Welcome to the Upper Valley!

Friendly communities. Beautiful natural surroundings. Fresh, local food. Businesses and nonprofit organizations that care about the place we call home. There’s a lot to love about the Upper Valley!

Vital Communities is here to help you get to know the region. Explore the resources below to find ways to connect with your community today.

Explore the Upper Valley

Find a Quest

Valley Quest is an award-winning, place-based education program that uses treasure hunts to celebrate community, natural history, cultural sites, stories, and special places. Discover the Upper Valley’s hidden gems on one of our 200+ Quests.

Want to support the local economy when you shop? Check out our Local First Alliance member directory to find local restaurants, retail shops, service providers, and more. Look for the logo and Think Local First!

Think Local First

Find a Local Business

Eat Valley Farm Fresh

Find Local Food

Our online guide is the easiest way to find local food and farm products in the Upper Valley. Simply indicate the product or service you’re looking for and we’ll give you a detailed list of all the local places to find it.

Whether you’re commuting to work or heading to school, we make it easy to figure out how to get there with resources for carpooling, active commuting, and local public transit. You can even calculate the annual cost of your commute.

Get Going!

Find Transportation Options

Sign Up!

Join the Discussion

Woodstock Green 2Looking for an easy way to keep in touch with your neighbors and what’s happening in your town? Our local community email discussion lists allow members to post and respond to messages about their town. Join your local list to get connected—and if you don’t see it on our list, check with your town about whether there’s something similar for your community.

Lifelong Learning

The Upper Valley is the perfect place to continue your building your education, your professional network, and yourself.

Vital Communities’ program Leadership Upper Valley provides UV residents with a comprehensive knowledge of leadership and volunteer opportunities within the Upper Valley. Classes meet once a month for ten months.

OSHER@Dartmouth is a lifelong learning institute within Dartmouth College dedicated to educating Upper Valley residents with year-round study opportunities.

The Learning Lab (TLL) is a nonprofit organization in Woodstock, Vermont that brings together an array of valuable courses, from art to history to dream analysis, and is open to the entire community.

Upper Valley Young Professionals (UVYP) brings the Upper Valley community of young professionals together for educational opportunities and social networking events in the area.

Adventures in Learning at Colby Sawyer College is dedicated to helping adults expand their education and knowledge of the world in an informal, no-pressure setting.

Want to Volunteer?

Trek to Taste 2014

Whether you’re new to the Upper Valley, or you have  lived here for a while, you may be looking for new ways to volunteer. Fortunately, here are plenty of ways to give back to this region.

By becoming a box monitor for the Vital Communities’ Valley Quest program, you can explore the area around you while making sure Valley Quest boxes are in place and ready to be found by other Questers.

The Valley News, the news source of the Upper Valley, runs a volunteer section in which new (and continuous) volunteer job opportunities are listed, making applying for some of them as easy as clicking “apply.”

Once a year Hypertherm, in conjunction with the Hypertherm HOPE Foundation, hold a volunteer fair in an effort to encourage Upper Valley residents and Hypertherm employees to volunteer their time with local nonprofits.

Remember to check out our calendar to find even more volunteer opportunities within the Upper Valley.

Get the News!

Want to know what’s going on in the Upper Valley? Then get the news!

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Other Work of Vital Communities

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Community Discussion Lists

Community engagement thru online discussions (“listservs”).

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Corporate Council

Business leaders working on issues facing our region.

Learn More  >

Publications

Spring Newsletter

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Annual Report

FY2015 Annual Report

Fall Newsletter

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Board of Directors

Our Programs

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Valley Quest

LEARN MORE ›

Discover our special places.

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Transportation

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Working to reduce reliance on driving alone.

Leadership Upper Valley

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Inspiring, educating, and engaging leaders.

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Valley Food & Farm

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Keeping agriculture a vital part of regional life.

Local First Alliance

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Pursuing a thriving local economy.

Energy

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Moving towards energy independence.

