement
- Wildlife Habitat assessments