Program & Agenda
“Power of Partnerships”
Those who submitted proposals will be contacted mid-June.
The theme of the 2026 conference is “Power of Partnerships.” Session topics will help parks and recreation professionals, volunteers, staff, and leaders across Vermont (end beyond) do their work more effectively. including those who steward the state’s parks, trails, and recreation assets, from executive directors and decision-makers to hands-on volunteers.
Topics of interest include:
Program development
Communications, membership, fundraising, and volunteer recruitment
Asset management (trail building, park operations, community facilities, etc.)
Stakeholder engagement and cross-organization collaboration
Climate adaptation and emergency response
Workforce development and personnel challenges
Strategic planning and long-term visioning
Advancing equity and inclusion
Organizational leadership and staff support
Board and organizational development
Detailed Schedule Coming Soon!
Introducing Our 2026 Keynote:
Ethan Tapper
Ethan Tapper is a forester, ecologist, digital storyteller, and the bestselling author of How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World.
For more than a decade, Ethan has been recognized as a thought-leader in the world of ecosystem stewardship, winning numerous regional and national awards for his work. More recently, he has been recognized as a writer – since its publication in 2024, How to Love a Forest has been named the winner of the 2025 New England Book Award for nonfiction, and received international acclaim.
Ethan’s message of relationship, responsibility and hope reaches millions of people each year through his writing, social media channels with hundreds of thousands of followers, and the hundreds of walks, talks and keynotes that he delivers across North America each year.
Ethan works, writes, hunts, birds and runs a small consulting forestry business from his home at Bear Island – his 175-acre working forest, homestead, orchard and sugarbush in Vermont – and plays in his punk band, The Bubs.
Ethan’s book will be available for sale at the conference and he will do a book signing following his keynote presentation.
Learning Credits
VRPA and VTGC are excited to partner with American Trails to offer free learning credits to attendees (included in the registration fee). The length of the session will determine the number of credits given.
American Trails is a certified provider and can offer the following credits: AICP CM, LA CES (most HSW approved), SAF CE, as well as equivalency petition (CEU, PDH, etc.) for other accepting organizations.