Vermont

Merck Forest and Farmland Center

A century and a half ago, most of Vermont’s forests were open fields, including the farmsteads in Rupert which would become Merck Forest & Farmland. The remaining forests were managed as short-term woodlots, and decades-old agricultural practices were slowly degrading soil fertility, and harming natural resources and wildlife populations.

Brattleboro

Brattleboro has a thriving arts community. It was listed in John Villani's book The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America, in which it was ranked #9 among 'arts towns' with a population of 30,000 or under.

On the first Friday of every month, an event known as Gallery Walk is held, during which galleries, artists, arts organizations, and even ordinary stores display new art works or hold performances. Included in the organizations that participate are the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, the Hooker-Dunham Theater and Gallery, the In-Sight Photography Project, River Gallery School, Through the Music, and the Windham Art Gallery. Gallery Walk is a mid-1990s creation of, and continues to be sponsored by, the Arts Council of Windham County.