Town Planners, Conservation Commissioners, Members of the Public Encouraged to Attend
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding a series of free workshops on using the recently updated online mapping tool, BioFinder. The workshops are aimed at town planners and conservation commissioners, but all members of the public are encouraged to attend. BioFinder is a mapping resource used to find the places in Vermont most important for maintaining biodiversity, even as the climate changes. It includes maps of Vermont's connected forests and waterways, locations of important ecological resources, and other information used for conservation and land use planning.
"BioFinder makes your work as a community leader easier by helping you identify hotspots of biological diversity in your area," said Jens Hilke of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. "Getting the right information is the first step in ensuring that these important natural resources are available for every generation of Vermonter."
By zooming in and out to different scales, BioFinder can help users see their land or community in a larger context. It is available for anyone to use online at BioFinder.vermont.gov.
"For people working in small towns, getting quality information is really a challenge," said Liz Thompson of the Jericho Conservation Commission. "BioFinder brings all of the current information into one place that is so slick and easy to use."
Everyone is welcome, but since space is limited, pre-registration is required. Please email [email protected] to sign up or learn more. Seminars are generally in the evening, but there will also be serval webinars that are available during the day.
Webinars
March 6, 1:00-2:00pm
March 16, 1:00-2:00pm
To register for a webinar, contact [email protected]
Middlebury
Ilsley Public Library
March 27
7:00 - 9:00pm
This workshop will have a follow-up on April 3rd, featuring the more advanced tools and uses of BioFinder.
Newport
North Country Career Center
March 29
6:30 - 8:30pm
St. Albans
Community College of Vermont
April 1
9:30 - 11:30am
Bennington
Community College of Vermont
April 5
6:30 - 8:30pm
White River Junction
Hartford Area Career & Technology Center
April 11
6:30 - 8:30pm
Burlington
University of Vermont
April 18
6:30 - 8:30pm
Aiken Center
Putney
Landmark College
April 24 (Tentative)
6:30 - 8:30pm
Barre
Central Vermont Career Center
April 25
6:00 - 8:00pm
Source: Department of Fish and Wildlife