The Department's Community Wildlife Program has offered a biannual webinar series for the municipal land use and conservation audience since 2020. Scroll down to see our current offerings or visit our Video Library to see recordings of previous episodes. All our webinars are live online events that last approximately one hour and offer participants a chance to learn and ask questions to natural resources experts.
We also offer the Environmental leadership Trainings each spring and fall.
Fall 2024 Webinars
Understanding Vermont Conservation Design: The data behind BioFinder
Vermont Conservation Design is the data and the vision that powers the BioFinder website. It is a prioritization tool that identifies the lands and waters most important for maintaining Vermont's ecologically functional landscape – one that conserves current biological diversity and allows species to move and shift in response to climate and land-use changes. Vermont Conservation Design allows users to see patterns in Vermont’s forests and waterways, and identify the places that connect both into a functional network. The Design was just updated with new landscape scale components and Wildlife Road Crossings. It now features more accurate edges of the habitat blocks, that allow for a better understanding of the pattern and network of connected forests. Join us to learn more about this important conservation science.
Presenters:
- Jens Hilke, Conservation Planner, VT Fish and Wildlife Department
- David Moroney, Conservation Planning Specialist, VT Fish and Wildlife Department
Repeat sessions of this webinar will be offered on the following three dates:
- Session 1: Wednesday, October 9, 2024 11:00am-12:00pm. Register
- Session 2: Friday, November 8, 2024 10:00am-11:00am. Register
- Session 3: Thursday, December 12, 2024 1:00pm-2:00pm. Register
Sharing Like Cats and Dogs: Bobcats & Coyotes on the Vermont Landscape
Bobcats and coyotes compete for resources across Vermont. Yet they go about it with very different styles and have settled into an equilibrium since coyotes first appeared in our state in the mid 20th century. Bobcats tend to be more elusive, while their canine counterparts are much more public. Together, these mid-sized mammals occupy a niche in Vermont's ecology that teaches us about the need for an inter-connected landscape. Join Furbearer Project Leader Bree Furfey for an exciting deep dive into the biology, ecology and landscape needs of these two iconic species. We'll also discuss land-use planning strategies that your town can use to ensure their continued presence throughout Vermont.
Presenters:
- Brehan Furfey, Wildlife Biologist, VT Fish and Wildlife Department
- Jens Hilke, Conservation Planner, VT Fish and Wildlife Department
Repeat sessions of this webinar will be offered on the following two dates:
- Session 1: Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 10:00am-11:00am. Register
- Session 2: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 2:00pm-3:00pm. Register
Gray and Green Infrastructure: How Vermont's bridges and culverts add to our network of connected lands and waters.
Roads can act as barriers to wildlife movement, and yet our bridges and stream culverts are potential passage for Vermont's fish and wildlife to move underneath without danger. In addition to giving fish and other aquatic species plenty of space to swim through, many of these structures are designed to accommodate large floods and move debris during extreme rainfall. This means that at normal flow levels, wildlife can walk through the structure alongside the stream. However, some of our older structures are undersized and present a constriction for floodwaters as well as for fish and wildlife movement. A team of researchers has created the Terrestrial Passage Screen Tool that is now available on BioFinder to assess the "passability" of bridges and culverts on the state road system and help in prioritizing which structures might be best replaced to facilitate wildlife movement. Join Conservation Planner Jens Hilke from Vermont Fish & Wildlife to learn the science behind this new tool and learn how it may be used to help prioritize structures for replacement to facilitate wildlife movement.
Presenters:
- Jens Hilke, Conservation Planner, VT Fish and Wildlife Department
Repeat sessions of this webinar will be offered on the following two dates:
- Session 1: Wednesday, October 30, 2024 10:00am-11:00am. Register
- Session 2: Monday, December 16, 2024 3:00pm-4:00pm. Register
Reconnecting the Greens Mountains: A multi-pronged approach for enabling wildlife movement
The spine of the Green Mountains is a chain of several huge forest blocks that is the backbone of the Vermont landscape. With relatively few road crossings, wildlife can move among these forests for great distances. This is important for keeping populations healthy and allowing them to adapt to climate change. Yet the Winooski river valley with Interstate 89, Route 2 and the railroad is a significant barrier separating the northern and central Green Mountains. Efforts are underway to ensure that habitat remains connected across these barriers. Join Conservation Planner Jens Hilke and VTrans Biologist Jesse Johnson to learn about the exciting wildlife connectivity projects emerging along the busiest stretch of road in Vermont. Oversized culverts, wildlife shelves, and a state-of-the-art highway underpass are all on the menu as conservation planners find creative solutions to reconnect the Green Mountains for wildlife between Mount Mansfield and Camel's Hump.
Presenters:
- Jens Hilke, Conservation Planner, VT Fish and Wildlife Department
- Jesse Johnson, Biologist, Vermont Agency of Transportation
Repeat sessions of this webinar will be offered on the following two dates:
About Our Staff
Jens Hilke is a Conservation Planning Biologist at Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. He leads the Community Wildlife Program, which provides technical assistance to Vermont municipalities on land use planning. He helps towns, regional planning commissions and non-governmental organizations with their conservation planning efforts. This includes help with GIS natural resource mapping, advice on prioritizing significant natural features and help with implementing town conservation goals. Jens completed his undergraduate work at Connecticut College in Environmental Sociology and then got a Masters in Botany from the University of Vermont as a Field Naturalist. Jens has taught high school science in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New Jersey and for a study-away program in Thailand, Southeast Asia.
Contact Jens at Jens.Hilke@Vermont.gov
Community Wildlife Program
The Community Wildlife Program of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department provides technical assistance to towns, Regional Planning Commissions, and conservation organizations. We keep tabs on the latest in conservation science and help integrate that information into efforts to protect wildlife, habitat, and the most important lands and waters in Vermont. Whether you are drafting a new town plan, seeking a project partner, or looking to level up your conservation planning, we are here to help.
To schedule a consultation with our staff of Conservation Planners, email Jens.Hilke@Vermont.gov. Consultations and follow-up services are free of charge and sponsored by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.