Join veteran beekeeper, Gerald Posner, owner of Swaying Daisies Honeybee Farm, as he shares best practices and procedures for helping honeybee's successfully overwinter and thrive during and after the the harsh climate of Vermont. This honeybee course will have both practical and hands-on learning to give you the full experience. Each attendee will have the opportunity to practice “best in class” activities to successfully overwinter their honeybee colonies. This course is designed for those that are currently beekeeping with established hives or have just started beekeeping. During the classroom time, students will review and reference published articles as well as discuss concerns and tried and true or tired and failed experiences of overwintering bees. During the time at the onsite CVU apiary, the following will be covered: Brood inspection. Frame / super / deep box adjustments. Formic Acid application Hive box configuration Insulation type & configuration Supplemental food, essential oil and vitamin applications. Please dress according to the weather and bring beekeeping suits, or wear a white long-sleeved shirt, outdoors shoes and bring your beekeepers veil. (some extra veils will be available to borrow).

Do you share your life with a dog and wish you had a stronger bond built on clearer communication? This engaging two-part course is designed to help dog owners better understand how dogs communicate—and how we, as humans, can respond more effectively. Join veterinarian Dr. Viola Chu for an informative and practical presentation that explores the differences between canine and human communication. If you’ve ever felt frustrated or confused when your dog doesn’t seem to “get” what you’re asking, this class will help you see behavior and signals from a new perspective. In the first session, Dr. Chu will explain how dogs communicate through body language, behavior, and instinct, and why misunderstandings between dogs and humans are so common. Participants will learn strategies to bridge this communication gap and build mutual trust. In the second session, these concepts will be applied to real-world situations such as common behavior challenges, training frustrations, and everyday interactions at home and on walks. Ample time will be provided for questions and discussion. While the sessions complement one another, each class can be taken independently. Please bring your curiosity and questions—but kindly leave your pets at home. “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” - Aldo Leopold

Have you wanted to de-clutter your home, and just don't know where to start? Have you started the process, only to feel overwhelmed, and then got stuck? Ellen will share her tried-and-true methods for organizing a home, and developing systems to keep it that way. Come ready to ask her for the best approaches to purge your worst clutter spots! You'll go home with renewed motivation and a page of Timely Tips.

Permaculture is a design science rooted in the observation of natural systems. Join us as we dive into the principles of permaculture and learn how to design ways of living that have the stability and resiliency of natural systems. In this class we focus on positive solutions for creating and managing systems for food, medicine, water, shelter, and more. Permaculture is a multi-disciplinary art form, drawing from the physical sciences, architecture, nutrition, the healing arts, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and spirituality. The ethical underpinnings that guide permaculture are simple yet powerful: take care of earth, take care of the people, and share the surplus. "Jacob was extremely informative while also being entertaining." "Terrific teacher; enthusiastic and helpful."