The Green Mountain Club hosts events, workshops, and occasional community outings. Check the upcoming schedule below for introduction to hiking workshops, panels from experienced thru-hikers, Wilderness First Aid training, trail maintenance training, and more. Check the calendar of events and outings to see what the volunteer sections have planned. We host both in-person and virtual events.
Find recorded sessions below, or on YouTube.
Being Outside and Outside the Binary
Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Zoom
Kae Ravichandran started running over 10 years ago to find an excuse to wear clothes that matched her gender identity, to be free of the expectations of society, and to discover more about herself. One of her goals has always been to share the sport with others, making the outdoors a more inclusive space for others where they can discover their queerness, build community, and truly be themselves.
Now a UVM medical student with aspirations of becoming a pediatrician, Kae became the first winner of the 2023 non-binary division of the Boston Marathon this past spring. In this presentation, Kae will share her personal story of queerness in running, and share some of the work she has done to make running and the trails more inclusive throughout the country.
Backpacking 101
Sunday, April 28, 2024 | 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m
Zoom
Are you interested in backpacking, but not sure where to start? With so much information about gear, food, trails and more, it can be easy to feel lost before you ever step outside. Come learn how to hit the trail safely from the Green Mountain Club! This in-person workshop, taught by a Long Trail End-to-Ender and GMC staff, is an introduction to backpacking – from gear selection and trip planning to first aid and nutrition, at the end of which you’ll be ready to hit the trail for 3 nights or 3 months.
Long Trail End-to-Ender Panel
Friday, May 3, 2024 | 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m
Zoom
The Long Trail End-to-Ender Panel is an informative Q&A, show-and-tell style panel intended for folks to learn about backpacking in Vermont from experienced Long Trail Thru-Hikers. Wondering about the best lightweight tent or how to not get bored with PB&J’s? Sign up to learn the ins and outs of a long-distance hike and get answers to all your questions about food, equipment, and planning.
Wild Spring Edibles of the Northeast
Sunday, May 12, 2024 | 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m
Green Mountain Club Headquarters, Waterbury Center, VT
Are you intrigued by mushroom and plant foraging? Join Ari Rockland-Miller of The Mushroom Forager on a tour of spring’s wild tastes and tonics. In May, the woods burst with a profusion of tender new greens and mushrooms. This guided foray will explore the woods around Green Mountain Club as we learn about the culinary and medicinal treasures of springtime. The foray will cover topics including safety, strategy, ethics and sustainability. Stick around for a tasting after the hunt!
Participants should dress for hiking in the woods and bring water. This program is fully outdoors and will be held rain or shine unless the weather presents a safety hazard such as t-storms.
Essentials of Map and Compass
Saturday, May 19, 2024 | 9 a.m. – 4 p.m
Green Mountain Club Headquarters, Waterbury Center, VT
Knowing how to use a map and compass are crucial skills for any hiker. If you don’t know how to use a map and compass, then you are not only missing an essential skill when taking to the mountains, you could also be putting your life in danger.
This workshop will help you understand the information provided on a topographical map, the proper use of a compass, and how to put the two together. You’ll learn about magnetic north, true north, and magnetic declination, and pairing a compass to a map. You’ll then learn how to use a map and compass to find a bearing with a map and follow it in the field, and to take bearings on visible landmarks and use them to determine where you are. After covering these fundamentals, you’ll get an opportunity to practice orienteering skills in the woods around the Green Mountain Club campus. This interactive workshop is a great introduction to navigation and map reading which are essential skills for anyone hiking trails or heading into the woods off-trail (bushwhacking).
Wilderness First Responder Recertification
Saturday, June 1, 2024 – Sunday, June 2, 2024 | 8a.m. – 5 p.m.
This two-day course will recertify those with current WFR certification through SOLO, WMA, WMI, NOLS and several other programs that meet criteria. The course will be a mixture of traditional, classroom learning and outdoors, hands-on scenarios. This WFR Recertification is good for three years, and required CPR certification is good for only two years. We’ll hold an optional CPR course the evening of the first day.
A full gear list and further details will be sent to participants upon registering.
Recordings of Recent Events
The History of the VT Civilian Conservation Corps
Thursday, January 11, 2024 | Zoom
Long Trail End-to-Ender’s Panel
Friday, May 5, 2023 | 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Zoom
Hiking 101 (Online)
Wednesday, April 19, 2023 | 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.| Zoom
Airplane Crashes Along the Long Trail in Vermont
Thursday, March 2 | 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.| Zoom
The ‘American Alps’ in Washington’s North Cascades (Online)
Thursday, February 16 | 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.| Zoom
A Woman Alone in the Woods at Night (Online)
Thursday, January 26 | 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.| Zoom
Secrets of Aging Well: Why Hiking is the Closest Thing We Have To The Fountain of Youth (Online)
Thursday, January 19 | 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Zoom
Introduction to Winter Hiking
December 16, 2022 | 5:30pm – 6:30pm | Zoom
The Art of Race and Leadership with Melody Walker Mackin
June 10, 2022 | 7pm – 8 pm | Zoom
Long Trail End-to-Ender Panel
May 6, 2022 | 6pm | Zoom
The Long Trail End-to-Ender Panel is an informative Q&A, show-and-tell style panel intended for folks to learn about backpacking in Vermont from experienced Long Trail Thru-Hikers. Wondering about the best lightweight tent or how to not get bored with PB&J’s? Sign up to learn the ins and outs of a long-distance hike and get answers to all your questions about food, equipment, and planning.
Backpacking 101 Webinar
April 18, 2022 | 6pm | Zoom
“No Other Lake” Short Film – Sneak Preview
March 17, 2022 | Zoom
In Search of Imaginary Peaks: The Riesenstein Hoax and Other Mountain Dreams
March 10, 2022 | Zoom
The Northeast Kingdom Meets the American Southwest
March 3, 2022 | Zoom
Breaking it down to build it back: A story of rediscovery in the outdoors
February 3, 2022 | Zoom
Moving Mountains: Overcoming obstacles in 2022 and beyond
January 27, 2022 | Zoom
Long Trail Family Thru-Hike
January 20, 2022 | Zoom
Join Matt Krebs and his three children, Charlie (16), Ruth (14) and Joe (8), as they share the challenges and joys of thru-hiking the Long Trail together.
This presentation is part of the 30th annual James P. Taylor Outdoor Adventure Series — bringing adventures to you through stories, photographs, and videos. It is sponsored by Sunset Lake CBD.
Arizona: Day Hikes and Other Adventures
January 13, 2022 | Zoom
Long time Green Mountain Club volunteers, Rich and Sheri Larsen share photos and stories from their adventures in Arizona. Enjoy this presentation and the beautiful imagery.
This presentation is part of the 30th annual James P. Taylor Outdoor Adventure Series — bringing adventures to you through stories, photographs, and videos. It is sponsored by 802 Cars.
Crosscut: A Trail Builder’s Memoir
January 6, 2022 | Zoom
Author, poet, trail builder, and professor Sean Prentiss shares stories and poems from his memoir Crosscut: Poems, inspired by his time leading trail crews for the Northwest Youth Corps.
This presentation is part of the 30th annual James P. Taylor Outdoor Adventure Series — bringing adventures to you through stories, photographs, and videos. It is sponsored by Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel.