Ethan Tapper, Chittenden County forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, was presented in May with the Cooperative Forest Management Forester of the Year Award by the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance. The regional award is given annually to a forester from one of the 20 states served by the alliance for outstanding work to advance forest stewardship on private lands.
Tapper was recognized for his expansive and innovative public outreach. Serving the state’s most populous county, he leads dozens of public events each year, touching thousands of people in Chittenden County and beyond.
“Ethan is a hallmark of how to engage Vermonters in understanding the value of Vermont’s forests and how they can take care of their woods,” said Keith Thompson, who oversees the work of Vermont's county foresters. “His success is rooted in storytelling, getting Vermonters outside in the woods, working with a diversity of partners and using digital tools to broaden his reach.”
At the height of the pandemic lockdown, Tapper moved from in-person to online presentations, creating nearly 100 educational videos about forests and forest management. He also writes a monthly column, “Into the Woods,” for 11 community newspapers in Chittenden County, and a quarterly column, “Forest Insights,” for Northern Woodlands magazine.
Tapper grew up in Saxtons River and studied forestry at the University of Vermont.
Photo caption: Ethan Tapper, left, receives his award from Patty Thielen, regional director of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.