The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the call for Climate Economy Resilient Communities participants for 2026. Through the program, VCRD supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action solutions that help increase climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy use, and/or strengthen the local climate economy. Since launching…
The Preservation Trust of Vermont, Vermont Council on Rural Development, and the Vermont Community Foundation are pleased to announce the second cohort of communities selected for the Village Trust Initiative (VTI). Now in its second year, VTI is a partnership supporting rural communities undertaking transformational revitalization projects in their historic villages. “Vermont’s rural villages should…
On Thursday November 6, all New Haven community members are invited to gather at the Town Hall for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in sharing and developing ideas for the future prosperity and quality of life of New Haven. This event is the first of three steps in…
Members of the Plainfield community came together Wednesday, September 17th for the second step of the Plainfield Forward resilient communities process and set two concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. All area residents, including those displaced from the 2023 and 2024 floods, are encouraged to sign up for these priority groups online…
Plainfield community members are invited to participate in the next step of the Plainfield Forward process to review, discuss and prioritize community-led actions that will improve the future of their town. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 17th from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard with free…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the opening of applications for the fifth round of the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund, a small catalytic grant program for local innovative climate projects. VCRD launched the fund in 2021 to support local innovators in developing climate and energy solutions for which a small grant could have…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announced the recipient of the Vermont Community Leadership Award at its 2025 Vermont Community Leadership Summit on August 11 at the Vermont State University Randolph Campus where hundreds of community leaders from across the state gathered to share skills, connect, and build a stronger Vermont together. The Vermont…
Members of the Sunderland community came together Wednesday, July 18th for the second step of the Sunderland Shines Community Visit process and set two concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. All area residents are encouraged to sign up for these task forces online at bit.ly/SunderlandShines. At the meeting, community members discussed…
Following the anniversaries of intense flooding to much of Vermont including Plainfield, another storm event in the NEK has caused significant damage. With this stark reminder of repeated flooding events as the backdrop, all Plainfield community members are invited to gather at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard on Monday July 28th,…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has welcomed nine participants to the 2025 Climate Catalysts Leadership Program. Participants from across the state will focus their time on the implementation of a local climate or energy project such as emergency planning and preparedness, promoting transportation equity, mapping climate/sustainability tools used by the ski industry, celebrating…