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ABOUT US
A welcoming sanctuary in the heart of Burlington.
Since 1855, Rock Point has served as a unique center of the Episcopal Church in Vermont, welcoming friends and neighbors attracted to its natural beauty and its peaceful, quiet, and social embrace. Each year, nearly 10,000 people come to Rock Point, finding a place to walk, seek solitude, learn, play, sing, pray, think, share, and be.
Rock Point is a special place of wonderment and rejuvenation, of discovery and transformation; where friend and stranger, teacher and student, parent and child, can reconnect with the land, themselves, and each other. The land at Rock Point embodies the experiences of all that have left pieces of themselves behind. Whether through a reflective walk along the shores of Lake Champlain, the warm embrace of a friendship forged at Rock Point Camp, the seeds sown at Rock Point Gardens, the connections uncovered at a workshop in The Rock Point Center, or the challenges overcome at Rock Point School, the network at Rock Point invites guests to leave a piece of themselves. Visitors from all backgrounds are invited to share Rock Point.
OUR MISSION
Rock Point Commons stewards 130 acres of publicly accessible conserved lands in Burlington, VT. Our mission is to cultivate an inclusive, place-based community for education, spirituality, and environmental stewardship. To this end, we partner with groups and individuals who embody these values and provide access to land, facilities, and resources at Rock Point.
We welcome you to be a part of this community, and we seek to create a space where all feel welcome to participate in this mission.
OUR PILLARS
Education: To foster and promote learning opportunities for diverse communities at Rock Point.
Environmental Stewardship: To encourage community members to understand, care for, and protect the rich ecosystems at Rock Point and beyond.
Spirituality: To make space for people with diverse beliefs and interpretations of spirituality to connect to the earth, self, and others; refreshing the spirit through the quiet beauty and majesty of nature.
Sustainable Micro-Agriculture: To welcome small-scale agricultural projects that center connection and stewardship.
Geology, Natural History & Ecology, Human Land-Use History
The University of Vermont has compiled a treasure trove of information on Rock Point's unique geology, natural history and ecology, and human land-use history. An interactive encyclopedia, complete with photos and illustrations, can be found on the Burlington Geographic website. Click here to learn more!
Governance
Rock Point Board members: Betsy Ferries, Frank Guillot, Rev. Robert Spainhour, Sam Jackson, Wallace Good, Alexa Visco, Laurel Broughton, Walter Poleman, Matt Sommerville, Rev. Peggy Mathauer, Secretary, & Bishop Shannon McVean-Brown, Ex Officio.
The Rock Point Board has oversight responsibility for the Diocese's property at Rock Point. If you have feedback of questions for the Rock Point Board, pleas contact Kelly Kimball, Rock Point's Executive Director (kkimball@diovermont.org). The Episcopal Church in Vermont owns two institutions located on the diocesan property at Rock Point in Burlington -- the Bishop Booth Conference Center and Rock Point School. The latter is governed by its own Board.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Rock Point Commons sits on the unceded and traditional lands of the Abenaki Nation, a tribe of the Wabanaki Confederacy. We honor and acknowledge their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this land while also pausing to express our deep sadness for the painful history of harm done to indigenous people and their removal from this land.
We are grateful for the privilege to gather, learn, and hike on Abenaki land and are committed to continuing to care for this 130-acre sanctuary. We also recognize that this land acknowledgment statement is a small gesture, and we will continue to educate ourselves about the history of these lands and people.
Links to learn more about the Abenaki people:
Media Relations
If you are a member of the media with questions pertaining to Rock Point please contact Kelly Kimball (kkimball@diovermont.org)