MONTPELIER — The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding a series of free workshops on using the recently updated online mapping tool, BioFinder. The workshops — including one in Middlebury on March 27 — are aimed at town planners and conservation commissioners, but all members of the public are encouraged to attend.
BioFinder is a mapping resource used to find the places in Vermont most important for maintaining biodiversity, even as the climate changes. It includes maps of Vermont’s connected forests and waterways, locations of important ecological resources and other information used for conservation and land use planning.
“BioFinder makes your work as a community leader easier by helping you identify hotspots of biological diversity in your area,” said Jens Hilke of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. “Getting the right information is the first step in ensuring that these important natural resources are available for every generation of Vermonter.”
By zooming in and out to different scales, BioFinder can help users see their land or community in a larger context. It is available for anyone to use online at BioFinder.vermont.gov.
“For people working in small towns, getting quality information is really a challenge,” said Liz Thompson of the Jericho Conservation Commission. “BioFinder brings all of the current information into one place that is so slick and easy to use.”
The seminar in Middlebury will take place a Ilsley Public Library on March 27, from 7-9 p.m. This workshop will have a follow-up on April 3 featuring the more advanced tools and uses of BioFinder.
Everyone is welcome, but since space is limited, pre-registration is required. Email [email protected] to sign up or learn more. Seminars are generally in the evening, but there will also be several webinars that are available during the day.