Officers:
Bill Geraghty, Hanover, NH, Chair
Clifton Below, Lebanon, NH, Vice Chair
Stan Williams, Norwich, VT, Secretary
George Newcomb, Norwich, VT, Treasurer

Ellen Arnold, Plainfield, NH
Jenn Hayslett, S. Royalton, VT
Jenny Levy, Norwich VT
Barry McCabe, West Hartford, VT
Ron Shaiko, Hanover, NH
Cindi Taylor, Meriden, NH

Janet Taylor, Post Mills, VT
Peter Thurber, Canaan, NH
Dan Weinstein, Grantham, NH
Tuck Students:
Ryan Amica, Hanover, NH
Sebastian Restrepo, Hanover, NH

Advisory Council

Clay Adams, Norwich, VT
Lisa Cashdan, Norwich, VT
Jon Chaffee, West Lebanon, NH
Steve Christy, Lebanon, NH
Delia Clark, Taftsville,VT
Glenn English, Haverhill, NH
Charlotte Faulkner, Hanover, NH
Sharon Francis, Charlestown, NH
Byron Hathorn, Fairlee, VT

Rick Hausman, Ryegate,VT
Harvey Hill, Charlestown, NH
Sandra Hoeh, Hanover, NH
Henry Homeyer, Cornish Flat, NH
Biddy Irwin, Newport, NH
Barbara Jones, Grantham, NH
Peggy Kannenstine, Woodstock, VT
Carola Lea, Lyme, NH
Richard Lewin, Hanover, NH
Jane Kitchel McLaughlin, Lyme, NH

Charlotte Metcalf, Norwich,VT
Lizann Peyton, Norwich, VT
Bill Ploog, Lyme, NH
Betty Porter, Norwich, VT
Sylvia Provost, White River Junction, VT
Allie Quinn, Hanover, NH
Barry Schuster, Lebanon, NH
Bruce Schwaegler, Orford, NH
Anne Silberfarb, Norwich, VT

Becky Smith, Concord, NH
Stuart V. Smith, Lyme, NH
Vicki Smith, Lyme, NH
Peter Stein, Norwich, VT
Steve Taylor, Meriden, NH
Fred Thomas, Thetford, VT
Peter Welch, Hartland, VT
Diana Wright, Thetford, VT

Vital Communities Program News

Plug-In to Electric Vehicles at the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo

Plug-In to Electric Vehicles at the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo Vital Communities, Upper Valley Sierra Club, and volunteers from several Upper Valley energy committees are joining forces to host the Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo on Saturday, September 9, from 12 to ...more

Local First Alliance Lunch & Learn Series

Local First Alliance Member Professional Development & Networking Opportunity Lunch & Learn Series -  Bring or buy a lunch and learn from LFA members this summer. Free for members, $10 non-members. 8/22- Web Marketing for Small Businesses, Noon-1:00pm  King Arthur ...more

30 Local Leaders Graduate from Leadership Upper Valley

Vital Communities celebrated its Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2017 on June 14, in a commencement ceremony at Harpoon Brewery. Thirty of the region’s emerging local leaders graduated from the 10-month professional and personal development ...more

Hats for Whatever Shape Your Head is In

The Fat Hat corner in Quechee is a land mark most Upper Valley residents know. The funky old car, the lawn art, and now featuring Chef Brad's Crazy Sides (another LFA member!). This  bustling retail corner ...more

Quest of the Month: Lake Morey

Last week, I brought my partner along to do the Lake Morey Quest in Fairlee, Vermont! It was a beautiful July evening, and after some food we headed to the Samuel Morey Elementary School to ...more

Volunteer Spotlight: Linda Kahl and Lois Frazer

Valley Quest is often thought of as a family-oriented program. With educational treasure hunts of varying length, difficulty, and physical intensity, the program offers Quests that engage every interest and age group. For some, Questing is ...more

Ticks and Questing-Be Prepared!

With the warmth and the beginning of Quest season this past month, I’ve dealt will my fair share of ticks. Questing can be fickle. Many of the Valley Quests are along trails, or lead through ...more

Locally Owned Businesses Drive Our Local Economy

The following opinion article appeared in the Valley News last week after the closing of Everything But Anchovies, a local Hanover restaurant that had been feeding Dartmouth and our larger community for 38 years. You ...more

Modern Grange Farmer Partnership

For several years now a consistent topic of conversation among our regions farmers and other food system partcipants is the need for and feasibility of a food hub-type thing in the Upper Valley. The desired ...more

The Hop and Vital Communities Celebrate Rural Traditions

The Hop and Vital Communities Celebrate Rural Traditions   Doggie Hamlet, Thursday, June 29, 4:30 & 7 pm, Dartmouth Green, FREE See the world premiere of a groundbreaking work celebrating rural traditions! This wordless spectacle weaves together dance, theater and sheep ...more

Closing Remarks for Heroes & Leaders from Markell Ripps

Thank you all for joining us to celebrate the young leaders who are being honored tonight, and thank you to Vital Communities for recognizing their important contributions to our community. It is so important to ...more

