Thank you so much for creating this female-driven space. It's particularly inspiring for someone like me who manages the land on our property. It sometimes gets lonely, so hearing from women who do the same (but who have more experience) is essential.

~ Women & Our Woods Vermont workshop participant

This month, UCF wraps up its five-year funded effort to support Women & Our Woods Vermont, a remarkable consortium of professional partners and forward-thinking landowners committed to empowering women in Vermont’s forest stewardship.

From chainsaw safety training and Leopold bench building to spring bird walks and winter tree identification, WOW VT has reached over 650 landowners and land managers with its workshops, skill trainings, field walks, and dedicated Women & Our Woods e-newsletter. Participants consistently shared that learning alongside other women created a welcoming environment where they felt comfortable asking questions, discussing challenges, and exploring solutions through hands-on and iterative learning.

The grant funding also supported 14 forestry demonstration projects in women-owned and women-managed woods. Learning about and implementing invasive species management, tree planting, mast or crop tree release, and patch cuts revealed that experiences on the land can teach so much. When asked, “What would you tell a woman just starting her journey as a landowner?”, these women landowners said:

“Start with hands-on projects—you’ll learn as you go.” 
— Lina, Woodstock

“Spend time alone in your forest. It’ll teach you what it needs.” 
— Barbara, Craftsbury

“Move slowly. You don’t have to do everything at once.” 
— Julie & Sheila, Wolcott

“Think long-term—beyond your own lifetime.” 
— Diana, Brattleboro

A printed and online publication of WOW VT, “Women and the Woods We Love: Stories and lessons from women who love and manage forests”, highlights stewardship journeys of these fourteen case studies in women-led forest management and adds eight deeper stories of women connecting to the land. 

And while one chapter of WOW VT’s funding has closed, the steering committee is already committed to many events in Fall 2026, including Women & Our Woods Game of Logging Levels 1 & 2 and the Women & Our Woods Overnight Retreat at NorthWoods Stewardship Center. Contact any of the partner organizations of WOW VT to obtain a copy of any WOW VT outreach material or visit wowvt.org for downloads and event listings. 

WOW VT is led by members of Audubon Vermont, the Forest Stewards Guild, Vermont Coverts, Vermont Fish & Wildlife, Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation, the Vermont Land Trust, the Vermont Woodlands Association, and our own VT Urban & Community Forestry Program.