Vermont, that smaller, crunchier west New England neighbor just across the Connecticut River, is fall foliage and spring maple sugar. But there’s more going on here than just postcard New England. Vermont is a place of deep connection to the rhythms of the natural world, a place of close communities living close to the land. Vermont asks those who visit it to think more deeply and with greater inspiration about the possibilities that exist for living well in the midst of today’s challenges, in short, to think about how to be a better steward. Robin Kimmerer, in her seminal work Braiding Sweetgrass, describes this sense of reciprocity as “mutual flourishing,” suggesting that there is a way to be in the world where the human and nonhuman worlds can thrive in concert. But what does this mutual flourishing actually look like, and what does it feel like to live it?

​

Using Quimby Country Cottages in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom as a hub for our experiences and conversations, we will explore and live the idea of stewardship through the contexts of recreation and adventure, community and food, and the arts and sciences. Come mountain bike the famed Northeast Kingdom Trails while thinking about forestry management and ecotourism. Spend a day in the sun at Bald Mountain Meadow tending a garden while discussing sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and community resilience. Hike to the summit of Bald Mountain for its 360-degree views of the Clyde River Valley, or paddle the Connecticut River and cast a line as you contemplate land-use history and climate change. Heft a rock bar with renowned Vermont writer Sean Prentiss while discussing his book Crosscut and the concept of wildness it explores. Our conversations and experiences will be myriad and informed by intentional encounters with Vermont and its people. In the end, you will emerge with a deep sense of place, of Vermont, and a template for engaging your own homes in ways that offer mutual flourishing to human and nonhuman communities wherever you find them.