Bike to Work Day at Dartmouth College

Bethany and I arrived bright and early at the Hop at Dartmouth College Friday, May 19, to greet employees and students who arrived that morning on two wheels instead of four. The cyclists were met with ...more

Meet the 2017 Heroes & Leaders Honorees

  Merritt Patridge Merritt Patridge joined the Tuck School of Business in 2015, where she serves as Executive Director of the Center for Business, Government & Society. Prior to Tuck, Merritt worked at The Dartmouth Center ...more

Dirty Hands, Clean Bikes

I had a lot of fun teaching a Basic Bike Maintenance workshop at the Upper Valley Haven on April 29, ably assisted by Lisa from the Haven! A dozen community members and Haven staff gathered for hands-on instruction ...more

Farm to School Forum: King Arthur Flour Bake for Good Kids Program

Join Upper Valley Farm to School Network as we learn how to make the dough!     King Arthur Flour Bake for Good Kids Program Kids LEARN to make bread from scratch. Math + science + reading + baking ...more

Spring Into Bike Riding Season...

...with practical skills training to get you riding more! What is Everyday Bicycling? It’s using your bike for those everyday trips that we all make -- grocery shopping, getting to work, or even picking up the kids ...more

Solar Expo in Lebanon 4/1

Solar Installers Expo Hosted by the Plainfield, Cornish, Lebanon, and Enfield Energy Committees Saturday, April 1 at 2 pm Kilton Library at 80 Main Street in West Lebanon (Contact mary.n.boyle@gmail.com for more information and to RSVP) Act now before Net Metering Tariffs change (and PV Solar ...more

Why Weatherize?

Many thanks to our friends at CATV and Emily Gardner for helping our Hartford Weatherize volunteer team film this hilarious video explaining why YOU should participate in Weatherize Upper Valley. Since Weatherize Upper Valley kicked off ...more

What's Happening

Calendar

August 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
  • Valley Quest season open
2
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Edgewater Power of Produce (POP) Club
3
  • Valley Quest season open
4
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Newport Power of Produce (POP) Club
5
  • Valley Quest season open
6
  • Valley Quest season open
7
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Chew On This: What's Local
8
  • Valley Quest season open
9
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Edgewater Power of Produce (POP) Club
10
  • Valley Quest season open
11
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Quest Writing Workshop
  • Newport Power of Produce (POP) Club
12
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Co-op Food Stores Producer's Fair
13
  • Valley Quest season open
14
  • Valley Quest season open
15
  • Valley Quest season open
16
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Edgewater Power of Produce (POP) Club
  • UV CRAFT - Root 5 Farm
17
  • Valley Quest season open
18
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Newport Power of Produce (POP) Club
19
  • Valley Quest season open
20
  • Valley Quest season open
21
  • Valley Quest season open
22
  • Valley Quest season open
  • LFA Lunch & Learn: Web Marketing for Small Businesses
23
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Local First Alliance Steering Committee Meeting
24
  • Valley Quest season open
25
  • Valley Quest season open
26
  • Valley Quest season open
  • Guided Chipmunk Quest at Marsh Billings
27
  • Valley Quest season open
28
  • Valley Quest season open
29
  • Valley Quest season open
30
  • Valley Quest season open
31
  • Valley Quest season open

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More Information

Privacy Policy

Vital Communities is a regional nonprofit organization based in White River Junction, Vermont, that works to engage citizens, organizations, and communities in creating solutions to our region’s challenges.

Information Privacy Policy – 08/2010

Vital Communities respects the privacy of its constituents, donors, and those who support its work as volunteers. Our privacy policy is reviewed annually and posted prominently online at our web site.

  1. We collect name, address, phone, and email contact information from people who express interest in our organization, or who attend our events. We use this information to mail correspondence, newsletters, and other informational products, and solicitations. We do not sell, rent, exchange, or share donor names with any firm or nonprofit organization. We honor any constituent’s wish to not receive mail, emails, or phone communications.
  2. Our online forms for donations and product orders collect credit card information for payment via Network for Good and PayPal, both of which use state-of-the-art encryption. Credit card information is not shared with third parties. Donors are advised in printed solicitations that their contributions can be made anonymously.
  3. Personal information about our constituents is rigorously protected using physical, electronic, and procedural protection mechanisms. To review information, and to make corrections, constituents are asked to contact: Stephanie Carter, Database Manager, by email or at 802.291.9100 x 108.

Important Documents

Vital Communities 990 Return

Read about Vital Communities History here.

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