Environment

Stewarding the land to ensure the future.

Vermont’s landscape is more than a beautiful view. It is our state’s past, present, and future. Environmental scientists, land preservationists, engineers, legislators, nonprofits, higher education institutions, and more form the sector committed to protecting it.

#2

Best Green MBA Program at UVM’s Grossman School of Business (2021)

5%

Percentage of Vermont’s public nonprofits that are environmental

1.5 million

Acres of Vermont land under conservation

Work in service to the planet.

Vermonters believe our landscape is precious, and a cadre of government entities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations
work to protect it and steward its use.

Vermont is a national leader in sustainability, breaking ground with landmark legislation like our ban on single-use plastics to laws banning food scraps from landfills and requiring composting. Vermont’s land use and development laws, known collectively as Act 250, guide growth and development to maintain the integrity of the landscape and water supply, connectivity between habitats, and to protect native species.

Vermont is also deeply committed to combating climate change. The state is actively setting goals, building solutions, and taking steps to prepare and mitigate the impact on our communities, businesses, and natural resources.

Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources is a key employer in this sector. Careers in this Agency run the gamut from scientist to wildlife information specialist to and more. The Department of Environmental Conservation’s mission is to preserve, enhance, restore and conserve Vermont’s natural resources and protect human health. DEC also offers multiple volunteer opportunities for citizen scientists. The Department of Fish and Wildlife works to conserve fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. And the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

is responsible for the conservation and management of Vermont’s forest resources, the operation and maintenance of the State Parks system, and the promotion and support of outdoor recreation.

The Vermont Environmental Consortium offers resources for careers in the field. Organizations like the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Vermont Land Trust, Vermont Natural Resources Council, Nature Conservancy, and many more work statewide and locally on environmental protection and mitigation. Environment-focused jobs in the nonprofit sector can be found throughout Vermont.

Environmental justice has deep roots in Vermont. Global eco-warrior group 350.org was founded by Vermonter Bill McKibben. The Vermont Law School has consistently ranked as one of the best environmental law programs in the country for over a decade. The University of Vermont’s Gund Institute for Environment is currently undertaking Vermont’s largest climate change study. Even at the elementary school level, teachers are imparting to Vermont kids the importance of protecting the environment at innovative schools like Burlington’s Sustainability Academy.