Farm & Wilderness (F&W) is a summer camp organization that provides immersive outdoor experiences for youth among the forests, hills, and lakes of south-central Vermont. Many of its summer camps are located on a 620-acre parcel on the eastern side of Woodward Reservoir in Plymouth, Vermont. The property rests on a forested, east-facing hillside that slopes down to the reservoir. The camps are lower down in the valley near the reservoir, while much of the hillside is conserved for habitat and outdoor recreation as forest legacy land. F&W is hoping to reimagine the arrival area to this property, which is situated on the northern tip of Woodward Reservoir. This space provides the first impression to visitors and campers upon arrival. Many within the organization feel this space is confusing, uninviting, and inaccessible to many of its visitors. Instead, Farm & Wilderness envisions an arrival experience that is beautiful and engaging, provides clearer wayfinding, and generates the joy and excitement that campers feel on the rest of the property. As part of this vision, F&W is considering how the space might accommodate future uses and invitations to the public. This includes the siting of a welcome center and a public and universal access trail. In addition, Farm & Wilderness is considering what it would take to expand its programming beyond just the summer months. Doing so would require more winterized housing for staff. Farm & Wilderness would like to explore options for siting housing both in the arrival area and on the Hall Lots, which are four other parcels that it owns on the other side of Route 100.
