Forests for the people! Democracy in the woods! Most towns in Vermont have a locally owned forest, but no two are exactly the same — and their stories are still unfolding.

Check out the web version of this episode for photos and a full transcript. You can participate in UVM’s town forest census project here.

Thanks to Anne Wallace of Bristol for the great question. 

This episode was reported by Lexi Krupp. It was produced by Burgess Brown, with editing from Josh Crane and Sabine Poux. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our intern is Catherine Morrissey. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Larry Bush, Neal Maker, Bob McCullough, Callie Brynn, Michael Giammusso, and Reg Dearborn.

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

Vermont used to have hundreds of dumps all over the state. These days, most of the state’s trash ends up in one place: a landfill in Coventry. Question-asker Sylvia Dodge, of Lyndon, wants to know why all that trash ends up in just one small town. 

We visit the Coventry landfill, trash bag in hand, and talk to the people doing the dirty work. You can find photos from our reporting, and a full transcript for the episode, here.

Share your feedback about BLS! We’d love to hear from you and it will help us make the show even better. Plus: prizes! 

This episode was reported by Mikaela Lefrak. It was produced by Josh Crane, with additional editing from Burgess Brown and Sabine Poux. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our intern is Catherine Morrissey. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Kari Anderson, David Littlefield, Chris Bray and Jeff Weld.

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

• Ask a question about Vermont
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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

We track down the Lorax of Vermont cemeteries and visit a farm in East Putney where the past and present collide.

Share your feedback about BLS! We’d love to hear from you and it will help us make the show even better. Plus: prizes! 

Thanks to Kathleen Cuneen of Thetford for the great question. Check out the web version of this episode for photos and a full transcript.

This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. It was produced and edited by Burgess Brown and Josh Crane. Digital support from Sophie Stephens. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Sam Eaton, Tom Giffin and Martha Howard.

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

Alex Larrabee is in 10th grade at the Danville School in the Northeast Kingdom. She doesn’t hunt, but her family does and her classmates do. And she’s noticed that people who go hunting… it’s not a casual interest. They’re passionate about it. Alex, on the other hand, doesn’t really get what all the fuss is about.

Now, we at Brave Little State are not big hunters, and neither is Lola Duffort, our reporter for this episode. So, we figured the best way and probably the only way to answer Alex’s question was to head into the woods and see for ourselves. We hope you’ll tag along.

Check out the web version of this episode for photos from our hunting excursion and a full episode transcript.

This episode was reported by Lola Duffort. It was produced by Burgess Brown and edited by Sabine Poux and Josh Crane. Digital support from Sophie Stephens. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Abagael Giles, Travis Tremblay, Mike Covey, Matt Breton, Rachel Keach, Natalie Conway, Chris Bray and all the teachers and administrators who helped facilitate the high school voting round that led to this episode.

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

• Ask a question about Vermont
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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

It’s been seven years since Colorado-based Vail Resorts bought the ski resort at Stowe. Almost immediately, Vail cut the cost of a season pass there in half. But cheaper skiing hasn’t deterred people from lampooning Vail online or displaying angry bumper stickers in ski town parking lots — spotlighting a tension over the soul of Vermont ski culture and ski towns. 

In this episode, we look into what’s changed since Vail’s entry here, from chairlift upgrades to stress on the housing market. Plus, a general sense of transformation that’s harder to pinpoint. 

Check out the web version of this episode for photos from our reporting and a full episode transcript. And to learn more about a new exhibit on Vermont’s lost ski areas, check out the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Museum in Stowe.

Thanks to Nathan Evans for the great question.

This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. It was produced and edited by Josh Crane and Burgess Brown. Digital support from Sophie Stephens. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to Laura Nakasaka, Abagael Giles, Nina Keck, Robert Parrish, , Jason Blevins, Tom Gianola, Lindsay DesLauriers and Izzy Mitchell.

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

• Ask a question about Vermont
• Sign up for the BLS newsletter
• Say hi on Instagram and Reddit @bravestatevt
• Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org
• Make a gift to support people-powered journalism
• Tell your friends about the show!

Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

Government for the people! A beacon of democracy! The Postal Service has been essential for free speech and the circulation of ideas since before the founding of the United States. These days, it's becoming increasingly important during elections, as more people vote by mail. And it’s still a vital part of many communities, from beloved local mail carriers to shiny, gold P.O. Boxes in general stores.

But in recent years, it’s been struggling to make good on its public service — and Vermonters are fighting back. Check out the web version of this story here.

If you have questions about the 2024 election and its aftermath you want us to answer, we’d love to hear from you. There’s a form on our website, or leave us a voicemail at 802-552-4880.

This episode was reported by Burgess Brown. It was produced and edited by Josh Crane and Sabine Poux. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Zoe McDonald, Bob Kinzel, Adiah Gholston, Rachel Hellman, Paul Montague, Trevor Braun, Alexia Murray, Bruce Olsson, Ned Swanberg, Justin Hopkins and Alice Angney.

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

• Ask a question about Vermont
• Sign up for the BLS newsletter
• Say hi on Instagram and Reddit @bravestatevt
• Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org
• Make a gift to support people-powered journalism
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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network. 

We’re sharing a story from New Hampshire Public Radio’s Document team.

A young police officer unexpectedly finds herself back in New Hampshire, and she’s not the same person she was when she left. Something happened to her – to all of us. But for Officer Emelia Campbell, this thing still lives in her brain and her body.

NHPR’s Lauren Chooljian brings you Emelia’s story of survival and resilience in the wake of Jan. 6, 2021. You can find the full transcript here. 

Heads up: This episode contains unbleeped swears and mentions of death by suicide. If you need support, call or text 9-8-8, or click here, for the Suicide and Crisis lifeline. 

This story was reported and written by Lauren Chooljian. Jason Moon produced and mixed this piece, and composed all the music. Katie Colaneri was the editor, with additional editing by Dan Barrick, Todd Bookman, Taylor Quimby and Kate Dario.

Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network. As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

• Ask a question about Vermont
• Sign up for the BLS newsletter
• Say hi on Instagram and Reddit @bravestatevt
• Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org
• Make a gift to support people-powered journalism
• Tell your friends about the show!

Climate change is here. So is Vermont’s energy transition. Ahead of the 2024 election, voters want to know: How do they fit in?

Environment and climate reporter Abagael Giles looks into efforts to both mitigate and adapt to climate change in this pivotal moment. And she explores how Vermont can make sure its most remote communities aren’t left behind.

Thanks to Laura Zettler of Fairfax and Pam Ladds of Newport for sharing their curiosity with us. 

There’s a full transcript for this episode here. If you want to learn more about the Affordable Heat Act or any other Vermont climate policies — and to find out more about where specific candidates stand on climate issues — click here.

And for more about how climate change is impacting Vermont, check out more of Abagael’s recent reporting.

This episode was reported by Abagael Giles. It was produced and edited by Josh Crane, with help from Sabine Poux, Burgess Brown, Brittany Patterson and Sophie Stephens. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Mark Davis, Rachel Cleetus, Terry Callahan, Jennifer Durgan, Tony Eprile, Donna Smyers, Johanna Nichols, Jennifer Francoeur and Jenel Ronn.

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

• Ask a question about Vermont
• Sign up for the BLS newsletter
• Say hi on Instagram and Reddit @bravestatevt
• Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org
• Make a gift to support people-powered journalism
• Tell your friends about the show!

Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

For centuries, humans have transported plants and animals and fungi all around the globe. Whether exotic plants for a home garden or spores hitching a ride on a boot, flora and fauna have found their way into ecosystems that were unprepared for their arrival. These “invasive species” have no natural predators to keep them in check and in that absence, they wreak havoc.

But which of these species has wreaked the most havoc in Vermont? That’s what Ashley Wojnarowski and Mike Mezzacapo of Pomfret want to know.

Josh Crane searches for answers and falls into the “bottomless pit” of invasive species management — and he gets up close with one of Vermont’s most fragile ecosystems. 

For photos from our reporting, check out the web version of this story.

For help with species identification and to record your findings, check out iNaturalist.

This episode was reported by Josh Crane. It was produced and edited by Sabine Poux and Burgess Brown. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Mike Bald, Matt "Beagle" Bourgault, Betty Smith, Lexi Krupp, Abagael Giles, Corey Dockser, Charlie Nardozzi, Tim Parsons, Mary Walz, Mike Kiernan, Elise Schadler, Kim Jensen, Noah Hoffman, Evan Horne, David Moroney, Jay Herbert, Jack Lentz, Don Wenner, Virginia Barlow, Tony D’Amato, Markus Bradley, Mariano Rodriguez-Cabal, Noelia Barrios-Garcia, and Mary Holland.

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

• Ask a question about Vermont
• Sign up for the BLS newsletter
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• Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org
• Make a gift to support people-powered journalism
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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.

The “girlie shows” are long gone from the county fairs. Former clubs like Planet Rock in Barre and Club Fantasy in South Burlington have all shut down. Vermont is now the only New England state without strip clubs. One stripper who grew up in Vermont reached out with a simple question: Why?

For photos from our reporting, check out the web version of this story.

Thanks to Susan Meiselas and Magnum Photos for the materials from Carnival Strippers and Carnival Strippers Revisted. 

This episode was reported by Sabine Poux. It was produced and edited by Josh Crane and Burgess Brown. Additional support from Sophie Stephens. Angela Evancie is Brave Little State’s Executive Producer. Our theme music is by Ty Gibbons; other music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Special thanks to Liam Elder-Connors, Jeff Haig, Steve Taylor, Scott Rogers, Fern Strong, Elaine Howe, Gail Weise, Jordan Mitchell, Matt Sutkoski, Lydia Flanagan and The Mutual Zine Society, as well as everyone we spoke to at the Tunbridge World’s Fair: Gary and Martha Howe, Baxter Doty, Dave Smith, Louise and Frank Mier, Elliot Morse, Betsy and David Race and Gary Young

As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:

• Ask a question about Vermont
• Sign up for the BLS newsletter
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• Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org
• Make a gift to support people-powered journalism
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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.